Hints and tips of reef fishing whilst drifting

 So I've recently joined a local reef fishing club and whilst the guys are great fun, the way they operate has me out of my fishing comfort zone. Basically these guys head out to the reef and use handlines in depths usually around the 40m and hop around to different marks and drift. Now I'm definitely more of a rod and reel kind of guy and mainly looking to be a bit more active in my fishing rather than just put a bit of bait on throw it over the railing.

But I don't quite know what kind of set up to use that works with the drifting that these guys do? They also have a strict no braid policy so that's really got me wondering what to use on my set up. I currently have a 1.65m jigging rod paired with a Spinfisher 9500 thats loaded with standard mono. I'm thinking of get a complete new setup as the reel is just wayyyyy too heavy to constantly work. Any suggestions as to what I should get? I'm thinking of using fluorocarbon main line to get the line to sink a bit?

I'm still a beginner fisho so wanted to try some lures but not sure what to get. I got one of those slow jigs (Shimano Lucanus 200g and Inchiku slow jig types) but I didn't really read up on how they're supposed to be used so didn't have any success last time I was out on the reef! Anyway any thoughts and tips to get me in the right direction would be great  


Da pirate's picture

Posts: 1521

Date Joined: 03/05/15

Geez ! Bit different!

Mon, 2017-11-13 21:40

Not aloud braid ? Hand lines In 40ms of water
And also you say they head too the reef ?
Hard too help buddy you need too be a little
More descriptive.... personally I'd say there's
Probably not too many guys bouncing for dermersals
These days with mono ! Could be wrong tho!

Posts: 326

Date Joined: 18/10/10

Old school boys alright!

Mon, 2017-11-13 21:54

 the reason they won’t like braid is for tangles, I wouldn’t bother with lures or jigs then as you are likely to get cause some major issues on a drift. Sit back relax and drop down a paternoster with the boys, it’s more fun than you think hooking a big fish on handlines

Posts: 3

Date Joined: 07/11/17

Yeah I don't mind not using

Mon, 2017-11-13 22:38

Yeah I don't mind not using braid, just sucks not having the feel on mono. In any case happy to work around it and will definitely give the handlines a crack one trip!

I did give the jigs a crack and it's not really an issue for tangles as I'm at the end of the boat away from a few of the other lines. Just need to tweak my setup a bit more I think.

Posts: 727

Date Joined: 28/07/16

Sounds like fun

Tue, 2017-11-14 06:32

 I think anyway get some gloves 50lb mono dirty big sinker big bait and have a ball !!! 

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wont catch em sitting at home!

Posts: 812

Date Joined: 09/10/06

 Find a new club.

Tue, 2017-11-14 12:25

 Find a new club.

Alan James's picture

Posts: 2206

Date Joined: 30/06/09

..

Tue, 2017-11-14 12:49

Are you referring to a fishing club here in WA or somewhere else?

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Posts: 3

Date Joined: 07/11/17

 Over in north QLD!

Tue, 2017-11-14 20:06

 Over in north QLD!

Da pirate's picture

Posts: 1521

Date Joined: 03/05/15

Ahh ....

Tue, 2017-11-14 21:35

 makes a little more sense now !! 

North qld .... if they roll that way in 

the club buddy I'd say you ll be inclined

too do the same ... goodluck on the handys

as said can be good fun ! Cheers pirate

carnarvonite's picture

Posts: 8627

Date Joined: 24/07/07

Pro Shop

Wed, 2017-11-15 05:47

If you want to used braid as a handline then head in to where the pro wetliners buy their gear. They will have some black braid that is about 2-3mm thick, no stretch and if its the same as I have then a knot breaking strain of abound 300lb. t comes in hanks or rolls of approx. 2000 metres