Buying a boat is an exciting step in your angling journey, but safety should be a priority from the beginning to ensure you don’t end up on the news for the wrong reasons. It is saddening to hear about disastrous boating accidents, and even sadder to hear that many of them could have been prevented!

The name Alvey is legendary in the Australian tackle scene. Known for their reliability and built-to-last design, they cemented themselves as a mainstay in the Australian anglers’ tackle box over 100 years ago, and have recently done so overseas too!

Soft plastics have really made themselves at home in the Australian marketplace over the last few decades, and their development has come along in leaps and bounds. By far one of the most revolutionary aspects of plastics, however, is their ability to be rigged ‘weedless’.

Whether you’re chasing tasty reef fish, toothy pelagics or trolling for marlin, many offshore trips begin with the obligatory trip to the ‘bait grounds’, wherever they may be in your local area.

Downrigging seems to be one of those old school techniques that’s been forgotten about, but has its uses from small freshwater targets such as Australian bass and trout, all the way up to bluewater giants like kingfish and even marlin.

The run-off. It’s something most northern anglers fantacise about when they’re meant to be doing something else. It’s a time when other things such as the lawn and social commitments take a backseat to fishing, and plans are made to capitalise on some of the best fishing around.

When we fish with lures, we try to give ourselves any little edge we can, however many people choose to neglect the use of scents. To many, using scents is more akin to bait fishing than lure fishing, however using them effectively requires a bit of know-how.

Lures usually come with hooks that are suited to their intended target species, however, given that anglers like to think outside of the box, lures will often be used on species outside the ones recommended.

Since the advent of braid about 25 years ago, the great debate about whether braid or monofilament is better has raged on. Hard-headed traditionalists often bemoan braids for its tendency to tangle, while many new age braid users think of monofilament as a thing of the past

Many anglers often have a preference for using a baitcast or spin set up when they’re fishing, however it’s worth noting that while it’s okay to have a preference, these two set-ups have different properties that lend themselves to certain scenarios.

Fishing for sand, summer or yellowfin whiting from the surf is a great way to enjoy trips to the beach while also gathering a feed to take home. Being a shore-based activity, it’s relatively inexpensive, and if you know how, the bait can be gathered right at your feet. 

All over Australia, fishing off ocean rocks is a popular pastime, and offers anglers without a boat to access species usually reserved for those with boats or kayaks. It also offers an exhilarating way to tangle with some of our most iconic species.