VICTORIAN SURF FISHING

With Paul (Benno) Bennett
EASY FISH LAND-BASED FISHING CHARTERS

See Benno's profile here.

11 February 2008

I love it when people start to say "it's a bit cold this morning", it gets me excited to think that we are turning the corner from super hot days, and daylight hours are getting shorter as we now head towards the shortest day of the year. There is still going to be plenty of warm weather left in the next 2 months, but the water temparture will slowly get colder and the salmon will return to our southern beaches.

Now is the time that we should start to look at our tackle bags, rods and reels in preperation for the coming season. For the angler who is getting into surf fishing, I would like to draw your attention to the new release of reels with the newly designed handles. Compared with the old styled reels, these new handles, out now, are so comfortable to use.

As surf anglers, we cast up too 50 times a session, and even more if you cast lures. I find that these new reels make it easier to grab from the rod holder, when you go to strike at the fish, the handle sits neatly  in your palm, and when fighting a salmon to the shore break, you feel more at one with the rod - more control. The new design handles are also released on over head reels too.

Over the last few weeks I've been talking about Victorian Fishing and Boating Monthly magazine, and this week I would like to draw your attention to the tide guide at the back pages. Now, often we just go for the highest tide on sunrise or sunset to plan our fishing trip. The highest tide is measured by rise and fall guides of 1.4m to a low tide of .02m on that day, and maybe a 1.5m high and 0.5m low the next day.

To make it easier to read, the tide guide in Victorian Fishing and Boating magizine has a flow chart under the tide levels. The tide chart shows the tides movements and the sunrise and sunsets every day,  and also the rise and fall of the moon. So much infomation on just one page. A good angler will study the guide to predict the best weekend to go fishing, and gummy shark anglers will study the tide and the movements of the moon.

SURF FISHING REPORTS
Golden Beach is still having trouble with the weed, but when the weed clears, anglers are catching pinky snapper to 3.5 kilos at Loch Sport. Or, if you want to  play it safe, go to the beaches either side.

Woodside on the southeast coast is getting plenty of flathead and small salmon during the day, and in the surf at night there are heaps of small school sharks and gummies being caught. At Venus bay there are only small salmon being caught with good numbers of mullet.

If you have never tasted smoked mullet before, give it a go, you will be very surprised as to how good these little fish taste. But don't forget to clean the black stuff off the fillets.

At night there  are still good numbers of gummy sharks to be caught. Frankston Pier still has the run of garfish and a few squid.

SURF FISHING LESSONS
This week I had a great response to my announcement of the surf fishing lessons that I'm holding. Firstly, you are asked to attend with all your surf gear, as if you are on your way to go surf fishing, without the bait. If you don't have surf fishing gear we can show you how to set up, and what sort of tackle to look for so you get it right.

A true assessment of whether an angler is getting it right or wrong can only be made if we can see how you set up. As a pro surf angler, I see it so often on the beach, surf anglers getting it wrong. Being an angler who is constantly searching for improvements in the tackle industry, it is also rewarding to pass on what we find, and being an angler that specifically targets surf fishing, through the surf fishing lessons we can easily pass on the information.

In a tackle shop there are thousands of items to look at, and often it is easy to overlook something that coulld be of value. From hooks, rigs, safety, rods and reels, we teach you how to make your own saltwater fly, how to downsize the amount of tackle you carry, and the different methods of casting on windy days, I cover everything.

The lesson takes an hour and a half and the cost is $25, and this covers the booking of the room, insurance, and supports the work I do with kids. There is a limited number per lesson and the first classes start on Saturday the 1st of March. I hope you enjoyed the photos in last weeks report and I will post more soon.

GET IN BEFORE THE SALMON SEASON STARTS AND GET IT RIGHT.

There is also a lucky draw prize on the day for each class, and thank you to the tackle shops that support me.

Regards,

BENNO

EASY FISH LAND-BASED FISHING CHARTERS
Paul Bennett
Telephone: 0418 547 990
Email: easyfish@bigpond.com.au  

See Benno's previous report here.