garryl

Well done, nice fish! Kept the kids happy and had something to bring home. Can't ask for more than that!

Hi all, just a quick one. I ran out of petrol for my 4 stroke lawnmower the other day and whacked in some 2-Stroke petrol I have left over in my boat's 25L tank rather than going down to the petrol station (I was in a bit of a hurry). If I did this regularly would it harm the 4 stroke engine? it didn't seem to be blowing much smoke and ran like a dream.... Thanks, Garry

The Jewfish Family and Friends with a Salmon and Flattie caught New Year's Day Matty with a thumper Patonga Bream

I've been on hols for the last 2 weeks and have managed to get out a few times, taking family and friends and kids most of the time (which can get cramped in a 12 foot tinny!!!). Manged to get a couple of keepers on each outing best Flattie was 50cm and best (and only) bream went a whopping 40cm (caught on a strip of yellowtail). Have struggled to get good sized poddies which reflected in the catches not being and pleantiful as they have been in the past. Fished around Ettalong and Patonga. Patonga was new to me and I was inspired to go there by Ray R's recent reports (Thanks for the tips!!!!) Didn't get a chance to get any poddies yesterday so I decided to go 100% SPs today which is a first for me. Thanks heaps to everyone for the tips in the "Lure and Fly" section. I've tried SPs in the past without success so it was a big change, but the tips worked really well and pointed me in the right direction. The weather was miserable but I decided to take it on as we are going home tomorrow. At worst I'd get wet and come home. After about an hour or so one of the rods in a holder goes off. It was pretty heavy and took me a while to get it to the boat. All the knots and gear held! Had him hooked in the lip, would have definitely lost him if he would have swallowed it. The 10lb leader would not have stood a chance. The Jewie came in at 82cm which is close to my PB of 86cm. It was caught on a Berkley 4" minnow in smelt colour with a 7 gm Jig head. Also managed 3 flatties to 45cm. My young fella met up with me for the last couple of hours and dragged one of them into the boat. I'll post some pics when I get home and have the cables and stuff for my camera. Fishing with the SPs was a real eye opener, it just goes to show that you need to do the reseach and get some good tips before you hit the water or it just ends up being wasted time. I fished 1/3 bait, 1/2 SPs on one of my Patonga trips. The 2" Shrimps were getting pecked by something that didn't damage the plastic at all (unlike the hoards of chopper Tailor which love the tails of the minnows and Jerk Shads) eventually managed to foul hook a coupl eo fundersized whiting. This may have helped the cause of catching the Flatties with swarms of whiting around the lure. The Flattie was probably going for the whiting and ended up with a hook in it's mouth. Other SPs that were working were the Squidgy fish in a bright red colour. Garry

Thanks to everyone for their posts and sharing info on SPs. Had my first couple of trips out with them (usually fish with poddys) and managed op land a few flatties and an 82cm Jew (Not a bad by-catch!). I used a lot of the tips out of this particular post and a few of the other similar posts. It's great that some people will take the time to share their hard earned secrets with newbies like me. I really appreciate the help. For the record the Jew was landed on... 4" Minnow in smelt 7gm Nitro jig head 10lb Mono trace Braid main line (a bit heavier from memory) 3-6kg light rod (&&*&*& Special!!!!) Drifting around Half Tide Rocks at Ettalong on the run in tide, about 7:30ish this morning in light drizzle, a good casting distance from the shore. Other SPs that did the job for the Flatties were 5" Jerk Shads in Lime Tiger and Nuclear Chicken as well as 2" Shrimp and Squidgy Fish in Tomato. I'll put some photos in a fishing report I'm putting together. Garry

Thanks for the replies, and especially the offer of help. It's much appreciated. I've added a photo of what's broken. Its the mounting that the screen clicks into, and it's broken at the swivel. I don't think that making up a repalcement bracket is an option. I might be able to tape it up in position, but then I'd lose the ability to take the screen off. My boat is left outside when it's not being used so I need to take it off.

Hi all, When I went out a few weeks ago I went to pull the Sounder screen off the mounting bracket (Quick release type). It didn't slide off very easily and I tugged at it a bit hard and broke the mounting bracket at the swivel. I checked on the Hummingbird web site and they want $70 for a replacement!!!! If anyone has an old Matrix 12 that might be busted and you want to get rid of it for a few $$ let me know and we'll see if we can work out a deal. Thanks heaps, Garry

Haven't been out much over winter while chasing kids around playing soccer. Put a bit of time in on my tinny, wiring it up and putting in a live bait tank. Got a leave pass from the missus for the weekend to head up to the van at Umina with my friends Peace and Quiet. I usually do allright fishing with Poddies so stopped at my local spot on Friday night on the way up near Bulli Beach. Tried for about an hour and the little buggers jst wouldn't go in the trap Packed up and headed off. Decided to get up early and head out to Iron Ladders to pick up some yellowtail. Was swamped by hundreds of tiny sweep. Worked hard to get a few yakkas in the tank. The tank worked well, but spilt a heap of water in the boat when I was drving around. I also monuted it a bit high so it made the boat a bit unstable. Back to the drawing boad for that one! Dragged the yakkas around Lobster Beach. Managed a few small snapper on my other baits. Didn't get a hit on the livies. Tried around 1/2 Tide Rocks for much the same result. Ended up anchored up on the Sea side of the Rip Bridge. Got a hit on one of the yellowtail but bit the line off pretty quickly. Not the best of mornings. Headed back to the van for a refuel (nanna nap) and put the traps in for some poddies. Much better luck this time Headed back out for an afternoon session. Picked up two small legal flatties around 1/2 Tide Rocks and a third one drifitng around Booker Bay which went 55cm. Hit the water again on Sunday morning, again drifted around 1/2 Tide Rocks for a few hours for 3 Flatties around the 40-45cm mark and a squid. I always seem to pick up a squid on the poddies as the tide slows. Anchored up and tried my squid jig but couldn't get any more interest. I'll have to try a more expensive Jig as a few other posts suggest they do better than the cheaper ones, also might try a yakka on a spike as they get hit by them a bit as well. Anyway had a good weekend even if the fishing wasn't as hot as it can be. Judging by the guys I spoke to at the ramp and some of the other posts from the weekend I didn't do too bad. I took a couple of photos of my catch on my mobile First time adding photos....

I was out there this morning as well. Headed out past Ettalong and Lobster beach. Picked up some yellowtail and managed to get one bearly legal flathead. Would have let it go if I knew it was all that was going to get in the boat. Was with my brother and we managed a double hookup at one stage. We had high hopes untill two 1m long Port Jackson sharks came up to the surface. Anyway, know how you feel., pretty frustrating. At least it was a cracker of a day to be out and about. Garry

It's been a few months since I've been out. Had today off work so we've been up at Umina for the long weekend. Managed to get theboat out this morning. I normally drift for flatties but couldn't get any poddies in the creek I usually pick them up from. So I had to try something a bit different. Put in around 7 and headed out to Iron ladders (I think that what it's called) and picked up a few yakkas. Ventured a bit further out along the headland in my 12 foot tinny, anchored up and put out a bit of berley. Threw a yakka out on a heavy line and had strips out on another line and chicken on a third. Spent about an hour there only to pull in half a dozen of the biggest yellowtail I've ever seen and a couple of rubbish fish. Headed back in to Lobster beach and drifted around there and picked up a 30cm bream on chicken. It was pretty quiet so went to my usual haunt and drifted around Ettalong looking for my flatties. Managed a 45cm Model, also on the chook. About to pack up and the live yakka started to move around a bit. Pulled him in a foul hooked a squid. So enough for Entree and main for myself and my wife, but the kids will have to have sasuages..... Coming up again for the second week of school hols so hope to get out again next week. Garry

I agree with the common theme here. Wide Gap (Khale) hook in size depending on the size of the poddy, normally 1/0 to 3/0. I even hook 2 smaller poddies on some times, also occasionally through the eyes. Leader of 1.5m long. Size 2 bean sinker (I can't be bothered changing size when the tide slows down / speeds up.) I also fish a bit too heavy. 10kg braid with a 10kg leader, on larger poddies. I put on a lighter, longer leader when the poddies are smaller. I was fishing with the same rig and yakkas a couple of weeks ago and picked up my first jewie 80cm long (yeee haaaa). Oh, and I have found the red Mustad hooks the best. They are thinner than the other wide gap hooks I have bought and the poddies stay alive longer. haven't broken one yet. Always hook the bait through both lips coming up. If you hook through the tail you'll drown the poor little beggers. I think hooking through the tail would be a good idea with a bait under a flot going for tailor or surface fish that attack the tail of the bait. Flatties seem to hit the head.Most of the time I get the flatties hooked through the lip with the wide gap hooks meaning they aren't a risk of chewing through the leader. I'm keep to try out the otehr tip I read recently about keeping them under when netting them so they don't shake their head, especially if they are gut hooked.

I always change the water a couple of times in the first few hours after I catch them. They empty their guts into the water when stressed and it makes the water really dirty really quickly. I use the larger style telescope perspex trap and have a second trap I made a box from sheets of perspex with a hinged lid on top. Sometimes they go in the cylinder trap (horizontal) sometimes they go in the box (hole in top). PS it's only legal to have one trap out at a time, so I always collect bait with a mate. Other things I have tried is using fly screen ove rthe top of a plastic box, used velcro to hold the fly screen in place, and sewed pockets on the inside of the screen to hold pieces of bread in place. Even still, some days for whatever reason the little beggers are out to p..s me off and won't go in. then i go home grumpy.

If I'm using yakkas (especially bigger ones) I use an old esky and use a small bucket to change the water pretty regularly. When I'm fishing with smaller poddies I use a minnow bcket that i bought recently (about $30). It has an inner bucket with slots in the bottom (except last inch or so). You lift out the inner bucket (with the fish), empty the main bucket and refill it with fresh water. The poddies splash around in the inner bucket untill you put it back in the main bucket. Also makes it easier to catch them if they are lievely, just pull out the inner bucket untill there isn't as much water for the to get away in. I don't take an aerator out in the boat. The humm annoys me too much (small tinny). i only use the aerator to keep the poddies alive overnight (get off to an early start in the morning). Anotehr tip is to change the water at least twice after catching poddies, especially if you get them in a trap. They spew and poo everything in the first couple of hours when they are stressed. The bucket always ends up full of bread and crap. The water is always cleaner (although still pretty dirty) the next day than if you don't do a couple of complete water changes. Garry