Underrated Camping Activities – Fishing

Almost everybody has tried it once, we often forget about many underrated camping activities & fishing is one of them. It’s both an exciting & calming hobby with time to sit & think, then time for action when you’re about to make a catch. Let’s take a look at what you need to consider if you want to give fishing a try for your next camping trip.

Fishing Permits

The different states around Australia have different regulations about fishing & whether you require a licence to do so. The current states which require a fishing permit are Victoria, Western Australia & Tasmania.
New South Wales does not require a formal permit as such, but you need to pay a Recreational Fishing fee & keep the receipt on hand any time you are fishing.

Check Your Location

Before you decide you want to try out fishing, you need to check if your destination even allows fishing.
It can be prohibited in some areas to protect the local wildlife & ecosystem, so we need to respect that.
If fishing is allowed, there may also be size & quantity regulations in place, again this is to protect the eco system to prevent overfishing of specific species. It’s beneficial to do a little bit of research on the area you are headed to so you can be aware of what is allowed as well as what fish you may find in that area.

Click the links below for some quick links on checking size & bag limits per state:

Victoria     New South Wales     Queensland     Western Australia     Tasmania     Northern Territory     South Australia

The Gear

As with most things to try out, you don’t need the expensive high-end gear when you just want to give it a go. Everyday retailers like Kmart sell a surprisingly large range of fishing products so you don’t need to break the bank to have a go.

• Fishing Rod
• Bait Hooks
• Sinkers/ line weights
• Bait
• Pliers
• Bucket (or something to put your catch in)
• Tape Measure

The Technique

Before you head off it’s helpful to learn a little bit more about how to cast a rod & if you want to eat your fish after catching it you will need to know how to process it. This is where we recommend jumping onto YouTube to check out a few basic tutorials. Some things to look at are:

• Tieing a fishing hook onto your line (Snelling a hook to a fishing line)
• How to tie sinkers to a rod
• How to cast a fishing rod
• Process a fish for eating

Once you’ve learned a bit about what to do, you’re ready to head off & start fishing. There’s a bit to learn so you can follow the correct regulations, but it can be a great bonding moment for families, or just a new relaxing hobby to try out on your future camping trips.