Noise
I have seen and heard all too often well intentioned anglers giving clear instructions to fellow anglers to keep their voices down and the radio volume low or “it will spook the fish”. Yet these same anglers will bang about on the bottom of their aluminium boat to get the anchor out, throw around gear (such as steel yabby pumps) or otherwise move about clumsily or noisily. Once located, they will then give the anchor and chain an almighty swing and toss into the distance that even a champion rodeo cowboy would be proud of! Once the anchor is down, they will then toss out a bait with a lump of lead that could almost act as an anchor for the boat, which of course causes another almighty splash.
Another mistake I see boat anglers (including more experienced anglers) make quite regularly is ignoring the impact of the noise of the motor on the fish. All too often I see them roaring up at full speed to their desired location having scared off any fish in the immediate location. A better option is to slow down when you are within about 50m of your spot, and if you have an electric motor, use that for the last 10-20m or so. Similarly, I see anglers who are drifting over a spot, return to the start of their drift by motoring directly over the water they are about to start drifting again. A far better option is to swing around in a wide arc and again slow right down as you approach the start of the drift.
From the shore, I’ve seen fellow trout anglers get up before the crack of dawn, drive their vehicle right down to the lakes edge then thump about setting up their rod and chairs inches from the shoreline. After a while, they then look across and ask each other why my mates and I seem to be catching fish only 20m away while they haven’t got a touch in the first hour of their arrival.
I have also experienced first hand the effect of anglers wading very noisily on the flats either between locations or making their way back to shore to land a fish from the flats. When they get to their desired spot, often next to their disgruntled mate who they have ‘claim jumped’ they then wonder why neither they nor their mate (who was catching fish consistently), can now not get a bite!
The answer lies in the fact that fish can hear and feel sounds whether they come from above or below the water (including vibrations from the water’s edge). So keep the music down, tread softly and move about in your boat as quietly as possible!
TECHNIQUES
Finally, there are a couple of fishing techniques that I see some anglers adopt that can cost them fish.
The first is the ‘set and forget’ technique with rods. While placing your rod vertically in a holder off the beach can make sense to keep your line above the first breakers and stop it getting washed in, it can also help hook fish that hit the bait hard like tailor and salmon. However, it is not always the best technique to use for all species yet I see it all the time.
When setting your rod in a holder in an estuary, lake or calm water flats, keep the rod low and parallel to the water, allowing fish like whiting, flathead or freshwater species to take the bait and run and thus not feel the resistance of an upright rod. Switched on trout anglers also use baitrunner reels or open the bail arm of their reel and lightly bluetac the line to the rod so the fish can pick up the bait and feel little resistance as they move off with it.
Secondly, sweep from the beach can be an area that frustrates anglers to no end, having their lines washed sideways into other anglers lines or into the shore. In such conditions, anglers should ditch ball sinkers for star or breakaway sinkers to get a better hold. Sometimes even this doesn’t work so it is then best to move along the gutter or channel until you find a rip, where the sweep is dragging water out to sea. From here you want to fish the side opposite to where the sweep is running out to sea. You will find this area much easier to fish with much less sweep.
SUMMING UP
So there you go! Fishing is a fantastic pastime and can be very rewarding and relaxing. But it can also be frustrating if you keep losing, or not catching fish and not understand why. I hope these tips and tricks help you catch more fish and learn from your mistakes. I hope it also encourages you to keep learning more from time on the water, with guides or reading magazines and books.
For more tips, reports and giveaways, check out my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ontourfishingaustralia. Until next month, bag your mates – not your limit!
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