Beginners fishing problem

[nick-nack]

Ive recently gotten into fishing and its been great and all but I have a few questions -
1) The guy who taught me uses squidgies which are just rubber baits. Whats another good beginner type. Im trying to stay away from live bait or similar stuff because primary school fishing really turned me off from having 40kids in a small dining hall smelling like rotting prawns.

2) I got a nice reel from the local sports store, I was told it was a good beginners one. But I keep getting the line tangled when reeling in after casting out. One of my friends who's slightly more experienced says its probably because ive got too much line wound on.
The tangle is around the (dont know the term) top of the spool thing. The line seems to get loose there and eventually get caught in the handle thing.

Sorry for the really nooby questions but Im loving it so far. Haven't even stuck myself with the hook yet.

p.s. Any good sites on this kind of info is much appreciated

 

[SouthernCross]

G'day

Ive recently gotten into fishing and its been great and all but I have a few questions -
1) The guy who taught me uses squidgies which are just rubber baits. Whats another good beginner type. Im trying to stay away from live bait or similar stuff because primary school fishing really turned me off from having 40kids in a small dining hall smelling like rotting prawns.

I take it by the prawn reference that you are salt water fishing. A really effective estuary bait (especially Sydney harbour and Port Hacking) is a strip of Chicken thigh fillet (Bream love it :thumbup and it doesn't have the same lovely aroma of ripe prawns

However, if baits not your thing, that pretty much leaves lures or flies. Just about any smaller minnow or shad type hard bodied lure will take flathead off the sand flats and deeper channels. Just make sure the lure dives deep enough to be close to the bottom/ and even touching the bottom to entice the flathead. The Manns stretch 5+ & 10+ will all take flatties.

Larger streamer flies will also take them but you'll need to add a sinker to cast them with a spinning rod and this will also help keep them on the bottom.

Bream will generally respond to a smaller lure (theres a stack of them including the shad shape). Around the peers of jetties, weed beds, oyster leases (although there's not many of them left around Sydney after the Q virus of a couple of years ago) and oyster encrusted rocks along the foreshore are all good spots that are worth trying.

Taylor will just about hit anything that is within a metre of the top.

2) I got a nice reel from the local sports store, I was told it was a good beginners one. But I keep getting the line tangled when reeling in after casting out. One of my friends who's slightly more experienced says its probably because ive got too much line wound on.
The tangle is around the (dont know the term) top of the spool thing. The line seems to get loose there and eventually get caught in the handle thing.

Sounds like your friends on the right track. This is particularily a problem with threadline reels. Try taking some line off so that the line sits 1.5-2 mm in from the outside edge of the spool.

Try not to take too much off as this will reduce the distance you can cast.

Adding a swivell 30cm before the lure can also help by reducing line twist (especially when using celta like spinners).

An Aussie website you might be interested in is Ausfish (I think that's how its spelt )

Give it a go and let me know if I can be of further help.

Kind regards
Mick

 

[myright]

Are you using a baitcasting or a spinning reel? A baitcasting reel is much more difficult to get the hang of especially for a beginner. It requires a lot of skill to make sure the outgoing line is the same speed as the reel to make sure you don't get any tangles or "bird's nests".

A spinning reel is much more easier to use and get the hang of. You'll get some tangles if you aren't careful, but they are a lot easier to get out and don't happen as frequently.

If you are getting tangled on a spinning reel it's most likely because your line is brand new and that you could have too much on. When the line is new it has a tendency to want to spring out of place and not stay on the reel all that well.

Normally when I restring my rods I'll take them out in the backyard with a sinker tied and cast a few times to try and get the memory going on the line.

Got to go to work - I'll check in later.

 

[sastrugi]

http://www.ausfish.com.au/
1 another sort of bait to try would be a minnow type lure but depends on what you are hoping to catch .. most shops have pretty comprehensive collection of shiny lures to catch the fisherman's eye but not all of them catch fish
2 does sound like you have filled the spool too much but a good thing to do i s to try and keep tension on the lie as you wind in if there is slack it will fall loosely off the spool and get tangled .. and try and use a swivel to avoid line twist

 

[stingray4540]

Looks like everyone pretty much covered it, but let me reiterate:

1) Lures are hard to suggest unless we know what you are fishing for and were, but the best tips on what to use come from the local people who fish the same area you are. Look for local fishing reports, and talk to local bait shops to find out what is working, then buy that lure or bait. One thing I try to do is buy a lure every time I'm somewhere that sells them, like walmart, etc.


2) As far as line tangles go, others are probably right on having too much line. But it could also be that you are using very light lures, so that it isn't winding on tightly, and you get loops that eventually come off when you cast and tangle up. Also try a swivel like others have suggested, if your line gets twisted it will twist on itself and get tangled.

 

[nick-nack]

Stingray I think you've got it - I couldnt quite get the right words to describe how it tangles. But now Im pretty sure it's because Im using light lures. The tangles are often when there are a few coils of line poking out and when I try to fix it more line comes off and tangles.
Is there a remedy for this or just to take it easy and make sure its on right.

 

[tonym]

Looks like everyone pretty much covered it, but let me reiterate:

1) Lures are hard to suggest unless we know what you are fishing for and were, but the best tips on what to use come from the local people who fish the same area you are. Look for local fishing reports, and talk to local bait shops to find out what is working, then buy that lure or bait. One thing I try to do is buy a lure every time I'm somewhere that sells them, like walmart, etc.


2) As far as line tangles go, others are probably right on having too much line. But it could also be that you are using very light lures, so that it isn't winding on tightly, and you get loops that eventually come off when you cast and tangle up. Also try a swivel like others have suggested, if your line gets twisted it will twist on itself and get tangled.

:thumbup: Excellent advice.

Another trick with the line, specially new line. Is open the spool and feed the line out at the back of the boat while the boat is moving. That will get all the twist out. real it in and you should be good to go.


Oh and bucktail jigs, never met a fish who fresh or salt that didn't like a bucktail.

 

[stingray4540]

The tangles are often when there are a few coils of line poking out and when I try to fix it more line comes off and tangles.
Is there a remedy for this or just to take it easy and make sure its on right.

REMEDY: Keep an eye on your reel while you fish. As soon as you notice the first coil or loop form(ing). Make a cast as far as you can, then pinch the line in front of the real, with your non-realing hand, to keep tension on it while you real in.

Hopefully that makes sense, basically since you are using a light lure/bait, the line gets wound onto the real looser than when the real was originally spooled, and loose line twists easier and fills up the spool more. You just need to real it in under tension once in a while. Pinching the line forward of the real with your fingers allows you to put as much tension on the line as you want, but don't go overboard, it doesn't need to be super tight, just imagine putting enough tension on it to simulate a heavier lure. Also, don't real too fast, or you'll burn a line in both your fingers, lol, ask me how I know.

Just keep an eye on your reel when you fish, especially when using light tackle.




P.S. Tonym has got it right on the boat trolling trick. Just make sure there is no lure on the end of your line. Usually, though, you really only need to do that if you troll with spoons and twisting lures alot. So don't go looking for a boat to borrow if you don't have one or use one. But if your are fishing on a boat, it's worth doing.