Follow these 7 steps to increase your chances of catching fish
People often tell us they love fishing but hardly ever catch anything. They want to know how they can improve their chances and catch more fish, so they can bring home dinner.
Although we do catch fish a lot of the time, is not by accident! Sometimes luck is on our side, however we believe the planning we do is what makes the difference. So if you want to improve your catch rate, we recommend you follow these seven steps before you go fishing:
1. Check the wind direction
Considering wind direction is essential to a productive and enjoyable fishing session! There’s nothing more frustrating than finding you can’t cast out far enough because a strong wind is blowing in your face. Ideally, the wind should be on your back to make casting easier and more effective. There are apps you can use to check the wind direction and speed at the locations you are considering. We use the Windy app.
Click the icon below Windy Mobile Application
2. Choose a fishing location
Based on the wind direction and how much time you have to travel, you can decide on your fishing location. Will you fish off a beach or lake, or off rocks, or are you keen to fish off a jetty? Your location will determine the fishing gear you need to take and clothing requirements i.e. boots if rock fishing. Your location will also shape your target species i.e. certain fish frequent jetties or rocky areas but aren’t found as often on flat sandy beaches.
We always have a Plan B in case our preferred location is unfishable due to seaweed or unexpected strong winds.
Click the icon below for Goole Maps
3. Check the tides and best fishing times for that day
Tide movement is an important consideration when planning a fishing session. Fish tend to be more active during the last couple of hours of the rising or falling tide, so fishing then can increase your chance of a catch. There are several fishing apps that show this information, which can be tailored to your chosen location. These apps also provide information on moon phases. The stronger tidal movement around full and new moons increase fish activity making these good days to go fishing. We use the Fish Angler app.
We have found that sunrise and sunset are always a great time to fish, regardless of what the apps say. Schools of Australian Salmon can also appear at any time of the day, even when fish activity is supposedly zero.
Click the icon below for Goole Maps
4. Decide which fish species to target
When you have decided on a location, you need to identify the best fish species to target. Read online fishing reports as they will tell you what is being caught in the area. Chatting with the local tackle store staff is another good way of finding out what people have been catching. Whatever fish have been active are the ones you should target!
Click the icon below for the Fishing SA application
5. Take the right rigs and bait for your target species
Once you know the species of fish you will target, match your tackle and bait to them. Research the rig set up and hooks that best suit your target fish. You can buy rigs pre-made or make them up yourself. We take plenty of spares in case a feisty fish breaks one or we lose one to submerged rocks. We always take rigs for common species even if we are not targeting them, just in case! We also take a range of lures in case you can see a school of fish, or if the fish just don’t seem to be hungry. The flashing movement of a lure might just tempt them to bite.
Research the bait that your target species like before you go and make sure you have at least one option per species. Cockles, Pilchard, and Squid are great staples, and we keep a stock of these in our freezer bagged up ready for our next trip. Buy your Pilchards salted, or salt fresh ones yourself as this helps keep them on the hook longer. We also salt our Cockles. Watch our videos that show how to do this, step by step. Gents are another reliable bait and last for weeks in the fridge.
6. Take lots of burley
Using burley through-out your fishing session is essential as its strong smell attracts fish to your fishing spot. We usually attach a mesh burley bag filled with fish offal to a rod holder, and position it right on the water line. When preparing our fish to eat, we bag and freeze the fish offal so all we need to do is defrost it the night before we go fishing.
When fishing for Garfish, Whiting, Mullet and Australian Herring we use burley springs above our sinkers, and fill them with a mix of breadcrumbs and tuna oil, or similar store-bought burley. We also use this burley mix in our feeder floats.
When Salmon fishing we push the top halves of our salted pilchards into our springs as their oily, strong-smelling flesh works wonders in attracting Salmon. Throwing handfuls of crushed shells into the water is another way to create a strong smell to bring fish closer to your rig.
7. Look for the best spot to fish
If you are surf fishing, look for gutters that run along the beach as fish often feed in the deeper water between the breaking waves. When fishing for Squid off a jetty, look for the ink stains and try there first, and fish under a light if its dark as that attracts the Squid. For Whiting, target sandy areas among the weeds and broken bottom surfaces!
So follow these seven steps before you head off for your next land-based fishing session. As they will increase your chances of success and also make the day more enjoyable. Happy fishing!
