Rod reels linenlures bait

[AF13579]

Hi all. Total beginner to ocean fishing here looking for advice - seasoned boatie so no issues there, just new to fishing. Near where we are the locals are always coming back with kingies, spotted/spanish mackerel (in season), snapper etc etc...so I want to get amongst it! No idea what rod, reel, line, lures etc I should be buying though so keen to get people's thoughts and tips. A broad question I know but a range of ideas would be awesome. Cheers

[e.welch]

If chasing flatties a rod that 5-8 kgs for bottoms fishing and some bait will get you your bag on a good day best of luck I don’t fish of boats much anymore because my dad sold the boat but it alwaysed work also that weight should be able to handle a snapper if u play it right

[Sebb]

Hi all. Total beginner to ocean fishing here looking for advice - seasoned boatie so no issues there, just new to fishing. Near where we are the locals are always coming back with kingies, spotted/spanish mackerel (in season), snapper etc etc...so I want to get amongst it! No idea what rod, reel, line, lures etc I should be buying though so keen to get people's thoughts and tips. A broad question I know but a range of ideas would be awesome. Cheers

Welcome to the forum.
Use the search function in the forum, plenty of info already discussed in the past.

Here's to start:
Decide first where do you want to fish and what fish is there to target.
Rod reel line lure bait follow where and what you fish.

The rod reel for fishing for flathead obviously not ideal to use to fish for kingfish.

So, where are you located? Assuming you're boat fishing, where are you going to fish and what fish available there to target? Then people here can help you with more info.

[DougieK]

Hi all. Total beginner to ocean fishing here looking for advice - seasoned boatie so no issues there, just new to fishing. Near where we are the locals are always coming back with kingies, spotted/spanish mackerel (in season), snapper etc etc...so I want to get amongst it! No idea what rod, reel, line, lures etc I should be buying though so keen to get people's thoughts and tips. A broad question I know but a range of ideas would be awesome. Cheers

Where abouts are you and what are you trying to catch?

Those species you named are all completely different tactics. It sounds like you're on the north coast of NSW or SE Queensland.

10-15kg ish 7 foot rods, 10000 sized reels, there are a zillion different lures to choose from but if you're in a boat, a couple of things to troll and a couple to cast are good starts.

Metal lures are by far the cheapest and easiest to use, cast it at the water and reel it back in full speed. You can let it sink, work different actions etc but that's the general jist of it. Metals are cheap, cast well, durable and very very easy to use. Raiders, Knights, Bishops are all very popular, and a few of us have been using Yakamoto's recently with a great deal of success. The brand probably doesn't matter, a variety of sizes will help.

A metal is a great way to target Mackeral, Tuna, Tailor or anything that eats small bait fish. You get kings on them occaisionally but not as often.

A bibbed diver of some kind is also good. An all rounder is a Ghost Rapala SLXR 12 or 14. Same deal, cast and reel it in, or troll it. These are very proven lures over a long period of time.

I also really, really like Nomad Madscads in pilchard or slimy mackeral. These are a stick bait so they are a touch harder to work.

There are literally millions of lures, if you give me some idea of what you're trying to catch I can at least show you what I do.

You could use a bait jig to collect yakkas or slimey macks and live bait them. Just pin them through the shoulder with a live bait hook. I described the rig I use here, land based but you get the idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBtB36DTRH8 > literally any of the species you mentioned will eat a live bait, although not many people livebait for snapper that i'm aware of.

Other than that, use braid. Learn to tie an FG knot for your braid to leader connection, and a Uni knot for everything else. Drill (practice) the hell out of both of them while you're not on a boat, it'll make your life better.

There is a great FG tutorial here. Everyone has a different take on it, so pick the one you like the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDip4_e4c0U&t=


A final note, you can spend a colossal amount of money on a rod and reel which is absolutely unreasonable for all normal fishing applications. It's not unusual to see guys running around with outfits worth $1500-$2000. Everyone has different opinions about which rods and reels are the best, safe brands with ranges that will cover literally anything you need are Shimano, Daiwa, and Penn. There are thousands of them to choose from. For your first couple of setups, you can probably get away with spending a couple of hundred bucks a piece. I'd recommend going into a tackleshop, set yourself a budget with a bit of wiggle room and choosing whichever outfit feels best. Go to an actual tackle shop rather than a BCF and find someone who seems to know what they're talking about, as opposed to a retail jockey who also sometimes goes fishing.