Swains advice.

[rtp1984]

Hi all, how are you?

So my trip to the swains is close. 21st June.
Just want to pick the brains of everyone so I can take advantage of as much of this trip as possible. So I'll throw up some ideas on what I think I'll be doing, but please let me know what I should be doing/ what I should be asking of the skipper and alike.

So I imagine that when the weather I great, we should be out on the mother ship ( iron joy) in the deeper water chasing reds, nannies and what not?

When the weather not the best, back at the shallow reefs. Would this be a realistic way to think about it?

GT wise. I want to catch some. But. I am going to try and do it with "improvised" gear. I have a spheros 1800 with 50lb braid, but I don't have a long rod to cast big distance, and don't want to spend the money buying a new rod just for this one trip, as I would not fish anything like that Bach home. But trust me, I will be sending off poppers with whatever I can when the opertunity comes.

So please let me know. Am I looking at this trip the right way?
What should I make sure I have?
What should I defiantly do?
What should I not do?
What should I make sure u make the skipper does?

Look forward to any advice.

Thanks
Rob Proudlock

[Si]

Rob,
There is a fair amount of info available if you do a search. If you are after GT's on your gear i strongly suggest you upgrade your drag in your spheros at the very minimum to have at least a chance at stopping them on your improvised gear. They are one fish that will very quickly find the shortcomings of your gear in a blink of an eye. A GT managed to cook my reels drag in an instant so it needs to a good condition. good idea to berley for the GT's.

i dont know if the following is the best methods or techniques to emply but it generally worked for me.

most of the time you will be catching trout, red throat emporers and tuskies. I would take a fair selection of lead, some small for shallow work and some snapper leads for the deeper stuff. spare line, braid or mono. I personally liked mono for bait fishing for the slimpicity of not having to tie leaders to braid every time you got snagged. Basically just thread a sinker on and tie a hook (s) on and your back into it. I know alot of people do like braid though for the direct hook-ups and feel in deep water.

I made up some two and three gangs hooks in the tarpon mustad prior to the trip and these were used quite quickly bait fishing. you can lose some gear at times to australia and noahs. i also made up wire traces for the toothy critters using haywire twists connected to big lures, live bait hooks and big gangs ready to go out of the bag.


I would have a dedicated outfit for bottom bashing and a live bait rod. you can catch some very big mackerel on livies under a balloon while you catch you bottom dwelling species. i also had a trolling rod for tuna and mackerel and a soft plastic rod which didnt return home in one piece.

have fun.

[cobiaman]

Just out of curiosity, do you catch reds out off the swains?

[Muddy Toes]

Just out of curiosity, do you catch reds out off the swains?

My boat does...........

[cobiaman]

My boat does...........

Sweeeeeeet

[Horse]

I don't think the water is deep enough for the big fellas but there are Reds in the area. I guess we will just have to go out there and find out

[trymyluck]

BRIAN SWAINS 37.jpg

Some do and some just catch heads...........Mind you 6kg heads.......

[cobiaman]

Thats one ugly looking head!

[trymyluck]

Thats one ugly looking head!

Which one????

[trymyluck]

Seriously though the best thing you can do is keep it simple, for shallow bottom bashing go mono, braid outfit for the deeper stuff and a good quality light outfit for the fun stuff. In the shallows go as light as you can sinker wise, drink hard, fish hard and have fun, wish I was going as well.


Mark

[rtp1984]

Thanks guys.
I imagine fishing deeper, will just be like fishing anywhere else, no problem. But with the shallow stuff, would I be using my snapper gear, or do you end up getting bricked by the trout? How shallow are we talking?

[lethal]

Pm Dayoo, think he was telling me his hotlips go alright up there. Either way he'll have a bit more info.

[therapy]

I went last year and took way too much stuff. Took a plastic rod but found that while the other guys were putting fish in the esky I was casting allot for not much return. In the end, if I went back, I would take a box of 200 8 o's, some decent sized ball sinkers, leader from 60 - 130 pound and not much else for bottom fishing. A decent spinning reel ( mine is a 8000 stradic) and rod and your good to go. Trolling gear is another matter, but still you don't need a thousand bits and pieces. KISS principle and take more beer than you think will need. Seems to evaporate up there some how?!?!?

Cheers....Terry.....

[jtpython]

I believe the biggest record Red is from the Swains 25 kg anyone back me up on that?

[Muddy Toes]

I believe the biggest record Red is from the Swains 25 kg anyone back me up on that?

Hardly seems worth it doesn't it?