All Articles

Everything we have written, in one place

This archive collects the full library of Beach Fishing Australia guides for anglers who fish from sand, rock and estuary mouths. Whether you are learning to spot a gutter at low tide on a Sydney beach or planning a run north for tailor, the sections below group our material so you can find the right reading before you load the car.

Reading Beaches and Water

Start here if you cannot yet tell a holding gutter from a flat, featureless bank. These pieces cover walking a beach at low tide, spotting rips and cross-currents, judging sand banks by wave shape and colour, and matching tide stages to feeding windows.

• Beach anatomy — gutters, holes, banks, corners and rip mouths, and why fish sit where they do.
• Tide and swell notes — choosing between a rising tide on a shallow bank and the last of the ebb through a deep gutter.
• Light and wind — dawn, dusk and the difference an onshore breeze makes to water clarity.

Rigs, Tackle and Technique

Practical, repeatable setups rather than gear lists. We explain the paternoster and running sinker rigs, when to swap to a long shank for whiting, how to size star and snapper sinkers to the wash, and how to cast further without losing your bait.

1. Choosing rod length and line class for the surf you actually fish.
2. Building a simple two-hook paternoster and a low-profile running rig.
3. Bait presentation: beach worms, pipis, pilchards, prawns and strip baits.
4. Spin and lure work from the sand, including metals and shallow divers.

Species Guides

Species-by-species notes on habits, seasons, likely water and sensible legal-size awareness. Coverage includes sand whiting, bream, tailor, salmon, mulloway, flathead, dart and tarwhine, with tips on the rigs and baits that suit each and the beach features they favour.

Destinations, State by State

Regional pages describe beach types, access considerations and the general seasons anglers plan around, from Sydney's ocean beaches and headland platforms to the long surf stretches of other states. We describe conditions and features rather than promising results, because sand moves and beaches change shape after every big swell.

Safety and Conservation

The most important reading on the site. Rock and beach fishing carries real risk, so we cover swell awareness, escape routes, life jackets, fishing with a mate, telling someone your plans, and never turning your back on the water. Conservation material covers bag and size limits, careful release, cleaning up line and bait packaging, and respecting closures and protected areas.

How to Use This Archive

New anglers usually get the fastest improvement by reading one beach-reading guide, one rig guide and the safety notes, then fishing a single local beach across several tides. Keep a short log of tide, swell, wind and captures; after a season that log will teach you more than any article. If you cannot find a topic here, contact us on +61240309140 or at [email protected] during Mon–Fri: 09:00 – 17:00 (AEST) and we will point you to the closest guide or add it to the writing list. We are based in Sydney.