Rocket's Fishing Adventures

30/09/2023

Most of us have a favourite spot (or a few of them) where we know we have a good chance of catching a fish and enjoying our time on the water. That confidence is built on past experience and the comfort of past success can make it hard to push ourselves to explore new water. However the thrill of the unknown and the challenge of starting from scratch in a new system can be very rewarding. It can also be frustrating! You know that you have to adjust your expectations, but the little voice in your head telling you that you should have gone to spot X gets louder with every fruitless cast. The reality is that your confidence spot produces for you because you know how to fish it. When, where, how. All those factors have been learnt, likely over many years and sessions. You may be able to take some of these lessons and apply them to your new location, but we know that each system will have its own secrets to unlock, you just need to put in the time to reap the rewards.
I spent this morning exploring a totally new system looking for some new Bass water. It was fully tidal and this is also a learning curve for me as most of my Bass fishing is in the fresh. A good mate joined me on this adventure and we both felt all of the frustration that comes with new water exploration. There was no shortage of fishy snags and casting targets, but there was a shortage of hungry fish. We spent 7 hours on the water for only a couple of Bass hits and one landed. A couple of bream and a flathead came to play as well, but the Bass were very scarce.
Was it a wasted day? No. We got to see some lovely country, the conditions were great and so was the company. We also know where we might head next time we explore the same system based on today's experience.
Next time we might find our new spot X!

28/09/2023

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have been fishing but have not been taking many pics or videos, just using the time to relax and unwind. However, I did head out early on Saturday morning for a quick session before the wind really kicked in. Decided to fish a tidal stretch of a system below a weir chasing Bass that had been flushed out in the floods. Lack of decent rain and no more floods has seen all those fish unable to migrate back into the upper reaches and fresh water.
I found plenty of hungry Bass stacked on snags and willing to smash well placed surface lures. The best approach was skipping weedless plastics tight to structure. The hits were often close to danger so you then did your best to extract the angry beast once hooked.
Many were drawn to the zman goatz and most made it to the yak. The biggest surprise was a large Tilapia that smashed a crank bait close to a snag and towed me around for a good while. That thing was living in full salt tidal water and went hard! It is now enjoying the endless sleep and we have one less feral in our systems.
Bring on some decent rains to get the Bass moving again.
No video of this session but I did take some pics to prove it happened 😉

16/07/2023

I recently watched a video from TT Fishing and was inspired to try a different style of soft plastic. Not new or revolutionary, the streakz and jerk shadz shapes has been around for many years, but I have always preferred paddle or curl tails. With some tips on retrieve and techniques under my belt I felt confident enough to give it a go and tied on a 3.75 streakz in baby bass with a 1/6th size 1/0 TT jighead. Conditions were great with a run out tide, clear water and light winds. Within a dozen casts at a sandbank dropping off into a channel I felt the distinct bump of a flathead inhaling my lure as it fell back to the sandy bottom. The fish carved into the channel and fast flowing water rapidly changing directions making me doubt 8lb leader was a wise choice! After a couple of minutes chasing it around in the tide with my kayak hoping the leader held the fish was in the net. Would I have caught it in one of my old favourites? Maybe? But it's always great to try new things and have success.

06/05/2023

Headed back into the saltwater today for the first time in many months. Nice to know the local flathead will still eat my lures 😉
Lots of mini flatties around, the big ones were harder to find.
The best of the day (in pic) went 60cm.
There will be a video of this session soon on my channel as well as heaps of bass content from the past season.

22/04/2023

Be careful out there people!
I had an unexpected swim early today...and was very lucky to walk away without a serious injury (see video...as embarrassing as it is)
It was not until a short while later I realised that had lost my sunglasses that were perched on my hat, The hat floats due to foam fitted to the camera mount.
When I went back later to look for the sunnies in the waist deep pool, I stumbled across a submerged log stuck in the mud with a deadly long tip pointed straight to the heavens and only just under the murky surface. I must have missed falling on it by no more than 20-30cm if that.
I did strain a muscle in my back in the fall and twisted my ankle a bit, but it could have been so much worse!
The sunglasses are gone forever, and we didn't catch anything, but I'll take that as a win.

08/04/2023

Snuck out for a quick skinny water bass session this morning. Not a lot of action, but this one made it worth the effort.

11/02/2023

Exploring new water can take you to some magical places.

31/12/2022

Sometimes you just need to put down the rods and reels, enjoy the moment and the special places that your fishing adventures take you. Hope you have been to some cool places in 2022 and are looking forward to some great 2023 experiences.

09/10/2022

Last night I experimented with some BIG lures on slightly heavier gear, and these skinny water beasts smashed my Surface Breaker XL from Taylormade Lures. Casting to structure from kayak and hanging on after the explosive hit in the dark of night with tight drag is something special (but not for the feint of heart or inexperienced)

05/10/2022

The moment an angry Bass attacks your lure and catches you in the middle of a day dream....a little bit of wee might come out!
And then along came his big brother to join the fun 😎

03/09/2022

This Bass season is off to a cracking start! The creeks and rivers have been invigorated by the floods and dam escapees are out there feeding hard along with the resident fish. Get into them boys and girls, but look after this precious resource and the places they live so they will be there for years to come.

01/09/2022

Got me some Bass thumb from a hectic night session last night. So good! Non stop surface action.

17/07/2022

I enjoyed an afternoon of Flathead fishing with a good mate on Saturday and we were lucky enough to catch a few. We both caught a 50+cm fish and a few more keepers made it to the net also. Surprise catch of the day went to Wayne with a solid Bass that crunched his hard body lure over a sand flat in very salty water.
It was nice to be out on the water again taking advantage of some rare fine weather and catching up with an old friend. My fish were caught on a mixture of Soft Plastics cast on the flats or drop-offs, and trolled Hard Body lures. The fish in the pic is my best for the day that went 60cm and took a ZMan 6" DarterZ on a 1/4 Big EyeZ jig head.

10/07/2022

A lot of miles went into this smile. My first snapper on a jig and a new PB too! Conditions were rough and we found it hard to get anything decent to hit our jigs despite plenty of likely shows on the sounder. This brute smacked my 120g jig in approx 50m of water while the skipper was battling sea-sickness. After some good runs against tight drag and a solid battle all the way to the top, the Skipper ignored his nausea to slide the net under him and my new 71cm PB was safely aboard. Snapper no-take season is coming real soon, so I look forward to chasing these beasts again after that.

19/06/2022

Guess the lure!
It's about this time of year that the Flathead start to fire up. I managed a few hours of exploring over the weekend and despite fishing less than ideal tides and conditions (mid-day high tide), managed to hook into a decent 60+cm lizard.
What lure do you reckon she ate?

08/05/2022

Snuck out for a night session in between showers and before the storms last night. Got some serious Bass thumb this morning!
The big girls were hungry and belted surface for hours 😁 Left them biting.

11/04/2022

For those who are waiting for the answer....here is the full version!
😆

09/04/2022

Guess what fish this was?
Last weekend I went out into the local saltwater estuary system for the first time in a few months. It is still showing obvious signs of all the recent flooding with muddy water and heaps of floating debris.
I managed to tempt a few fish, including this unexpected species.
Can you guess what it was?

Lure: 3" paddle tail, 1/4 Jighead, Mullet scent.

24/02/2022

Looking for something to watch during this terrible weather we are having? Fire up your laptop, tablet, desktop, mobile phone or other device of choice and check out my most recent videos 😎
We've got some Bass smashing surface lures for those of you who like it fresh, and some Jewfish/Flathead action for those salt lovers.

19/02/2022

I made a thing!
I am not a tradesman, but I did inherit some tools from my (late) Dad and watched/helped him build lots of things over the years. I know it would make him happy to see them being put to good use again. Now I can claim back my garage (and maybe make room for more toys!)

12/02/2022

In the over-all scheme of things, it's not a big number, but for me it's a pretty cool milestone. I don't make videos for the money or to be "internet famous" (which is just as well because I get large amounts of neither😆) Thanks to all of you who have watched and subscribed over the years. Let's get to 3000 now!

06/02/2022

Since my last Facebook update I have released two new videos. They are ready for your viewing pleasure, so kick back in this miserable weather and fire up the inter-webs. One is Saltwater and the other is Freshwater. We've got something for everyone here at Rocket's Fishing Adventures 😎 Make sure you check them out!

26/01/2022

Did you get out for a fishing adventure on Australia Day?
I scored this great Golden Perch on a TT Spinnerbait while exploring a rugged Aussie bush creek.
It almost made the 3.00am alarm worth it!
I hope you enjoyed your day too.

22/01/2022

Those of you who have seen my videos will know I'm a big fan of fishing topwater. Being able to utilize your ZMan soft plastics for both surface and subsurface applications makes them a really versatile lure. Check out this informative short read and try some of these tips next time you are out fishing.

Justin Willmer outlines 5 ways that he rigs soft plastics for topwater fishing, including exposed hook and weedless options.

18/01/2022

My latest video is up on the tube of you, and I'm in the saltwater this time 😎 Target species are Flathead & Mulloway ... at the start!
Most of us head out fishing with a plan. In this adventure I explore my options when plan A doesn't work! Be flexible, adapt to the conditions and make the most of your time on the water.
Here's what to look for!

12/01/2022

Sometimes you just have to make the most of the opportunities you are given! We can't always pick and chose when we go fishing. When the window of opportunity opens it may not coincide with the best tides or the ideal weather conditions, but when you get on the water and are surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature, you'll be glad you made the effort. I was reminded of that on this adventure and was lucky enough to catch a few good fish also.
I hope you enjoy sharing it with me.



https://youtu.be/1HtG0EfnpkI

can't always pick and choose when you go fishing, so sometimes you just have to make the most of the opportun...

03/01/2022

Aussie made quality - get on board!

26/12/2021

Christmas day fishing? Not something that everyone can do (or would do) but everyone's lives are different and their own to live.
I had Christmas morning without family commitments, so I took that opportunity to hit the water early, and Santa bought me just what I wanted. How did he know? 😉
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas day (what ever you were doing), and get out for a fish soon.

10/12/2021

I often see people ask for advice on what is the best type of lure to use. There are almost countless possibilities, and just as many factors to take into account. However, if you can narrow it down to a species and a location, this will also help to select an effective lure. If anyone asks me what lure to use when chasing Bass in creeks, one lure stands clear at the top of the list.
Why? Take a few moments to watch and you'll see.

04/12/2021

How did I go? Well, it was a tough morning on the water, but my efforts were rewarded! This skinny water brute smashed my Zman Finesse FrogZ and then did his best to bust me off in an undercut bank while I battled some fast moving water. 1000's of casts for one fish might not seem like a good return, but a fish of this caliber from that water is well worth the effort.