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10 Tips - Land Based Lure Fishing
By Justin Willmer
Over the last few months I have been bumping into more and more anglers who are land based lure fishing and why not, there's plenty of awesome land based spots around the country, you can make the most of short windows of time and it adds another challenge to hooking, fighting and landing fish. Over the years I have land based fished freshwater environments, such as lakes, rivers and streams, as well as a myriad of options in the salt, including jetties, rock walls, banks, beaches and rocky headlands. Whether you are purely a land based lure fisho, or you make the most of land based options for targeting specific species or environment, hopefully there's some tips in here that help you get hooked up.
1. Finding a Starting Location
There is no doubt that the best friend of the land based angler is Google Maps. By spending time on Google Maps we have found new water, access points to water, areas that will be protected from certain wind directions, areas that have similar characteristics to those where we have had success previously and areas that hold potential water depths, structure and water movement. You won't strike the jackpot at every spot, however I can guarantee that you will do way less kilometres on foot than we did prior to Google Maps.
While you are online looking at Google Maps, you can also search the internet and social media for fishing related information that relates to the locations that you have discovered. While you are at it you may also find some tips for fishing those areas. Other anglers are often a little more forthcoming when it comes to general land based spots to get started. You may even like to grab a book as a starting point, such as Land Based Fishing Guide - Sydney Area by Tackle Tactics Pro Angler Gary Brown.
2. The Backpack
When land based fishing you can often be restricted to the amount of gear that you can carry with you and a quality backpack makes it more comfortable and easier to carry more gear, while keeping it sorted. Don't go over the top with the size of the backpack as it will only slow you down. Over time you will better refine your kit to suit the area that you are fishing and your target species. Let's take a look at a few things that I carry in my backpack.
Firstly you will need to carry water and I always carry more water than I need, with some backpacks set up with a water bottle pocket on each side, while others prefer a water bladder built into the pack. I also carry a small first aid kit, to which I add or remove items based on how many people will be fishing, how long for and how far away from help we will be. Other important items are snacks to keep the energy up and some form of communication, be it a mobile phone when suburban fishing or a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) when heading more remote.
When it comes to fishing gear I try to keep it compact, with a wallet of soft plastics 10-12 packets and couple of small plastic trays, one with jigheads and the other with a mixed bag of lures to suit the adventure, be it spinnerbaits, tail spinners, metal slugs, stickbaits or had bodies, for example. I also carry some form of measuring device, pliers, line snips, Pro-Cure scent, bug spray, small waterproof camera and quality sunglasses for both eye protection and spotting bait, structure and fish.
If you are fishing with mates you may be able to share the load between you, with one angler carrying lures, another leader and tools, while a third may carry the snacks and camera gear. A backpack of gear allows you to stay mobile, cover ground and not have to worry about leaving gear unattended, however if you are fishing a fixed location then you may be able to carry in more gear, including multiple combos and an increased amount of tackle.
3. Clothing
I have fished with a lot of different anglers over the years and one area where there is often fails is clothing. Pay close attention to the area where you will be fishing and select clothing to suit the adventure. It may even be worth including some additional clothing in your pack if you believe it may improve your experience by making it safer, more comfortable or more productive.
Aspects to consider include sun, temperature, terrain and animal life, such as mosquitoes. Key clothing to consider includes footwear, long fishing pants, long sleeve shirts, gloves, head scarf and headwear. Decisions need to be based on the environment that you will encounter, the weather that may occur and staying comfortable and more productive. Layering is a good option, with multiple thin layers, rather than one heavy layer, allowing you to better regulate body temperature.
4. Soft Plastic Selection
The first time that you head on a land based adventure you will likely select everything that you wish to take with you, especially in terms of tackle, then step back, take a look and go wow, I will need a truck to move it. Over time it gets easier and easier to cut back, however you will occasionally find yourself without something. Here's a few things that I consider when putting my kit together for a land based adventure.
When selecting plastics I will generally carry a small, medium and larger plastic to suit the species and environment that I am fishing, then add a different profile in the size that I am most likely to fish. For example my kit may include ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ, 3" MinnowZ and 4" DieZel MinnowZ. If I am more likely to be throwing the 2.5" Slim SwimZ, then I am likely to include a 2.5" GrubZ in the kit, while if I am more likely to be throwing the 3" MinnowZ I may include a 4" StreakZ Curly TailZ in the kit. This gives me a different profile to throw if the fish aren't eating my go-to, while also having a selection of profile sizes, should I need to upsize, downsize to get the bite or because another species makes an appearance.
Colour selection is based around the theory of a light natural colour for clear water and bright days, a darker silhouette colour for low light and murkier waters and a fluoro in case the other two aren't getting the bite or I am looking for a presentation that pops and creates a reaction bite. So my basic kit would consist of 4 models of plastics in 3 colours each, giving me my 12 packets of plastics.
5. Jighead Selection
To go with my dozen packets of plastics I will carry a dozen assorted packets of jigheads to suit. For each plastic I will generally cover a light finesse option, middle weight and then a heavier weight head, so for example for the 2.5" GrubZ I may carry a 1/16oz #1, 1/8oz #1 and 1/4oz #1. This would allow me to fish finesse for bream with the 1/16oz, cover water and target a stack of species with the 1/8oz or fish deeper drop offs and make long casts in the wind with a 1/4oz. Likewise with a 3" MinnowZ I would carry a 1/8oz or 1/6oz for rolling the shallows, a 1/4oz for allround work and then a 3/8oz for deeper channel edges, faster currents and windy conditions.
The more land based fishing that you do, the more you will refine your kit to suit your target species and the environments that you are fishing. From this basis you may also include weedless options, or more specialised jigheads such as HWS (Hidden Weight System), NedlockZ or painted heads, such as DemonZ or Big EyeZ. Another simple way to change up your presentation, without loading up on gear, is to add a Jig Spinner or rig on a RevlockZ jighead, adding vibration and flash to your soft plastic via a spinning blade.
6. Other Lures
The bulk of my land based fishing is with soft plastics as a single plastic can be weighted to cover a stack of different options and they are also more affordable to lose when prospecting new areas. I do include a selection of other lures in my kit though, based on the adventure, as there are some go-to options for different species and environments. Examples include spinnerbaits and tail spinners when prospecting bass waters, metals slugs and stickbaits when fishing the surf and a couple of Bagley Rattlin' Finger Mullet and Fish Inc. Fly Half poppers if there's an opportunity for a surface bite.
With a core kit of soft plastics it is rare to have to reach for the other lures, however they do allow you to change things up, while also having a few species and application specific lures in the kit.
7. Where to Fish?
We have found a likely looking location on Google Maps, rocked up and now we need to know where to cast. One of the key things to look for is structure, be it manmade, such as rock walls, pipes, jetties and pontoons, or natural, such as mangrove edges, weed beds, rock bars and points. Structure attracts bait and in turn predators, offers shelter and often creates breaks in the current flow. It doesn't take a lot of structure to attract fish, so if you arrive to find a large expanse of sand with a small weed bed or rubble patch, it's likely that fish will concentrate around this structure, no matter how small.
Structure can also be in the form of changes in depth, such as drains, channel edges, ledges and depressions in the bottom.
Bait is another indicator that fish will be visiting the area, so keep an eye out for bait, focus your casts in the area and if the bait is disturbed by something, get a cast in there! Paying close attention to the bait can also assist with lure selection, 'matching the hatch' and if this doesn't work, change it up to something that will stand out amongst the bait.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is shade. Shady pockets make great ambush points for fish and are worth a few casts, including shade created by overhanging vegetation, bridges, jetties and even gaps in pontoons.
Water movement also creates key areas to cast your lure, so keep an eye out for pressure points, where current makes contact with structure and also eddies, where the structure creates a current break or turbulent water behind the structure.
The key for me when fishing land based is to look for differences from the norm that may attract fish and generally elements that give fish a reason to hunt and feed in the area. After fishing a land based area for a while you will begin to have a milk run of spots that consistently produce. There is a rock wall locally that has a bike track that is heavily used by walkers, cyclists and joggers. I haven't fished there for ten years, however I can guarantee that if I went back to fish along this wall, I would still catch most fish where the stormwater drains come out, the concrete steps extend into the water, the little rubble patch out from a small bridge over a drain and around the rotunda where people flick their picnic leftovers into the water. Take the time to explore an area at different stages of the tide and note the structure at low tide that will attract fish on the higher stages of the tide.
8. Working with the Wind
One of the biggest negatives when land based lure fishing can be the wind, however there are also times when the wind can be your friend. It's worth making note when searching for spots on Google Earth or exploring new areas, how wind from different directions will influence your ability to fish the area effectively. A wind at your back can allow longer casts to reach additional structure, while a wind in your face can reduce casting distance and make fishing more difficult, however it can also stir up the bottom and create a mud line that fish hunt along, aerate the water and push bait in closer to you land based position.
Again, spending time fishing the area is the only way to work out how the wind influences the fishing, however if you do find an area that fishes well in the wind, you will often have it to yourself as other anglers seek shelter and more comfortable conditions. On the flipside to this, having a milk run of land based spots will likely give you some options out of the wind, or where the wind is at your back.
Windy days are also a great time to explore skinny water options and backwaters in your area. Or alternatively it's a great opportunity to sort the gear and jump on Google Maps to work on some more land based adventures.
9. Landing & Handling Fish
I was once told 'begin with the end in mind' and it's a good idea to employ this when planning fishing adventures. Most of my land based fishing is catch and release, however I definitely want to land those trophy fish for a photo and possibly keep a feed of fish if I choose to. When it comes to landing fish you will need to consider the species and the environment. You may be able to slide a fish up the beach or bank, utilise a long handled net or gaff, or may need to employ a net on a rope or a flying gaff. If I'm chasing bass on plastics I may opt to look where the fish is hooked and thumb grip the fish in the mouth, while a species with teeth may require lip grips to land or handle for a photo.
I was also taught to always respect your catch and look after it if you are keeping it for a feed. When fishing land based you may have a vehicle close by that you can keep an icebox in, or some sort of cart like the cart we use on the beach, with an icebox to store our catch. Alternatively you may have to look into insulated fish bags or backpacks, with icepacks or ice bricks to keep the catch cool. Land based anglers also utilise buckets, with the water changed regularly, or keeper nets to store their catch and keep it fresh.
10. Rod & Reel Selection
If you are fishing a fixed location then again you may be able to carry more gear, including multiple combos to suit different applications, lures and species. For many of us though we are mobile and restricted to a single combo. If I am backpacking and on foot I will generally carry a backup travel rod in a tube, strapped to my pack, along with a spare reel or spare spool of braid in my bag in case disaster strikes. This has saved a few trips where I have spent a reasonable amount of time trekking into a location with mates, only to bust a guide or tip on one of our rods. Out comes the backup rod and we continue on our journey.
When it comes to selecting a rod and reel, we would often like three... a finesse combo for light work, a medium combo and a heavier combo, just in case we discover some larger or more brutal predators, such as mangrove jack, barramundi or trevally on our adventure. It is most often the mid-weight combo that I will choose when fishing land based and backpacking on foot. For example I would love the 1-3 or 2-4kg rod for working bream plastics, however I can still cast and work them with the 3-6kg rod that will also handle the flathead, trevally and other species. I would also love to carry a 4-8kg rod in case I come across some larger predatory species, however they will be good fun on the 3-6kg combo and I give myself a chance!
I am probably over gunned for the bream and smaller stuff and under gunned for the larger predators, however in this case the 3-6kg would be a good allrounder and is suitable for my example lure kit discussed earlier. The allround combo for you will vary based on the type of fishing that you are doing, for example surf, beach, rock, river, estuary, lake and your target species, however carrying a single rod does allow mobility and simplicity. Your backup rod may be a similar weight in a travel rod, or you may opt for a heavier rod if there is a chance of encountering larger predators. I also know of anglers who fish land based in heavy vegetation who carry two travel rods in a tube for their trek, rigging up once they reach the water they wish to fish.
There's no doubt that land based fishing can produce trophy captures across a wide range of species, while also being relaxing and an opportunity for exercise and adventure. Regardless of the watercraft that I have at my disposal, including SUP, kayak and boat, there will always be times when the land based option is the preferred, based on species and environments. If I was told I could never fish from a vessel again, I would be planning my next land based adventure with a smile on my face. So for those anglers that are restricted to land based fishing, not by choice, don't stress, it's better than no fishing and it can also be phenomenal with a bit of research, exploration and experimentation.
See you on the bank somewhere...
Cheers, Justin