Rock Fishing for Black Drummer

[@intricatexploration]

caught a decent blackfish the other day, bled it straight away and can honestly say it was one of the most delicious fish i've ever eaten. Beautiful light white flaky meat, was an absolute treat!

[@AlexBellissimo]

The rock blackfish a culinary delight 👌☺️

[@brianturnbull280]

You made my day Alex, come across your site by accident, I love rock fishing, especially in the surf, but being in cairns area for the last few years, little in the way of rocks and definitely no surf, your video brought back fond memories, subscribed now, cheers mate.

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hey thanks Brian. I brought back some fond memories for you That’s great😊👍 I’m fortunate that you came across my KZbin.

[@LachlanHelbig]

Very refreshing to see a rock fishing video like this, definitely more accurately portrays a true rock fisherman and what a good session realistically looks like. Drummer and groper are both beautiful eating and only bad cooks say otherwise. Also, drummer have to be pound for pound some of the hardest fighting fish!

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hey Lachlan thank you for the compliment very much appreciated. Yes the reality of rock fishing is not just standing in one spot but working other and difficult to fish areas. Seems the majority of rock anglers rely on their one ledge. No results and it’s game over.

[@franksaunders6534]

Thanks so much for making a vlog on drummer fishing - love my drummer fishing and really appreciate this Alex!

[@AlexBellissimo]

Thanks very much for mentioning this. Pig fishing is a lot of fun

[@familyadventuresindubai7328]

Nice catch master and it's great spot for fishing

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hey thanks happy you enjoyed this video. Hope to have more coming in the foreseeable future

[@tonyknox5797]

Another great video Alex, can’t be sad catching grouper instead of pigs, very similar fighting characteristics and eating qualities, your lucky to have such a productive spot close to you

[@vinniebarbarino-1]

Thanks Alex for another informative vid, great tips and great fish , cheers

[@AlexBellissimo]

Thanks heaps Johnny Funny when filming it does not look quite as bad haha. But it was pretty tuff

[@martingray8350]

Awesome alex I was gona call you a couple wks ago to lock in a session then the lockdown hit again. Great video mate

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hey mate Thanks for liking the video. One of my very favourite fish on the plate as well. Perhaps we can discuss further in a couple of weeks? But whenever your ready You will love fishing for rock blackfish 👍

[@martingray8350]

@@AlexBellissimo will do. Funny I have been looking for months at a good 10ft beach surf that was around 10-15kg and light and then saw your video pop up 👍🏽 the only one I kinda liked was the Dark Matter OB Surf Spinning Rods.

[@rhythmm860818]

This type of fishing is not easy at all. Watching the wave alone is difficult job and constantly fighting with vermin and snags. And he moved to 5 different spots, thats just amazing and hard work.

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hey mate appreciate that you understand the effort put in. I love being challenged, working thing out, rock fishing is like any form of hunting. Just love how my senses are heightened when I’m out there Feel Alive!!

[@stoniofishing]

Nice video, love the drama of the waves.. I can't remember the last time I caught a decent fish 😂 still hoping to book a lesson someday soon

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yes a really exciting type of fishing love it ! Would be great to guide you on to some quality fish. 👍

[@stoniofishing]

@@AlexBellissimo I went out yesterday my first time I landed 2! Was funny, the very second I looked away the float went down I was think where the hell is it!? Hahaha FISH ON!! 38cm my first and 32 my second

[@AlexBellissimo]

@@stoniofishing that’s awesome hahah great work!!

[@lwt02]

Another awesome video Alex.

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hey Lawrence Thanks very much for your message. Most rock blackfish anglers usually fish in one spot on the day. Had to move around on this outing

[@johnwarden4645]

Good vid mate .Top job ..A lot of fun👍

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yes had a lot of fun doing the vid very much appreciate you mention this cheers mate

[@robertsheedy9811]

Another great vid mate luv your work ,well done keep up the good work .

[@AlexBellissimo]

Can be hard to get good footage. Thanks for mentioning you liked the video cheers mate

[@kontramot]

Really good video. I definitely learn things from you, Alex!

[@cjjuddaustralianartist]

I love fishing off the rocks. Shame I never catch anything. Except that big Port Jackson thingy.

[@babytstorm]

Bloody awesome mate, bloody legend cheers for that mate

[@macccaaaaaaa]

Do you ever find that sometimes berley can have a negative impact (more toadfish, Kelpies and other undesirables moving in)

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yes defiantly in some circumstances simply because the vermin are more willing to attack your bait before the target fish are. I could write thousands of words just in burley techniques, plus/ minus of burley.

[@ricocapili6990]

Thank you Alex you’re awesome mate

[@thomaspancino9832]

Hey mate, great video. Just got back into fishing cause of lockdown. Im fishing of the rocks and always getting snagged, any tips and trick? should I leave my bait sit or slowly reel it in whats the go

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hi there Thomas. If you really want to do it properly I am a rock and beach fishing guide. I do this full time. But a quick tip , be more gentle when your bouncing your bait on the undulated ocean rock bottom whilst rock fishing. You should get less snags.

[@martingray8350]

Heeey alex choice new video bro 👍🏽👌🏾

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yeah about time! There were none now two new ones. I have time to burn 🔥

[@paulmusgrave2135]

Hi Alex, great video thanks for sharing. Do you have a preferred time of day for drummer? Or are you mainly focused on a rising tide + good swell?

[@AlexBellissimo]

Thanks for mentioning mate cheers Preferred time , normally rule of thumb is low light period and rising tide

[@paulmusgrave2135]

@@AlexBellissimo great, thanks for the response. Happy fishing!

[@SkyCastle_Music]

Hi Alex, what footwear do you use? Looked like a slim neoprene boot in this video? Do you wear cleats? Thanks

[@minhthuannk]

wow, this fish is so big and strong 👍

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yes pound for pound very powerful ball of muscle! A lot of fun and so so good to eat 😛

[@TheTomcat1979]

Great video mate!

[@lukaas0073]

What length of leader do you recommend Alex ? Is it preference or a technical spec that you are working too ? Thanks, L.

[@pnupoofishing3792]

Amazing video interesting my friend

[@AlexBellissimo]

Happy that you enjoyed the video quite different type of fishing for a lot of anglers.

[@thebeerhunter817]

I don't see a lot of big waves out the back in a lot of videos are you often fishing in a bay out of direct swell? Where I fish in northern nsw I'm always at risk of big waves

[@lukex4924]

This is great stuff. Keep it up Mate.

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yeah a lot of fun and challenging!

[@algee3902]

Great video thanks

[@alexdarkangel751]

Hey alex how do you distinguish a female blue grouper and a brown grouper as blue groupers are protected in NSW. ive seen any groupers spear fishing but never shot one as i cant tell the difference

[@Savviiee65]

Great video Alex. But Umm I think you got your rod mixed up Alex. 10-20lb would be ML rather than MH isn't it..?

[@PinoyOZFishing]

Hey Alex, how long leader you have in this outfit? By he look of it, it looks like 5 meters to me.

[@AlexBellissimo]

yes thats right between 4 to 6 metres

[@abusxy]

anyone notice at 5.19 something dart into the water? and then exits out and flys outwards left hehe.

[@elferoz777]

would a wilson blackfish rod be ok for drummer? or is it too flexible

[@AlexBellissimo]

A wilson luderick rod is a bit flex but might be ok to an extent. Line class should not exceed 5-6kg

[@jasonkirby983]

Can U use kelp fish for bait?

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yes you can use kelp fish for bait. I have caught jewfish on the really small ones. Also caught some snapper on the fillets Cheers

[@jasonkirby983]

@@AlexBellissimo thanks mate

[@deanxin6947]

good video and fishing spot can u share this place

[@AlexBellissimo]

Sorry about not sharing the spot. But I am a full time rock and beach fishing guide. Northern suburbs of Sydney. Website www.bellissimocharters.com.au

[@deanxin6947]

@@AlexBellissimo thx

[@resultasdemir3286]

​@@deanxin6947 did you find where is it

[@slyarsenal]

Hi Alex, I'm tossing up between the Seabass 11ft MH 7-15kg rod or the Overthere 109MH Pe1.0-2.5 as you have in this video. I'll be mainly fishing off the rocks on some ledges where I'll need to lift the fish. I'm thinking the Seabass rod would probably have more backbone for lifting. How do you rate the Overthere rod for lifting compared to the Seabass and which rod do you think has a better action for blackfish? I'm guessing the Overthere for action but Seabass for lifting. I know Daiwa recently came out with the 21 Sandstorm rods which present another rod to consider.

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hi there Both rods ‘can vertical lift fish up to about two kg but when you need to wind several turns straight up that’s when things can go pear shaped. The sandstorm 7.15kg , the older model works well for vertical Lifting and less fear of the rod snapping.

[@brettmurray7427]

Hi Alex would a daiwa seajigger 325h lift 2kg dummer says in the daiwa description it can. But people say daiwa over rate their rods is this true have other rods but the jigger is a sweet rod to use

[@slyarsenal]

@@brettmurray7427 I've got a seajigger 325xh 12-24 which is a bit too heavy for drummer. I understand you asked Alex about the 325H 7-15kg model but I still think it's a bit too fast in action for drummer bites especially when they're timid. Would make a good groper rod though even though I would go pe4-6 rod. I actually use the same 9ft6 saltist hyper rock special rod Alex uses. It doubles up well as a stickbait rod. I really like the action on the Overthere 10ft9MH rod. I decided to buy a telescopic net instead of buying a heavier blank to deadlift fish onto higher ledges. I think you would enjoy the slower action on the Overthere or Seabass rods than the crispier seajigger 325H.

[@InshoreFisho]

I have daiwa 19 seajigger 325h 7-15kg paired with daiwa 20 bg mq 6000d-h. 30lb Braid and 30lb Mono Leader. Perfectly balanced and lift a 50+ cm bonito off the rocks with ease.

[@slyarsenal]

@Cheng Lu Yes perfect combo. Just bought a saltist mq 6k to match with my 7-15kg seajigger. My only complaint is the length of the butt section. Daiwa need to move their reel seats lower on beach and rock fishing rods

[@abellafaele1256]

Hi Alex are you in NSW?

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yes I am Sydney 👍

[@joshwhittaker2622]

Great video. What rod are you using for drummer? Thanks

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hi Josh Please check out the description section for the outfit

[@joshwhittaker2622]

@@AlexBellissimo thanks, got it!

[@aloucheqaszem4635]

Can you recommend me a good pair of rock fishing shoes Tia

[@franksaunders6534]

Just out of interest, Alex. What's the biggest pig you've ever caught over the years (weight and length estimate) and what's considered a really big pig these days (weight and length)? Always good t have a mark to shoot for.

[@AlexBellissimo]

Well Back the day when the treatment works were pumping out the sewerage (ending 1989) the luderick and rock blackfish were abnormally large. My Largest rock blackfish was 19 lb (8.6kg) and luderick 6 1/4 lb. 2.7kg) so ridiculously big. The late Roy Hill (lud)and late Ron Calcutt (pig) caught the Austrian record rock blackfish and luderick form Bluefish headland Manly We did not measure so much back then.

[@franksaunders6534]

@@AlexBellissimo What a great bit of history there! That's one hell of a pig and luderick! Thanks a lot for that.

[@kevsheaff5466]

@@AlexBellissimo what size line would you need for a pig that size?

[@AlexBellissimo]

As crazy as this is it was caught on 13lb Tortue line. It fought relatively clean. I caught a 4.7kg pig (10lb) on the same day and with a bag of bream. A lot of anglers that fished the murks back in those days caught pigs up to 5kg at least.

[@franksaunders6534]

@@AlexBellissimo That's an awesome recount of an epic day during an iconic era in Sydney's rock fishing history - thanks for sharing that Alex. Love your enthusiasm and hope one day to able to catch a feed of pigs side by side with you - down where I fish (just north of Bulli) the pigs love cooked prawns and a liberal berley of soaked chicken pellets works well though in rough water some of my best catches have come from using no berley at all and just throwing the head, tail and shell of the peeled prawn in at my feet after baiting up. It's all about assessing the conditions and while I'm nowhere in your league, I've become pretty good at it and seem to usually bring home a feed of pigs when others around me fail.

[@frednurk8590]

Kelpfish is why I never use prawns. Bread burley, and fresh bread plastered onto the hook. Bugger all bycatch.

[@martingray8350]

I wouldn’t say no to a grouper 😊

[@harrywest6624]

Hey mate how do you find that rod? Ever cast lures with it?

[@AlexBellissimo]

It is quite good for lures. Plastics and metals Take into account it is a medium action rod

[@harrywest6624]

@@AlexBellissimo Yeah ok, thanks heaps for the reply 👍🏼

[@gavscello]

There is possibly a mistake in your gear description, unless you are really fishing with a 328cm, 2 piece reel!

[@AlexBellissimo]

Thanks for mentioning this It has been corrected. Cheers

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hahaah great answer now that’s a massive reel 🤣🤣🤣

[@rudyrusso9167]

Wat tipe of rig he used

[@rudyrusso9167]

Wat kiend of rod u usef

[@paulmerriman5222]

What rod do u use alex

[@ebisu8824]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@DavidMastersFishing]

Such an important point about why line condition is so important. You will only lose the quality fish. Not the little ones.

[@AlexBellissimo]

Yes you know that all to well mate. Your a meticulous angler 👌

[@williamradburn9395]

Did you tie your hook straight onto your main line?

[@AlexBellissimo]

Hi William I was using fluorocarbon leader. So straight on to that. Approximately 4-6m of 20lb leader tied into to 20lb braid.

[@andrewduong966]

@@AlexBellissimo hi mate, why do you use such a long leader? I thought 2-3 meters was enough?

[@joshforrester3370]

Yur a legeand alex fish life nothing better still watch yur Craig McGill DVD yur in kings off the rocks on plastics