Blog
How to catch trout in lakes…try something different
Every angler I know likes to catch trout…there seems to be something magical about landing a trout in any type of water…I think that fly
How to fish with a pole
Fixed line fishing really catches fish! Yes, pole fishing is “BIG” Before the invention of the fishing reel the angler would tie some string to
How to fish – find them first.
When you visit a fishing spot for the first time it can be a real challenge working out where to put you’re bait. Most beginners
How to guarantee catching a fish
You’re on holiday, near a river or lake and want to make sure you get a few fish…. …how do you guarantee you catch one?
Catch fish in deep water…you won’t believe what people will do
Fishing gear and techniques are improving every year as people learn more about fish and what makes them tick. Technology gives you high performance
Can you eat carp? You won’t believe the answer!
An Italian friend of mine, Nick, went back to Italy a while ago to visit family. His family lives in the south and they celebrated
When is the best time to go fishing
You can choose the best time if the day, week and month to go fishing by just making a few simple checks…and it can make
Portable fish finders – do they help you catch fish?
Slowly but surely technology is replacing steam craft and fishing technique. Pretty soon all you’ll have to do is take a bag of gadgets
Catch garfish, underrated but great fun
Tackle up right for garfish and you’ll set yourself up for an exciting fishing session hooking these great little delicacies. I know very experienced,
Catch Redfin, easy to catch and delicious to eat
The Redfin or English perch is an introduced species that has easily adapted to conditions in Victoria. It’s had an impact on our native
Cook Yellow Eye Mullet – Eating them is the BEST part
The ‘Mullet’ Yellow eye mullet, or simply ‘mullet’, is a smallish, slender silver fish commonly found in Australian estuaries and bays. They are usually pretty abundant and if they aren’t stealing your bait, they are great to catch. Many Aussies
How To Cook Yabbies – A delicious method
The Old Days Australian Freshwater Yabbies are not only great fun to catch they are an absolute seafood delicacy. Known for their sweet and succulent meat many Aussies rate them higher than lobster in a taste test. In years gone
Roach- The fish in every creek and river
Roach fishing is near your house Now that petrol is so expensive, inflation is raising the price of everything and our fishing is starting to cost more it’s time to do things on the cheap and still have some fun.
How To Fish Snags
If you want to find fish – look for structure. Fish naturally seek out objects in the water for safety, so if you can put a bait there you’ve got a good chance of a bit of action. The trouble
Chicken is a Great Bait – How to make it BETTER
Chicken works in Salt and Fresh Water If you’re not using chicken as bait in your fishing then you’re missing out on one of the best baits around. I have been using chicken for more than two decades and
Fishing Small Rivers And Creeks
Local Waterways Some water ways look too shallow and narrow to fish and so are often left untouched by fishermen. This can be a mistake. While small waters may not carry as many fish as the big waters they can
The FLOATING redfin rig
Over time I have changed my tactics when fishing for Redfin. This all started when I fished a lake in Winter and got no action for 2 hours. I fished worms, yabby tail and maggots but got absolutely no bites
Winter fishing for carp
Carp Are Sport If you are a fresh water fisherman, like catching big fish, want the best chance of catching a fish and don’t mind if the weather is cold then the humble carp will give you the best chance
Pier fishing for big fish
Fishing from a pier or any structure lets anglers fish deeper water without a boat and best of all these structures attract fish! Many young fishermen…and women, start their angling life pier fishing but over time they move on to
Bolognese rods….no casting required!
Sometimes casting to the same spot can be hard, real hard. You aim at your target spot but just can’t seem to hit it. Why is hitting a target spot important? If you do a bit of searching at your
Bait Luring
Turn a dead bait into a Fish Magnet! Sometimes the fish are looking for live bait and won’t touch anything else. This can be really frustrating for the angler who sits around waiting for a bite but gets no hook
Self Hooking Rigs Work!
A simple fishing rig that will do all the work for you Years ago I did a lot of fishing with homemade rigs that got the fish doing all the work to hook themselves. I really enjoyed doing this when
A different kind of float fishing!
Fishing with floats is a blast! Float fishing is one of the most entertaining ways to catch fish. There is nothing better than watching a float move around and then go under….you know you’re into a fish. The feeling is
Why you MUST catch small fish
You’ll attract more big fish I always teach beginners to concentrate on learning to catch small fish. Why? ….because you have the best chance of catching a small fish – there are more of them than big fish so you
Best Bait – It’s all about looks!
Question : What is the best bait? Answer: The one the fish want!! ….yes I know that sounds like a lame answer but….IT’S TRUE!!! If you catch a big fish, or a lot of fish, or best of all ….a
Dress up your bait….it can make a real difference.
Some small changes to your bait can get you a lot more fish!! I once thought that bait had to look real natural…if it didn’t you’d never catch any fish…. …..I now know different! Some years ago I experimented with
Carp busters….catch the biggest carp
Most anglers don’t like the idea of catching carp when they are targeting other fish…but most anglers do like catching carp…if they’re really, really big. The good and bad thing about carp is they’re everywhere. You can catch them
How to catch a TROPHY fish
Have you seen photos of anglers with BIG fish and wonder why you can’t catch them? When I first started fishing I thought those anglers were so “LUCKY”. I was so wrong! In most cases those fish
Catch fish with lures….it’s almost easy!
There was a time in my fishin’ life when I exclusively used lures. I loved getting out and walking the river bank and casting to likely looking spots….I also loved landing a few fish! Lure fishing can work for
Catch eels…slimy but tasty
If you fish many of the creeks and rivers close to Melbourne you’ll eventually catch an eel. Most anglers don’t target eels… … but they can get pretty big and put up a good fight…so why not be ready for
Worms are the best bait
You gotta love worms. Prepare them right and you can catch anything…and I’m not just talking about fresh water fish! Ever since people have been fishing they’ve been using worms. Fish love them and you can catch the smallest…and
Float fishing with a pole…don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
One of the simplest fishing thrills is to watch your float go underwater as a fish takes your bait. If you haven’t tried it the feeling’s hard to describe but it can be such a rush that some people do
Surf fishing – how to get fish looking for your bait
A small bait in the surf doesn’t do much to attract fish. Think about it… you’ve cast in a rig with one hook and a small piece of bait. There’s a whole lot of water mixed with your bait
Catch Silver Perch, hard fighting little bulldogs
Silver perch fight hard, hook themselves and don’t need specialist gear….how good is that? I must admit that up until a few years ago I never really fished for silver perch. I’d catch them when I was fishing for redfin,
River black fish, very slimy….but very tasty!
Not a lot of anglers chase our river black fish and they are missing out on a real treat. The river black fish is an Australian native. It likes inland rivers and creeks and I’ve always associated it with waters
How to catch Mulloway…bait fishing for the mystery fish
Many anglers consider mulloway a bit of a mystery fish because they never catch them …trouble is, they use general purpose gear and fish the usual spots, not paying too much attention to baits, rigs and conditions! The anglers
Salted baits…you can catch anything with these!
You can salt a bait so easy and then catch a fish with it…so easy. Salted baits have been a real eye opener for me. I’ve been surprised with the success of baits I salted myself and just had
How to catch yabbies, good food and even better bait!!
If you’ve ever eaten yabbies before you’ll know just how good they taste….really sweet, delicate flesh. People describe it as sweeter than prawn and more delicate than lobster….and I’d have to agree with that. Most seasoned anglers who chase Murray
Fishing with kids – have fun without disaster!
If you have kids, especially young ones, you may not have much chance to wet a line…..’cos the thought of managing them with a rod, baits and HOOKS sounds like a nightmare! Well, it can be….but there are
How to catch flathead…looks like a lizard, tastes like chicken
Flathead are easy to catch and great to eat….and there’s plenty about in our bays. When I was younger, I’d fish Port Phillip bay, practically anywhere, and always come home with a feed of ‘flatties’. These days the numbers
How to catch King George whiting….a meal fit for a king.
Whiting are a slim, sleek, sandy coloured fish that hang in the shallow water in estuaries and bays…and they taste like HEAVEN! …In fact they are so good that I know some anglers who target nothing else so they can
How to Fish weedy waters…this trick works
Ever looked at a great fishing spot or even seen fish in the water but not been able to fish because there was weed everywhere…..I have and it’s driven me craaaazy! All those fish and no way to hook them…..well,
Catch trout in rivers and streams
Wild trout or trout that have been in flowing water for a long time are smart and can be real hard to catch….but they taste good and fight well…all this makes them a popular sporting fish. Years ago I
Trevally – Silver streaks that punch above their weight
Silver trevally are a beautiful fish to eat and great sport to catch….but while they provide sport they aren’t “ good sports” cos they fight real dirty! Trevally hang around bays , reefs and estuary mouths. They like moving
Berley cages catch more fish – don’t be caught without them
Use berley – catch fish!! When I learned this nearly 20 years ago it change my fishing completely….for the better… After that, except when I was lure fishing, I always used berley and it really worked… ….but here’s the catch
How to catch Murray cod – the bruisers of our river systems
If you ever want some heart pumping excitement then chasing Murray cod on lures and bait is the recipe. Big Murray cod are the top predators in our fresh waterways… and they act like it. I’ve heard stories
How to catch Australian salmon – warriors in the surf
Aussie salmon are a hard fighting and spectacular fish that provide a heap of sport for anglers fishing from shore. They‘re a hell of a lot of fun to catch and if prepared properly taste pretty good too. Most Victorian surf beaches will get
How to catch squid – the chef’s delight
Walk on any pier in Victoria and you’ll see the black marks spread from end to end that tell you anglers have caught squid there. If you’ve caught a squid before you know they squirt a black ink as a
Float fishing, under-rated but over-performs
Float fishing has been a real productive way to catch fish for a long long time. We don’t pay it much attention in Australia but in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world it is as common as
Catch black bream, the little brawlers of the estuary system
Bream bite well, fight well and taste good…that’s a winning combination and it’s proven by the numbers of anglers who chase them all year round! Some years ago anglers found that bream will chase lures and this sparked a
How to catch fish in clear water and dirty water
The way you fish clear water has to be totally different to fishing coloured water. Coloured water is just water carrying a bit of dirt silt or stain ..and fish react differently depending on water clarity for a few
Catch Redfin, easy to catch and delicious to eat
The Redfin or English perch is an introduced species that has easily adapted to conditions in Victoria. It’s had an impact on our native species but is no where as bad as the European Carp….cos it don’t muddy the
Catch garfish, underrated but great fun
Tackle up right for garfish and you’ll set yourself up for an exciting fishing session hooking these great little delicacies. I know very experienced, big fish, anglers who always have a float rod ready on their boats so they can
Portable fish finders – do they help you catch fish?
Slowly but surely technology is replacing steam craft and fishing technique. Pretty soon all you’ll have to do is take a bag of gadgets to your favourite fishing spot, set em up, and let them do all the work
When is the best time to go fishing
You can choose the best time if the day, week and month to go fishing by just making a few simple checks…and it can make the difference between plenty of Action or nothing at all. Most beginner anglers, and
Can you eat carp? You won’t believe the answer!
An Italian friend of mine, Nick, went back to Italy a while ago to visit family. His family lives in the south and they celebrated one night by going to one of the best restaurants in the area. Nick loves
Catch fish in deep water…you won’t believe what people will do
Fishing gear and techniques are improving every year as people learn more about fish and what makes them tick. Technology gives you high performance gear and a truckload of new lures, artificial baits and rigs that need instruction manuals
How to guarantee catching a fish
You’re on holiday, near a river or lake and want to make sure you get a few fish…. …how do you guarantee you catch one? Most anglers will tell you there’s no guarantees in fishing…and they’d be right!
How to fish – find them first.
When you visit a fishing spot for the first time it can be a real challenge working out where to put you’re bait. Most beginners cast out into the middle of the water and hope the fish are there…and often
How to fish with a pole
Fixed line fishing really catches fish! Yes, pole fishing is “BIG” Before the invention of the fishing reel the angler would tie some string to long stick and fish with that…it worked for a long, long time! Then fishing reels were invented and
How to catch trout in lakes…try something different
Every angler I know likes to catch trout…there seems to be something magical about landing a trout in any type of water…I think that fly fishermen have imparted some “mystique” to this prime fresh water game fish…. …but in my
Fishing from piers is easy
Fishing from piers is easy…and if you follow a few simple guidelines you can catch a shed full of fish. Pier fishing isn’t my favorite method of fishing because it can be pretty crowded at times…but it
Catch fish with dough baits
Sometimes the best bait is artificial! Marshmallow, putty and dough baits have been around for a long time ….Japanese, Chinese and European anglers have used them for decades….and in some types of fishing they don’t use anything else… …’cos
Fishing Morning Peninsula from shore…a different approach
I love fishing the bay but don’t like fishing from piers because of the numbers of people walking them, jumping from them and swimming near them…it’s not always peaceful… What I do like to do is fish from the beach…and
Catch mullet easily and fun
There are heaps of mullet around our bay beaches, inlets, in the surf and in our estuaries. There are times when they seem to be the only fish around so at least you can catch something and not go
How to catch fish – without looking
You can catch fish just by using your sense of touch. Really! It’s pretty exciting to feel what the fish are doing and to strike and catch a fish without even looking at your rod….it can be done… …not
Using maggots as bait
Dynamite fish attractors! When an old angler once told me to use maggots to catch trout I couldn’t eat my lunch…after all maggots are disgusting right? They come from dead animals… and who wants to touch those? Well, that
Best way to catch carp
I’ll be the first to admit that carp are a big problem and we’d be better off without them… I can’t count the number of times I’ve gone after trout, cod or Redfin on special trips, planned for weeks, with
Get fish to take your bait
Watched a video yesterday of fish feeding in a lake. A fanatical angler had lowered a camera into the water and was recording everything that happened near his bait…the action was fascinating. What was really interesting was how the
Fishing with worms
Fish love live bait…but it can cost a bit if you use it often so you can keep the costs down if you “home grow” some of it…and the easiest live bait is worms. I’ve always grown worms
Float fishing for yabbies
I don’t know any kid who doesn’t get a kick out of catching yabbies…and quite a few adults as well…. I have used net traps, and the string with meat tied to the end method, as ways to pull in
Lure fishing for beginners
If you haven’t been lure fishing before, or been unsuccessful, it’s worth taking a bit of time to learn how it’s done…’cause hooking a fish on a lure…the sudden pull and action can really get the blood pumping… …I know
Best conditions for fishing
It’s a lovely day, the sun is shining, there’s no wind, it’s nice and cool…what could be better than a spot of fishing… …maybe a picnic – ‘cause these ain’t the best conditions for fishing! So how do you work out if it’s worth going
Fishing a flooded river
I have fished a few rivers in flood before but I only do it when I don’t have any other options. Recently I visited Broadbeach on the Queensland coast and a few days after we arrived we were hit by
Fishing an estuary or tidal river
I had a chance to visit Broadbeach on the Queensland coast and the hotel I stayed at overlooked the Nerang River. This river is a wide, deep, and has a lot of rocks and other structure… But this is a
How to handle fish
Handling fish. Fish are covered with layer of slime to protect them against bacteria, parasites and other diseases either in the water around them or on the other fish and aquatic animals they come into contact with. This slime is
Hooks, and what to use…to catch the most fish
There are countless hook styles and sizes available, sometimes covering whole walls of tackle shops, but many anglers pay little attention to matching the right hook to the type of fishing they do. Aussie anglers are a pretty optimistic lot…
How to attract fish to your fishing spot
There are some days when everything you do works. The fish are swallowing anything that lands in front of them and you end up with a truckload of fish… …these are the best days…but they don’t happen often. ….So what
Baits to use when you run out of the real thing
Fish eat a variety of foods…some of them might surprise you. In the wild they’ll scoff down insects, worms, crabs, shrimp, snails, tadpoles, frogs, other fish – including their own young. Some also graze on algae and other plant matter.
How to choose a fishing rod and reel
You want a good rod and reel to catch you fish, have a bit of fun without costing you all your cash. A few simple basics will help make the right choices…lets start with the rod. Selecting a good rod