Ask Al
Q. Hi al the dollies have arrived so i was wondering what lures to troll around the fads?
jack - sydney
A. That is great news I have been hanging to catch a big dollie myself. Smaller skirts work a treat but deep divers like halco laser pro are absolutely deadly. Alternately you can go natural and either skip baits or troll livies. make sure you send some pics through for pic of the week
Q. hey mate just wondering what sort of knots you use when you join your braid backing to your topped mono on your game reels.
Josh - Sydney
A. hey buddy I use the strikezone which you can see on strikezone kingfish. It is basically a combination of two knots and will never pull through.
Q. hi al could you teach me to read sst charts when looking for marlin what do you look for in water temp, colour how do you decide which area to fish it has been very much hit and miss for me ?
adam - adam
A. Adam unfortunately it is very complex and there are not set rules. To make matters worse the fish change preferring the hot water sometimes then swapping to the cooler side. The best advice I can offer is to keep taking notes of the direction of the current, temperature and water colour. Believe it or not there are probably less than a dozen people in this country who can read the charts really well !!!!
Q. Hi Do you know a good charter operation in Nelson Bay? Looking to take a couple of mates for a good fish in Feb
Craig Bernhardt - Sydney
A. hey craig The best operator is Scotty Thorrington on the Flying Fisher great bloke and bloody good fisherman. Tell him your a mate of mine and he will charge you double! Only kidding he will look after you and find you some fish. kingfishjigging.com or ring him on 0419440869
Q. Hey Al, I wanted to ask typically your settings on your 585 are when trolling for marlin in say 60 to 80fa. I have the same sounder/transducer but I struggle to get quality marks from billfish. Even when were catching them. Cheers.
Sam Owen - Wollongong
A. set it on 50khz, drop your colurs down increase your clutter and your in action. TVG should be on medium also
Q. Hi Al, Do you know of any reef or pinnacles Kingfish spots soutth of Botany Heads to say Stanwell park. Any help is appreciated
Stewart - Kirrawee
A. Hey buddy I havent fished down that way, but I reckon the cliffs along the Royal National Park will be worth dragging some livies along!
Q. Hi Al im going to put a new sounder in my boat any suggestions it is a 6m plate boat
matt - 214 king rd, wilberforce
A. Hey buddy I use a furuno 585 with a 1kw which is awesme but it really depends on what type of fishing your into.
Q. Hey AL What did you get your Kings on at JB on the 15th. I fished friday saturday sunday and could only find Yakkas. Were the fish in the bay or along the cliffs? Ian
Ian Parker - Moss vale
A. Hey ian the first two days we used slimies, saw heaps of kings but no bites. On the last day we worked our ring out and got some squid and caught all the big ones on squid - took longer to get the squid than the kings!
Q. hey al just wondering if you tv show will air down on the south coast at all??
alan - alan
A. hey alan we are working on a new series which will be aired nationally. I will keep you up to date on the details
Q. Hi Al I just got an okuma salina sa80s and I was just wondering what rod would you recommend me using with it thanks
Alan - sydney
A. Hey alan really depends on what your planning to target and technique your using. Are you jigging or stick baiting? When you buy a rod it really is important to determine what techniques and species you are targeting before you select a rod
Q. Hi Al, I've been game fishing for around 6-7 years and have had some success with marlin, but we never get them up on the corners and often don't see a fish when boats around us raise 2-3 fish. Boat is 6.5m alloy with 150 honda, and we usually run a witchdoctor, most of the fish we have caught have been on shotgun and some on long rigger. Do you think fish are scared of boat or is there something i can try to bring them up on the corners?
Steve - Melbourne
A. Steve I doubt it is the boat at all. Nearly all the fish we raise on lures take the long rigger or the shotgun. This is particularly so for striped and black marlin. Blue marlin are the main ones who like the short corner so maybe try a larger lure with a more aggressive action in a purple or black colour. Good Luck
Q. G'Day fella, could you please give me some brief info on rigs for live baiting and jigging kings, eg; leader material, weight and wether to use swivels on the jigs as i have not rigged this way before. im hoping your info will give me the heads up to land some craking fish Cheers mate Rob
Rob - Geelong Vic
A. hey rob the jigs are easy just tie them straight on to your leader, but just be sure not to attach them to the split ring always use a solid brass ring. For live baits in deeper water I like to use a paternoster rig with a short dropper to the bait to minimise twist. I like to run 100lb leaders and a 6/0 circle.
Q. Hi Al, whats the status of your Pelagic Predictions? Is it up and running. Heading out this Sunday out of Broken Bay any reports of Dollies around. Stew
Stewart - Kirrawee
A. hey stew still working on it. Problem is ours will be much more expensive than the others becuase it will be so precise and I am not sure the market will dish out for it. Nonetheless happy to help you get onto more fish. There are a few mahi and marlin around but they are spread out at the moment although Scotty on the Flying Fisher found a marlin up straight out the front cheers al
Q. Hi al, was just wondering if you have struggled more than usual on the squid this summer? I have had a disappointing start to the summer on the squid and was wondering whether the abnormal amount of fresh water around so far was affecting them? Also any tips on how to move through the hordes of rats in the harbour on to bigger models. I don't seem to have a lot of trouble catching rats but not nearly so many in the 75cm+ range. Cheers
Toby - Sydney
A. hey toby the squid fishing has atrocious in sydney mind you I am also the worst squid fisho around. I think you might be right about all the fresh effecting them. As for bigger kings in the harbour squid really is the key and it is simply a matter of keep moving from spot to spot trying to find some bigger fish. There is no set rules just keep checking each spot and take note of the tides
Q. Hi AI love whatching your fishing shows and the tips you give the viewer me are heaps good.The question I am asking is how to get the water temp up on my Furuno fcv 585.....Thanks Gary
team keen - team keen
A. hey gary I think you do it through the menu you and then go into data box but probably best you check the furuno site to be sure!
Q. Gday Al. Not sure if this has been asked before, but could you tell me if the graphics on your boat is a vinyl wrap. If so, who did it for you. Thanks. Andrew.
Andrew - Lake Macquarie
A. Hey Andrew Yeah it is a vinyl wrap done by Xfactor signs. cheers al
Q. Hi Al, Saw your episode today and unfortunately missed the first 15mins where you were catching squid. I saw that you were fishing under the Iron Cove Bridge and catching numerous Jewfish. Just wanting to know where were you catching your squid and also when you turned the squid into slabs, how were you presenting the bait on the circle hook?
Nick Dunlop - Sydney
A. Hey nick We catch the squid down in the bottom reaches of the harbour over any kelp beds or where there are lights on the water. To be honest I am crap squid fisho'. cut the squid into strips and then just pin the circle hook once through the point good luck ps We were in the parramatta river and the Georges river not the Iron Cove
Q. hey al ,got all the movies mate love the crowdy head article spent a lot of time there .question is would you know a gps mark for spot x off the gold coast cheers adam
adam besant - adam besant
A. Good stuff adam glad you enjoy them, Its funny I was just writing about fishing the gold coast when i saw your question. best advice i can offer is go and see Kev at Gold Coast Tackle (think thats the name) and he will be able to point you in the right direction. good spot for marlin!
Q. Al... I love your show StrikeZone.. Mate, I am a keen Sydney angler, caught many species from your bread & butter breams and flatties, to your bonnies and kingies, however one thing I have NEVER caught and want to is a Jewfish!! I am on the lower north shore and every time I try for one I end up with by-catch..!! albeit by catch like a nice flatty or a tailor or something, so not too bad... what do you think I am doing wrong, what can I do that is right? and where can I go?? love your work Nick
Nicholas Whiteley - Nick
A. Hey nick Mate its all about persistence. Now what we need to know is where are you fishing and what technique are you using. However general advice is fish the tide change and focus your efforts are around the full moon. Jews are very structure specific so once you find where they are holding its game on fish hard al
Q. Hi Al, spoke to you on Wednesday when you were out... we were in a Sailfish out Heatons at the time. Just wondering if you could help us out.. we're planning on heading up to port stephens for quite a few trips this summer. I have three different marks for "the carpark" up there.. any chance you could shed some light on which might be accurate.. we've fished it with Mike Clarkson on Reef Magic plenty of times but never been up in our own rigs.. I found the following marks on various sites: S 33.32.000***E 152.45.850 and S 33.02.660***E152.23.220 and S33.02.688***153.24.403 Would really appreciate it.. Cheers Marty Secheny
Marty - Sydney
A. hey marty yeah good to chat buddy. Okay the second mark looks good. My favourite mark for the carpark are 33 02 on the 80 fathom line. However you will find fish from 33 00 right down to 33 04 along the 80 fathomline. keep up to date through the blog on where the bite is happening good luck al
Q. Hey al been trying to find out the exact where abouts of our newest artificial reef dieing to give it a try could you please help me with the gps coords wold be much apreciated thanks in advance john.
john bacon - sydney
A. hey john i am pretty sure it is on the nswfisheries website. If you cant find it let me know and I will hunt it down!! good luck
Q. GDay Alistair , Seen you around a bit and heard you on the radio too , anyway I am heading to Port Stephens soon , towing the boat and hoping to land some kings , Mahi , Tuna , Mackeral ect . I havent been there before and have seen your show when you were there . Can you tell me the bait ground area and any spots that I can either troll , live bait or jig around. Thanks heaps Al , see you around Longy soon . Brad
Brad Kearns - Long Reef
A. hey brad glad i didn't put you to sleep on the radio! Okay when you heading to port? I can give you the marks for the carpark which is the most consistent marlin grounds. Now for bait you catch it out on the grounds but you will also find bait around cabbage tree island and little island. As for kings all the good spots have been locked away by marine parks unfortunatley. let me know when you go and i will give you the latest info. remember also to like me on facebook for up to date reports!
Q. hi al, just bought a hots fake lez 50h and a catalina 4500 with 50lb unitika jigging braid. do you think that would be ok fir kingfish on the central coast? also what else can i use this setup for? bit green, and i wanted the best so as not having to buy it again. do you think that 200-350 jigs is over kill on the coast. btw you still owe me a trip fishing mate hahah!
Nascent - Central Coast NSW
A. Hey mate sorry but i am not up to date on my gear so I am not familiar with that gear. basically the key is to have something that is comfortable to use but also has the balls to beat a decent kingy. I have been running daiwas including the catalina and its a good reel although it might be a bit light for a 350grm jig! send me some pics on facebook!
Q. Hi al great show any chance of getting the gps marks for the new artificial reef off sydney bought your sydney chart dont think its on there need allthe help I can get' please johnno.
john bacon - sydney
A. Hey john The artificial reef is brand new so it will take a while to take off. I havent got the marks. But it is just off the Colours. Actually I think it still has buoys marking it. If you need some help with kings facebook me by liking Al McGlashan page and I will give the latest on where to catch them
Q. Hi Al Thanks for the tips went out on sunday and got my first king only 57cm but dont they go hard once again thank you for your advice. PS may need a few more tips. Adam
Adam - Kurrajong Heights
A. great stuff Adam 57cm is still a kingy and now that you have opened the account they are only going to get bigger!
Q. Hi Al i asked you for some help geting my first king a while back and you said it would be a few months away. It sounds like it is the right time now. I am going out on saturday so can you help with a few tips please. Thanks Adam
Adam - Kurrajong Heights
A. hey adam there are tons around at the moment. try north head blufish. Further north longy is loaded with fish as is new port reef and barrenjoey head land. casting halco poppers or slow trolling yakkas or better still squid is dynamite
Q. hi al i have seen all your shows read all your articles (fishing and hunting) and am a huge fan of yours and am an avid shooter and fisho .My question is about going out to browns mountain over the next 4 weeks or so trying for yft in your opinion would we be in with a chance at this time of year?I would love to get one cubing what would be some tips you could give me about what to look for in a good cubing spot. Much appreciated pat
patrick - central coast
A. hey pat good to hear your a hunter and fisho'. Okay tuna wise things are slowing down, especially on the cube. Your best bet is trolling at the moment and looking for the birds. An concentration of birds is worth a look and beside if you dont see a tuna you will most likely see a marlin! Browns fishes a lot better for tuna during the winter cheers al
Q. I have a Lowrance 7000C Global Map GPS (10" screen) which is approx 10years old. It has been brilliant but probably due for an update. What unit would you recommend. Regards Paul Matson
Paul Matson - Perth, WA
A. hey paul These days I am running a furuno navnet 3d. Not only is it my plotter but I also plug in my underwater cameras as well - awesome unit
Q. Hi Al, I am keen to start doing some fly fishing in Sydney Harbour and was hoping you could provide me with some input on the following: - what flies to use - methods how to get Kings, Salmon, Bonito, Tuna etc. on fly - where to go in the harbour - methods i.e., sinking lines, fast strip - spots to fish at so that I am not blind flogging fly in random areas I very much look forward to hearing back from you soon. Anthony
Anthony - Sydney
A. hey anthony I am no fly expert but i can point you in the right direction for fly fishing the harbour. best flies - baitfish imitations especially the small 'eyes' versions best spots - the pelagics move around but at the moment they are up near the bridge and garden island method - keep changing your method - fast strip for bonito, slower for salmon and stop start for kings Only fish where yo see the fish working, birds, boils and splashing are the key good luck
Q. Hi Al, heading to eden in march after some kingys and was wondering what hooks, leader and area to fish? i have a 5.5m plate boat so distance isn't an issue. plan on live baiting but don't have a downrigger, is that an issue?
jason - geelong
A. hey jason Gotta love those kingies! I like to use 5/0 live bait hooks or circles on a 45kg leader. As for areas to fish I havent been down that way for years Mowbray point to the south is where all the action is and if its slow there head further south to Greencape. Dont need a downrigger just add a bit of weight to the line drop it to the bottom wind it up a few metres then drift over the kingy schools
Q. Hi Al, when downrigging for kings around headlands or the habour do you have a preferred depth to run the bomb at?
Stewart - Kirrawee
A. hey stew I like to keep the down rigger 3/4 of the way to the bottom so in 20m it sits about 15m down. That way I am high enough off the bottom to avoid snagging but still right in the strikezone
Q. Hi Al, I read with interest your comments on the use of C Map charts in Vol 26 Club Marine. The charts you are refering to are the bathymetric type. Also I am running 2x175 Verado's , In the same article you metioned you are using Caltex Vortex was that 98 or 95 and did it make that much difference. Regards George
George Tome - Port Kembla
A. Hey George the new offshore cmap charts show all the offshore terrain in much more detail and I was amazed to see that some of my best tuna grounds were in fact around a small sea mount east of browns. As for the fuel definitely seem to be getting better economy out of the better fuel but I am going to do some testing to see exactly how much better it is. cheers al
Q. Hi in the latest club marine you mention a new service Pelagic Predictions is this a free site and what is the address to chase it up Thanks David
David Barlow - Albury
A. hey dave Pelagic prediction is a new service we are developing in association with the top commercial fishermen to show exactly where the fish are. unfortunately it wont be free and will coast around $100 bucks a month, but you will catch more fish! cheers al
Q. G'day Al , I have recently purchased a digital SLR ( Canon 550D) and im slowly getting the knack of how it works , my question is could you recommend a brand and size of wide angle lense suitable for fishing/hunting. Also do you use an external flash adaption, or would i be better off putting the money toward a quality lense ? Any info would be appreciated.. Cheers .
Geoff Stirzaker - Southern NSW
A. Hey Geoff Deffinitely start off with a good lense. I shoot a couple of different lense like 16-35mm for close up stuff or a 70-200 for wildlife or marlin. The basic rule is the more you spend the better the images you will get good luck and send through some images cheers al
Q. Hi Al, Love your work. I would like to know if you have ever tried using an empty 2 litre coke bottle as a teaser, when targeting billfish? I have caught a few stick faces, all on trolled lures, using a variety of teasers in the pattern, but i have never tried a coke bottle. I will give one a go this season for sure. Any info you can pass on would be good. cheers, Adam
Adam - Central Coast
A. Hey Adam That is the great thing about fishing is that you can give anything a go! I haven't used the coke bottle technique but i am keen to see if it works. The best advice I can offer is to do all your preparation before you hit the water so the moment your in the action you can get the results and score a fish.
Q. Hey bro just wanted to know were would the best fishing spots be up here, this time of year?
jacob - mackay
A. hey jacob unfortunately I have never fished out of Mackay but I hear there is good bottom bouncing out wide as well as some decent GT grounds!
Q. i am heading to south west rocks nsw on my first jigging, live baiting trip, is it worth having two jigging set-ups for insurance should anything happen to one of the outfits? also mate can you give me some advice on matching rod and reel, i am looking at daiwa catalina 6500 with a demon blood heavy rod, will the 4.2 gear ratio be a tad slow for jigging despite the large line retreival? your knowledge will be greatly appreciated Cheers Rob
Rob Taverna - Geelong, Victoria
A. Hey rob definitely y need two outfits buddy. Not only because you may break one but also because if you bust off you can get straight into the action with the second rig. 4.2 gear ratio is fine you dont have to go flat stick to get a bite a lot of the the time. Good luck up there andbe sure to send some pics through!
Q. hey mate love ur work , just wondering when u think the colours will start to heat up on the kings as i dying to give my new jigging combo a run cheers buddy
craig - craig
A. Craig the colours doesn't normally fire up till December but there is some good water pushing down so it might kick into gear sooner rather than later this year! looking forward to seeing some pics of your new outfit in action!
Q. Hi Al, you mentioned big bluefin getting caught south, how far south/out ? regards matt
matt - somersby
A. The bluefin were wide of Brush Island out near the 1000fm line!
Q. What are the best knots for braided line? And how do I find out how to do them
brian - Kingswood nsw
A. Hey brian my favourite is the strikezone knot which i invented myself becuase i got sick of knots pulling. You can see it on Strikezone Kingfish and i will also load it up on almcglashan.com too. Another really good knot is the FG or even the double uni will work - you can find them on the internet
Q. Hi Al. Do you think an Evolution 552 would be suitable for trolling and cubing out around browns or should I be looking for a bigger boat? I currently fish the area in a mates boat (much bigger) and we generally head out when the sea is < 1M. I am looking to set myself up with a rig I can easily head north or south with but at the same time get out wide of Sydney (home). Just wondering how you think this smaller model would go that wide being an Evolution owner yourself? Cheers and hope to see you out there one of these days!
Andy - Sydney
A. Hey andy you will have no probs getting the evo out there. remember it is not just the boats ability but you as the skipper as well. I love the 600 and am about to take delivery of my new one!! I have yet to get a ride in the 552 but it has rave reports!
Q. Hey Al, How long does the tuna season last usually? I hear most of the YFT are being caught in 18.5 deg water down sydney way, am I looking for temp around the same up SWR or can they be in warmer water. Still struggling to get onto some mate!!!!! Thanks Matt
Matt - South West rocks
A. Hey matt you should have been fishing early this year there were heaps up there. Temperature water colour and current all play a role, but up your way 20-21 degrees is usually reliable!
Q. Hi Al love the show. Just wondering if there is any chance if you could take me and show me how to catch kings in sydney harbour thanks Adam
Adam - Kurrajong Heights
A. hey Adam The kings are still a few months away when the water warms up, but I will happily point you in the right direction and get you onto a few fish!
Q. Hey Al, You say on the sydney harbour fishing map that you can spin under boat moorings in double bay and rushcutters bay. What sort of lures are you talking about?? Thanks mate
Angus - Rosebay
A. Smaller soft plastics, vibes and little bucktail jigs are the best option and will produce everything from flounder to to kings in those bays!!
Q. hi al know of any good reefs to fish for kingfish and tuna not to far from shore off sydney
fishing crazy - sean
A. hey sean At the moment the 12 mile is the best option for kings but the peak might be worth a shot too. As the water warms the headlands and inshore reefs will kick into action. As for tuna it is the tail end of the season but if you want yellowfin your best option is to fish wide out around browns mountain which 22miles out or even further!
Q. Hi Al, Any news on the tuna of sydney at the moment i am thinking about heading out on wednesday. last wednesday i hit that warm patch in 500fm southeast of pittwater and found a longliner there, we fished the cold edge and caught 2 YFT 40 and 50kg and lost another the water was18.3 and a little green with what looked like small scales glowing not sure if it was phosphoresence or similiar. was a great arfternoon fishing. regards Matt
matt - somersby
A. Mate they are great fish, sounds like you don't need any help at all!!! The tuna seem to be spread out so it can be a bit of hit and miss but that 18.3 seems to be the best temperature to focus on!
Q. Hey Al, just wondering if you have heard any news about electric reels beiing banned for general use , apart from those with disabilities.Dont like the idea of deck winching 600m ,seems like a potential heart attack.
peter mc - sydney
A. Electric reels are not going to be banned. It was just some key board captain on the internet that started the rumours. I was at fisheries yesterday and have recommended a reduced bag limit for deepsea fish and am opposed to any ban on electric reels
Q. Hey Al Just wondering what type of camera you use to get your underwater shots?? Obviously a DSLR of some description? What housing ( do u use a large dome port) ?? your shots are amazing!
adam - Sydney
A. hey adam i shoot canon 5d mk2s in aquatch housings. there is a link in the photography tips page. cheers al
Q. Hi, looking to start targeting some swordfish outwide off sydney. Was just wondering what rig you would recommend?
Simon - Bondi
A. Simon I recommend the longline approach which is tried and proven - circle hooks. A dead squid rigged on a circle hook or a livey bridled is pretty hard for a swordie to refuse good luck
Q. Hi Al, i plan on hitting Avoca Rocks Up this saturday for some livebaiting and possibly some spinning if the weather charts are right it looks good besides some rain.. whats been around lately? im just over salmon ha ha ha ive caught over 2 hundred this winter and im bored of them!! at least the boat will be back in action for the summer kings!!!!!!!!
Brett - Quakers Hill NSW
A. There have been a few big kings sneaking around the rocks so there is always a chance at one of those. Don't ever knock the good old salmon, just imagine if they weren't and you caught nothing!!! Hanging for a summer of kings!
Q. Hi al, any thoughts on the bluefin this wednesday out of broken bay , you usually have a hot tip?? regards matt
matt - somersby
A. hey matt the longliners caught school bluefin north off Norah Canyons while a boat off Sydney landed a 60kg fish today so there are a few around and the weather looks awesome.
Q. Hi Al, I am looking to do some extra deep bottom bashing for blue eye out of Broken Bay. Can you recommend any spots, marks that are closer to Broken Bay than Brown's? Cheers, Rhino
Rhino - Palm Beach NSW
A. hey rhino I have to admit I dont do much deepwater bottom bouncing, but the best thing i can suggest is to get you hands on one of those new detailed deepwater charts from Cmap. They will show you all the bumps and lumps. hopefully you will be able to find your very own honey hole!
Q. Hey Al, Did you get a chance to get up here or are you goign to even bother with the hot bite of blue fin off sydney? When your chasing YFT and have no obvious signs eg, birds, fish hitting surface, soundings of bait/fish etc would you still fish an area that just looks like its good water? Do you ever fish for YFT on the 200m shelf line? It sounds like everything for fin is wider these days? Thanks Matt
Matt - South West rocks
A. Matt chased the tuna off Sydney and scored a jumbo 80kg fin! I chase the water more than anything. this year i caught tuna on the shelf when the water was there but yes most of the time it is all wide these days. Birds are a real key to finding the tuna a lot of the time as are the SST charts
Q. Hi Al how did you go on the bluefin today? i hear they are in a 1000f? i want to go tomorrow out of norah head as the head of the current looks good at the canyons .if you get back in time could you let me know. cheers matt
matt - somersby
A. matt no joy on the bluefin but ended scoring a stomper yellowfin in the 75-80kg range. Norah looks very promising at the moment.
Q. Sounds good. Fishing is good up here at the moment. Off Coffs they are gettin fin out wide. Im keen to get out when this weather/swell settles. What sorts of deads baits do they use? The reason I ask is if you cant get yakkas/slimies live will they just stick out whatever eg nannigai, sweep etc dead or alive? Let me know when you get up here or how you go. Good luck.
Matt - south West rocks
A. Matt they use pilchard, squid and live baits like mackerel and yakka depending on what is around at the time, but they never use nannygai or sweep. There are some good fish up there so it is definitely worth cubing at the moment.
Q. Hey Al, Do you know what the longliners are using for bait these days. Are they picky with their baits for tuna eg live/dead, slimies/yakkas etc. or do they not really care what type of bait they are getting on the lines? Cheers Matt
Matt - South West rocks
A. hey matt they like yakkas because they stay alive longer in the bait tank but will use slimies as well. They also use a lot of dead bait as well. Planning to head up your way next week if the fish are on the chew
Q. Mat I've had the boat for two years now and the biggest fish i have caught is 30cm Friends come on my boat and catch 1m King fish Whilst I am hooking 10cm Snapper Thinking of hanging up the boots My Hat goes out to you, Love the show
BOBBY - Sydney
A. hey bobby never give up you will have your day. There is some great fishing out there so keep fishing and you will hook a metre kingy in front your mates!
Q. G'day Al I would like to know what you call good water tempreture for Yellow Fin or is it the temp breaks you are looking for?I would really love to get hooked upto a decant Fin this season!
Todd Durrance - Lake Macquarie
A. hey todd thats a hard question i have caught big yellowfin in water as hot as 27 degrees and as cool as 18! As a general rule 19-21 degrees is my favourite. clean blue water without too much current is prime. This season the current has been swinging and swirling a lot so we have to keep moving to find them. I am setting up a new service pelagic predictions in an effort to help more people find fish.
Q. Al, I am meeting some friends @JB on Friday 29/7 for 2 days outwide. What is on the chew and will the weather be a big factor? Ch. John C.
John Carter - Albury NSW
A. John weather is always a factor and especially this year! The water looks good off JB at the moment but if the eddy continues to push south it may be change things. good luck and send some pics of your big tuna!!!
Q. If you were to explore an area for tuna for the first time, would you run lures or cube ? what would be a reasonable water temp to search ?
Rick - Perth
A. hey rick bloody good question buddy. Okay i like to troll initially and get a 'feel' for the area. looking for birds temp breaks, jumping tuna etc. I always have a pile of cubes ready to go so if we get a bite then we can toss a handful of cubes. If I find nothing noteworthy I usually settle in for an arvo cube session right on the area that looks promising.
Q. When the hell are we going hunting with that X Bolt ?????????
Mr Winchester - The Big
A. Good question buddy I actually took it hunting a few weeks ago to knock over a goat for dinner but all i could find were billies when i needed a small one for the pot!! It is certainly a beautiful rifle just needs a workout!
Q. Hi Al, any ideas on the where and why the bluefin moved out of bermy so quick, do you think they are on the back edge of the main warm eddie very wide in the colder water?
matt - somersby
A. Matt they have headed wide. they never stay long they are always moving and that hot water to the north stopped them heading up the coast so they headed offshore around it.
Q. Hey Al, Am hoping to get out wide off SWR and chase YFT. You mentioned the long liners off Coffs are getting a few. What depth of water should I be looking at? is it still the 1000fa line? Thanks Matt
Matt - south west rocks
A. matt I would be out there now fishing the 1000 fm line and keep an eye out for the lingliners. if they are around then you will catch a few.
Q. Hi Al, We are heading out this weekend chasing yellow fin or SBT's this weekend if the wind holds off. Was wondering what leader you prefer to troll and to cube with for either species of fish. Would JB be a good spot as a start seeing as though the water seems pretty good down there at the moment? Love the show and thanks for fighting so hard for us fisho's and shooters.
Domenic - Sefton
A. hey dom always a pleasure to stand up for fishers and hunters. I normally use 150 pound momoi in my trolling lures and 80 to 100 cubing - sometimes fluro depending on the conditions. JB looks shit hot at the moment and i was thinking of heading down there myself. good luck and let me know how you go cheers al
Q. Enjoy the atmosphere you create during your show. Some information on Scottys boat "Freedom " . The make , size , power and drive system ? Thanks You A.J.
Alex Jackson - Brisbane
A. hey alex scotty's boat is an ol steber i think 33 ft with a single screw. Scotty has bought a new boat so that one is for sale at the moment. For more information you can contact him at www.kingfishjigging.com he is a great bloke and will do anything he can to help you
Q. hi Al, great idea on the fishing school, im in. i was one off the lucky ones who got to bermy last week i have been trying to catch one for the last 3 seasons but have been a week late each time, so this time i decided to get the start off the run, day one saw blanks, it was very black or white half the boats got loads the other didnt turn a reel, day 2 saw us get early as some barrels were hooked early the day before, we hit the mark 53km from port at 7.15am, and set a feather, bibless, xrap and bullet headed skirt 8in in green an hour later the skirt was smashed and 300m of 50lb was gone while bringing in the other lures,amazing to watch. well after 2.5hrs chasing the fish we finally landed my 1st ever Bluefin at 64kg and dream for the last 10years relized, thanks for all of your tips to help achieve it. regards matt
matt - somersby
A. you bloody ripper matt i love hearing these stories. You had better send me your address and I will send you a strikezone dvd!! Would you believe at this very moment i am in bermi prepping the underwater gear so i can jump in with them again. All i need now is some weather!! well done mate
Q. Al i have been down portland fishing with a mate who tried out his new electric fishing reel. I was so impressed with the quality of fish being cought i just had to have one. Problem being a fisheries officer i know told me they are alegal to have in victoria and NSW is in the process of banning them also. I spoke to solars at the boat show and he said they are legal. My fisheries mate said they are classified as comercial gear. I dont want to spend money on something that is a wast of time.
Stephen Mcauliffe - Geelong ,Vic
A. Hey stephen as far as i know they are legal in victoria and are deffinitely legal in NSW. I am pushing hard to impose stricter bag limits as opposed to restrictions of gear. Why should the pros have them when we can't? Rec fishers are becoming a force to be reckoned with so I doubt they will be banned cheers al
Q. Hi Al, just woundering if you have any tip or vidio clips on tying on poppers for GT's. What connections should I use. I am hopeing for a something I am able change lures quick with security.
Maru - Sans Souci
A. hey maru I just use the good old uni knot to join the popper but if you are chasing mega gts then probably better to crimp it. might be worth considering a short length of wire too.
Q. Hi Al, just wondering where to head this weekend. I live in Canberra but my little bro lives in Sydney and we wanna have a crack at the tuna BUT where is the best place to head? South coast, Narooma or Sydney, Browns Mountain? Either one is easy. Many Thanks, Jase :)
Jason - Jase
A. hey mate water looks good at JB for tuna and bermi for bluefin. Sydney had a couple of fish to before this hot water pushed in. now all we have to wait for is the weather!!!
Q. hello al, i dont fish much out of sydney. would like to know would you be intrested in running a class on fishing sydney,reef,tuna,marlin,and how to read sea surface temps properly. i think this would help people like myself trying to fish sydney. al's gamefishing school...thanks pete.
peter - mt pritchard
A. hey pete great idea i will talk to some of the tackle shops and see who is keen on hosting it, We could cover all the basics and then maybe do a day on the water putting everything into practice.
Q. Hey Al, Im getting out wide this week off here (SWR/Hat head). Have you got any current reports or ideas to chase tuna or striped marlin? Thanks Matt
Matt - south west rocks
A. Hey matt havent heard anything for a couple of days but check out your sst charts and fish the edge of the current and get out there and start trolling!
Q. Thanks Al for report! Why is with the elusive 1000 fathom line so good, you talk about it alot? (why not the 200 fathom or 600 fathom line etc) Is it just for tuna or striped marlin as well?
Matt - south west rocks
A. The 1000 fathom line is basically the bottom edge of the shelf so it plays a big role in effecting the current and in turn the fish. The 200 and 600 fathom are simply on the slope but the starting point at 100 fathoms is also much more important does that make sense?
Q. Hi Al, we are going out on saturday after some tuna off sydney, just wondering what spread to use, is a mix of deep divers and jets good, and when trolling and how far out to go, is the shelf far enough.
Mitch - sydney
A. Hey mitch I would run a mix of deep divers like Laser Pros and giant tremblers with a couple of skirts or jetheads throwing in is perfect. Start at the shelf and then work wider focusing on any patches of birds.
Q. Hi Al,with a good weekend approaching do you think it would be worth the drive to bermy for a go at the bluefin, or fish out of broken bay with some good fish hooked on sunday?
matt - somersby
A. Matt not hearing much from bermi becuase the main school of bluefin are well wide. The water off broken bay is changing a lot so things are really up in the air. JB is also worth considering on the front edge of the current. I will blog my prediction on friday.
Q. Hey Al, Have you got any reports up my way or ideas where to fish at the moment for YFT and or striped marlin? Hat Head/South West rocks area? Hoping to find some of those fish you have off Terrigal! Thanks Matt
matt - south west rocks
A. Matt up until a couple of weeks ago SWR has been firing with some awesome yellowfin and even bigeye for the longliners but the water has moved south. however there will still be a few stragglers along the 1000 fathomline
Q. Hi Al, I have a Furuno 585 and was keen to learn how to use and interpret it properly. I have found how to reduce clutter but was wondering what A-scope and Whiteline is used for and when to use them? How do you interpret what is happening while using each one? I chase all sorts of fish from blue eye and all game species. Was going to head to Bermi when the SBT's come on and want to make sure I'm armed with the right knowledge. Thanks, Dom
Dom - Sefton
A. hey dom now they are technical questions and to be honest you are better off asking Furuno's NSW rep Mark chopper Reid who is the guru of all things Furuno. I dont use the ascope at all and maninly focus on my colour and gain as my two biggest variables.
Q. Hi Al shame about loosing that tuna were you trolling or cubing? and what time did you hook the tuna? as i was about 15km south of you same depth, temp was 20.0 , lots of tuna birds, and very rough. we pulled the pin at 1pm as the wind didnt drop like forcast and the swell was up to 5m. did you have similar conditions?
matt - somersby
A. hey matt spewing about the tuna and kicking myself frm putting the "bait" gear out! The weather was crap but clean right up late in the arvo. We also had another tuna bite and topped it off loosing a marlin as well!
Q. Hey Al, You fished out north of Broken Bay on Sunday 19th and hooked big yellowfin and marlin. How far north and in what depth of water was this and were you just trolling skirts? Cheers Matt
matt - south west rocks
A. hey matt we hooked the fish in 300 fathoms off Terrigal and i still spewing about putting 15kg in the spread.
Q. Hey Al and crew, When your new series of the show returns, is there any chance you will venture up here to the Goldie and showcase what is available offshore here , or are you going to stay in NSW?
Rossco - Gold Coast
A. hey rossco deffinitely need to come up there in the future but it all depends on budgets and producers!!!
Q. hi al,first up cheers on the great work you do, al im hopin to find out the method you use to connect braid to mono when loading up your 50s.
rick - rick benos
A. hey rick we used the aptly named strikezone knot which is shown in detail in the kingy DVD. it will also be shown in the up coming gamefishing bible due out later this year cheers al
Q. Hi Al, 3 questions, mate just wondering what time of the year will we still see tuna off Sydney, and now it's winter where is the best place to start looking for snapper. They say they come in closer, but how far in? And would you still catch them out on some deeper reefs? And also what is the best time for blue eye cod out wide? Thanks mate, cheers Dave.
DAVE - SYDNEY
A. hey dave there is no set time for the tuna to turn up it is all based on the currents which are very fickle in nature. At the moment the best fishing is well north. As for snapper spring is the best usually around those reefs in 20 to 40m blue eye are best during the winter months when the current has slowed and the sea is clam good luck
Q. hi al, really enjoy the show. was wondering on what the chance of getting on the strikezone boat for a tuna fish with tou and the team.
philbilly - cranebrook
A. hey phil there is always a chance but we are just working on a newer and bigger fishing serious at the moment so time is short. Mind you I only caught 2 fin last night which was a bit poor!!!! cheers al
Q. Hi mate, when will the Tuna Time DVD be back in stock
Wayne Faulkner - Lake Macquarie
A. hey Wayne I know complete angler in Villawood (02) 7247474) have stock. If not I will be able to dig one up somewhere. cheers al
Q. Hi Al, you mentioned some nice tuna coming of the longliners are they still in 1000 fathoms. regards Matt
matt - somersby
A. hey mate not sure but I am guessing along the 1000fm line
Q. Hey AL, Wondering what strikezone dvd you are working on next ?,I have the set and think you and your crew are doing a great job educateing the general fisherman community.Love the idea of useing yourself as the teaser to take that shot of the mako feeding on the marlin,have you thought of the skip bait senerio? cheers
peter mc - bonnyrigg
A. hey pete I am working on a doco for the gamefishing association at the moment and then it s straight back into negotiation for a new TV series. As for being bait well if the cap fits ya gotta wear it - skip baiting is next!
Q. Hey Al, just wondering when the Strikezone Top Gear and T-Shirts will be available again? cheers
Rossco Dunstan - Brisbane
A. Hey rossco I am working on a new range of t shirts at the moment where we use those cool under water marlin shots. If enough people want the top gear shirts I will order some more!
Q. Hi Al, any ideas on the tuna off sydney being there one minute gone the next and fussey or hard to hookup?
matt - somersby
A. hey matt yeah the tuna fishing is a bit up and down at the moment but it is because the water isn't quite right so there numbers aren't high at the moment. The water looks to be improving so things should get better
Q. Hi Al, Just wanted to know, what "fishing etiquette" for both shore and boat fishing? Hope you can feature this topic on your tv program to widely inform fishing enthusiasts. Thanks, Richard
Richard Reyes - Marrickville, NSW
A. hey richard good question buddy. While there are no set rules I think boat anglers need to work around landbased anglers. You can still fish the same area but you should always drive around their lines and if they are hooked up give them a wide berth cheers al
Q. Hi Al, i am thinking of heading out of broken bay on friday to chase tuna, any tips on where to head. regards Matt
matt - somersby
A. hey matt the fishing is very up and down but i woudl suggest running wide to the cooler water then troll till you find some birds good luck and send some pics
Q. Hey Al, Saw the bigeye episode of strikezone last night and was just wondering if you could run me through the details of the rig you were using. Was pretty blown away by the whole thing!
simon fisher - bondi
A. hey simon I used a circle hook on a 300 pound leader with a strobe attached to the swivel. At present i am attaching the sinker via a breakaway leader to the hook but this isnt idea so i am working on a better system. The bait was set at 300 metres with the aid of a cheap line counter. fishing deep is a new and exciting technique
Q. Hey Al ,enjoy your site full of useful tips, I read in one of your magazine articles about tuna fishing, where you checked the SST on your laptop while out wide of kiama ,question do you have some sort of booster aerial for your wireless modem ,and if so where do you purchase these ,Thanks tight lines
Paul Webb - waterfall
A. hey paul nah i study the sst charts on shore nearly every day and then pick the area so i dont worry about using them out there much. although there are lots of boosters you can use! cheers al
Q. Hi Al shame you didnt get into the tuna yesterday, did you get out to the 1000fm as it looks like that eddie has pushed in and south. at least the weather looks great this week, to explore i will be watching your blog hoping to get out if you get into the tuna. regards matt
matt - somersby
A. Pleasure matt thats just part of fishing, we just need to keep getting out there and hunting for them!
Q. Hi Al, Am thinking of planning a trip to Bermi in July/August for approx a week to chase some SBT and broadbill. Would like to know what water temps to look for with either speicies? Is july, August a consitent time of year to fish the area for both species or would i be best to leave my options open and try booking at the last minute?
Dom - Sefton
A. Hey dom july is prime time for bluefin and swords down that way. The best temperature is 17 20 degrees from bluefin but not sure for swords. Always wait till the last minute but the bluefin are on their way already so keep your ear to the ground or just watch the blog
Q. Hi Al you mentioned in your blog ther are some good sized tuna wide off sydney how far out are they.
matt - somersby
A. hey matt they are out on the 1000 fathom line at the moment
Q. Hey Al, you may not remember me, I had the good fortune to fish with yourself, your boy, Trev Hogan and Drew Kimberly off Carrum a few seasons back. Well we had a cracker session, I think we lost count onb the snapper. Anyway mate, I am planning a trip for next year (March April) in the new boat (6.2m custom plate centre cab) and Bermagui has won in terms of destinations. Striped marlin will be the primary target species. I am after few tips on finding them (the grapevine should fix that) and what are the best techniques to use. I was thinking of mainly towing lures and teasers with switch baits ready to cast or drop back to lit up fish? Fishing will be done with threadline gear mainly Wilson Live Fibre jig rods and Saltigas spooled with 80lb braid 200lb leaders. Any extra tips or advice would be great. Great to see you back into your hunting too mate. I for one am looking forward to Sambar season.
Paul Cooney - Mornington Peninsula
A. hey mate yeah it was a great day on the water catching all those snapper. Never stopped hunting I love being in the bush as much as being on the water. okay as far as destinations go I would wait till the day before you leave and then decide where the hottest bite is and then on top of this be flexible to change on a whim. 200poubd leaders are fine but if the fish are finicky then drop down to 150. For switching you really need a crew that now what they are doing otherwise live baiting and skipping baits is also deadly good luck and see you on the water.
Q. G'day mate, I am looking at purchasing a furuno 585 - but which transducer ? up here we fish shallow, less than 50 metres and fish for pelagics as well as bottom species. thanks for your reply.
brian baldock - weipa NQ
A. hey brian 585 is an awesome sounder. Now normally I would suggest a 1kw transducer but for the Territory I reckon you will be fine with a 600W transducer. make sure you send some pics of all the fish your catching up there!
Q. Hey Al....my question isn't about how to catch a fish, or where is a good spot, etc..... it's about how to get a job in this industry. My boyfriend is obsessed with fishing and he is currently not working. He's 34, has a trade in floor & wall tiling but retired from that quite a few years back. Did some retail work selling tiles and injured his back pretty badly. So currently not working but is very keen to do something to do with fishing. He is full of information when it comes to fishing and has a wide variety of rods, reels & tackle. I told him that working in BCF or similar shop would be a great start for him because whenever we go to buy something he keeps me there for over an hour while he chit chats with the staff asking them question after question about bread or a jig, or whatever. Any way, I look forward to receiving a response from you that may put us in the right direction.
Lisa Ursino - Hornsby
A. hey lisa there are lots of opportunities in the fishing trade from working as a deckhand to retail or even writing. However the one key factor is to put in the hard yards like no other job it really is a labor of love. Probably the best start is to get a job in one of the tackle shops and work up the line from there. If Your boyfriend has the passion then he will make it happen. cheers al PS enjoy BCF!
Q. can u recommend a type of briad to suit deep water fishing up to 300m thanks al
jason - grafton
A. Jason the best braid i have ever used is the Daiwa sensia multicoloured stuff. Its expensive but its the best.
Q. Hi Al, looks like the Bluefin are 4 weeks earlier than last year down at portland, any news from the longliners closer to bermy? i am thinking end of may early june they could be going through. regards matt
matt - somersby
A. Hey mat there are a few tuna starting to turn up along the east coast. The bluefin will come up in June for sure as they are already down off EHN in Tassie
Q. hi AL ,,, i am not sure if you got my message yesterday had a problem with my computer. can you use garfish like a pilchard on gang hooks & are they any good to use.? thanks ritchie.
ritchie mercia - south wenty nsw
A. Garfish work quite well if salted heavily when cast on gang hooks, but pilchards are too soft. You will need a soft tipped rod for the job. good luck
Q. Hl AL , PLEASE HELP. 1/ i would like to know if i can catch yakkas at a jetty with some sort of bait trap ? & what kind to use? as i have tried many times with a small hook a small pieace of bait, burley, but only seem to catch 2 or 3 yakkas when you can see hundreds of them.? thanks. 2/ AL, what are the best lures to use of the rocks to spin for kings etc. ? please. 3/ could you advise me please of any good rock fishing spots for kings in & around sydney. ? your help would be greatley appreciated. sorry for all the questions. but u are the pro. thanks ritchie.
ritchie - south wenty nsw
A. hey ritichie you're not allow to use traps for catching yakkas. By the sound of things your hooks and bait are to big. use a tiny fillet of pichard chopped up with a size 12 hook. long shanks are good but if the fish are finicky then try a hort shank and hide the hook. light line is also a big advantage. metal lures like Halco Twisties will give you the distance but at times poppers will work a treat too. Lots of spots around Sydney Bluefish, Barrenjoey, Hole in the wall, Dee Why, etc. Just be careful and only fish when it is safe and the swell is small. looking forward to see some pics of you and a big kingie!!!
Q. Hey Al, I am running a furuno 585, 1KW. 1. How do you tell the difference between rock and sand on the sounder? 2. When at trolling speed 7 - 9 knots in 200m plus whats the best way to run it for marking bait etc in top part of water? 3. Is it possible to run it the full depth and mark fish at these speeds? Thanks
matt - South West Rocks
A. hey matt run it on 50khz when in deeper water with the gain on manual and keep adjusting it for the optimum picture. Hard bottom like reef with show up with a thicker red line as opposed to sand which gives a lighter bottom reading. At 7-9knots you should be getting a decent reading and will mark both fish and bait although if it is rough the picture wil be more distorted. While you can get see fish when running the sounder but the fish will mark smaller because of the larger depth scale. cheers al
Q. Hi Al, i was just wondering if i should go to jervis bay or stay off sydney this easter in search of some marlin and tuna. Im keen to see what you think. And also what kind of camera/lens do you use for those great photos in and out of the water. Thanks mate
Mitch - Villawood
A. hey buddy both destinations look good, but if i had a choice i would head to jervis bay because it is shorter run to the shelf. Just watch those sst charts for the best temp breaks. I am shooting canon cameras inside aquatech housing for all the underwater images. good luck
Q. Hi Al i am going game fishing This thursday out of brokenbay could you suggest an area to head as i have not been out for a while, have you heard of any YFT out there yet?
matt - Somersby
A. hey matt We caught a huge blue marlin off sydney yesterday and it sounds like they are all up and down the coast. The water was alive inside browns - check out the blog for all the latest info!
Q. can u idenify a marlin how i send pictures?
brett - port stephens
A. hey brett yeah just email me an image at info@almcglashan.com So long as the image shows a good profile of the fish I will be able to ID it for you
Q. trying to catch my first bar cod hapuke etc thanks have bout $500
jason - grafton
A. okay jason Your not going to get any decent electric reels for that price so your best option is an overhead like a daiwa that will hold 500 metres of braid - mind you the braid will cost almost as much as the reel! Use 12/0 circle hooks, heavy leaders and lots of lead. then concentrate your efforts around ledges and and pinnacles look forward to seeing some images!
Q. hi al, using circle hooks for reef fish (using liveys), should i freespool with rachet on ? or have reel on strike. thanks
stephen - hervey bay
A. hey stephen if your using really big livies then give them a bit of freespool but if the are just yakka all you need to do is drop the rod. It does vary between species and if your finding them a bit finicky then try a short freespool. send some pics cheers al
Q. can u give me a couple of reels to buy that u would recommend for deep shelf water fishing up to 500m
jason - grafton
A. hey Jason what are you planning to catch? Are you bottom fishing or cashing pelagics? cheers al
Q. In your blog you talk about the 50's - im assuming that is fathoms? When out on the shelf and beyond what depth are the reef structures at?
Tim matthews - South West rocks
A. hey tim the 50s is actually the 32 50 south line which is the latitude line - i think that is south!!! actually it covers the area down to 32 56 along the 80 fathom line. cheers al
Q. would like a heads up on what it means to fish current lines thanks al
jason - grafton
A. hey jason current lines are where two currents converge. often there are temperature breaks associated with them as well which is all good! good luck
Q. Hey Al, love your work and your DVD's. i tied my first skip bait the other day after watching Strikezone Billfishing and it seemed to swim not to bad. i was wondering what the approx depth was that you fished to catch the bar cod off Crowdy head late last year. I have found cod in approx 170m just south of crowdy and was wondering if you fished a similar water depth Keep up the great work PJ
Paul Johnston - Taree NSW
A. hey Paul glad your getting the skip baits happened they are certainly a great way to catch marlin. As for the barcod I fished every chunk of reef I found along the 70-80fathom line out the front and found fish. A decent sounder will show you the reef and make it easier, mind you there are heaps of up there so they certainly arent hard to catch.
Q. hey al..im just after a bit of advice for gt fishing..im looking at buying a heavy spinning reel and was wondering whats your take on tuff tackle's diablo sniper 12000? i was thinking of spooling it up with 65lb braid would that work for monster gt's in northern qld's more remote reefs? or should i step up to 80lb braid? thanks
rick - banora
A. Hey mate I have used one once and it was okay for budget ranged reel but if your serious about catching big GTs you cant go past a Saltiga Expedition that is my favourite reel and will catch you anything from huge tuna to marlin to GTs. As for Braid deffinitely 80 pound minimum if not 100 pound.
Q. Hey Al, do you manage or run any charters? Would love to be on the same boat as you for a da
Richard - East Hills
A. Hey Richard Sorry dont run charters way too hard for me! However we are looking at running a competition to get a days fishing with Al in the near future.
Q. hi al, would like sum advice on what lures you would use in a 4 lure spread and leader size chasing blue fin down here in tassie! where having an early run of blue fin as far down as pedra branca up to 90kg just awsome! a big yellow fin caught last week at st helens and albies and stripeys every where its going off big time!
ben - tasmania
A. Hey Ben I like to run a mix of strikezone jetheads and laser pro 190s. Hollowpoint Nitros also work really well.
Q. What site do you use to look at water temp changes. Currently the leeuwin current is off perth with temps as high as 28 degrease C and some of the best pelagic action had for years.. It would be great to be able to determin were these current line and water temp hot spots are. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers Tony.
Tony - Perth
A. That is great news Tony and i have been hearing some good reports from your neck of the woods. I use www.seasurface.com which is pretty good but you need to study them regularly to get a feel for the current send me some pics! cheers al
Q. Hi Al, it's getting a bit concerning with what exactly the Greens and Labour are trying to do with marine parks in NSW and what they are trying to do to this country! I am thinking of buying a bigger boat over the next few months and I am getting a bit concerned that if I do then over the next few years I could end up with a very expensive planter box out the front of my partialy powered house. I just hope that the same thing will to N.S.W. as it did in VIC at least we may have a bit more of a chance, what do you think?
Gerry - Bungendore NSW
A. Mate your not wrong and the worst thing is they sit there eating canned tuna from unsustainable fisheries and tell you how bad catching a feed. In NSW the opposition will help us but anyone who votes labour is nailing the coffin down on us. You need to send letters to all your local politicians and tell them your thoughts and get everyone else to do it as well!
Q. u seem to recommend furuno 585 but in 1 answer you said 620 is best sounder lookin to buy one any preference . would like something that can do some shallow work but am more keen on fishin deep shelf waters.is yours combo and what size battery for 1kw trans . i have 12v 22amphr for sounder only at the moment.do i need extra c charts for my area for out deep with furuno .next sounder needs to last for quite a long time as cant afford to change to often . know its long question but would like to do it rite this time .thank u very much all help much appreciated
jason - grafton
A. hey jason for charts go and grab the new Cmap offshore charts they show every nook and cranny. As for units I love the 585 and cant recommend it any higher. it has a larger scream which makes it easer to find fish and when matched with a 1kw transducer it it is a deadly weapon!
Q. Hey Al, Just saw one of your awesome pics in the newspaper of two marlin lining up to have a go at a bait ball, with the silver underside of the surface of the water showing - do you sell these images? I'd love to be able to hang something like that on my wall - just breathtakingly awesome!
Fiona - Wilton
A. G'day Fiona Glad you like the images they are one of my favourites!!! All the images are for sale - check out the gallery at www.almcglashan.com and the team will work out a price to suit the size frame you want. cheers al
Q. good to see you are ok after you were stuck in the water because a shark was munching on the marlin near the boat. any ways i was wondering if you had any new dvds out?
al - sally
A. Hey sally Yeah it was a pretty exciting and very scary few moments but awesome nonetheless. We haven't made any more dvds since Strikezone Sportfishing but you can download the entire strikezonetv series straight off the face page of this site!!
Q. hey al, wondering about consistant areas for trolling for marlin of sydney.Tested out my new barcrusher 640ht trolling 2 bonito skip baits and skirts and 2 bird teasers starting on the shelf off sydney heading north and off to browns no results and couldnt find any bait schools, water temp 23 degrees.
peter mc - sydney
A. hey peter you wont find much bait off Sydney, better off heading down to JB or up to Port Stephens for consistent marlin bites. Off Sydney you will find a few but they are always scattered and inconsistent.
Q. hey all im targeting yellowail iat middle head using my alvey and wilson MT7144 ROD spooled with 20 pound mono and 30 pound leadr , uhmm im going to be trying to catch some garifhs to use as live bait or dead baits , and was wondering what type of rig i should use to live bait them ?? any ideas i was think jsut a big torpedo float with a stoper above , then a brass ror snap swivel connected to a meter of 30 pound leader tied to a 5/0 hook
robb - lanecove
A. Hey rob upgrade your leader to 40 at least! Easiest rig is a single 7/0 live bait hook suspended a metre under a torpedo float with a stopper - perfect. Try berleying a bit too not for the kings but to help get the bait around. Also try Chowder Bay and Bluefish Point Good Luck
Q. hi al just wondering if you have been able to get a sat image from sea surface since last friday as i have checked and it allways has cloud cover over sydney it has one image from yesterday that shows bits of sydney and i am not sure if i can belive if it is right as it is showing water temps in some parts as 12.5 degrees i was only out on sunday and it was 23.7 just wondering if you had any idea what the temp was when you where out at long reef as on the sat it says 15.9 for yesterdays temp.sydney has some of the best fishing in years we raised another marlin on sunday only for a very short fight be for it through the hook,got two more dollies around 1.1mtrs and jellybean fin, it was a great day only to get smashed on the way home in the weather that blew up . i have worked on fishing boats most of my life and it got pritty ugly we got hit by 3 that come over the cab of my 6mtr boat by about 2mtrs only to be told by marine rescue (what are u worryed about your in a 6mtr boat and its only 20knts and 2 mtr swell ) great help when i told them i had 12 in of water over the whole deck and it couldnt escape as quick as the next 2 slamed us it got hairy .she handled it pretty good but . are you going to be out of sydney in the next couple of days thanks todd
todd - guildford
A. hey todd the water it 22.4degrees at Long Reef at the moment. What your seeing on the charts is interference from the clouds which gives a false reading. The fishing has been pretty good off in fact it seems to be better than port stephens at the moment. I am going for a run on saturday which looks pretty good weather wise!!!
Q. Hi Al, Im not sure if you remember me but I have seen you in the headlines lately with that HUGE mako. Im so glad you are OK, you are so brave doing what you do. The sweep offer is still on the table.... take care Meegs
Dear Al - Megan
A. hey sunshine still in once piece and kicking goals!!! Not sure I want to jump in with those southern sweep of yours they are deadly aren't they!! cheers al
Q. hi al just sending you a few pics from our trip of sydney on monday we got one striped marlin bill to tail 2.6 ,2 dollies and dropped a big bull, We backed up the next day for one more big dollie, hooked another striped but dropped it after about 5 mins and then worked the area for a few more hours only to raise to more tiny marlin (dorsal to tail about 1 mtr ) possibly small blacks,Thay are such a amazing fish i felt so bad to take it home but it did not go to waste it was all eaten ,and it has cost me a lot of money over the last 2 yrs to get it,now the wife can see why i spent so much to chase them . I am glad that i come back from forster a week early as you said the water up there was a barren waste land. thanks todd
todd - guildford
A. Todd great fishing buddy glad you finally caught a couple. The key is to travel with the fish and follow the bite and you found out it paid off!!
Q. Hi Mate, Firstly, must say I love your work, some of your photos are sensational, just checked out the Mako on Marlin shots, unreal. Just wondering if your prints are available to purchase, would love to buy a series to put on the office wall, the Bass on the Scorpion for example, Cheers.
Jamie Douglas - Gold Coast
A. Hey glad you like my stuff as much as i like getting it!!! We are setting up a shop for the images at the moment, but let me know what you need and sizes and I will put a special package together for you!
Q. Hey Al, I am heading to port stephens in early march. Just wondering, when rigging up circle hooks is it best to crimp them or to tie a knot?
adam - Adelaide
A. hey adam I like to tie my circle hooks because it is easier to snap the fish off at the boat with out hurting it. haven't noticed any difference between crimping and tying in terms of hook up rate. keep any eye on the blog for the latest news on whats biting cheers al
Q. hi al just a small question what do you think about the furuno 7000f compaird to the 585 with a one kilowat transducer and why.want to fish deep water and be able to get a better picture of the bottom .What is the max depth on both . Acurding to furuno it is about 1000 meters is that true. thanks mario
mario - sydney
A. hey mario As far as I know the two units are very similar but personally if you want a sounder then the 585 is the best value. I can get a 1000 m out of my 1kw through hull unit but only when it is calm and we are drifting. cheers al
Q. any flatty spots east of the harbour bridge in sme clean water mate ??
robert - lane cove
A. water around the bridge is normally a bit dirty if you want clean water then focus around the flood tide. Not sure about flatty spots around the bridge never fished for them there
Q. Hi al,looks like I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time I'm in Forster and have been here for about two weeks I only have this week left to try and get some good fish it looks like I should be back in Sydney as the bite on wahoo dollies and marlin are going off.I can't get the best pics of the sst charts on my phone have u seen it lately is there anywhere on the charts that looks good. By the looks of the weather it looks like I might only get three more cracks at a good fish.it has been a very costly time over the last to seasons trying to get a beaky ,i think a divorce might be on the card but I'm not going to give up ,I think I just should have stayed in Sydney it has been fishing well do you think the bite will stay that way for another week as I get back on sat and if it is still going off and the weathers good it looks like I'm taking another week off .if iget anything good I will send you some pics
Todd - Guildford
A. hey todd There are a few marlin off Sydney but there are more on the South Coast at the moment. The season will peak in Feb so don't stress there is still lots of time to catch one. Foster isn't a hot marlin destination and the best spot off Seal Rocks has been locked up by marine parks. Looking forward to seeing some pics!
Q. hey well can u give me some god spots here in sydney harbour to chase flatties , also mate surely a 2-5 kilo rod can handle a kingy cant it , im only taking raties mate ?? what do ur econ im not disagreeing with u , becuase your the expert?? ahhaa iv got a 3-6kilo blackfish rod its verry whippy and hard to work plastic with but if im ranking em off the surface it should be fine mostly becuase it cast about 5 miles from shore no joke
robert - lane cove
A. Rob try the Lane Cove River for flatties. As for kings you cant dictate the size of the fish that will eat your soft plastic and there are some big kings around at the moment!
Q. hey Al , mate i really would like to catch some rat kings land based on soft plastics , now all iv ot is a 2-5kilo rod with 10 pound braid is that enough to handle some rats also wat type of soft plastic should i be looking for and do u no any good land based spots i was thinking directly under the harbour bridge also buddy do u no and good land based spots for some big lizardsreally wanna catch a big 70 + plus model cheers bud
robert - lane cove
A. Hey mate you are seriously undergunned with such a light rod for landbased kingies. If you want kings you will have to beef up your tackle especially for landbased fishing. If you want big flatties you are better off traveling to more isolate estuaries especially down the coast. good luck
Q. well my outift is a 2-5 kilo starlos stix flats spin rod matched with a shimano stradic reel spooled with 6 pound braid and an 8 pound leader im only fishing 1.5 m and i recon the jighead weights u recomended me are way to heavy i was thinking for 1/12th - 1/6th with a size 1/0 hhook
robert - fairfield
A. Hey rob you will get better distance out of the heavier heads which is a priority for landbased angling but a good mix of jig heads should always be carried to match all situations
Q. gday , just would like to no what would be an ideal jigead weight for targeting dusky flattys in a water depth of 1.5 meters , with no wind or current ?? it will be rigged on a 100m squidgy wriggler in LAVA :)
robert - fairfield
A. Hey mate the heavier the jig head the further you can cast but it really depends on the outfit your using. 1/6 or 1/4 once are pretty good. At the end of the day flaties arent too fussy.
Q. haha it sure is pretty easy to catch whiting on bait like worms , but i want a chalenge and to have ago at catching them on lures soo basically on blades and syurface lures .. uhmm whatta bout ar bradleys head and mosman area is there whiting around there ?
robert - fairfield
A. You can catch heaps of whiting on poppers at this time of year. Jst focus on the run up tide on the flats where there are heaps of food like worms etc. Haven't fished those areas but i am sure there are some decent sand flats to focus on
Q. hey al, im interested in getting afew whiting on lures , more then likely blades or poppers and just wanted to know whether one is better then the other for me and if u no any good land based spots for whiting anywhere withing sydney area or sydney harbour cheers
robert - fairfield
A. Not sure on the lures rob everyone has their own favourites but i reckon a sure fire way to catch whiting is with bait especially in the lower reaches around manly and rose bay good luck al
Q. Hi Al, i've been rockfishing for about a decade now funny thing is i've never fished the northern beaches for kingfish.. i've travelled hours and days up and down the coast but never close to home so i'm just wondering between barrenjoey and south head if you could give me a list of prime spots to target kings? i'm a cautious rock hopper and i dont mind a mission of a walk or climb but honestly just thought i'd ask the guru a question bout the kings
Brett - Quakers hill
A. hey brett there is some great kingy fishing at bluefish, the ovens, barrenjoey and even off long reef itself at times. We just need a bit of current to push in and clean up the water at the moment!! good luck
Q. Hi Al, Im looking at getting some sea surface temp knowledge and wondering were is the best place to look for the latest in this technology in tracking the surface temp for Marlin fishing. I am only new at the Marlin seen and just dont want to waste time and money on something that is not going to be an adavantage to me. Also what you need to run the software? Can there be something linked to your radar/sounder equipment or just a laptop on board ok. Thanks in advance. Jay
Jay - Lake Macquarie
A. hey jay I use seasurface.com but it has taken me 5 years to get a grip on how to read the charts and I am still learning. I am looking into setting up a fish prediciting service to help anglers catch more fish but its going to be pricey! I run furuno gear which you can link through a black box but it isn't essential in most cases. the key to catching marlin is contacts and knowing who is catching what and where. Keep and eye on my blog for where the bite is happening good luck Al
Q. hi al, have you heard if the mackeral run has started at coffs yet?
matt - somersby
A. hey mat yeah they are already down to Hat Head. check the blog to keep track of whats happening good luck cheers al
Q. hey al , im just picking out some hard bodys for bream because im actually starting to like em better than the soft plastics ahaha :) i was looking at the atomic cranks 38 deep diver and it looks great its good a good action its fairly cheap ( compared to others) and it comes in lots of gret colours that look so lifelike :) i just wanted to know if u ever used this lure on bream before and if i should buy it ??
robert - fairfield
A. hey rob sorry mate haven't used that one. I do like those mini halcos and the old attack lures. But to be honest I dont do enough bream spinning these days!!!!
Q. heyy al , im looking for lures to target bream . and i need some help picking which ones could u give me a fewsoft plastics or harbodys that you prefer and also for bream do u like minnow imitation or WORM or crustacean imitations thanxx .rob
rob - sydney
A. Hey rob I am no expert on bream fishing, but i love those little halcos in jelly prawn. Soft plastics are way to expensive for me but those banana prawns are always reliable good luck
Q. G'day Al, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year! Just wanting to catch myself a Marlin this week and was wondering where i should head with my boat?? Any where between Port Stephens and Bermi's Possible! I've got a 6mt Cruise Craft... Thanks for any advice Al Cheers GrantFISH
Grant - SHELLHARBOUR
A. hey grant sorry about the late reply but xmas gets in the way of everything! Okay at the moment the current hasn't settled so the fishing is sparadic. There is the odd fish off Sydney but there should be a few turning up off Port Stephens in the current. Fish north at the moment, the current hasnt hit the south coast yet
Q. okay thank you but i just want to no if a 3-5 kilo rod is sutibal for eastuary jewies and what does the kilo rating on a rod mean because it says line rating or something like 3-6kilo but then i go and put 20kilo braid ??
robert - fairfield
A. Rod should be fine. The line should be 20-30 pound so 10-15kg. You wont be able to fish it at any more the than a few kilos with out pulling hooks so you will be fine good luck
Q. hi al I will be heading back up to lauriton again in the break between christmas what depth did u find the bar cod in and do you now any gps spots for them , where the spots you fished north or south of crowdy.Any reports of marlin up that way. thanks todd
todd - guildford
A. hey todd we caught barcod in about 180m and found them on just about every bump and hum we marked on the new Cmap charts. We fished to the south but there are a couple of spots up north i am amping to go and check them out cheers al
Q. thanx alot for answering my question saome other pro fisherman like starlo get the shits at people for asking to many questions lOls BUT ANYWAYY , what pound braid mainline should i run on my 3-5kilo rod and 2500 reel , im scared of snapping the rod because i put a braid thagt was too heavy ??
robert - fairfield
A. hey rob pleasure buddy you wont snap a decent rod if you fish it correctly. as a general rule i suggest 20-30 pound especially the better braids like Daiwa sensia (i think that is what it is called). The important thing is to make sure you use decent knots and you will be right. cheers al
Q. Hi Al, I caught 2 sweep today and am quite happy with myself. Have you made any Strike Zone movies on catching sweep yet? Maybe that could be an idea for your next DVD. If you want to come down to Portland I will show you a good spot to go. Cheers Meegs:)
Megan Harris - Portland Vic
A. You're a gun sunshine but i think it is time your other half took you off shore for bigger prey! There is some great bluefin fishing down your way, in fact you might have seen the strikezone special where I caught that massive fish with local legend Tim 'guppy magnet' Otter when we caught that huge record tuna!
Q. hey al i no i ask alot of questions and im sorry to bug u again haha ;) but iv got a 3-5kg rod for jewies and a 2500reel what pound braid should i run on it for jewies ?? and what leader should i use cheers and thankyou ;)
robert - fairfield
A. hey mate no stress at all, that is exactly what this Q and A is all about! Okay best leader is 15 to 30 pound especially flurocarbon. Use the lighter leader in open water and the heavier one in close to structure good luck
Q. AL i was just wondering when are you guys going too have a compatiains on here with prizes to be won every month,i reckon if you did you would get more hits on line just a thought tight lines
frank - sydney
A. Hey frank we are just working on that at the moment except every time our internet guys arrange a meeting I go fishing, but i promise to forgo a days fishing to get it all up and running in the new year with the next season of strikezonetv season2 fish hard al
Q. Hey Al, I am a keen fisher woman and I am keen to chase some sweep, do you have any tips for me? I hear the sweep fishing is excellent around Portland, Victoria. Regards Meegs
Megan Harris - Portland Victoria
A. That is great I love to the girls getting involved even if it is sweep! Portland is great spot for sweep and once you master those tough little buggers you can upgrade to the those huge tuna that lurk in the same grounds! fish hard al
Q. Hi al, reading your last report you did well on the bar cod at crowdy head, and commented on the the knew C-Map charts did you use the standard chart or the bathamtric charts as i have just ordered the upgrades of both(your report promted me) as i fish the cod grounds at crowdy a couple of times a year, and will spend 10 days at xmas having ago. what depth did you fish in as we have had success in 165m with cod to 35kg, and kingys to 15kg. regards matt
Matt - somersby
A. hey mat yeah I only managed to see the charts before i went and had to rely on using the standard charts, but they are gold and i am loading them as as soon as I get them. There is some even better ground further south I am amping to check out. Cod to 35kg that is awesome - send me some pics cheers al
Q. hey al i think its about time someone like yourself being a well known fishing personality to hold a comp against some every day anglers, this will give us a chance to show of our talent and fish with people like yourself, what do reckon are you keen for a bit of healthy competition and a great day out for every one ? merry xmas kind regards adam bassman caruana
adam caruana - richmond
A. Hey Ad's great idea. I would actually like to get a heap of experts and then have then fish off against each other, however the twist is that only the apprentise can score points so the pros must educate them. Always keen for a bit of competition i think way too many of the 'fishing celebrities' catch all their fish on charter boats and would be lucky to catch a blind mullet on their own! cheers al
Q. thanx .. i ended up catching some good bream ;) ill keep at it , im still trying to get my jew but i havnt beeen going out for them much but now iv decided no more litlies until i get my first jew im going to get a new rod and reel specificaly for targeting jew with sofites im going to try around the georges river or lanvove river like under fig tree bridge land based ;) have u ever fished at fig tree or georges if soo could u give us some tips
robert - fairfield
A. great stuff rob glad you got a couple - make sure you send in some pics for the weekly brag pic. I don't fish much for jews in the rivers but basically anywhere there is a bridge with light chances are you will catch one if you put in the hours good luck
Q. just one more thing i can seem to find longueville point on google maps and are there any spots for the same thing around mosman around bradleys head ??? again just so u dnt hav e to answer the two question what tig should i be using ?? thanx for your help
robert - fairfield
A. hey mate bradleys head hasnt got much structure and is sandy so you are better off chasing whiting there. havent fished mosman. best rig is a wide gape that is lightly weighted and then drifted down amongst the pylons
Q. thanx mate ill goo as soon as i can , mate what rig should i be using?? and what do ju mean i have to move around whith the tides and time of year ?? THANX
robert - fairfield
A. hey mate you need to fish according to the tides so you can follow the rising tide upstream so in effect you get to fish the tide change longer. As for time of year you need to learn where your target species be it bream or even jews like to hold in a river system at what time of the year. Learn that and you will start catching them regularly.
Q. thanx Al , uv been soo great whith all the info and im soo glad i found this site hehe :) :) whith the lane cove river wharf do u no any exact spots ?? cheers mate and thanx again
robert - fairfield
A. hey rob try longueville point, but you need to move around a bit and fish different spots according to the tides and time of year good luck
Q. hey al , i would like to go get a few monster bream and learnt that the bream would are realy structure hugging ?? i would like to fish off a jetty , its the jetty in clifton gardesn mosman sydney and i just wanted to no weather i should just drop the baits straight down of the wharf insted of casting it ?? and what sort of baits should i be using for bream , also the what kind of rigs ??
robert - fairfield
A. hey robert deffinitely fish around the structure like the wharves themselves. I would also look at any of the wharves up the Lane Cove river or if you can get permission to fish off any of the marinas then they are like a bream magnet. Best baits are live nippers or super fresh prawns but bream are scavengers so they will eat a wide range of baits from pilchards to beach worms. Don't forget that just walking the bank flicking soft plastics and hard bodied lures will also produce a lot of fish. good luck cheers al
Q. hi al im heading out to long reef on sunday to chase some kings but if there not on wouldnt mind having a play with some makos are they in close or out wide and do u recomend berly or just live bonnies thanks todd
todd - sydney
A. Hey todd fishing was a bit slow the last few days but the makos were where you find them one was up in the shallows and another we saw on the way home. live bonnies are by far the best option. let me know how you went cheers al
Q. hahah yepp thanx mate , soo just to put everything together if i were to soft plastic fish for jewfish i would need a 3-6kg rod with a good quality 2500reel ?? uhmm can u recomend me any good rods and reels thst nt to expensive and what pound lmainling and leader should i be useing ?? braid or mono ? uhmm whatta bout those tt swithblades are they any good for jewies :) thanx al
robert - fairfiled
A. mate cant go wrong with a daiwa. 20 pound braid for the mainline and 20-30pound for the mono leader depending on the size of the size of the fish around. cheers al
Q. thanx al , okay well then what would be the best chance of hooking up with a jewiw softy or hard body lure ?? and iv got a drummer rod its a wilson rod 3.60m uhmm with a alvey spooled with 20Lb line would that be orite for bait fishing fr jewies of the shore ?? what rigs :) ?? and where shuld i be looking to catch a jewie i meaN when u go shre fishing its lyk where do i start aahahah :)??
robert - fairfiled
A. Soft plastics will give you a better hook up rate in most scenarios. best rod is 7footer paired up to spin rod. Your outfit will be better for surf fishing. Best bait is super fresh squid its the full moon so get out there! cheers al
Q. hi al I'm not sure if you have much experience in this area but I want to take my fishing mad boyfriend on a charter to catch some "big" fish. I live in Newcastle and he lives in Sydney. can you recommend a good charter company? thanks heaps
Ellie - Ellie
A. hey ellie the best man for the job is scotty thorrington who runs out of Terrigal. He is a gun angler and a great fisho. plus you can get your boyfriend to book at night at the resort there!!! check him out in the contacts Haven Charters www.almcglashan.com/links.php be sure to send me some pics cheers al
Q. okayy , uhmm how to work harbodies for jewies ,and what sort should i be looking for cheers :)
robert - fairfield
A. Tilsan barra's are great work them with a steady slow retrieve and if you get a bump twitch it and then stop the lure immediately. Hooking up on hardbodies can be frustrating at times
Q. Hi Al im matthew, I want to know why you changed your Honda 150 hp to a 225hp. Is it because it is better fuel accademy or is it just the power. By the way we got a couple of Bonnies of the North headlands and a thew under sized kings on the troll which we put back. Were at longreef do you get the bigger Kings thanks Matthew!!!
Matthew - Sydney
A. hey matthew Do you mean my old boat the Haines Hunter? The 150 was seriously underpowered for such a heavy boat so it was really working all the time just to keep it up and running, alternately the 225 powerhouse barely even flinches under the weight. The new boat a Strikezone Evolution 600 has the brand new 225 honda which is awesome. Desite being a bigger boat than the Haines it is even cheaper to run - match made in heaven!!! got a couple of nice kings at longy today on livies fish hard al
Q. mate how can i get fresh bait because its unlikey i can go and catch it myself soo what the next best thing ?? what baits are the best for jewies and how should i rig them ?? do u no any good spot along the georges because i live right around the corner not to farr from easthills??
robert - fairfiled
A. Rob if you can't get super fresh squid or livies then the next best option is soft plastics or even hard bodied lures in some cases. Focus your efforts around the bridges or wharves with lots of lights. The presences of bait is critical. I have only fished down the bottom end of the georges around the bridges but anywhere upstream where there is a bridge or point with a deep drop off. Drop in and see the guys at the Compleat Angler in Villawood they catch heaps landbased down there
Q. thanx Al ill give it ago , mate what size rod should i get for soft plastic fishing for jewies ? kilo weighting i mean (e.g 3-6 kilo) and what softies are your fovourties for them :) cheers
robert - fairfield
A. A 7 foot 3-6kg spin stick paired up with a daiwa 3000 size spin reel is perfect for the job. best soft plastics are those with paddle tails the fish love them. Another option to consider is the Cooks and Georges Rivers which have some great landbased spots too cheers al
Q. hey Al , im just would like to no if could tell me some good land based fishing spots around sydney harbour for some jewies , im 13 and i really want to catch one . im land based soo ?? soo could u please point me in the right direction ?? any tips :)
robert - fairfiled
A. hey robert there are a couple of spots worth fishing. Blues point near the bridge is adjacent to the deepest hole in the harbour, Balls head just upstream and while hard to get to it is a great spot. Further upstream any wharf with ample light is always worth a shot. Focus on the tide changes for the best chances and then put in some long hours! good luck
Q. Hi Al! My brother and I are heading up to Coffs soon to fish the Hot Current Comp. I have been watching Seasurface.com and there is a great hot current pushing down the coast - some areas up to 25C. For marlin what are the best temp ranges to concentrate on? Thanks Gavin
Gavin - Geelong
A. Hey gav I used to drive up from melbourne every year to fish the Hot Currents comp. The fishing has been better up there this season than the last few years so things are looking promising. Try to avoid the really hot water instead fish the edges where the current isnt too strong. Red rock canyon up north is one of my favourite places but they canyons straight out the front are highly productive. let me know how you go cheers al
Q. Hi Mate Just wanted to know what equipment you use for kingi's on soft plastics. From the hook, plastic, leader and main line (brands and sizes etc), to rod and reel. You should make a Strikezone dvd soft plastics and target king's and snapper etc etc. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards Brad McGuire
Brad McGuire - Sydney
A. hey brad I am a Daiwa man through and through and have been running a Certae for al my kings and snapper. Spooled with 20 braid and a 20 pound leader. For the kings I love using the little halco poppers while for the snapper a 3/8 jig head and 5inch jerk shad works a treat. might take you up on the that and put together something in the future good luck
Q. Al , with the greenies in power, what is the likelyhood of no take zones around browns mountain ,especially with the increased sales of electric reels bottom bashing.Any future lock outs is only going to cost them votes.
fishless - peter mc
A. Hey Pete yeah it is a real concern that those idiots that sip lattes in the suburbs try to make decisions on something they don't know about. I have to say i am concerned about some of the decision making! All I can suggest is to make yourself heard and send letters/emails to the ministers and the premier about your thoughts. Just don't get emotional just state the facts and point out the cost to the community cheers al
Q. G'day Al, I'm just after some advice, I'm heading up to Sydney next weekend with my 5m Signature to give the harbour and outside a crack. Where would the best place to be to pick up some livies? Any idea on what’s happening outside the heads? Kingies, Tuna, Mako's???? All your advice is much appreciated. Jason
Jason - Canberra
A. Hey Jason There is a few tuna outwide but they are certainly spread out. There are a few makos around and the kings are starting to kick into gear. Baits is a pain in the arse in Sydney but i have been getting some around middle head recently otherwise the watsons bay wharf good luck
Q. Hi Al I'm heading to Santo-Vanuatu in 2 weeks. I am heading out with a local who does alot of diving but doesent realy fish much, so Im taking my own rods and gear. My main target is yellowfin tuna, but I'm told there is a chance I will encounter Wahoo and even beakies. I was thinking to run 5 mt of 100 lb fluro carbon wind on leader to a swivle then 2 mt of 100 lb fluro carbon to the lures as Im worried heavier leader might put off yellowfin. If I loose to many lures to Wahoo then attach a short single strand wire as I'am also worried that the wire might spook the yellowfin. What do you think? Can you please tell me how you would run your set up. Wind on? Wire? and leader lengths and lb. Any info would be great. Thanks
Andrew Czelusta - Melbourne
A. Hey Andrew Lucky bugger! I wouldn't worry too much about using 100lb flurocarbon leaders unless your cubing. In Vanuatu trolling is the best option and in most cases 150lb will do fine. I highly recommend running a short length of wire because there are a lot of wahoo over there which could make things expensive. My suggestion is to run 20cm of single strand wire attached straight to the lure and then linked to the mainline by a small heavy duty swivel. The best lures are laser pro 190s but i suggest you change the hooks and run singles like Decoys. Alternately if you want to catch a marlin on a deep diver replace the rear treble with a daiwa jig assit hook. good luck and remember to send some pics through
Q. Hey Al when you coming to Greenwell Point to fish & can I grab a ride to learn how to fish properly offshore? Thanks & enjoy your fishing. Kathy
Kathy McDonald - Greenwell Point NSW
A. hey kathy Would you believe I have never fished out of Greenwell Point, but I have fished either side from Kiama and Jervis Bay. So I deffinitely need to add it to the list for future destinations and we might even be able to throw you on board but you will have to be the guide!!!
Q. Hey al, straight to the point i love fishing for sharks there's nothing like being hooked on to a true predator of the sea, they're a great fight and occasionally they are really tasty too.. i've caught plenty up to the 60 kilo mark but am hungry to tackle something a little larger i've spent some 2grand on buying all appropriate gear and terminals and so on but want to know where your pick of the spots being landbased would be to tackle some larger style fish? i live in western sydney but really don't mind a drive.. i know this isn't a typical question but i just love hooking up to those mammoths there's nothing like having line peeled off my penn senator at blistering speed knowing it's just you against the fish.. i've done beach fishing for them and had relative success from the stones.. i generally float my bait from the rocks but from the beach just a large chunk bait on a running sinker rig does the trick... so with all your wisdom where would your picks be?? thank you in advance
Brett - Quakers hill
A. hey brett There good fun the old sharks especially makos and threshers which jump. At the moment there are a few makos offshore but your going to need a boat to reach them. Landbased options are a bit limited but there have been some big bronzies cruising the beaches and there is the odd small mako off Bluefish this time of year. The northern beaches particularly close to the river mouths will give you a good chance at at big bronzy or even a bull shark. good luck
Q. Hi, Not really a question but a thanks. You have given me a %100 success rate with marlin fishing, yes you and your brother took myself and Chris out from Bermagui and through no skill of my own we tagged a Marlin. I have lived off this story for years, thankyou for a wonderfull memory. It must of been about 12 years ago and your dedication to fishing was clear then ,I am pleased to see that you are still living the life. Peter Hutchinson (at Rays outdoors once apon atime)
Peter Hutch - now Nar Nar Goon
A. Hey Pete I remember that fish you caught and chris caught the bait!!! There are few things more exciting than catching a marlin - you might have to come back up again this coming season for a bigger one!
Q. Hey Al, I have been fishing the lane cove, parramatta and middle harbour in the past 3 weeks and there is no fish whatsoever, In summer, there have been good bream in all locations but, winter there is nothing (for me anyway) any hot spots currently? and the bait. Cheers looking for your help. regards
David - Marsfield NSW
A. hey dave The fishing has been slow but there still has been a few fish kicking around. The lower reaches have been more productive with flatties in rose bay and few bream in the bays around the corner. As another option north head has some great salmon fishing at the moment. What type of fishing are you doing soft plastics or bait? cheers al
Q. hi al im heading up to lauretion just south of port macquarie on the 16th of october can you tell me do u know any good spots to target striped marlin and yellowfin,the water temp looks good and i have heard there has been stripes caught at port stevens allready thanks todd
todd - sydney
A. hey todd I havent fished laurieton but i know it has some great snapper fishing in close. You have timed it well because there has been some good reports from Coffs harbour. Best approach is to fish wide running a spread of lures looking for the birds. If there are any canyons focus around them otherwise worked wider. keep an eye on the SST charts to pin point the best water when your up there! good luck AL
Q. hey Al, i was reading a fishing mag where you were talking about birds and knowing how to read there habits. Is there a book that has ocean birds? cant seem to find much info, cheers mate
Brad - Lakes Entrance
A. hey brad glad you like the article in modern fishing. I am not sure if there is a single book that covers everything. What i did was go to the state library and then read through a heap of them. Recently the guys at NSW Fisheries informed me there are a couple of more detailed books around but i have yet to check them out. hope this helps cheers al
Q. Hi Mate I was wondering what circle hooks you were using on the kings in the episode that aired last night? Also when livebaiting for yellowfin tuna do you favour circle hooks or j hooks and what brand and size. (when using yellowtail as bait) Thanks
Andrew - Melbourne
A. hey Andrew I am guessing it was the episode where Vic and I catch some nice kings up at Terrigal. The circle hooks are Eagle Claws 7/0s from memory. For yellowfin I use circles for all my live baiting either 9/0 eagle claws or 13/0 mustards. 7/0 J hooks are ideal for cubing fish hard Al
Q. Hi Al im a massive fan, and cant believe the fish you catch. Im about to go to jervis bay for a few days and would like to get some big kings and maybe a mako. If you could let me know any spots and techniques to land these fish i would appreciate it. I have a 5.5m fibreglass boat.
jervis bay - mitch myers
A. hey mitch Your coming into the best time to catch big kings and makos down that way. Focus along the cliffs for the big kings with live baits or out jigging on the banks and block and cheese for smaller school fish. Berley up out wide on the shelf for makos especially on the canyons. send me some pics of what you catch!
Q. Hi Al, In the market for a fishfinder chart plotter combo. I know nothing about them. What would you recommend around the $800 to $1200 price range. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Rob Nigro
Rob Nigro - Sydney
A. Hey rob Now I hear your after a sydney kingy. I would suggests running two different units if you can afford it. The best sounder is a Furuno 620 and then you could get a cheap GPS plotter for $600 or so. The plotters are all the same but a decent sounder is your eyes underwater and will really help you catch a fish! And don't worry about kings I will guarantee you a fish later this spring. The best technique is to slow troll live baits over the inshore reefs and headlands.
Q. hi al my time is nearly up for your blog i was just wondering how do i pay for your blog .I just love the info about the weather & where the fish might be .ie rought gps marks would be nice to .also when you caught that big eye off sydnew were can i by one of those line depth gauges thanks mario frome sydney
mario - syd
A. hey Mario The blog has certainly been a big success guiding people towards the fish. I am actually looking at setting up a fish prediction service that will provide anglers with GPS marks where to find gamefish offshore. To register on the blog just go in dish up ten bucks and then you can use it for a year accessing via your password. The line counter came from the downrigger shop which you will find in the links page www.almcglashan.com/links.php fish hard al
Q. what is the best fishing advice you can offer?
Mustafa - Mel Vic
A. Mustafa the best advice is to keep fishing everyone either comes in early or goes out late, but the more time you spend actually fishing the better your results!
Q. Hi Al. Looks like there's an eddy forming off Sydney in the next week or two. Would it be worth heading out there for a shot at a fin (I haven't had the chance to chase any this year) or would it be too late? Thanks, Tony.
Al - Tony Sant
A. hey Tony I fished yesterday and things were very slow. However with such fickle currents at the moment things can change over night so keep and eye on those currents and be sure to log onto the blog to see where the fish are happy fishing al
Q. HI AL THANKS FOR THAT WE LOOK FORWARD FOR SEASON 2 AND I TELL ALL MY FISHING MATES REGARDS PHILL (BLACKMARLIN)
PHILL - LEUMEAH N.S.W
A. pleasure phil I am looking forward to making it!!!
Q. HELLO AL HOW ARE YOU ON THURSDAY ON TVS AND NO STRIKEZONE WHEN IT WILL BE BACK ON IT WAS A VERY GOOD SHOW. REGARDS PHILL (BLACKMARLIN)
PHILL - LEUMEAH N.S.W
A. hey phill glad you like the series. We have finished season one and are now planning for season2 but it wont air till next year. As a consolation we are cutting strikezone originals which will be aired later this year.join up to the mailing list and we will keep you up to date.
Q. Gudday AL, Keep up the great work Al doin a great job for the weekend wisherman.Mate been having some fun with the sambos on light line at the moment with those rapala skitterpops,expensive little buggers though.What are those stickbaits you mentioned in the telegraph? Cheers Wooly
Andrew - Sydney
A. G'Day Wooly Glad your enjoying the Daily Tele column and are out their catching fish. The stick baits are sluggos I buy them from the Compleat Angler in Villawood(only place who seems to have stock). You have inspired me I am going to be a weekend angler tomorrow too!
Q. Hey Al, just wondering where and how can slimies be caught in sydney?
Richie - Sydney
A. Ritchie Well that is the million dollar question and one I have been trying to crack for ages. Unfortunately my catches of slimies are inconsistent at the best of times. The best area is usually between the heads early morning when we find the fish breezing on the surface.
Q. hi al why have they taken your show off.
ron - ron
A. hey ron thanks for the email. We finished season one last week and are now looking for season2. In the interim we are cutting a series from the best of Strikezone dvds which will go to air later this year. Excited about making a bigger and better season2!
Q. We 4 amateurs have a houseboat booked for the Hawkesbury this month. We'll no doubt be relaxing dangling a handline over the side. What's the fishing like these days in the river & what bait is recommended? Any other tips? We enjoy your weekend segments on 2UE. Thanks Al.
Phil - Bradbury
A. Hey Phil Mate sounds like a great trip. This time of year the water will be warming up so the flathead will be starting to stir. The bream will still be on the chew, while in the deeper holes there are still a few jewfish cruising around. Best baits for the fltahead and bream are either fresh prawns or soft plastic lures. Alternately the jewfish cant resist fresh squid. Also down around lion island there should be schools of salmon up feeding on the surface. good luck
Q. Just watched your show on the bluefin and it was awesome, best show i have ever seen thanks heaps batman this_girls_unique@hotmail.com
batman - sydney
A. Thanks heaps mate!
Q. Hi Al Great videos btw . What is the best distance offshore to start laying a trolling spread ? Im thinking a few kilometers as a staring point. We normally fish either out of Sydney or out of Laurieton bottom bashing and trolling [ not very succesfully] Have you ever fished out of Laurieton ? any tips? Regards Stu
Stuart Wiggins - Emu Plains
A. Hey Stu I normally start trolling over the shelf but it is all about the currents and where the water looks right. Sometimes I dont put the gear in to 500 fathoms! Never fished laurieton but i have heard it has some good deep water grounds.
Q. HI AL THANKS FOR THE GPS MARKS FOR PORT FAIRY YES WE WATCH THE SHOW ON THUR IF ALL GOOD NEXT YEAR WE WILL GO AND HAVE A GO FISHING FOR BLUE FIN WE FISH OFF JERVIS BAY AND WE GOT MARLIN /YELLOW FIN AND A SPEAR FISH BUT NOT A BLUE FIN YET. REGARDS PHILL
PHILIP - LEUMEAH N.S.W
A. hey buddy good luck they will be back in July on the South Coast - already hanging for tuna season cheers al
Q. HI AL HOW ARE YOU WE SEEN THE DVD OFF YOUR BLUE FIN TUNA THE YOU GOT AT PORT FAIRY THIS YEAR AND I SPOKE TO YOU ABOUT THE MARK ON THE GPS WE GOING DOWN NEXT YEAR AND IL BE GOOD IF WE GET THE MARK FROM YOU .YOU TOLD ME TO SEND YOU AN EMAIL. THANKS THE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ON TVS. BEST REGARDS PHILL
PHILL - LEUMEAH N.S.W
A. hey phil one of the best days of my life catching that fish!!! Probably a bit late to find them now, better off working the wider grounds over the shelf, but might be worth a shot. I think the marks were something like38 30s 142 11e good luck and remember to watch strikezone in a fortnight when we dive with 50kg bluefin cheers al
Q. Hi Al I'm Matthew and i'm 12 and dad was wondering what sounder are you using and transducer mout kw and the price, we wish to fish the bottom of Browns and catch more Blue Eye and Harpuka:) I hope to see yellowfin tuna off Sydney soon so i can catch a bigger one than dad whitch was 43kg. Thanks and i love your show. PS Uncle owns a 5.9m victory. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE WATER GO HARD, FISH HARD
Matthew Zahra - SYDNEY
A. hey mathew there is only one choice in sounders and that is the furuno 585 with a 1kw transducer. it will cost you around the 3grand mark. With a fiberglass boat you can run a wet box or better still a through hull like i have for maximum power. Check out the furuno website www.furuno.com.au/sectors/home Look forward to catching up on the water in between watching StrikezoneTV!!!
Q. thanks for the info al,I have never had to vote before so the shooters and fishers have my vote il send u sum pics of the 120KG SBT of eagle hawk neck unreal and the kingie pics cheers ba
ba - tassie
A. Hey BA send through those pics and you will be one of the winners o next months newsletter. Thanks heaps for voting for the S&F anything to stop the anti fishing greens from destroying this country!
Q. hey al, just a question on what water temps to look for when chassing king's and any other hints? we had an awsome run of them at the start of the year of devonport using skirted lures and livies most around 3-10 pounds they are awsome to catch and i have never hooked or seen a king off dport before the start of the year do think it will be a once off they were even here?and i vote liberal!!!!
ba - tassie
A. Hey Ba yeah i love my kingies and it is great to see that they are now turning up in the Apple Isle. In NSW they kiniges show up as soon as the water warms up. For you guys down there i would suspect that when the water is hottest the fish will appear and chances are they will appear on the exact same reef - good luck and send me some pics! cheers al ps vote for the shooters and fishers party!
Q. G'day Al. I hope all your postings in regards to the greens plus labour has not all been in vain. The problem we have is labours scare ads regarding work choices. Labours all for unfair dismisal laws, but that didn't protect K Rudd from the top job at all. How they can protect the average person from being sacked! I don't feel that the shooters and fishers party are doing enough to let people know that voting labour is backing the greens in return, as you say this spells disaster for us all. I've seen the how to vote leaflets at tackle stores put on the counters. I believe that this is not enough. I've grabbed a handful of these leaflets and put them out on windscreens at boat ramps to do my part, but there should be large posters in tackle stores and some form of advertising on TV. What more can I do except to vote for the shooters and fishers party?
AI - Tony Sant
A. hey tony thanks for your inquiry. You're not wrong about labour and their green preferences - if they get in it is spells disaster for all Aussies anglers and outdoorsmen as well as their families. The shooters and fishers party doesn't have the funding that the major parties have so TV ads are out of reach at the moment. Although I have been promoting the issues on StrikezoneTV. Thanks heaps for your help spreading the word but don't stop! cheers al
Q. How long does delivery take on your DVD's. I just ordered one today for a birthday present. Please let me know if it will be here in time.
Cindy Emmett - Western Sydney
A. hey cindy i am away but i will get the girls to get it out in the mail tomorrow and i will organise a sydney fishing map as well enjoy al
Q. Hi Al would love to fish for tuna in NSW from about mid August,hear its quiet at Bermi etc at this time are the fish likely to be north of Sydney towards Coffs etc....appreciate your advice.
Adam West - Victoria
A. hey Adam Okay at this time of year i would recommend Sydney or north. However the key to picking the exact spot is reading the SST charts and focus your efforts around the eddies. Concentrate around the edges of those eddies where the water is 19-20 degrees. also keep an eye on the blog we will tell you where the fish are holding.
Q. Hey Al, On your cooks river TV episode your friend had a fibreglass open boat dark blue hull and honda powered , what brand and model boat was that, nice unit. Regards Paul
Paul Riley - Camden
A. hey paul yeah it was one slick boat eh! It was a pioneer bay boat - mick latimer from the compleat angler actually sells them and has them at the villawood store if you want to check it out
Q. Hello Al, Mate knowing your involvement in the fight for our fishing rights, though you would be the best person to ask whom should we giving our vote at the upcoming election? It can be quite confusing making a decision at the polling booth so I'm sure like many others out there your thoughts and input would be greatly appreciated! I want to be sure we cast the vote to the party whom will best represent all fishos and hunters alike!
Nathan Bajada - Gosford (Central Coast)
A. hey nathan good question. We have a real issue with the radical greens getting into the senate which will spell disaster for ever everyone who enjoys the outdoors or has fun! For NSW we need to vote for Rob Brown and shooters and fishers party. Federally we cant vote labor becuase they have the green preference or any of the greens pit them all last!
Q. hEY AL, can you recommend a few spots within Sydney heads worth a go for catching nice sized mulloway from an open runabout.Fishing with baits?
Ray - londonderry
A. hey ray we fished a week back for StrikezoneTV up the parramatta river and caught a heap in the deep holes, but we moved from one to the next plucking fish as we went. Gladesville bridge area is reliable as is the next point upstream on the northern side. The lower reaches are also worth a shot but just be wary you dont anchor in the channel good luck!
Q. Hi Al do you think you could a show on hair tail fishing around sydney and hawkesbury thank you love the show.
Ron - Sydney
A. Hey ron thanks for your inquiry. Would you believe i have never caught a hairtail, but my esteemed cameraman CSR is a gun hairtail angler so I will suss him out and see about hooking up a hairtail!
Q. Hi mate, saw the preview footage of you swimming with the bluefin.. pretty amazing stuff. When can we see the full show?
Bruce - Nowra
A. hey bruce thanks for the inquiry. The footage is so good of the bluefin that we are using it as our closing show for the series this year which will be in about five weeks. I can keep you in the loop and let you know when cheers al
Q. Hi Al, just wondering how long the kings stay about off sydney through the colder months.
Jason - Sydney
A. hey jason kings are an all year round option off Sydney. In the cooler months they move offshore to reefs like the Peak and 12 mile, while in the summer months they stack up on the inshore reefs.
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