Fishing Guides
Choose a fish, plan a local session, learn a technique or sort out the tackle. These practical Australian fishing guides draw on our own trips, workshop experience and customers' reports.
Species
Find the method, tackle and local examples for the fish you want to catch.
Live Bait, Jigs and Downrigging
Find bait and fish the right depth, with tackle, release and landing decisions from NSW and Queensland reports.
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How to Catch Kingfish in NSW
Find bait, read the sounder and choose between live bait, jigging, surface lures and downrigging.
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Bass Fishing Around Sydney
Choose light tackle and lures, find cover and plan a short session on local dams and waterways.
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Australian Salmon
Match the bait with metals, tiny flies and bubble floats, then keep the rig fishing near the surface.
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Flathead, Plastics and Kayaks
Choose a shallow bay, work its edges and adjust the lure as the drift and fishing change.
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Mahi Mahi, Live Bait and FADs
Plan the bait stop, share a useful drift and change between live bait, jigs, poppers and deeper presentations.
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Bonito on Metal Lures
Approach feeding bonito carefully, match the bait profile and work the lure through the right depth.
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Mackerel Trolling Guide for Australian Waters
Build a manageable spread for Spanish and spotted mackerel using dead baits, lures and controlled passes.
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How to Catch Squid
Practical squid-catching and rigging techniques for producing fresh bait and targeting larger fish.
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How to Catch Blackfish
Find bait, choose simple tackle and target blackfish from Sydney's wharves and waterways.
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Carp Fishing in Sydney
Find accessible carp fishing around Sydney and learn the simple tackle needed to target them.
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Hairtail Fishing in Cowan Creek
Choose shelter, prepare strip baits and wire rigs, fish useful depths and try the 40g jig method.
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Downrigging for Trout
Build a repeatable Australian lake-trolling run with light tackle, clean releases and sensible depth checks.
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Snapper on Soft Plastics
Rig straight, choose enough jighead weight and control the drift while you fish the drop.
Read the guide →Locations & trip planning
Choose useful ground, then check the conditions, access and the fish on the day.
- Open the NSW fishing map: fishing spots, reefs, wrecks and boat ramps.
- Explore the regional fishing guides: browse marks along your part of the coast.
- Sydney wreck fishing marks: wrecks, depths, fish species and map links.
- How to use the fishing map: layers, search, Saved Places, Trip Planner and sharing.
Squid, Kingfish and Small-Boat Sessions
Choose a manageable route, collect useful bait and have a light-tackle plan ready when the kings are quiet.
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North Head and Bluefish Point
Read the sounder, choose between trolling and stopping, and work live bait or light jigs through the fish.
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Long Reef Boat Fishing
Find useful ground and choose live bait, burley or jigs as the current, fish and conditions change.
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Valiant Wreck Live Bait
Choose the right bait, read the sounder and know when to stay, move or change method at Valiant.
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Using Public Fishing Marks
Use GPS marks as a starting point, check the ground and your drift, and know when to change the plan.
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Fishing 400m at Brown's Mountain
Andrew Hestelow's original deepwater fishing article covering the tackle and techniques used off Sydney.
View original article →Shore fishing
Barrenjoey Head and Palm Beach
Choose luderick floats, beach rigs or metals, with headland maps, southern-rock tactics and practical bait rules.
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North Whale Beach and Little Head
Work beach gutters, drift a luderick bait, prepare a drummer outfit or fish a small metal, with a clear area map.
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Curl Curl, Freshwater and Queenscliff Shore Fishing
Beach gutters, North Curl Curl's deep ledge, South Curl Curl blackfish water and Harbord's named gutters and shelves.
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Long Reef shore fishing: Fishermans Beach, the northern gutters and Butterbox
Fish Fishermans Beach bream water, northern luderick gutters, the snaggy point front and Butterbox sand edges with different presentations.
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Manly and North Harbour Shore Fishing
Little Manly's deep walls, Manly Cove sand, Fairlight weed drifts and the beaches and washes towards Dobroyd and Grotto.
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Narrabeen, Collaroy and Dee Why Shore Fishing
Close beach gutters, Narrabeen reef breaks, Collaroy's southern corner and Dee Why's separate wash and casting water.
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Newport, Mona Vale and Warriewood shore fishing
Newport’s shallow mainland shelf, Bungan beach corners, Mona Vale’s weed drifts and casting water, and Warriewood washes.
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South Whale, Avalon and Bilgola shore fishing
Deep-water Ovens live bait, Avalon washes and drummer holes, then Bilgola beach gutters and the shelf towards Newport.
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Bondi to Bronte shore fishing: Ben Buckler, Mackenzies and Tamarama
Ben Buckler casting water, Bondi beach corners, Mackenzies reef and bream holes, Tamarama cabbage rigs and Bronte whiting.
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Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra shore fishing
Cemetery washes, Shark Point spinning, Gordons Bay sand and reef, Mistral snapper water and Maroubra beach gutters.
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Malabar, Little Bay and Cape Banks shore fishing
Long Bay beach and float water, Green Reef and Julieanne, Trap and Pinnacle gutters, Jolong and Henry Head.
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Bundeena, Jibbon and Marley shore fishing
Jibbon sand and point reef, Cobblers and Waterrun washes, then the Marley beaches and southern platforms, with distinct local presentations.
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Cronulla shore fishing: Wanda gutters, the Alley and the southern rocks
Read the Wanda and Cronulla gutters, then compare the distinct fishing water at Blackwoods, Shelly Point and Oak Park.
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Garie, Era and Burning Palms shore fishing
Garie sand and reef, Era’s inner channels and outer sand, Semi-Detached gutters and the two southern Burning Palms platforms.
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Kurnell shore fishing: Yena, Cape Baily and Boat Harbour
Separate Yena weed drifts, Solander and Cape Baily cliff water, Doughboy washes and Boat Harbour sand, with local bait and access rules.
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Port Hacking shore fishing: Dolans Bay, Lilli Pilli and Audley
Choose close structure at Dolans and Lilli Pilli, Maianbar sand edges, Warumbul rock or the Grays Point and Audley shore.
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Stanwell Park, Coalcliff and Werrong shore fishing
Start with Stanwell or Coalcliff beach gutters, compare Coalcliff’s reef washes, then explore the distinct Werrong, Bulgo and historical northern water.
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Wattamolla and Curracurrang shore fishing
Wattamolla sand and point reef, Curracurrang’s northern ridge and bay washes, then the southern outflow and Gulf bait-water.
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Botany Bay shore fishing: Dolls Point, Cooks River and Yarra Bay
Dolls Point bar casts, western-beach whiting and tailor, Cooks River ebb drifts and Yarra Bay rock and surface fishing.
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Georges River shore fishing: bridge banks, Baldface Point and Little Moon Bay
Separate bank presentations at the bridges, Shipwrights rising-water bream, Baldface ebb whiting, Como and Little Moon Bay luderick.
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Lane Cove River shore fishing: Woolwich, Longueville and the tidal flats
Channel-edge bream, wharf blackfish and summer flathead on the upper tidal flats.
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Middle Harbour shore fishing: Balmoral, The Spit and the upper bays
Balmoral blackfish, The Spit’s moving water and distinct beach, reef and upper-bay bream positions.
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Middle Head to Bradleys Head: rock washes, blackfish and Harbour bream
Ocean-facing gulfs and weed drifts, Obelisk sand, Georges Head and Bradleys reef and wall fishing.
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Mosman Bay to Kirribilli: blackfish walls, bream and small Harbour beaches
Musgrave blackfish, Mosman Bay sand and kelp, Cremorne and Kurraba points, and Kirribilli’s recorded eddy.
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Sydney Harbour south-shore fishing: Camp Cove, Bottle and Glass, Rose Bay and Double Bay
Camp Cove sand and rock corners, Bottle and Glass float water, Rose Bay flathead and public-wharf baitfish.
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Western Sydney Harbour shore fishing: Balmain, Drummoyne and the north shore
Balmain weed edges, Drummoyne sand, Gladesville rocks and the north shore’s deeper walls.
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Cowan Creek shore fishing: Bobbin Head, Cottage Point and Illawong Bay
Bridge eddies, wharf pylons and rocky edges for bream, luderick and hairtail at Bobbin Head, Cottage Point and Coal and Candle Creek.
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Pittwater shore fishing: Careel Bay, Taylors Point, Bayview and the western beaches
Careel sand edges, Taylors Point blackfish, public baitfish wharves and western-beach whiting and salmon.
Read the guide →Lower Hawkesbury
Lower Hawkesbury shore fishing: Flint and Steel, Brooklyn and the road bridges
Flint and Steel shore water, Parsley Bay blackfish and the road bridges’ close edges and tidal eddies.
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Flint and Steel to Juno Point: Hawkesbury boat fishing
Compare the reef, sand drifts and point eddies from Flint and Steel to Juno, with bait preparation and close local maps.
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Brooklyn and Dangar Island boat fishing
Work Dangar shoals, Wobby bream edges, luderick corners and creek mouths, with current railway-works and island-access notes.
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Mooney Mooney to Bar Point: Hawkesbury boat fishing
Choose creek drifts, bridge eddies, the Vines bank or Bar Point, with a separate plan for each type of water.
Read the guide →Techniques
Start with the main guide, then use a specialist explanation for the part you want to improve.
Jigging & bait rigging
Specialist jigging guides and field examples
Assist Hooks for Metal Jigs
Choose assist-hook length, clearance and connections, then inspect the cord and hook before the next drop.
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Catching Live Bait
Catch yellowtail and slimy mackerel on small rigs and keep them in good condition for later use.
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Get the Burley Trail to the Fish
Choose the feed, control delivery depth and keep baits or jigs in the useful part of the trail.
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How to Rig Live Bait
A practical method for rigging yellowtail and other live baits for trolling and downrigging.
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How to Rig Pacific Sauries
Prepare and rig Pacific sauries with wire, trebles and a Head Start for offshore trolling.
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How to Rig Head Start Lures
Use Head Start rigs to prepare garfish and other dead baits for stable, higher-speed offshore trolling.
Read the guide →Downrigging
How to Use a Downrigger
Set up and fish a downrigger, including weights, releases, bait setback, depth control and practical trolling tips.
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What Is a Downrigger?
Learn how controlled-depth trolling works, what the weight and release do, and why anglers use downriggers.
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Born Again Downriggers
Andrew Hestelow's original Boat Mag downrigging article, preserved with the original scans and PDF.
View original article →Deepwater & seasonal fishing
Deepwater Fishing with Electric Reels
See how electric reels make deepwater fishing more accessible, with practical offshore advice.
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Winter Game Fishing
Target yellowfin tuna, mako sharks, kingfish and other game fish through the cooler months.
Read the guide →Lure presentation & preparing the catch
Fishing with Poppers
Make a popper chug or skip deliberately, manage slack and diagnose fouling before changing the lure.
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Trolling Lure Troubleshooting
Work out why a hardbody runs shallow, tracks sideways or blows out before changing its tow point.
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Lure Colour, Flash and Glow
Compare lure finishes without confusing colour with profile, depth, action or another tackle change.
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How to Cook Kingfish: Panko in the Pan
Follow the pan-fried panko method with quantities for two, pan heat and turning tips, and photos from preparation to the finished plate.
See the recipe →Equipment & care
Check the setup, diagnose the problem and look after the tackle and the fish.
- Carbontex installation: sizing, cutting, grease and reassembly. The fuller guide, updated in 2026, follows the basic drag checks when replacement is needed.
Carbontex: Original Photo Instructions
Follow one reel's original photo sequence. Use the updated installation guide for sizing, stack order and servicing guidance.
View photo instructions →
How to Read Your Lowrance Sounder
Identify fish, bait schools, reefs and underwater structure on a Lowrance depth sounder.
Read the guide →
Braid, Monofilament and Leader Selection
Choose braid, monofilament and leader material to suit the method, depth, terrain and complete outfit.
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Checking Rod Guides
Find chipped inserts, bent frames and loose bindings before a damaged guide starts cutting line.
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Replacing Lure Hooks
Match replacement trebles or inline singles to the lure, fit them safely and retest the action.
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Saltwater Lure Storage
Separate wet tackle from the dry box and use a practical rinse, dry, inspect and pack-away routine.
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Landing and Releasing Fish
Prepare the net, tools and working area so landing and release are controlled beside a small boat.
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Rod Pods and Bite Alarms
Assemble the frame, position the alarms and check line movement, reel clearance and drag.
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Plan a Fishing Boat Stern
Plan rod holders, downrigger reach and outboard clearance around safe access, boat balance and a practical dockside dry run.
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How to Use Downrigger Release Clips
Mount, load, adjust and troubleshoot release clips for reliable downrigger fishing with mono or braid.
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How to Use a Fishing Line Counter
Use a clip-on line counter for deep dropping, jigging, downrigging and accurate reel spooling.
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Bent Butt vs Straight Butt Rods
Compare bent and straight rod butts for deepwater fishing, rod holders and fighting fish under load.
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Vector Downrigger Setup Guide
Original step-by-step setup instructions for owners of the discontinued Vector electric downrigger.
View legacy guide →