How To Fish From Structure

Have you ever been to a new fishing spot, only to be put off by the many fisherman already there and the tell tale signs that they haven’t caught anything? The problem here is that a lot of people don’t know how to fish from structures; all they do is drive on down to an area, toss out a prawn and hope for the best.

Structures can be many things, such as pontoons, bridges, wharfs and even rockwalls. All of these structures can be successfully fished from with the correct guidance and preparation. 

Clayton Nicholls with a just legal Barra

The first thing people do time and time again is to head on down to their local tackle shop and buy a bag of prawns, not even worrying about asking what they should be using for where they are going. Prawns are fantastic bait, but only when used in the correct area, otherwise the chances of hooking up on a lovely fish is almost zilch.

The best way to gather bait is to grab a cast net and try to net any baitfish swimming around the area, this could be poddy mullet, bony bream, herring, perch and the list goes on. Generally speaking the baitfish that is there in abundance is what works the best. In my local area I have found that bony bream and poddy mullet are the most commonly netted bait fish. If you do not own a bait net your local tackle store will be able to hook you up with a bait that works.

Rigs are the next problem people face, the local pontoons are riddled with sharks and larger barramundi, and so the normal 6 pound standard line on the small weekend trip combos may not work too great. Your rigs will ultimately depend on the fish species around the structure. Due to the number of sharks and barra in my locality, the rigs I use are tailored to that situation, 20 pound line to a metre of 60 pound leader (this will help with gill breakers and shark tails), all the way to a 20 pound nylon coated 20cm wire strand which will stop the sharks teeth but the nylon coating wont shy away the barra. To top it all off a 3/0 to 6/0 hook is used depending on the size of the fish and bait on that particular day.

Once the bait and rigs are sorted you have to put the bait on the hook.  Don’t just throw the hook anywhere and think ‘she’ll be right’, the effort you put in will be payed off when that fish of a lifetime swims past and hammers down that perfectly presented bait you spent a few more seconds dealing with.

A whopping 77cm barra pulled from the river by Clayton Nicholls

The general place to hook live bait is under the dorsal fin or just before the tail, although hooking through the top and bottom jaw can also work well.  The most important part in putting a hook through a livey, or any bait for that matter, is to leave the barb and majority of the hook protruding from the bait. Observe the bait after a fish has taken a shot at it: are the majority of the bites on the tail, back, head, or underneath? Change where you put the hook to suit the pattern – it’s all about being aware.

The correct gear for the fishing spot is always needed; you don’t see people fishing for flathead with an overhead combo, so why fish for sharks and barra with incorrect gear? A fisherman should never blame his tools if he didn’t bother to get the right ones in the first place.

 Most people around central Queensland would have a typical barra bait cast combo with 20 pound mono or braid, this can easily be adapted simply by leaving it in free spool or with the drag turned right off so when the fish hit and run they don’t feel any line and won’t drop the bait. Once the fish has taken a few metres of line, tighten the drag or engage the reel and watch the slack line disappear and the rod load up.

So you’re up 10m above the water on a pontoon and have hooked a big shark or barra, how the heck do you get it up to where you are? A simple method is a crab pot with no top, this can be lowered down to swim the fish into and hoist it up onto the pontoon. If you’re off a jetty or rock wall, a landing net or pair of good lip grips are all that is needed for the retrieval of your catch.

Another shark caught on the baitrunner

The correct handling of the fish is another important thing, most fish like barramundi and salmon require a lip grip in the mouth and a hand under the belly for adequate handling but sharks are a different story. If you aren’t game enough or don’t want to risk it, just cut the hook off and get it back in the water, but for those of us who like the adrenaline rush, one hand firmly gripped around the tail and another pinching tightly above the gills is the correct method for holding these fierce creatures, but hold on tight as they are very powerful.

When hooking these fish and retrieving them, take note on how they play with the bait. Sharks will hit and run whereas barra will play around with the bait in their mouth. The more you get to know how each species play with the bait, the more avid of an angler you will become. You will begin to recognise and identify the species of fish, start knowing and feeling when the right time to hook them is, and you will know how they fight so you can prepare for a long run or a lunge at the snags.

Many areas around Rockhampton city can be fished in this manner. For example, the old wharf down along Quay Street, the new boat ramp jetty near the boat club and the land outside Moore’s Creek near the Bowls Club. All of these places can be fished properly and with ease, it just takes preparation.

Correct holding of the shark

If you are looking for a more family friendly alternative, the sheltered wooden deck along the Quay Street walkway is a great spot: there are seats, fresh water, lots of grass for activities if the kids get bored, nothing dangerous around and what’s good is that it is in the middle of the city. Another alternative are the three pontoons or ‘towers’ as my mate calls them just over the road from the new playground, tennis courts and basketball stadium on Huish Drive. Once again, this spot offers a place for the kids, but it has also has railings which cover the perimeter, table and chairs, more seating, lights, power points and a barbeque.