This is the time of year when my mind is starting to wander and I’m thinking of the trip north that I am planning to take or the one I’d like to take. I have been fortunate to have been on trips north where I have been treated to some of the best shore based fishing I’ve ever experienced or that most people I know have ever had. During these times I learnt a lot about fighting fish from the beach and paid attention to the style of lures and the techniques that provided the goods or fish in this instance. The fishing can be second to none and I’m itching to get back up there with what I consider a more refined and tactical bag of goodies with which to tempt my scaly targets.

Another victim of the Halco Twisty

People tend to think that if you are going to be targeting big fish from the beach then you better have some serious tackle and heavy line. This is just not true and for the most part the catches are much more satisfying when you nail a big fish from the beach on light tackle. The set up that worked so well for me was a Nitro Mag Butt Distance Spin matched with a Shimano Stradic 4000 spooled with ten pound line. Considering that I was fishing with guys that were using 30 pound gear I might have seemed under gunned but I came up trumps time and time again. Not only was this set up a pleasure to fish with but it was light enough to throw all day and more importantly could belt a lure a mile: A 40 gram metal slice almost seemed to leave a vapour trail it went so far! The important questions to consider when organising your tackle is will you be casting it all day and if so is it light enough to make it a pleasurable experience?

There is a time and a place for heavy gear from the beach but unless you’re targeting huge GT’s from the beach or other species which demand a heavy handed approach do yourself a favour and stick to the light stuff. You will have way more fun. Talk to your local expert at your tackle shop or jump on one of the many forums, like the Hotbite website, and ask about what gear is best for the area you intend to fish. It can’t hurt and you might learn a thing or two or even score a hot tip.

One thing which can make a huge difference is knots and connections. If there is one thing you need to know, it would be how to tie a good knot. I have spent many winter nights practising my knots and working out the best knots for each situation I might find myself in. If you’re a bit rusty or don’t have the confidence in tying knots head to your local library and grab one of the many ‘how to’ books on tying knots and practise. It will be worth taking the time to brush up on your knots so when you’re fighting that fish of a lifetime you can trust your connections.

Love those gold slices, make sure you stock up before you leave home

Before each trip I take great pleasure in buying a multitude of lures in preparation for all possibilities. With all lures there are some stand outs that prove themselves time and time again. One of these is the humble 30 and 40 gram Halco Twisty gold slice. This lure accounted for a huge number and variety of fish on the trip. A fast retrieve with one of these was not likely to be ignored for long making them a hands down favourite at the start of the trip. During one trip to Exmouth all of the tackle shops in town completely sold out of them because they were working so well. It wasn’t until this happened that I really started to explore the other lures in my collection.

Shallow divers also proved to be deadly on the fish we were targeting from the shore. Two of the stand outs of these styles were the Smiling Jack in the gold colour and the River2Sea Triho in a herring pattern. The real bonus of these lures was that you could easily follow them in the clear waters and watch the strikes as they happened. Bracing yourself for the strike as a group of queenies or other pelagics fight over your lure, all within eyesight is something which is hard to forget. I can’t wait to experience it again.

One important thing to consider is the quality of the lures you are using. I praise the Smiling Jack for its catch-ability but have had several pulled apart by hard hitting fish. To have a big strike and think you’ve missed it only to have your lure come back with its rear treble missing can be very disappointing. At least when you do lose one it’s an $8 lure and not a $20 one! For their price they are hard to beat and there are always a couple in my bag of tricks.

Other styles of lure you can put to good use are poppers and other top-water stick baits. The visual aspect of this type of fishing is inspiring. Watching a hungry mackerel launch itself at a popper or an angry coral trout chase a walk bait is so much fun. Catching Spanish mackerel from the beach on poppers is one of my all time fishing highlights. Casting poppers at the mackerel as they smashed bait herded up along the beach was inspiring stuff. The explosive strikes and blistering runs the fish made as you stood on the beach hoping for the best and the satisfaction of landing a mackerel on a popper on light gear is something else.

Summing Up

Whatever your fancy, if you find yourself up North and the fish are on the bite, do yourself a favour and head to the beach with some light gear and a handful of lures and have a bash. The satisfaction and sheer joy of nailing a big pelagic from the beach is something you will never forget. When you plan your next trip north slip in the light to medium spin gear and have yourself a ball!

Mackie from a northern beach on a popper