STEPPING STONES: To Easy Rock Fishing Success

Rock fishing is a fantastic pursuit, but lots of people struggle with the basics and also (rightly) worry about the safety aspects. In this installment of the "Stepping Stones" series I presented for Shimano Australia, I cut rock fishing down to its simplest of components to help you safely enjoy this part of our sport... Enjoy!
By the way, if you like this channel, please consider shouting me a beer (or a coffee!) to help me continue producing great KZbin content for your viewing pleasure! Thanks... and cheers! To shout me that beer go to: www.buymeacoffee.com/starlo

[@StarloGetsReel]

If you like this video and my channel, please consider shouting me a beer (or a coffee!) to help me continue producing great KZbin content for your viewing pleasure! Thanks... and cheers! To shout me that beer go to: www.buymeacoffee.com/starlo

[@feartheduck6664]

Good set up and loads of fun!

[@hanalei412002]

Thank you for this video, Safety is key, This is how my father taught me to enter into new surf and fishing locations. Never rush in, just watch for 15 to 20 minutes so you know how the beach works. love it!

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks for the great feedback... Spot on!

[@deriserudder5098]

Nice vid glad you pointed out the life vest saves lives looking forward for the next one.👍

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks for that!

[@balandaplaya2393]

Now you got me scratching round the shed looking for my drummer gear, just after i dug out my trout gear... whats next...i might as well find my barra gear as well...lol, as usual starlo great vid.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Love it! ;) Glad you're enjoying them.

[@kevdimo6459]

Great fun Steve! The raw prawn isn’t nearly as smelly as the Abalone gut i used to use, but it was a fantastic bait for the Drummer. Thanks for the tips mate 👍🏻.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yes, the smell of ab' gut was "special"... took ages to get it off your hands!

[@discopantsandhaircuts1135]

You make it look so easy, I'd be snagged on those rocks within 30 seconds!

[@StarloGetsReel]

Don’t worry, I get snagged sometimes, too. But keeping the sinker light and staying in touch with the rig limits the amount of snags.

[@stevennaumovski8477]

Awesome video Starlo 👍👍

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks, Steven!

[@AndrewFishman]

Great video. Drummer were one of the first species Dad took me fishing for. Still love putting a bait into the wash for them. Getting them on luderick gear can be a bit of a challenge when they invade the bite :D I always peel and dehead my yabbies and prawns when I am mixing the burley and mix the heads and shells in with the bread and a little used cooking oil or tuna oil, and a couple of handfuls of sand to pull the burley down into the water a little. The heads help add interest to the mix and the tails are easy to rebait without having to process them first.

[@StarloGetsReel]

good stuff, Andrew. Yes, gotta love drummer! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@justinadams5159]

Great new informative vid Starlo. Curious as to what you consider the best kind of footwear to use for the rocks, that are both cheaper and hard wearing and lightweight . I bought a new pair of fishing shoes a couple of months ago and already falling apart.

[@StarloGetsReel]

Thanks Justin! I've tried all sorts of rock fishing footwear. Kaydee style sandals are pretty good, with some self-tapping screws added on slippery surfaces. But the last few years I've come to rely on the neoprene style booties, with reasonably firm, grippy soles. Nothing is perfect, but they are pretty good.

[@peterm6199]

Great Vid Starlo!! I know you mention using local Aussie Prawns for good reason, kinda makes you wonder why they sell them for human consumption?!

[@AndrewFishman]

Keep this in mind with raw, imported fish and other invertebrates also. Baby occies and calamari squid are great bait, but only local ones should be purchased. Many come from SE Asia and carry parasites and diseases.

[@peterm6199]

@@AndrewFishman We export our good stuff, rip the locals off with high prices and import rubbish as a cheaper option. I was expecting prices to drop during Covid, instead flatty fillets reached $70/kg at my local. Is anyone regulating?

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yes, some of the imports are a bit of a worry. As a rule, don't use ANY imported seafood as bait, and don't dispose of scraps from it (prawn heads, etc) in our waterways. Play it safe.

[@washbabyplayz3895]

where is this thanks, i do alot of rock fishing and target trevally, sweep and bonitos, this looks like a good spot in winter thanks

[@StarloGetsReel]

Tuross Head. It’s okay at times but there are much better rock spots north and south of here.

[@washbabyplayz3895]

@@StarloGetsReel i live in syd, too far for me syd is over fished

[@washbabyplayz3895]

@@StarloGetsReel Thanks

[@jarrodbourne5019]

Must be good these Drummers!. I remember when you did a segment on these fish from he Fishing DVD series or Fishing Down Under I think it later became named...a very good informative series btw!

[@StarloGetsReel]

Yep, brilliant fish - to both catch AND eat! 👍

[@jarrodbourne5019]

Good to know 👍. Wish we had them here in Townsville!....ah yep, it's not always about the Barra and Jack's lol

[@StarloGetsReel]

@@jarrodbourne5019 I sometimes refer to black drummer as the mangrove jack of the south! Very similar fighters.

[@jarrodbourne5019]

I remember those words Starlo on the Fishing DVD. That was key to myself taking more interests in these fish. I fished/lived on the Sunshine Coast for years and never encounter one, mind you, wasn't targeting them and believe it's not their strong hold area?. The word "luderick" got around much more

[@AndrewFishman]

@@jarrodbourne5019 Luderick and Drummer are often picked up on the same bait, in the same wash. When your float goes down and you are expecting to lift into a luderick and hit a drummer instead, it is rude. Both will take bread, sea cabbage, prawn and squid tentacles reliably. If you get beack down south, you should give them a go. Find a nice shelf that has plenty of weed on it at low tide, if there are patches scraped off, all the batter. Come back towards the peak, in the last hour of the rise, and fish the rock shelf or face you have targeted. Keep the weight light and the bait in the wash as much as you can, If it washes onto the shelf and rolls back off, all the better. During the slack at the top of the tide, the action can be amazing as the fish take advantage of the covered weed to get a feed. Floats are often used to get over these shelves without snagging, but a light weight, a good wash hole and a long rod will get the job done very effectively.

[@paulmacamackay7303]

What Rod is that 10.5 Starlo

[@StarloGetsReel]

A Shimano Catana, Paul.

[@jzfishing103]

Hey mate is a one piece rod more sensitive than a two or three piece?

[@StarloGetsReel]

Not these days. No disadvantage in multi-piece rods nowadays. Nearly all of mine are two-piece or more.