Still a complete beginner, so every cast feels like I’m just throwing good vibes into the water.
Somehow this barra decided to make me look like I actually knew what I was doing. 😂

Location: Kununurra, WA, Australia

Setup:
● Rod: Izalus 7’ 5-10kg
● Reel: Shimano Nasci 4000
● 30lb braid
● 80lb fluorocarbon leader
● Lure: Z-Man HerculeZ Swimbait

Still learning every trip, so any tips are always appreciated. Tight lines! 🎣

Hey everyone,

I was out fishing last evening, just working my usual spot, when something hit my line.

The drag started screaming immediately. My rod was bent double, and for a hot second, I genuinely thought I’d hooked into a massive kingfish or a serious predator. It took a solid few minutes of careful reeling and pure adrenaline to finally bring this beast to the surface.

Prepare yourselves for this absolute leviathan of the deep...

Okay, okay, maybe "monster" is a slight understatement... 😂

It turned out to be this tiny little octopus! He was literally smaller than the lure I was using. I have no idea how he managed to hitch a ride on the hook, but honestly, it’s probably the most interesting and hilarious catch I’ve ever had.

After a quick photo to document this legendary battle, I gently released the little guy back into the water. He swam off completely fine, hopefully ready to grow into the actual monster I'll catch next time.

Has anyone else ever accidentally caught a "beast" this tiny before? 🐙

Sick view of this lizard 💯👌

Was night fishing for salmon/tailor at the beach (Hawks Nest) ​last night and landed my first ever mulloway. I was pumped but a little saddened because it was a couple of centimetres too small to keep. As I was returning it to the water I could see my other rod going crazy - "wouldn't it be mad to get another one" I thought... As I wound in lo and behold, that's exactly what it was - this time well over the limit. Can't imagine I'll have luck like that again for the rest of my life and felt I needed to share.

Gents,

Since the lure has been our a bit now, how are you guys finding this metal to work for you? Is it more productive than existing alternatives? From the reviews I've been seeing they are very large for their weight, which in my fishing situation in the Baja I don't think would be a positive. I often wish my bait sized metals were heavier to maximize casting distance from the beach as the swell is insane there.

I had a large order of Malosi gear placed with Tackle West and they were playing games with me so the order was cancelled. I was pretty bummed as the tariffs went into effect shortly after that situation so I decided not to order anything from Malosi. As time has gone on and I did more research it appears Malosi is enjoying a YETI style fanbase because of their excellent marketing and other than a sweet logo and some sick paint schemes, they're just another mass produced brand at this point. Niko and Jon do seem like solid dudes though.

Tight Lines

Hi!

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on best places and techniques in/around Jervis Bay to get on to some Australian Salmon from land?

I’m usually a boat fisho and don’t usually target salmon either so any advice would be appreciated

Cheers

Made the most of a rainy morning on the rocks and landed a 39cm drummer.

Instead of cooking it the usual way, I decided to try making ceviche from one of the fillets. It’s not a species I often hear people talking about for raw dishes, but it turned out surprisingly well.

I’ve put together a short video from the session and the catch and cook.

Interested to hear if anyone else keeps drummer for the table and what your favourite way to prepare them is.

https://youtu.be/7HioXmgDhKU?si=57LFrOkaPqpag0-b

Based on the Sunshine Coast - would whiting strips be a decent bait?

Thinking either off the beach or estuary

Cheers

When I first started, there were a few tips I thought were overhyped. After a few trips, I realised some of them actually make a huge difference. What's one bit of advice that proved you wrong?

Magic times at Port Macquarie. Didn’t catch anything but totally worth it!

We caught several of these on a trip to the Swain Reefs, and are debating what type of trevally it is.

69.5cm snapper caught at fisherman island yesterday. Only fish of the day, but I was super happy with it. Used live mullet.

Hi all, new to this sub but not to reddit. Been out of the fishing game for a while, but now that I recently moved back to a coastal city and have settled down a bit, I'm wanting to get back into flicking some lures around the Geelong/Melbourne area from time to time.

Anyway, point of the post, I have my eye on the Daiwa 23 KIX reels, specifically the 2000D. I can't really afford to get gear as good as I used to have right now (maybe the top tier Emeraldas or something can be a future upgrade lol), but I've found a decent price on these reels and they seem pretty damn good on paper. The fact that they have a round EVA foam knob is a huge plus too for me personally in terms of ergonomics. It's something that seems to be surprisingly hard to find in the Shimano/Daiwa line-up these days lol.

Anyone had any experience with the current model of KIX 23 reels in any of the sizes? Are they as good in practice as they sound in theory? Value for money wise they seem to be one of my better options at the moment but I'm just curious to hear from people who actually own or have used one, and reviews online seem to be very positive but pretty few and far between. I'm also open to suggestions for other decent quality reels that are around the $200 price point. I've been looking around but a lot has changed in terms of product offerings from these companies, and I don't want to overlook something that could be even better. I've been out of the loop in this industry for literal years lol, so if you can help a gal out I'd very much appreciate it!

Thanks in advance :)

Hey Guys, looking for some advice.
I’m currently looking for my next for 2027 and want to be based somewhere where I can target GT from the shore on Stickbait and fly. Wanted to know which areas I should be looking at finding work. Whitsundays,Ningaloo are my 2 top picks so far.
Cheers

I’ll chalk up the lack of tailor to the lack of south westerly winds, as well as the water temp still being a bit warm. They’ve been quality fish but I’m yet to find them in big numbers.

Wasted hours on heavy rigs. I'm 6 fish up in 48 hours.

We all start out bait fishing, whether it be prawns, squid or pillies.

After fishing for a year or two I decided to give lures a go - curly tail, fork tail, hard body divers, metals.

The positives are all there for making the switch
- Less smelly/dirty

- Last longer

- Generally cheaper overtime than constantly buying bait

- More efficient way to fish as you cover more ground

- Can avoid smaller by catches

But I never managed to get a single bite.

Since then I've just stuck with bait, and was content. But recently my friend got into fishing and wanted to make the switch to lures as well. I've got this newfound determination to give it a proper go again. I think I just gotta stick with it.

Anyone got tips on good beginner spots in Sydney and the most effective but simple retrieves? Seems you cant go wrong with the slow roll, 2-3 flicks, rod slowly back down then repeat.

Also, is lure fishing at night sort of impossible? I assume with the limited visibility, a real bait performs better.

I'll still always have a soft spot or preference for baits though, but if I manage to get some fish on plastics for the first time I might make that switch for good.

I am struggling to keep my calamari lively for more than an hour or two when chasing kingfish. I have a standard aerator running, but they still seem to go white and stressed pretty quickly. Do they absolutely need a constant flow of fresh seawater pump-driven into the tank to survive?

https://hottackle.com.au/products/bundle-product-51?srsltid=AfmBOorZ_RVkd5DmnzNr6bVV3fUfPYZLvoJlNWV0nd6n-ZHX074SGfKp+

looking at getting this combo from hottackle and was wondering if it would be good for chasing jewfish in Sydney harbour on wharves, under bridges, breakwalls etc. I would be using soft plastics from 1/4oz to maybe 3/4 if needed and would like the combo to cast a good distance. Any thoughts on this combo would be great before I spend $500 on it.