ShimsMan

Thanks TT,I Would love to see some guides for specific species too, Especially regarding their behavior, feeding habits, migration, breeding, territory and so on! We have a few guys already (e.g. Des "The Whiting Whisperer") that know particular species very well and they're a great source of knowledge and inspiration to many of us!I don't snap all that many pics as I only have a lousy phone camera, (had to borrow a proper camera for this guide) but I have a couple of good ones that you may or may not have seen before:First one is from using the rig I mentioned for a Tommy bait session, bagged

heya squid flaps' date='Cutting one end of the dropper only wastes about 4-5mm of the line and doubles the length of the dropper; it's just a way to make the droppers longer without resorting to 3 way swivels.Here's a pic to clarify:[img']http://i.imgur.com/Xf7c4gv.gif[/img]I agree that most will do fine on light mono for rigs, but I sometimes go for whiting and spooky gar over sandy bottom so using fluoro helps in those situations; I think it's a worthy investment as I use pretty modest rod and reel combos, so I have a little money left over for good line.

Hey everyone,Thought we could do with some more good info threads on S&H, so it's time to post one! I'll be focusing on smaller, tastier, land based species: Tommies, Mullet, Salmon Trout and Garfish mainly. This is a guide for Land based fishing from wharves, jetties and breakwalls etc. and is mostly for the newbies, but hopefully some of our forum members can get something out of it too!Let's get it started!It all starts with the rigs, it pays to keep things simple but versatile if possible, So I use 2 hook paternoster rigs; made from quality terminal tackle:Attention to detail helps a l

No Probs Plankton, i'm sure someone will have use for that info so it's all good!Ebay really is your best bet, you can also get those swivel beads from England, which would make for a smoother, more durable rig!Good luck with finding a cheaper source, PM me if you find a bargain eh?

Sources for these items are pretty thin in SA Plankton, but for impact grapnels, here's a link to BCF for them:WA Impact SinkerHaven't personally used the impact grapnels, but a mate of mine swears by them and they do cast real nice!These "Breakaway Imps" are what I use and it's either ask at Got One Stepney, or order them off ebay; Don't know of any sources at this time unfortunately. They hit the wallet kinda hard at around $1.80 each but you can use any any wire terminated sinker you want with them, which is great for me since i almost exclusively use swivel bomb sinkers to reduce that alve

Mate, I'd be happy enough if South Aus caught up with the rest of Aus, let alone the world! :laugh:That said, there are some reallll nice surf rods coming out of england, if you have the "dosh!"

Interesting you say that komodo, there's been some interesting research done into hemp/glass composites, I'd love to see that research done with carbon and graphite, could make for some very unique rod actions!Some reading here, if that's your thing:Mechanical Properties of Hemp Fibre Composites

Kelvin's pretty well on the money there.If I wanna cast longer from beach or rock I use a pulley rig, you need to get yourself an impact sinker or breakaway imp to make one, but it's well worth the trouble for the casting distance!As far as i know, got one stepney sells the imps and most tackle stores should stock or be able to source impact grapnel sinkers, which are the norm in pulley rig making.General idea of the rig is that it "packages" the bait and sinker together for better aerodynamics, instead of having droppers that "helicopter" and flap about, costing you distance... Here's a short

Had flatties chase and nip my jigs, also seen a guy bring up a decent snook on one too.

I'd say juvenile sand crabs and mud crabs for the most part, possibly some baby blue swimmers too; it's a pretty diverse environment out there with the flats and mangroves.I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to take them from intertidal zones though, and the sand and blue crabs have size limits of 10 and 11cm respectively. It's a bit of a shame really, very small crabs would be a gun livebait but they're not always easy to identify and they're pretty well protected by law.They're really cool little creatures and very hungry, I've thrown ST heads in the water near my feet while fishing there and

Plankton and crusher are right on the money waspy, even the lower end shimano reels are a class act, beautifully balanced and super smooth winding and drag mechanisms.any of the reels they suggested are great, but for smaller species the sienna would be a mighty fine reel at a fine price ($60.)Only thing i've found with the lower end shimano reels is that you can't let them take a salt bath, and you have to be diligent about rinsing them, i know this from having seized one after using it as a kayak fishing reel in the summer! :c

You cheeky bugger! Love the split grip, don't see it often on rods like that!Very cool... imagine the size of puffer I could catch with that!

Braid is a good idea for surf, but using less than 20lb rating can cause some serious tangles.20-30lb braid with a good mono leader long enough to wrap around your reel a half dozen or more turns does nicely, make sure you have 10lbs for each ounce of cast weight (including bait!) and you shouldn't have any problems whatsoever.Using a heavy leader, you can even get away with using 15lb or so braid; the lower diameter stuff will get buffeted less by the wind and waves so you'll need less tension to keep your grapnel set and have more sensitivity for bites.As for backing it onto the reel, I just

You're a strong man Calstar, must be those BEAR HANDS! Shame to hear it's not real strong, Berkeley vanish is a half decent line, but i'm not sure if it's coated or a full fluoro. holds a decnt knot and has low-ish memory from what I remember: 27 bucks for 250 yds, so it's great value.Then there's your black magic and nitlon FC. Nitlon is a very good fluoro as many strike hookers will attest, I've tried it in 12lb but not sure about the lighter strains, it has a high diameter though, so I tend to use it for rigs mostly: about 20-25 bucks for 50m so it's not all that cheapHave a look black ma

the 7' 2-4kg looks nice, kinda reminds me of the raider combo rod.Had one and it was a great rod until it met with a car door

Hey poppa, looks like a great deal!How long and what rating is the rod? Those are nice reels too, just keep water out of them!Might help to pack it with some PJ, works a treat.

I second that, kokoda GTR is an excellent line and comes in big spools so is great for bigger reels (300m and 600m roll sizes.) Nice and limp, stands up well to UV and casts like silk!From memory, the 20lb is .37 and not too pricey; I get mine at got one stepney and it's less than 20 bucks.

thanks netman, will try that sometime but as a floating setup since most of the stuff I go for is on the smaller side (usually have a surf rod out with a big bait too.)tying it down with a rock is a great idea, if I run a short length of rope just long enough to float the bucket, the bucket won't wash up and I won't get snagged in the line like I did when using a long rope; will definitely try it next time I beach fish!

Thanks for the tips Luke, might bring a few oz of old sinkers to weigh it down if it won't stay put on the surface!I know I need to take the drift into account and that will determine where on the beach I'll fish; preferably I'd like some of the berley to drift past structure and lure out some nice fish from there.Can't wait to get out and fish now!