Learning The Art Of Capturing Luderick
Illawarra Mercury
Saturday June 12, 2004
THIS weekend I will try to help you catch a luderick, a sport fish some times referred to as a blackfish.
Luderick are a blackish colour with up to 12 vertical striped bars on the upper part of the body.
The species are a schooling type fish that can grow to a length of 70cm and weigh up to 2kg. But here in the Illawarra most luderick caught weigh between 500g and 900g.
Targeting luderick can become addictive and requires a high level of skill, which sometimes puts a novice angler off learning more about the art of catching the fish.
Most anglers who love the sport of catching luderick will always help a novice angler learn the skills required to master the art.
However a novice angler will need a bit of patience and a keen eye to pick up some of the tricks the old salts use to catch luderick.
The most effective rig to use while fishing for luderick off a rock platform is a well-balanced floating rig. The lower the swell the lower you set the bait.
I haven't got space in this article to expand on the right rigs to use in different sea conditions, but the tackle shop owner will always help you out and probably tie you the right rig for the day's conditions.
The best type of bait to use to catch luderick has always been green weed, or cabbage scraped off the rocks, while in an estuary live squirt worms do a lot of damage on luderick.
Luderick are an excellent eating fish if you bleed the fish and gut them as soon as you catch them, otherwise the flesh may have weedy taint from the fish eating weed and cabbage.
© 2004 Illawarra Mercury
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