The Dangers Of Shark Fishing (Croc Fail)

Recently in the Northern Territory, Australia, two fishermen had just caught a shark at the beach. Little did they know something else was also hunting that same shark...

Check out the video below for a laugh, and find out who wins!

Teaching Children To Fish Is Good For All...

Summer holidays are perfect for parents to introduce their kids to fishing. It is one of the best ways to bond with your children, as long as your heart is in the right place. The experience of catching a first fish is more memorable than a computer game score. Years later, the youthful anglers will remember who they were with on the day they trapped their first fish.

Schooling children how to fish can be a great challenge for both parent and child. For some parents, the biggest challenge may be convincing their children that, unlike computers, fish do not react to an on/off switch.

Two must follow rules apply when fishing with kids - always keep it safe and keep it simple. Remember you cannot teach a youth everything. Some areas of fishing, such as tying a knot, need more than basic determination - there is also a little something called co-ordination.

Do not start out by trying to teach your child how to bait a hook. On the positive side, there is casting. It�s fun and keeps kids entertained. This means spinning should not be passed over as an option.

Locality has its share of importance in terms of results and safety. If you're going to be around the coast, I recommend you locate an estuary. If you�'re inland, go for a lake. These waters are by and large somewhat safe, offer straightforward access and on some you will discover fishing platforms.

Estuaries are the breeding ground for many types of fish and the majority of the time you can count on catching mullet and salmon, sometimes garfish, trevally or bream. In lakes, the species you catch will depend on wherever you are. It could be trout, redfin or maybe yellowbelly.

Fishing Tackle

There aren't many issues to worry about with tackle requirements for kids. �Combo� outfits take the anxiety out of decision making and contain all you require. A high-quality estuary or lake combo unit is about 3kg and comprises a matched fishing rod and reel (usually spooled with line), a selection of little sinkers, split shot, swivels, a couple of quill floats and hooks from No. 8 through to about No. 4.

Rigs

Fishing with baits generally use three basic rigs - the paternoster, running sinker and float.

Bait Made Easy

Bait that occurs naturally in the environment you're fishing in is always the best to use. In freshwater, mudeyes, minnows and scrubworms suit trout, but for local fish such as yellowbelly and Murray cod, shrimp, bardi grubs and yabbies cover nearly all situations. In saltwater, sandworms, bass yabbies, mussels, pipis, pilchards and squid will be enough for most species.

Sourcing Bait Part 2 - Freshwater Fish

Ok, last time I covered sourcing bait for saltwater fish, today is all about sourcing good bait for catching freshwater fish. Combined with the right fishing lures, I'm sure this will help you have a great time catching even the most cunning of fish.

Minnow: Small bait traps are ideal in rivers and lakes. Add a little berley (breadcrumbs) in the water and inside the trap.

Mudeye: The dragonfly nymph, mudeyes are found in dams and impoundments with good vegetation under the water, particularly around the edges. Drag a mudeye net through the weed.

Yabbies: Top bait for fish such as redfin and Murray cod and even bream. Find a dam or waterway with holes burrowed in around the banks. Tie a string around a piece of meat, cast it out a few feet from the edge and let it settle on the bottom. Bring it up slowly as the yabby with clutch the meat; place the net under the yabby before lifting it out of the water.


Shrimp: Favourite bait in rivers for Murray cod, redfin, trout and yellowbelly. Take a leafy gum branch and place in an old drum near a weed area. Shrimp will use it as shelter and grip the gum, which you can then remove.

Other

Alternative baits can be sourced from the supermarket. Canned corn and cheese will take carp. Raw chicken and rabbit meat will attract silver trevally and yellowbelly.

Berley

Berley is any plant or animal tissue or extract that is placed in the water for the purpose of attracting fish. Berley must not be used to attract fish for any purposes other than as part of a fishing operation. You must not use more than 10L of berley to assist in the taking of a shark.

I hope these tips for sourcing good bait will help you in your next adventure out on the water, and best of luck catching those fish!

Sourcing Bait Part 1 - Saltwater

I want to share with you some tips on collecting your own bait, which if combined with the right fishing lures, can give you the greatest edge when you're trying to catch the 'big one'.

I've broken it down into 2 parts - today is all about saltwater fishing bait, and then in the next post I will cover freshwater fishing bait for you.

Low tide is the best time for gathering baits such as worms, crabs and Bass yabbies. Check fisheries regulations in your area as bait gathering is banned in some low tide areas, as are spades.

Lettuce Weed: Favourite bait for luderick, lettuce weed is found growing on rock faces and in pools continually washed with water.

Bass Yabbies: Top bait that will account for fish ranging from bream through to mulloway. Yabbies live underground on mud and sand flats of estuaries and can be found along some surf beaches under wet sand. Tell-tale holes are left where they have burrowed. All you need is a bait pump.

Sandworms: Found over flats and damp areas when the tide is low; often under heavy banks of weed.

Mussels: Found clinging to pier pilings or on reefs. Look in water that can be reached with waders, or even shallower. Advisable to wear gloves.

Pipis: Commonly found under the sand on beaches where the water washing over is 10-20cm deep or on exposed sand flats. Either dig a hole or twist with bare feet until you find a patch and then dig with your hands.

Squid: The most versatile saltwater bait, easily caught using a squid jig that is cast out, allowed to sink and then retrieved slowly. Mostly found lurking over grass beds. At night, they are attracted to lights and hunt in the shadows on the edge of the beam.

Part 2 will cover freshwater bait, coming up very soon. In the meantime you can learn how to make your own fishing lures if that interests you...

NOTE: I do earn a commission if you choose to purchase anything through the links above, however it is definitely worth checking out if you'd like to learn more about this artform.

Passing Your Fishing Knowledge To The Next Generation

There is an old saying that if you give a man a fish he can eat for a day, but if you teach him to fish he can eat for a lifetime. The same also holds true that if you take a child fishing he could enjoy it for a day, but if you teach a child to fish he can enjoy it for a lifetime. When was the last time you took your son or daughter fishing and really took the time to teach them the right way to fish? Have you ever taken your kids friends on a fishing trip and taught them how to fish?


These days it’s all about self gratification and immediate reward, and we often neglect to share with our younger generation the heritage of hunting and fishing for food that our ancestors used to do out of necessity. Maybe it’s much easier to get a fish from the local shops, but the fun and recreation of landing a big fish still excite most outdoorsmen and pump adrenaline through the body.

Prepare Them For A Sustainable Future In Fishing

Teaching the skills of fishing also instils in our younger generation the need to protect and preserve the heritage as well as the natural resources that allow these recreational pursuits. Many of our younger generation are being taught to preserve the land for its beauty and natural resources but not how to interact with nature without damaging that beauty and natural resource. Share with them the wonders of the outdoors so they can see it for themselves, instead of through a little screen.

With summer having finally arrived many fishing enthusiasts are already planning that trout fishing, bass fishing or surf fishing trip. Take a trip with your kids and their friends and spend the time to truly teach them how to fish. Let them experience the thrill of that native trout jumping from the stream, while fighting them on a light tackle fly rod. Take the time to teach them how to land a fly in a teacup at ten paces, even if you can’t.

If you are a bass fishing enthusiast, take your kids bass fishing and teach them not only how to fish, but boating safety and common courtesy on the water. Teach them how to pick the right fishing lure or bait for the conditions you are fishing in. Teach them the value of catch and release.

If you are a surf fishing fanatic, take them to the beach and put a rod in their hands. Let them feel the tug of a blue fish or puppy drum on the rod. Teach them how to cast a surf rod and to tie the knots for rigging lines. Show them how to care for the equipment.

Get your kids away from the video games and television and let them get involved in some outdoor activities instead. Take a kid fishing and you will possibly find that you enjoy teaching them as much as you enjoy fishing yourself.

Awesome Fishing Spots In Western Australia

Recently a friend told me she was going up north for a fishing trip in Jurien Bay, and asked me what the fishing was like up there. This brought to mind an idea to put together a list of some of the best fishing spots in Western Australia to share with you.

The remoteness here in WA gives you an excellent chance of catching some great fish when you know where the best spots to find them are, and it's possibly some of the best fishing in the world if you manage to find your way here.

WA's Best Fishing Spots, In No Particular Order:

Rowley Shoals - This place is truly a sportfishing mecca, it's possibly the best sportfishing place in Australia, if not the world. Here you can find Yellow-Fin Tuna, Wahoo, Sailfish Coral Trout, Dogtooth Tuna, Spaniards, and many species of Emperor fish. If you love sportfishing, this place should definitely be on your to-do list.

Dampier Archipelago - With 42 pristine islands making up this area, there is plenty of stunning scenery to look at. And with Coral Trout, Chinaman, Sailfish, Marlins, Blue-line Emperors, and Red Emperors in great supply, there's plenty to keep you occupied. With so many islands in the area, it's very easy to use them as protection if the wind picks up while you're out on the water.

Warroora Station - Found south of Coral Bay, the isolation of this area makes for fantastic fishing. Away from all the fishing pressures up north at Coral Bay and Exmouth, it's likely that you won't see another soul while you're there and you could have an entire beach to yourself. You will need to be self-sufficient however, with no sealed access roads, but the beach fishing in Ningaloo Reef will be worth the effort.

Monte Bello Islands - I've heard great stories about this place, and is high on my to-do list. Apparently it has spectacular scenery, and you can hunt for Mangrove Jacks, Sailfish, Coral Trout, Red Emperor, and tons more. It's an easy place to get to with a reasonable sized trailer boat, if that is what takes your fancy.

Balla Balla Creek - This is easily the best spot for Black Jewfish in the Pilbara, and possibly all of WA. It's also a good spot for Threadfin in the cooler months and Barramundi in the warmer months. Offshore at Geographe Shoals there is fantastic reef/sport fishing available too.

Rottnest Island - Huge schools of Samson fish swim the waters around Rotto, and are ideal for the jigging enthusiast. Summer is the best time for catching sambos.

The Latest Trend In Fishing Lures Is...

There have been many advances in the technology of fishing lures lately, and to keep up with the trends it helps to know what cutting edge designs are being used to catch fish these days.

Introducing Lighted Fishing Lures

Lighted fishing lures can be used effectively to attract predatory fish, such as Bass. Some of these battery powered lures are embedded with LEDs that can be used for fishing during the night, or even during the day, but are usually more successful at night-time.

There are other types of lighted fishing lures which contain glows sticks that really only glow at night time. Some distinguish the latter as glow-in the-dark lures, but in the end they basically have a similar result.

The Advantages Of Fishing With A Light Lure

A battery powered lure often comes with a strobe or blinking option and can usually last a whole lot longer than a glow stick - anywhere from 80-400 hours. Most of these are only activated when they are in the water so that their batteries are conserved even further, plus there are no moving parts necessary.

On the other hand, glow sticks do not run the risk of leakage of the outer shell and damage or shorts to the internal electronics, especially when wrestling with a fish. For this reason, metal light lures are usually best when opting for the LED variety as they will be more difficult to destroy.

Lighted fishing lures often perform best in low visibility such as at night or in murky water. Lights come in a huge variety of colours to simulate different types of bait, and also to catch the eyes of different kinds of fish. Red is a particularly effective colour, especially for attracting fish of the bass family, as it simulates the blood of injured prey. Red is the most common colour used by anglers for its effectiveness.

... And Some Of Their Disadvantages

There are differing opinions amongst anglers about light lures. Some doubt their effectiveness at catching fish altogether, and some claim that they can break easily or do not work out of the box. In any case, a light lure holds the current record for catching the most basses, so it’s totally up to you to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages and decide if you want to include a lighted fishing lure as part of your arsenal of fishing weaponry.

When buying, however, make sure that the product comes with a warranty in order to maximize your investment.


Bite Light 4 Lure - 4 different Models