Who said you can't catch big fish from the beach! This great little video I came across today really shows what Australian surf fishing has to offer. The mulloway is arguably the ultimate catch from the beach in the Southern areas of Australia and this is an amazing fish. This video is taken from Kalbarri in Western Australia and it is another of my favourite areas to fish! I hope you enjoy this video!
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Knots and Rigs - Bristol Knot
This knot goes hand in hand with the bimini twist that I gave instructions for last week.
This knot is easy to tie and is a very strong knot. When tied correctly the bimini twist bristol knot combo can actually form a combination that is stronger than the main line! It is suitable for braid, monofilament and fluorocarbon. Most commonly the knot was tied with 20 turns, but recent testing has shown only 8 turns are needed for the best strength and that less turns may actually be even better for this knot!
1. Pass trace through the loop of doubled line
2. wrap the leader line five to seven times around the doubled line
3. Pass the leader line end back through the loop in the opposite direction from which it entered in step 1.
4. Lubricate and pull each end of the knot evenly until it tightens. Trim the tag end.
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This knot is easy to tie and is a very strong knot. When tied correctly the bimini twist bristol knot combo can actually form a combination that is stronger than the main line! It is suitable for braid, monofilament and fluorocarbon. Most commonly the knot was tied with 20 turns, but recent testing has shown only 8 turns are needed for the best strength and that less turns may actually be even better for this knot!
1. Pass trace through the loop of doubled line
2. wrap the leader line five to seven times around the doubled line
3. Pass the leader line end back through the loop in the opposite direction from which it entered in step 1.
4. Lubricate and pull each end of the knot evenly until it tightens. Trim the tag end.
Fishing Video of The Week - Dampier W.A.
This is a nice little video of guys from Dampier in Western Australia catching Golden Trevally and Queenfish on a jig. This was the area I grew up in and where I learned to love fishing so it has a special place for me. The Dampier Archipelago is one of the best fishing destinations I have had the pleasure to fish in. All the fish seem to be big and fight hard! Enjoy the video!
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Fishing Knots and Rigs - Bimini Twist
A Bimini twist creates a loop at the end of the line in which it is tied, which can then be used to attach a wind-on-leader. The Bimini twist loop is famous for being stronger than the line itself. It is one of the rare knots that does not weaken the line in which it is tied.
The Bimini twist is usually known as an advanced fishing knot, but once it is practiced it becomes much easier and is a very important fishing knot to know.
Most people have advised that the more turns the better and commonly 20-30 turns is used. However, in recent testing by a popular Australian fishing magazine it is suggested that only 12 turns is the strongest combination!
I am presenting these knot tying instructions as a video and as a picture. This will hopefully help you tie a quality knot. Good Luck.
click to enlarge
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The Bimini twist is usually known as an advanced fishing knot, but once it is practiced it becomes much easier and is a very important fishing knot to know.
Most people have advised that the more turns the better and commonly 20-30 turns is used. However, in recent testing by a popular Australian fishing magazine it is suggested that only 12 turns is the strongest combination!
I am presenting these knot tying instructions as a video and as a picture. This will hopefully help you tie a quality knot. Good Luck.
click to enlarge
Catch and Release - Fishing how to:
Catch and release fishing is gaining in popularity in the media and in the fishing community at large, which is good news for our fisheries. Releasing what you don't need or want is one of the most important tools that recreational anglers can use to preserve and manage our fisheries.
If you intend to release a fish that you catch, there are important steps you can take which improve the likelihood of the fish surviving.
Landing the Fish. Over-exertion/exhaustion will kill many fish so use common sense. Using extremely light tackle might be fun, but if it prolongs the fight for too long it can result in death to the fish. The first key to proper release is to play the fish as quickly as possible.
The landing of the fish can also cause physical stress to the fish. A big nylon net with large-string netting can become caught in the gills of a fish and can split fins and/or remove the protective slime coating that stops disease. To prevent this use a catch and release net made of a fine cotton mesh or an environet that is certainly all the rage at the moment (see below). Using these kinds of nets will not only vastly improve the chances of survival for the fish, but often keep the fish very calm.
environet
Unhooking the fish while keeping the fish in the water is another viable option for catch and release. Many anglers lift the fish out of the water. This action deprives the fish of water and oxygen and increases stress. If you are going to lift the fish out of the water then the less time out of the water for the fish, the better. If you want to photograph your catch, have the camera ready and minimize the time that the fish is out of the water.
Releasing the Fish. There are some simple rules to follow in this area. The most important is to use care and be gentle when touching a fish. Don't squeeze the fish as you could crush its internal organs and/or remove its protective slime coating. The outer slime coating prevents disease and is essential for the fish's health. Remember if you really must touch the fish always wet your hands first.
As a general rule try to keep your fingers out of the fish's mouth and gills, and use pliers to remove embedded hooks. Try turning a fish upside down as this can calms it and will make for an easier release.
Fish with barbless hooks or with crushed barbs whenever possible. There are some great advantages to using barbless hooks:
1. If you hook yourself, the hook will come out without you having to visit the emergency room.
2. Barbless hooks penetrate a fish's mouth better than a barbed hook.
3. Barbless hooks are much easier to remove from a fish's mouth, making release easier.
If a fish swallows your hook, cut the line as close to the mouth as possible (without cutting the fish). If you are not using stainless steel hooks the hook will rust and dissolve quickly. If you are serious about catch and release, try to limit the use of stainless steel hooks unless they give a real advantage for your type of fishing.
Then you will need to actually release the fish. The best method involves gently holding the fish's tail and while supporting its underbelly, guide it through the water. This allow water to flow through its gills and the fish will begin to breathe. Face the fish into the current so that it can control it's breathing. The fish will usually swim away when it is ready.
Remember some fish, like tuna and other speedsters, often need to be speared back into the water so that the water can rush over their gills - refer to your local fish guides for this information.
If you found this article informative feel free to subscribe or leave a comment
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If you intend to release a fish that you catch, there are important steps you can take which improve the likelihood of the fish surviving.
Landing the Fish. Over-exertion/exhaustion will kill many fish so use common sense. Using extremely light tackle might be fun, but if it prolongs the fight for too long it can result in death to the fish. The first key to proper release is to play the fish as quickly as possible.
The landing of the fish can also cause physical stress to the fish. A big nylon net with large-string netting can become caught in the gills of a fish and can split fins and/or remove the protective slime coating that stops disease. To prevent this use a catch and release net made of a fine cotton mesh or an environet that is certainly all the rage at the moment (see below). Using these kinds of nets will not only vastly improve the chances of survival for the fish, but often keep the fish very calm.
environet
Unhooking the fish while keeping the fish in the water is another viable option for catch and release. Many anglers lift the fish out of the water. This action deprives the fish of water and oxygen and increases stress. If you are going to lift the fish out of the water then the less time out of the water for the fish, the better. If you want to photograph your catch, have the camera ready and minimize the time that the fish is out of the water.
Releasing the Fish. There are some simple rules to follow in this area. The most important is to use care and be gentle when touching a fish. Don't squeeze the fish as you could crush its internal organs and/or remove its protective slime coating. The outer slime coating prevents disease and is essential for the fish's health. Remember if you really must touch the fish always wet your hands first.
As a general rule try to keep your fingers out of the fish's mouth and gills, and use pliers to remove embedded hooks. Try turning a fish upside down as this can calms it and will make for an easier release.
Fish with barbless hooks or with crushed barbs whenever possible. There are some great advantages to using barbless hooks:
1. If you hook yourself, the hook will come out without you having to visit the emergency room.
2. Barbless hooks penetrate a fish's mouth better than a barbed hook.
3. Barbless hooks are much easier to remove from a fish's mouth, making release easier.
If a fish swallows your hook, cut the line as close to the mouth as possible (without cutting the fish). If you are not using stainless steel hooks the hook will rust and dissolve quickly. If you are serious about catch and release, try to limit the use of stainless steel hooks unless they give a real advantage for your type of fishing.
Then you will need to actually release the fish. The best method involves gently holding the fish's tail and while supporting its underbelly, guide it through the water. This allow water to flow through its gills and the fish will begin to breathe. Face the fish into the current so that it can control it's breathing. The fish will usually swim away when it is ready.
Remember some fish, like tuna and other speedsters, often need to be speared back into the water so that the water can rush over their gills - refer to your local fish guides for this information.
If you found this article informative feel free to subscribe or leave a comment
Fishing Joke
This sums up how I feel today after a very disappointing fishing trip. Enjoy!
A Fishy Story
Two keen fishermen go on a fishing trip. They buy all the equipment: the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even rent a cabin in the woods. They spend a fortune.
The first day they go fishing, but they don't catch a fish. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until the last day of their vacation, one of the men catches a fish.
As they're driving home they're really downhearted. One guy turns to the other and says, "Do you realise that this one little fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred dollars?"
The other guy says, "Wow! It's a good thing we didn't catch any more!"
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A Fishy Story
Two keen fishermen go on a fishing trip. They buy all the equipment: the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even rent a cabin in the woods. They spend a fortune.
The first day they go fishing, but they don't catch a fish. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until the last day of their vacation, one of the men catches a fish.
As they're driving home they're really downhearted. One guy turns to the other and says, "Do you realise that this one little fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred dollars?"
The other guy says, "Wow! It's a good thing we didn't catch any more!"
Fishing Video of the Week - Snapper
This video focuses on one of my favourite fish to catch - snapper. These are the Australian and New Zealand snapper and are no relation to the snapper family of fishes from the northern hemisphere. In this video the guys are using snapper snatcher rigs - a specially made rig with fly type presentations on a circle hook. They are spicing these up with a little bit of bait and watching the fish hook themselves! They then go on to try these rigs with other fish and find that they work just as well. Enjoy!
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