It sounds like your current location is a good one. I'd be keen to work out what fish you are losing before moving locations. 20m is plently deep enough for quality dimersals. Obviously, going out the FADS opens up a whole new fishery, but if you're after dimersals, I'd get your current systems sorted.

How are you losing these fish? Are the hooks pulling? If so,there's a few things that may be the problem:

- loose line. Are you dropping the rod tip before you wind down on the fish? I've seen plenty of people getting excited about hooking good fish and their technique goes out the window. I reckon everyone would be guilty of this at some stage.

- hook quality. Are your hooks sharp? Are they getting bent? Are they the right size?

- drag setting. Is your drag set too tight? I personally like to set a light drag and then palm the spool once I feel confident with the hook setting.

 Going to hard on the fish and not letting them take drag is a good way to loose fish, I'm guilty of that a couple of times, there is a lot of good fish on the 60m line ATM 

Thx Geoff and Troy for your input

I did have some bad hooks on so I ripped them off straight away. I've got size 6 and 7 on my 80Lb braid line. The hooks and leader aren't really getting damaged and I know I've lost a couple coz I haven't struck them properly.

I think you might be right about my technique - coz my technique is really no technique at all - I'm used to Kahawhai (you guys call them Aussie Salmon), Herring and Red Cod. Kahawhai bite hard and are hard to lose - you just pull them in with brute force and gear that's stronger they are. Red Cod - well they're just too lazy to get off...

So yea - I could probably do with some tips. The drag I usually have set pretty light then slowly tighten it till the fish is having to pull hard - then when he slows down I start reeling in. But to be honest - I'm just guessing at what is the right way to do it.

With the big one on Friday I was sure he was struck right - the way he was pulling I thought no way isn't the hook set but pretty much as soon as I started winding in - bang - it was gone - maybe the hook was thru the side of his mouth and I just yanked it out by being too rough - I dunno

I think you're right Geoff - get my skills sorted first...

How far out to the 60m mark Troy?

Cheers

Tim

 no worries Tim.

I just wrote a lengthy response, but it stuffed up when I hit submit, so I'll be brief this time.

Sounds like the fish you are losing are big skippy. Good sport.

Fish a second lighter outfit as well. 

Rod: 6-7 foot rated 10-30lb

Reel: 5000 in shimano size

Line: 14-20lb braid or similar

Leader: 20lb

Hook: 4/0 Gamakatsu Octopus

Paternoster rig with minimum weight to get you to the bottom.

Bait: quarter piece of mulie

When you get a bite lift the rod firmly from horizonal to about 45 degrees. Lifting too high will create loose line. Hold the rod up and see if you can feel  the weight of the fish. If line is coming off the reel, wait for the fish to slow. If you can feel weight but the fish isn't taking line, start winding. Let the winding of the reel pull your rod down. Don't drop your rod and then start winding. This will cause loose line. Use a landing net for skippy as they have soft mouths.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers,

Geoff

Good info!

I have been using lighter rigs as well - one with 10lb, size 2/0 long shank and 2oz weight - that's mainly for whiting.
And a 20lb, size 3/0 or 4/0, same sinker - that's for the wrasse and what ever else is hungry enough to jump on.

I'm going to set up the 20lb the way you say and see how that goes - and I'll be studying the action you're talking about - I reckon anything with a soft mouth would be getting ripped apart by my technique :-(.

Do you reckon wrasse would substitute for mullies? Fish seem to love a bit of filet-o-wrasse

Thanks for the tips - Going out on Thursday - so I'll let you know

Cheers

Tim

PS - good trick when you're writing lengthy stuff - Ctrl-A to select all and Ctrl-C to copy before you hit submit or send - just in case :-)

 thanks for the tip Tim. I'll use that in future.

Ihaven't used wrasse for bait before, but fresh bait caught at your location should be ideal. Have the mystery fish be taking wrasse? If so, keep using it. Is wrasse skin quite tough? If so, it might be covering the hook tip and stopping you sinking the hook properly.

The fish seem to prefer Western King Wrasse and after eating a couple of the others I can understand why :-)

Definitely plenty of action on it but Friday's hook up was the first drop so it was peeled prawn.

Just been reading about bottom bouncing - might give that a crack - have to keep away from the weed though.

Hey Geoff

Went out this morning and landed a decent sized skippy - thanks in part to my new improved technique

Dragged up a pretty decent sized ray too....

What a shit day - nothing but wrasse - tried a couple of different spots and nothing - not even the ubiquitous Blowies and Rays....