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New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 3:26 pm
by Chubbs93
Hi guys, just wondering if anyones able to point me in the right direction to catch my first billfish, any help or information is greatly appreciated, was just wondering what tides fish best, locations etc. Is it a bit early to get them yet, I tried out sail city on Sunday only to get a few tuna and a mack, am i better off trolling sth and nth gutter? I was trolling a skipped gar a skirted lure and 2 deep rapala lures, ive got outriggers coming for my barcrusher 610xs hopefully get them this week. Tia chubbs.

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:17 pm
by rumluck
Im by no means good at sailfishing but have had some success. I drag two skipping gars and a home made daisy chain teaser. No riggers yet. I have a third rod with hopefully a livey on it or a nice fresh gar to pitch to anything that comes up. Sometimes I'll run a small skirted lure way out as shotgun but only when its really quiet. Forget bibbed lures IMO. I'll run a macky lure right in the prop wash if they are thick and keep snipping baits. I find they'll smack that before anything. You'll learn to hate mackerel.

If you see anything come up to your skirted gars, freespool it before you even grab the rod out of the holder wait 8-10 seconds and take the weight. If a sail approaches the teaser then grab the switch rod and pitch the livey to him, freespool and wait for it to eat it. If the sail gets to hit the gar before freespooling its too late in my experience.

Keep it simple and dont crowd your spread.

Watch the spread like a hawk.

Catch your own gars and keep them as fresh as possible.

If you cant find bait and birds, follow contour lines until you do.

Bowra, witches nose, sail city and long lost are the go. I've done nothing off darwin.

Are you dragging a teaser too?

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:29 pm
by Chubbs93
rumluck wrote:Im by no means good at sailfishing but have had some success. I drag two skipping gars and a home made daisy chain teaser. No riggers yet. I have a third rod with hopefully a livey on it or a nice fresh gar to pitch to anything that comes up. Sometimes I'll run a small skirted lure way out as shotgun but only when its really quiet. Forget bibbed lures IMO. I'll run a macky lure right in the prop wash if they are thick and keep snipping baits. I find they'll smack that before anything. You'll learn to hate mackerel.

If you see anything come up to your skirted gars, freespool it before you even grab the rod out of the holder wait 8-10 seconds and take the weight. If a sail approaches the teaser then grab the switch rod and pitch the livey to him, freespool and wait for it to eat it. If the sail gets to hit the gar before freespooling its too late in my experience.

Keep it simple and dont crowd your spread.

Watch the spread like a hawk.

Catch your own gars and keep them as fresh as possible.

If you cant find bait and birds, follow contour lines until you do.

Bowra, witches nose, sail city and long lost are the go. I've done nothing off darwin.

Are you dragging a teaser too?
Not as yet mate have literally just got some gear to start me off thanks heaps for info

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:54 pm
by Chubbs93
Rumluck where abouts is long lost?

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 6:39 pm
by rumluck
Bout 8k west of witches nose if i recall correctly

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 7:16 pm
by Luke35
http://fishingterritory.com/blogs/tragi ... earing-up/

There's a lot of info in here about rigging up and other bits and pieces if you haven't already gone through it. I've never done it but I'm keen to head out soon and try get onto some.

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 7:37 pm
by Chubbs93
Cheers for info lads

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:32 pm
by Simmo83
I'm not new to billfishing but new to doing it here. rum luck is all over it and if your not busy next weekend on Saturday mate I can always do with a deckie as solo work is frigging hard work. For what I have learnt these are picky fish here but that may be due to the very different conditions to what I am used to.

If your boat can hold them, fit some outriggers! It gets your lures or baits out in the clear water and easier to action if a sail comes up the back. Black Marlin are not so pretty and will just hit anything when you can find them, I love them personally more than sails.

Run no more than 15kg mono line and 100lb mono wind ons, the mackerel factor makes it expensive to run lures but if your wide enough I'd run a mixed spread of lures in close and baits on the riggers and I'm 50/50 on a shotgun, hat comes down to your crew and numbers of people on board. Run at least one daisy chain teaser. I can point you in the right direction for what works off Broome and Mack proof too.

No bibbed lures either, that'll bring macks in. From what I have heard you fish Dundee early in the year from April until August. From there head to the gutters but I've only seen them off Dundee at this stage but that is through lack of trying.

I'd be keen to get a little group together of keen bill fishers to share trip info with as I'm doing as much as I can but shift reports are of no interest. For lures I run overhead reels, baits I run spin combos, you can get into switching too but again that's down to numbers. Every time your hooks go in the water sharpen your hooks and after every hit too.

Troll speed with baits 4-6 knots, lures 6-9 knots depending on what you run and distance and direction with the conditions.

Mate there is so much to learn, I'm still learning but it's all good skills and great fun!

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:36 pm
by Simmo83
Rum luck if your available too mate let's make that trip we talked about happen next weekend if the weather is suitable and you're free. I need to tag a stick face sooner rather than later!

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:50 pm
by rumluck
Keen simmo. Though ive got a little operation on wednesday to remove some pins from my ankle. I reckon id be ok but will have to play it by ear. You've got my number...

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:52 pm
by Simmo83
tides I didn't address, some say no run, no fun. Yet to prove this. Billfishing was always a between tide activity so yeah maybe it's true but in a comp I couldn't pin it to times of the tide it was just around finding bait on the sounder. The bait here seems very small, no reall bait balls that you could jig for livies but bait is bait.

A day out is better than none. Note what happens and learn I guess. Big tides fish the incoming as the water is clearer, neaps just fish, teasers and baits may help to get a bite in these conditions

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:53 pm
by Simmo83
Sure do mate I'll drop you a text if it's looking ok and see how you are travelling

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:16 pm
by Chubbs93
Thanks simmo im working Saturday but going to head out on sun at this stage ill be on my week of next week so will probably head out a few times hopefully

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 7:22 pm
by rumluck
Op went good. Saturday isn't looking pretty though.

Re: New to catching billfish

Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 12:10 pm
by Simmo83
yep agreed, dam shame I'm busy Sunday as that seems to be the pick of the days too. always the case for me it seems...