Dark side

From the year 2000 and up until we moved to Gladstone in Central most of my fishing was with fly. Since moving to CQ my fishing has been quite different and with “tongue in cheek” I have basically called it fishing on the dark side.

As it has turned out I love it and have spent a lot of time resurrecting and building on my salt water fishing skills from before the year 2000.

This post is my check list of the gear I take when fishing deep offshore water. I basically do two types of fishing in that environment:

• Fishing structure such as channel markers, bombies, wrecks and reef bottoms for big fish like trevally, queenfish, mackerel and tuna or table fish such as red throat emperor, grunter and fingermark. I fish for these species using 3 classes of lures: metal slices and other chrome lures, both proprietary and my own manufacturer soft plastics and of course vibes.
• For one reason or another fish are not always around the above structure and a good fishing plan is to move around. On those moves we often troll between positions. The other time we troll, hard bodied lures and more recently my own soft plastics, is when tides are running toO slow or too fast.

GRAB BAG:

as set out in this link.

ESKY:

as set out in this link.
My “lunch box type” small esky has has an insulated inside area as well as a zippered pocket on the outside.
 

TOOLS ETC

• Hook de-hooking pliers
• Braid scissors
• Boda grips
• Spare hooks & clips

 

SUNLINE FC100 50lb LEADER

 

PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVISE (PFD)

I have a few PFD’s and personally service each one of them each year. This is the one I prefer to wear.


 


RODS & REELS


I generally have at least two fly rod and reel combos on hand so that I have a back up, but when lake fishing for barra on my own boat, I take 4 combos and start the session with each of them set up with different soft plastic, swim bait, vibe or hard body from the selection below … you never know what’s going to work on the day.

FISHING BAG

This is a Plano 3741 3 compartment lure box. Compartments:

1. Metal blades
2. Soft plastics
3. Trolling lures + jigs and vibes

This is a Sistema kitchen box that I nicked from the kitchen cupboard and as well as holding a wet box of gulp soft plastics also holds a range of elevator and other heavy jig hook set ups.