Landbased spinning rig- haywire twist how to

There's nothing worse when fishing to lose a fish to a bust off, or even more a bite off. Spinning landbased along the northern stretches of land you come across more of the toothy critters and heavy mono just doesn't cut the mustard.

What's the solution? Running a wire trace to stop the teeth cutting through. With all the different wire, multi strand, black coated etc I've found using single stand to be the best for this type of fishing.

Use the following:

105lb single strand wire 

Pair of pliers

100lb crane or bearing swivel

100lb crane clip swivel.

1 meter length of 60lb or Heavier mono

Firstly cut a length of single strand wire approx 20-30cm long. 

Thread one end through the swivel with the clip. This end will be tied using a haywire twist, below is the following way to tie one.

Holding the swivel put 4-5 long twists into the wire.

With the long twists, use the pliers to grab the wire and kink the tag end to 90 degrees.

Holding it make 4-5 small tight wraps along the wire, this will anchor the wire into place. Cut the tag end off.

Grab the other end and make another loop in the wire.

Grab the mono and through the loop tie an Albright knot, pulling tight should look like the one above. Then tie the other swivel to the end of the mono and you're ready to fish.

All that you need is to hook your favorite lure on and you'll be in with a fighting chance of landing those mackies and other fish in no time without that stress of being bitten off.

Making a dozen of these can be done in no time and can be rigged up when one is lost.

Cheers and tight lines 

Reece

Sharking it up for summer

Summer is well and truly here and that brings one thing, endless days and nights chasing sharks. I don't know if it's just the way they fight like maniacs all the way to the bitter end or the fact they are just a beautiful toothy critter that always draws me to chasing them. After organizing a trip earlier in the year chasing them up at Ledge Point and only having one hook-up to get totally smoked by the mysterious fish it was time to organize another.

With all the rods, reels etc loaded into the car the drive north was underway. A weeks fishing in the Midwest was on the cards this time and with the added possibity of many different species landbased including baldies, bluebone, pink and black snapper the mind was just drooling at anticipation. 

The first and most important part to remember when fishing these areas up north is to fish the high tide, that cannot be stressed enough. Before I went up I read a fair bit on this and after experiencing the fishing first hand it's very good advice indeed, if you're not fishin it then your just wasting time.

After driving around and scoping out a few different spots, I finally found what looked like a nice gutter that would hold some fish. Since I wanted to have fun on this trip my 20lb and 30lb combos were going to be used, you can be surprised how big a fish you can land on light gear. 

The baits weren't in the water longer then 10 minutes before I landed my first fish, a small black snapper, followed by two just undersize pinkies. With this type of activity I knew i was going to be in for a good session. 

What makes shark fishing for me is that first blistering run they make, even small ones fight like absolute brutes, couple that with the light gear and it's just insane fishing. Just as I was getting onto the good fish the first shark hooked up. Not a monster but still put up a nice 10min fight and up washed a nice shovelnose.

Once one shark arrived then they all come, shark after shark after shark all round the 1-1.5m mark made for and entertaining trip. 

I lnow when targeting sharks a lot of people swear to use wire but what I found with these smaller ones is the heavy wire seemed to scare them off a little bit. I don't know if it was the fact it was heavy wire or the bait was wrong but it seemed I could only get a hook-up on the mono rigs. This was no ordinary mono, Schnieder line on the 80lb mark was the choice as it just seems to have the best abrasive resistance than any others around and this was proven to me when I managed to land 6 sharks on the same rig before being bitten off.

The best thing about this trip wasn't the fishing but the fact I got to enjoy this with my partner and that is big thing that I believe draws most people to the sport. There was nothing more enjoyable than watching her fight, running up and down the beach and reel in her first big fish, being able to show her this is the reason I'm out most weekends doing this.

As much fun as they are to catch they are also quite good on the chew. Catch care is important and putting a shark down as humanely as possible is the key. If you do keep one for the plate I'd suggest getting a shark tamer bat. I picked up one just before I left and it does the job great. 

They are made from a solid piece of aluminum with the end bored out so are light yet strong enough to swing with ease. They are also made locally on Perth so you know your supporting local shops when you pick one up.

All these fish were caught in the space of a few hours on one day, with the rest of the week getting even better each day. I can definately say that this fishing trip was one of the best I've had by far and I cannot wait to be getting back up there in the near future.

Tight lines

Reece

Braid - my choices

With all the different styles of fishing out there like jigging, spinning, bottom bashing and trolling and with all the types of braid out there, what's the difference between these. Does getting the higher end line make a huge difference from the lower market stuff.

Since getting into the sports side of fishing and not chasing a feed all the time I've switched from mono to braid. A great thing about running braid is the capacity you can hold on a reel at one time, being such a thin diameter most beach reels will hold 300m+ of braid quite easily. Secondly is that braid has no stretch

or memory, what this means for a fisherman is when your out drifting around bottom bashing in 50 meters if water and you feel a bite, striking the hooks if you lift that rod up half a meter then your hooks move up the same. The no memory is great as when you get the line tangled, with normal mono once it's kinked or twisted it will always want to stay like that while braid won't, stopping tangles.

I've been fishing with braid for years now and have used dozens of different braids on many different reels. Here are just a few and what I think of them.

Rovex Viros Braid

What I really liked about this braid when I first started using it was it small diameter, smaller than most braid. What that meant was 50lb viros was equivalent to 30lb of the other brands.

I have used this up north at steep point a while back for spinning, being such a small diameter it was a beaut to cast and of all has the least wind knots, but I found it didn't have as strong a strength as others I've used. I still managed to land fish just I wasn't able to go as hard as I thought I would. 

FINS Braid

I am currently using this on my 18000 Spheros running 50lb and this has proven itself over and over again. Many sharks and rays have been landed on this line and the amount of strain that has been out on this line has been immense, yet it's never faulted. This braid is thicker than most which I think gives it it's strength, with 30lb breaking much higher then one would expect. It's been the only braid I've used for beach fishing just for the fact a spool usually lasts me quite a while without any faults.

This is my main line that I use when up north walking the reefs bottom bashing for those baldies and other type of fish that hang near the rocks. Although most people will use mono for this I've just found running a long wind on leader with this has me being able to muscle most fish from there holes.

Instinct Zulu Braid

After purchasing my sustain 5000FG I had it spooled with 20lb Zulu braid. This line is also made by fins in the US that's made from their bulletproof specter fibre, meaning it has a high abrasive resistance and incredible ability to hold a knot. One thing that drew me to this line on my light tackle outfit was that it came in either 200yd or 400yd spools, with 200yd and backing fitting onto my spool nicely giving me that extra bit of peace knowing I've got that little but more to play with. 

Since using it I've landed dozens is pink snapper and a few few big eagle rays and it's held up flawlessly. It ties great, had enought strength for what I need and  it's never failed yet. On the spinning side it casts nicely but as yet I haven't given it a proper test.

YGK Power hunter Braid

Of all the braid I've used this is one

Of the best get. This was used on my saltiga game 3500 in the pe2 range. This is a colour coded braid which means every 10 meters it changes clour, perfect for jigging so you can tell where roughly your jig is. When using it you could feel the quality in the line. Of all the braids I have used I would say that it's been the best, never once failed and would cast perfectly with no wind knots.

There have also been other brands I've used over the years that have not quite been up there, wether it be from poor manufacturing faults causing it to break or just being not suited to certain types of fishing i do.

If you need any more info on braid or want to get a more indepth feel about a certain braid I would strongly recommend  jumping onto www.paulusjustfishing.com as it's got all the info you would need on most brands of braid. 

These are just my thoughts on the brands and what I think of them, I hope this helps you out with your next purchase. 

Feel free to comment with your experiences with different brands and what you think.

Tight lines

Reece 

Light tackle reel, shimano sustain 5000FG review

After getting into the light tackle aspects of fishing I decided to pick up a mid range reel and what else can I say except for, what a totally awesome reel. For the price there is not much out there that can match it. 

After using it extensively over the last few months this is what I've found about it.

This reel is loaded with all of Shimano's new technology including x-ship, paladin gearing and aero wrap II just to name a few. This stuff was normally resigned for the higher end reels.

The drag system on the reel as absolutely smooth and slight turns on the drag knob  allows to fine tune during the fight. After having a Shimano Spheros where the drag becomes quite sticky after a time this had yet to faulter.

The 5000 model comes with 8+1 bearings and 10kg of drag with is more than enough to tackle most fish. I've loaded mine with 200yd of 20lb Zulu braid, this is more than enough to tackle most big fish without the risk of getting spooled, and with landing many snapper round the 7kg mark it still performs great.

One other part that I really like about this reel is its foam handle. After purchasing it I thought that the foam would become very slippery after a lot of use and was going to change it, great thing I didn't as it's just so nice on the hand while constant spinning and even after a day it was still dry and comfortable to use.

So if your after a very nice mid range light tackle reel to chase snapper and sambos, or for light jigging I cannot recommend this reel enough. Definitely go out and pick one of these up if your your local tackle shop next

Tight lines 

Reece

Early morning tailor session

A great thing about working shift is the ability to fish the weekdays when others are at work.

Today was one of those days when I was able to get out for a nice early morning fish. With the weather reports stating a bit of wind and swell I thought I'd try my luck for some tailor.

A quick drive up to a favorite beach spot showed I would be up for a good morning, very nice chop and swell that would surely hold a few fighting fish. There was a bit of weed around but the gutter was still fishable with it only occasionally clumping up on the line.

With a bait in the water just as the sun was coming up the bites started. A few small tarwhine to begin with, then the fun began. The next hour and a half was full on with good bites nearly every cast with tailor and herring landed.  The average size if the tailor being round the 45cm mark with a nice 48cm being my best.

Most were released with two kept for the table. I find with tailor that they are a nice eating fish but only fresh. Trying to keep these fish in the fridge or freezer for a time they turn to mush. A good thing about that is I've always got a good reason to head out for another fishing session.

Mulies were the bait of choice on a set of 3/0 ganged hooks, 60lb leader was more than enough for these smaller tailor. If I was up further north where the bigger ones are more common I'd be running 5/0 gangs and wire, but these metro ones were easily sorted out on the lighter stuff.

If this morning is what the few months are going to be like then I will be putting in a few decent hours beach fishing. 

Hope to see you out there

Tight lines 

Reece

Great all rounder fishing rig

With fishing I've always been struggling with the idea on which rigs to use in what type of conditions and areas etc. Over time I've come up with many that have worked brilliantly and some that have just utterly failed.

There is one rig that I was shown by a mate a while back that for me works in about 90% of my fishing that I do, whether it be baitcasting, soaking a bait on the beach or anchored up in a boat.

What you will need to make these is the following:

40Lb nylon coated multi strand wire

60Lb mono leader

2 x 5/0 octopus hooks

1 x 50lb crane swival

1 x soft lumo bead

1 x barrel or bean sinker (weight to area being used)

First thing is cut a piece of wire around 40cm, grab a hook and snell the hook using the wire. Snell the second hook 6-7cm from the first depending on the size of baits you are going to use. 

When snelling the second one I find that offsetting the second one allows for better presentation of the baits and makes them easier to hook up.

About 10-15cm up from the second

Hook bend the wire and using a piece of the mono leader (around a meter at most) tie an Albright knot on the wire. This at first seems very difficult but once you have tried doing it a few times you start getting the hang of it.

Slide a lumo bead onto the line, this helps protect the Albright knot from the sinker continuously hitting it.

As for a sinker, when I'm using these off the beach I use a size 6 bean and for baitcasting ill use a small barrel. It really just depends on what application your going to use it and what the swell conditions are where your fishing.

Finally attach the swivel and your ready to go fishing.

These rigs are absolutely brilliant to use in most fishing conditions. I have landed many fish from tailor, mulloway, pink snapper and sharks just to name a few. I was always told that wire scares off most fish and you'll only get sharks. Yet fishing with these I've landed dozens of

Mulloway and my biggest snapper to date. What makes them good is that if you do run into a toothy critter you've got a way better chance of landing it.

Hope this helps you out and I'll see you out there fishing.

Tight lines

Reece

Wagoe beach

One of the biggest reasons i got into fishing really big is not the thrill of catching but the ability to be able to roll up the swag and head up to the beach for a night or two, camping under the stars with a roaring fire.

A really great place that I've been to that's not too far from Perth would have to be Wagoe Beach. Only being around 550km north of perth and about 20km south of kalbarri it can be driven easily in a morning. Not only does it produce some spectacular fishing at times but it also has some magnificent scenery to admire. 

A great thing about this place is if your not totally into your camping but still love fishing you can always stay at the chalets that are located on the farm. Although these are not a five start accomodation they are perfect for somewhere to stay while you are fishing.

Reef fishing

The beach and reef fishing here is something to really appreciate, with plenty of snapper, trevally, tailor being caught with the added possibility of landing a dhufish or baldchin groper with the latter two usually stitching you up in the first few seconds. 

My favorite fish here has to be the pinkies  as there's are a great fighter, and with them being so plentiful up there your always in with some fun. At times they are there in massive numbers but its usually the smaller ones they get to the bait first. The average sizes i have usually caught here would have to be round the 3-5kg mark but I have seen ones up to 8kg lying next to the cars of some lucky anglers.

As for the gear to use i run a shimano spheros 18000 loaded with good quality 50lb braid on my oz flex SU400 rod. For me personally I have found this to work the best up there, with the rod being stiff enough  to muscle the fish out but has just enough give to no pull the hooks. The only negative thing with using braid in these types of areas is if it touches the rocks 9/10 times it'll ping. A good way to overcome this is just run a few meters of wind-on leader just to give you some abrasive resistance.

With rigs for me it has to be the Simple ball sinker and hook rig. A big size 10 ball sinker running down to a 6/0 hook works well for me. The ball sinker hitting the rocks on retrieve for me stops it snagging  up and loosing a rig. I've used many others like paternosters but usually you get a few cast before its lost to the sea.

Balloon fishing

One thing that draws many fishos here is the ballooning, being able to send out a gardie under a balloon and be in with a good chance of a pelagic not too far from Perth is a big drawcard. As yet I'm still chasing my first wagoe mackie but I've seen plenty caught and landed so it keeps me in the game.

A good thing with here is that the range of pelagics are quite vast, with yellowfin and longtail tuna, mackies and even cobia being caught. At times tho it can be pretty hard to get past the nor west blowies, these can be a pain as they have the nasty habit of biting 10/0 hooks like butter.

Since the sharks are not as bad and prolific as places like steep point and quobba, there is no need to muscle the fish in you can let them tire and float them in. This is great as once you hook a fish you don't have to worry about it being bitten in half.

My gear is a trusty tyrnos 30 running 600yd of 65lb braid topshot with 250yd of mono, this is more than enough line as after a mackie makes its first run its usually beat. My rod is a shimano catana 10ft and for the price of these they are the best on the market, but coming past these rods are hard as these have been discontinued for a while now.

Weather

One major factor with this place is the weather, it can be your best friend or worst enemy. Care should always be taken when fishing, especially when off rocks or cliffs and this place is no exception. It's been a few times I have been knocked over by a wave coming from nowhere. 

A swell of round 1-1.5 meters will allow you to fish the reef very comfortably and be able to get close to the edge with not too much hassle. I have fished it as high as 3 meters and it can be done just very very safely and standing further back away from the waves. If the rocks do get too dangerous or your not too sure there are always the cut ins and beaches between the reef, just be careful here too as the waves can break close and big next to the edge.

Other than that this place can be a real pleasure to fish and I hope to see your out there sometime.

Tight lines

Reece