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Tips for Fishing Land Based
By Jacob Iedema
On a recent trip to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Jacob Iedema got back to the basics of lure fishing and took on the challenge of the coastal rivers by foot. Jacob shares his tips and tricks for fishing land based and how to make the most of this often-overlooked fishing option.
Fishing land based is often a great way to fit in that extra session before work or a last resort when on holidays without a boat or kayak. Whatever the reason, fishing land based can be frustrating and less productive than fishing from a boat or kayak at times, however this article aims to aid the land-based angler and increase their success when out enjoying the outdoors.
Lures or Bait?
You often hear that ‘lures don’t work, they're just a gimmick’ and ‘you need bait to catch fish’. Now I don’t know about you, but I believe lures can increase your chances of landing a fish. Just hear me out… while species like bream, whiting and flathead can all be caught on bait, using lures can allow you to cover ground more quickly and effectively. This can be a great advantage, especially when fishing for flathead, but even bream and whiting as well.
Now, lure fishing really comes into its own when fishing for species such as trevally, giant herring, tarpon, mackerel, tuna, queenfish, and barramundi, to name a few. In my experience, fishing in southeast Queensland, I’ve never heard of a diamond trevally being caught on bait. I’m sure it’s possible but I’m yet to hear of it. Diamond trevally are a great sportfish and readily take a well-presented lure.
Lure fishing comes into its own when fishing for predatory species or fast swimming species, that would commonly overlook a dead bait. The fact that a lure represents living prey gives an advantage to lure anglers targeting predatory species. This is true when fishing from a boat or land. However, bait can still have its place, for example when fishing for luderick, a species that commonly feeds on weed.
Beating the Crowds
Beating the crowds is the key to enjoying land-based fishing and making the most of this fishing opportunity. Other anglers, while they are welcome to fish in the same locations as you, may become a disadvantage to your own fishing. Crowds mean that you often don’t get the first pick of location or the freedom to cast where you desire. Crowds can be further restricting while fishing land based.
To combat this, avoiding the crowds is necessary in terms of having the freedom to fish as you please and have the best chance of landing a few. Getting up early may sound like something that you're accustomed to as an angler, however, the average land-based angler might not be so committed to their craft. So, fishing early mornings and getting up that extra bit early could give you the upper hand when it comes to spot selection and the freedom to cover ground.
Finding an area to fish that might require wading in the water is another great way to escape the crowds. People may not be committed enough to stand in the water. This especially applies to bait anglers who often stick to the popular rock walls and jetties. So, wading in the water, while flicking lures, is a great way to enjoy some solitude when out on foot. Fishing weekdays often sees less people out on the water and is a great way to escape the weekend warriors. Especially early mornings on weekdays.
Finally, picking a day that is less than favourable for boaties, but works in your favour for your chosen location, is a great way to get the place to yourself. For example, fishing a slightly windy day, with the wind behind you, can aid in casting further from the shore.
Adapting to the Conditions
Adapting to the weather could be as simple as ensuring the wind is behind you to increase your casting distance. Whatever it is, adapting to the weather when fishing on foot is a key to success.
Factors such as rain, wind, tides, current, temperature and air pressure all have an impact on the way you might fish a location or the species you will target. For example, wind will affect the direction you face when fishing and factors like temperature, air pressure and humidity could affect the species you target. For example, a cooler day with low humidity wouldn’t be the best conditions to chase mangrove jacks, however you may have more success targeting bream.
Adapting to conditions that impact your location is the first step to adapting to the weather. Considering wind, rain and current, when finding the best place to fish, is vital. Wind can be worked around but fishing with the wind behind you is much more enjoyable. So, finding a location that allows this should be a preference but not a necessity. Furthermore, rain can be fished in, but certain locations will be more susceptible to flooding or just not fishing well with too much freshwater around.
Finally, current, or tidal movement is more a question of how fishable it is. If you’re fishing with soft plastics and the current is roaring, then getting them to the bottom will be difficult to say the least. However, current could be an advantage when targeting pelagic species with surface lures or stickbaits.
Different species of fish all prefer different conditions, however, while there can be similarities between each species, adapting to one species for the given conditions can drastically increase success when fishing on foot. Boats have it a little easier on this part, being able to stay mobile and choose what to target, when and where more easily. The same principles apply when fishing land based. Knowing what species of fish will prefer the conditions presented to you comes with experience and local knowledge.
Time of year, what bait is naturally available to fish, and weather conditions are all part of the puzzle. As a guide consider the fish that might be in the area for the given time of year and then do the detective work from there. Look at the forecasts in advance and decide what to target based on the conditions. Research can be a great way to gather local knowledge and learn about the fish you wish to target.
Finding Fish
Without the luxury of depth sounders, finding fish on foot can come down to finding the right habitat, bait sources and indicators of the fish being present. Finding the ideal habitat for your chosen target species can include finding structure, current flow in the area, locating an ideal depth, indicators of fish and substrate type and density.
Finding the structure that your target species will likely be hanging around is key to finding the fish, whether it’s manmade or natural structure, is paramount. The amount of current in a particular area can mean some species stay away from areas of high current while others use it to their advantage when hunting. The depth of water is an important factor, whether you’re fishing the flats or deep holes in a river, it pays to know approximately how deep it is. Maritime safety maps are great at offering a rough guide to coastal areas.
Indicators that fish are in the area include giveaways such as flathead lies, or the kissing sound of bream sucking on oysters, busting up trevally or fleeing baitfish. Whatever it is, indicators that fish are present are always around if you keep your eyes and ears peeled. Finally, knowing the type of bottom you are fishing is all part of figuring out what fish may dwell in any given location and what they might feed on. Sandy bottoms often are more baren than silty or muddy bottoms and these more biodiverse substrates offer more food varieties to the fish living there.
Putting in the Time
I know it sounds obvious, the anglers who catch most of the fish are the ones out fishing. Spending time out fishing is vital for success and even weathering those fishless days for the good ones is all part of the experience. Spending time fishing is especially important when fishing on foot. Without the luxury of being able to move to wherever the fish are, all the time, you just need to be that extra bit patient when fishing land based. However, it all pays off eventually and time spent doing the right thing won’t go to waste.
Fishing Thoroughly
Fishing land based often means there is less area to cover and being thorough when fishing on foot is vital when trying to maximise your chances of success. This is reinforced when sometimes fish may see a lure go past four or five times before committing to eating it. It can depend on the species but fishing thoroughly can ensure you don’t walk right past that fish you’ve been chasing all day.
Gearing Up
Now all different types of land-based fishing scenarios are going to require gear suited to the job at hand, however the main principles are the same. If traveling light or you don’t want to worry about a second rod, then a single rod that can be used for multiple applications is a go to. An example would be a rod that can fish multiple types of lures for the same species of fish, depending on the location, time of day and conditions.
Alternatively, having two rods offers the benefit of being able to rig different lures and fish them as you cover ground, if this is an accessible option. Having two rods can become frustrating, always having to put one down to use the other and going back for it to move on. However, there are times when having multiple rods is useful, such as fishing off the rocks where having multiple rods can prepare you for a different fish species by simply swapping rods.
Having a spool or two of spare leader is essential, along with a tray of lures, selection of soft plastics and an array of jigheads, to suit any situation that you may come across. Other items I consider necessary when fishing land based include a pair of pliers, line cutters, sunglasses, a hat, face mask, sunscreen, mosquito spray, phone, and adequate drinking water for your adventure.
There are plenty of quality fish and fishing options available to anglers fishing land based around home or on a family adventure. Do your research, get out there and explore your local area and you may find yourself connected to a trophy fish while fishing on foot.
Cheers, Jacob