Australian Saltwater Fishing - What To Catch And How To Catch Them

Australia is known for its pristine beaches, prolific ocean waters, and fish, fish, fish!

Whether you are fishing Alpine National Park Kiewa or Dargo Rivers for brown or rainbow trout, blackfish, bass, or eels, or fishing from St. Leonards Peninsula, Bellarine Peninsula for squid, snapper, whiting, or flathead, some of the best fishing worldwide is found off the shores of Australia.

No matter where you are fishing down under, these basic tips will help you avoid some common pitfalls and maximize your fishing experience.

First, don't try to use any freshwater gear that you want to keep, for saltwater fishing. The saltwater and the impact of the heavier catches in saltwater fishing are just too hard on your gear.

If saltwater fishing is a one time thing for you, consider just renting some good saltwater gear rather than trying to transport yours and then ruining it.

Next, if you are planning to buy salt water gear, and money is a consideration, as it is with most of us, you should opt to invest the most in your rod.

You simply have to have a fairly good rod to control your casts, flies and the fish once you hook them. An inexpensive reel can get the job done, but a cheap rod with too much play is going to have you pulling your hair out in no time flat.

Invest in good line, and use a good line dressing on it. Clean your gear when you finish. Keep the tip of your rod pointed down, toward the water, and be sure to keep your slack where it should be. That will help you maintain a more direct type of contact between the fly and the tip.

Saltwater fish strike hard and fast, and you must be ready for them. Set your hooks by stripping the line from the reel rather than jerking up on your line. Know the forage that your target fish naturally feed on, and stick to that, or flies that look like that, for bait.

Good choices are always injured bait fish, saltwater creatures, and shrimp. If the normal forage does not work well, and the fish just do not seem to be biting when you know they are there, something totally out of the norm just might work, and if they are not biting anyway, it makes sense to try something different.

Talk to some locals or old timers. If you can get advice from the people who know the waters, you are going to have better luck seeing good catches.

Of course specific fishing techniques vary from species to species, but one of the most popular catches down under is the yellow fin tuna, or 'fin' as they are known by those native to Australia.

Here are some specific tips to help you bring in a big 'fin! You can find 'fin all along the eastern coast of Australia, for the most part out in the open water, but if you want to fish for yellowfin tuna closer to shore, look along the coast of Green Cape and Jervis bay, close to the rocks, where they are often found feeding.

There has also been some great yellowfin action off Sydney and in the southern coastal areas. Consider lure trolling to maximize on that action. It will allow you to cover more territory.