All Topics

What you will find here

This is the full topic index for Aussie Tackle Box, written from a Sydney base but built for anglers right across the country. Every subject below is grouped the way most of us actually shop and fish: gear first, then rigging, then the boring-but-important bits like safety and bag limits. Sizes are in mm, cm, m and kg, weights in g, and any pricing guidance is quoted in AUD.

Seasons follow the southern hemisphere, so when we say the tailor run fires up in autumn or that murray cod shut down through the coldest winter weeks, that is the calendar we are using. If you are chasing a topic that is not listed yet, send a note to [email protected] or ring +61275903570 during Mon–Fri: 09:00 – 17:00 (AEST).

Rods, reels and line

• Rod selection — 2100 mm light spin sticks for bream and flathead, 7 ft finesse graphite, 10 ft to 12 ft beach rods for tailor and mulloway, and short heavy sticks for mangrove jack in the snags.
• Reel matching — 1000 to 2500 size spin reels for estuary work, 4000 to 6000 for kingfish and school mulloway, drag ratings in kg and why 5 kg of measured drag beats a big number on the box.
• Braid, mono and leader — 4 lb to 10 lb braid for plastics, 20 kg leader for spanish mackerel wire traces, knot choices, and how much line to actually spool.

Lures, soft plastics and terminal tackle

• Hardbodies and vibes — deep divers for murray cod, 50 mm to 70 mm shallow runners for bream on the flats, and metal vibes for winter flathead.
• Soft plastics — paddle tails, curl tails, prawn profiles, jighead weights from 1/16 oz through to 3/8 oz, and matching hook gauge to leader.
• Terminal tackle — swivels, ball sinkers, running rigs, circle hooks versus suicide patterns, and rust-resistant options for saltwater use.

Storage, kayaks and small craft

• Tackle storage systems — tray sizing, foam lure wraps, dry boxes, and a simple loadout you can carry on a rock ledge without a backpack full of dead weight.
• Kayak and small-craft fit-outs — rod holders, anchor trolleys, milk-crate builds, ballast and trim, plus keeping total load under the hull rating in kg.
• Marine electronics — entry-level sounders, transducer mounting on plastic hulls, reading bait balls and structure, and battery sizing for a full day on the water.

Species rigs and techniques

Step-by-step rigs for bream, flathead, mulloway, tailor, barra, murray cod, kingfish, mangrove jack and spanish mackerel, with notes on tide, water temperature and season. Each guide covers a starting rod and reel pairing, leader breaking strain, lure or bait choice, and the mistake most people make on their first few sessions.

Care, safety and the rules

• Gear care — freshwater rinses, reel servicing intervals, hook sharpening, and storing rods so guides and blanks last.
• Safety — lifejacket wear on kayaks and rock platforms, swell and wind checks before you leave, sun cover, and telling someone your plan.
• Fisheries rules — where to check current size and bag limits, closed seasons, protected species and gear restrictions in your state before you keep a fish.
• State-by-state loadouts — practical kit lists that suit local water, from Sydney estuaries and offshore reefs to northern barra country and inland cod rivers.

How to use this index

New anglers should start with rod and reel matching, then move to one species guide and fish it until it works. Experienced anglers usually want the rig detail and the loadout pages. Nothing here replaces your own on-water judgement or the current rules published by your state fisheries authority, so treat every recommendation as a starting point and adjust to the conditions in front of you.