Baitaholic

[dan_WA]

this is difficult,.......

My Names Daniel,
and I'm a Baitaholic
....It's been 2 days since I last used bait.............

I have decided to join baitaholics anonymous (B.A.), butin the meantime I am sure some folks out there can help me through this ordeal

I'm struggling on the bream on S.P's/ hard bodies.

Had a sesh the other day around Mosman Bay, was using slider crappy (I think that's what they're called), with no success, was doing jigging techniques as I'd been shownto no avail.
tried a few hard bodies with slow retreive and pause to let lure float up and still no interest.
Threw a baited hook in and was hooked up before the hook hit the bottom !

I tried again on the weekend, same spot. I was using artificials and GF was using bait.
- Thought I had a few touches, but no big hits.
When I wound in to check Sp/hook etc, - the tail was missing !!
a few more casts without tail - nothing, so put on new one, wound in ....another F@#king tail bitten off
What followed was a total of 5 tail-less SP's in a matter of 15 minutes
Is this typical (timid) behaviour, there were definitely fish around 'cos they were taking the bait (quite aggressively)
Can this be related to technique ?
What am I doing wrong ????, or not as right as I could ?

[jimi]

Hi Dan, when you loose tails like that it is almost definately blowies that are the culprit. Bream normally don't destroy the tails too much as their teeth are peglike, while blowies teeth are like a pair of scissors.

Usually pays to move on when that happens. While the blowies haven't been as bad this year as last year (I guess we have had more rain this year), you still have to expect to loose a few tails in a normal session.

As any of the guys here will tell you, there are really only 2 ways to get started catching bream on lures:

1. Persevere, persevere, persevere. Even when people are pulling them in on bait all around you. There will come a day when you are the one catching (on lures) and they are not.

2. Go out with someone experienced at luring bream and let them show you how to do it (by far the quickest way to learn).

Of course there are lots of little things to remember like ALWAYS keep moving (unlike bait fishing) and be accurate with your casting. These forums are full of valuable info on the subtleties of bream fishing. Subtlety is really what is required to become good at this stuff.

Cheers
James.

[Shane]

Hiya...

I still haven't cracked the SP barrier, I have been de-tailed but generally that was to blowies. After the Sunday sess I saw the techniques I had been told in work, and altered my technique and was getting bites but it seemed on the day my 2 inch atomics where a little too big for them(I think).

I think it is the same as bait fishing. If you bait keeps get done obviously it is too big for what you are fishing for. I am going to try for some smaller SP's, and a smaller jig hook size if possible and give that a bash around some of the areas I saw fish being caught on SP's.

But I would say it was blowies going your SP's but more experienced SP'ers can give you some better advice ;)

...Cheers

Shane

[Geoff R]

Mate the main culprit of plastic destroyers is Blowies, it sounds as if they were feasting on your plastics:( , Have you been down to the store to see me yet:confused: .
The best way to get into "luring for Bream" is to get togethor with someone off this site who has got an idea and go for a fish. Most of us started like you have, fed all our tackle to the Swan Vermin and came out scratching our heads totally perplexed, Breamin is something that will always be a challenge and you need to build up your Knowledge, skill and patience. Just the other day I went out with a couple of Lads and got sweet bugger all, the next day I got a heap including some big bust off's by what could very well been the elusive 2kg:eek:. I caught up with Spad's and hit him up for some advice, he told me "I can't catch fish:D" after talking with him I had to slap myself and call it for just a bad day;).
I am by no means an expert or a guru, I still have a lot to learn, but I strongly recommend to all new guys to Breamin to get down to Breammaster and have a chat to us, all us guys there are serious Breamers and know what it's like to be in your position . I was there at the first Bream tournament held in Wa, I fished all the others and i regularly talk with the guys that brought Breamin to Wa, Hell Warren and Ira Created it here.
You'll only get out of it what you put in to it, good luck
Regards Geoff P

[dan_WA]

Cheers,

oh well, I've made my donation to the all powerful swan god - not only in SP's to the bastard blowies, but also a nice little hard body bumble bee to a non-forgiving piece of rock !
the quest continues !!

[Shane]

Hiya...

I would recommend highly trying to get into a boat with someone. Just being able to visit so many fishable sites rather than being shore based increases your odds.

You may catch fish, but then like my you may not. But I saw the techniques that brought in Tim's 2 nice fish. Saw some good spots to fish, and also saw Sam turn up to a spot we had been fishing an hour and hook up twice in bugger all time shore based. Just need that exposure.

I have been fishing with SP's for about the last 2 months, and not a single hookup but got alot of good hits and bites yesterday. A couple guys here have also offered to help me out with shore based(yet to take them up ;) ) and I am more than sure they wouldn't mind helping you out. Or failing that we can team up and go around trying to hook some blackies.

...Cheers

Shane

[MATTY]

g'day dan,
most if not all people here have had the same experience in some shape or form so your not alone.if you've fished the river with bait and are converting to sp/hb's anywhere you've caught on bait will hold fish that are able to be caught on artifical's.be prepared to try different techniques,colours,sizes etc and MOVE AROUND.the regular places that are posted here that produce fish get hammered regularily and may close the fish down.some very unlikely areas hold fish and in good numbers its just a matter of finding them.i use hb's to cover a lot of ground when checking out new spots,you will locate fish and then its into the memory bank for next time.a good way that i've found to prospect an area is to pull on the waders and walk out to about waist deep and walk parallel to the shore.you can cast in to shore out to deeper water or parallel to shore.you cover a lot of water and because you are walking you do this slowly and throughly.quite often you will find a snag/rock in the middle of a sandy patch that holds fish.all part of the fun of breaming.i waded an area on sunday morning that i'd never gone to before and pulled fish in 3 areas that were no more than mid leg deep and in about a 2km stretch but took me 2 hours to cover.as geoffP
suggested get down to the store and ask questions,the guys are more than helpful.
cheers

[BoofHed]

Hi Dan, ive just started fishing softies and its givin the baities in my boat the DohDohDohDohs. i must be lucky and got some great advice from Jeff at the shop {thanks Jeff} I'm outfishin them, and lovin it, just by tosin my plastic close as i can to a snag,leave it 4 a bit and watch the line 4 anny movement if nothing happens just jig it of the bottom a couple of feet and let it drop back down if nothing happens around that snag move, I havent caught a horse on sp yet but it will happen hopfully, i hope this helps.

True story...

Fishing fly with Morsie near Dirk Hartog isl one day, things are pretty quiet, and I lose a SMALL Nor west Blowie about 10 pounds maybe near the boat (bit the leader thru).

The Morse gets all excited, and has a fly in right where that one came from in about 2 seconds flat, & sure enough he's into a little bigger nor wester, maybe 15 pounds.

As he's pullin it in I'm pretty non plussed thinkin to myself "yep, it'll bite him off any minute now"...:rolleyes:

Anyway he's looking around ready to get his camera for the 'great photo opportunity' that is about to unfold, while i'm just smiling like an idiot sayin nuthing and thinking - any minute now this things outta here with morsies fly n all - there AINT gonna be no photo opportunity here, this much I DO know from experience.

Anyway he's still excited and doesn't know what this new species, monster from the deep is, having never seen a nor wester in his life up to that point...

I say to him - you might wanna pull that thing straight into the boat if you want a pic before it bites you off!! Morsie looks at me like I'm some kinda idjit and says, "Nah - he's hooked good and I can see the hook he's not going to be able to bite the line"...and he dilly dallys with this fish boatside, reaching for his camera etc..with one hand.

I say " We call these fella's boltcutters because they can bite right thru a 4 0 hook no problem with their teeth..."

Morsie laughs out loud, looks at me like I'm deliberately trying to pull his leg and exclaims " he won't be biting thru THAT hook - thats a chrome Mustad something or other something or other" - (like it's the special space age hook to end all hooks used on the space shuttle etc etc)...;)

Just about then he makes ready to finally "lift" this Nor West Blowie into the boat for a photo.....and right as if on cue. I hear "Chink"...just like the sound when you cut a hardened padlock with boltcutters, and the blowie turns tail - splashes the Morse in farewell, as a departing gesture and dissapears...

Then I look up to see Peter with whats left of his fly held up in his hand and this astonished look on his face, " I don't believe it - I dont believe it" he's muttering - "it ate my hook in half!!!!" with this goofy look on his dial... :D :cool: :rolleyes:

Yup Yup yup - they will eat steel no worries a nor west blowie so you shouldn't be surprised if their little brothers eat the tails off your soft plastics....

Just be thankfull their big brothers arent in the river chomping your hard body lures in half with one bite!

I seem to recall the Dirk Hartog Isl Lodge folks telling us about a tourist visitor who they had to fly out to Denham and then Geraldton hospital for medical treatment - she was wading up there and a school of big nor westers came around her and seemed friendly so she started to feed them a little bit of fish she happened to have caught...

One of em dived down and bit her little toe clean off while a couple others took chunks outta her lower calf muscles etc, she thought they were giant piranahs come to get her and ran screaming like a banshee from the water, until they settled her down and got medical help...

Doesn't pay to mess with the Blowies big brothers the nor westers, they are mean blighters with little or no fear of humans..

Think yourself lucky to get off lightly with a few lost soft plastic tails from their little brothers - things vcould get a whole lot worse if their big brothers from up north ever pay a visit to the Swan River.

Cheers!

[dan_WA]

F.H. !!!

that's full on !!, I've come across the southern porcupine fish around Tassie (not sur if that's the "official" name), but those nor'westers sound like real Mo Fo's
I'll donate as many S.P.'s as it takes to get a nice sized B.B in a pic with my mug next to it !!

[Dave W]

If I could only give you one piece of advice about fishing plastics it would be to slooooow doooown the retrieve.

I see a lot of guys treating plastics like a Hard Body, just chucking them out and winding them in (not that all educated Hard Body users do that :D)..

You need to be gentle, little hops, rips, twitches, double taps, wiggles, shakes and plently of dead sticking in between.

I'd hazard a guess that, for a lot of guys, they are getting hit on the drop and don't even know it - pay serious attention to the sinking line, anything out of the ordinary and strike!

I suppose my 'average' pause would be around 3 seconds, count it out in your head if you have to but let the plastic sit still for a while.

Hope you get one soon :)

[dan_WA]

Thanks Dave,

the portfolio of great handy hints is growing ! - I'll reach critical mass soon in the shape of a nice BB