When you purchase a baitcaster reel, there’s a bit of assumed knowledge involved. It’s assumed that you’ve mastered the spin reel, and have specific techniques that require a baitcaster in mind.
Finding a spin reel to suit your angling needs can seem like a daunting task for the simple fact that there are so many out there. Where once our reel market was dominated by big Japanese brands Shimano and Daiwa – which still produce excellent reels – we now have even more to choose from.
Slide baiting is one of those techniques that has only recently come to the fore in Australia, but has been employed elsewhere in the world for many years. As usual, we’re late to the party, but at least we’re not missing out on the fun.
It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, nothing says a gourmet seafood meal quite like fresh mud crabs. Often sold at high-end restaurants and worked into complex concoctions, it’s easy to forget that you can sample your own with a few inexpensive bits of kit!Â
On the east coast of Australia, there is bait that seems to outshine many others in terms of availability and attractiveness to fish, and that is the saltwater yabby, or nipper. In the estuaries, they are a premier bait, however they can also be successful in the freshwater.
To many, the surf zone may seem like the domain of bait anglers, but this is simply not true. Those who prefer to throw lures to catch their fish can be equally at home in the surf. In fact, fishing with lures can be a good way of being more selective with your target species.
Squid fishing with jigs, or egi, is a popular pastime, particularly in our southern states. Places like Port Phillip Bay, Western Port, Adelaide, Albany and Perth can see dozens of squidders at a time congregating on public piers and rock walls all trying for a fresh feed of calamari.
The fishing world has always produced fads and fashions, especially as the tackle industry grows and promotes exciting techniques from overseas. Micro and slow pitch jigging are techniques that started as fads around 10 years, however the initial hype has seemingly not slowed down.Â
It may seem weird to dedicate a whole post to cicada imitation lures, but when you see how many lures are made to resemble these noisey invertebrates, you’ll probably agree it’s worth delving into!Â
Jigging for big speedsters offshore isn’t for everybody, but those who regularly undertake this aerobic form of fishing can’t seem to get enough of it! Whether it’s dogtooth tuna in the Coral Sea in Queensland, samson fish in the Indian Ocean in WA, or kingfish at The Rip in Victoria, this stuff pushes both angler and tackle to its limits!
It’s well known that many freshwater predators including bass, Murray cod, barramundi, sooty grunter, jungle perch, saratoga and more eat frogs. It’s also well known that angers have been using frog imitation lures in order to fool these same species for years.