campr

A Maritime boat stopped near me on the Hacking recently and a very nice female officer said hello. Asked if she wanted to check out my gear and she said no your ok, your one of the good guys. I have been checked a few times in the past and it seems like they record the results in their computer systems. Ron

My vote would be mounted vhf. I have both vhf and 27meg mounted in my quinnie. Vhf much better but some comps I have fished in the past had the locals using 27meg and I have kept both just in case. Just a note that by law you need to be licenced for vhf. Ron

Sometimes as little as 5 if leaving after dark for jew including 1 squid and 1 bait rod, but otherwise I try to restrict myself to 9. If fishing a comp and covering a number of line classes this has blown out to 11. I know I should seek help. Ron

Here are a couple of unusual ideas I have seen people use. If walking the dry bank or very shalow water, attach a spike to end of handle to push into the ground leaving net upright and easy to grab. If wading flats you you can tow an old baby bath tied with a light rope to your belt. This acts as a mini canoe to carry gear and fish in. These are fairly common on nth coast arround North Haven. Easy to find during council clean ups. Ron

Sounds good, but I would still get it checked out at next service at least. Ron

There's many a day I would be happy with a couple per hour. What do you get there, calamari or river/arrow squid? If arrows I would add a set rod with 2 small jigs set from a posternoster rig. Ron

I also have scraped off in the past as well as a light sand. I haven't found it necessary to remove all varnish if its sound, just the flakey bits but you have to feather any edges if you want a good finish. Ron

I have bought heaps of lures and a few reels from OS and never been asked for GST. Expensive items may be different but I have heard the gov is planning to add GST at point of purchase such as eBay. Ron

Take heaps of bread for burley and if they are there they will come. I like to have the occasional big bit floating on top so you can see them when they arrive. Ron

Hi Baz. Your wifes a minimalist answer explains how we get away with it. When I went through that stage I found those big gold reels hardest to sneak into the collection unnoticed. Ron

You've picked it GH. When I 1st fished there it was a secret spot that only a few locals knew and the scrub was that thick you had to nearly crawl through tunnels made by roos and wallabies. The spot became more known following a big bushfire that exposed the track for all to see. Ron

I used to fish some ledges a couple of miles walk south of Stoney Creak about 55 years ago that needed a rope decent to ledges. This was pre-kingy trap days and it was very rare not to have multiple kingy bags. My gear was a homemade Siloflex FT70 from USA which blank set me back nearly 2 months pay matched with a 6to1 Seascape reel loaded with 20lb nylon. Kings averaged around 12lb to 15lb landed with a 14ft rangoon gaff. Lures were WK arrows or homemade coppies but switched to big deep divers when they were fussy and followed lures to our feet without hitting. Also used metal profiles jigs named Irons. Mehod was throw as far as possible and wind back flat chat, or let sink deep and fast jig back. There were some memorable days like a 32lb longtail landed, a strike at my feet by a marlin and one day with monster barrel yellowfin porpoising along 50 metres out for most of the day resulting in 2 spool jobs and blistered thumbs. Happy memories. Ron

Unless things have changed which I doubt, as a previous employee of the DMT/RTA/RMS for 52 years I can tell you that the fee for pink and blue slips are fixed by the now RMS and they can't charge more than the set fee prescribed. However he can charge that fee for a 1st inspection that is a fail if he issues a slip listing fail items, but Im pretty sure that the return inspection is included in that fee. You can check this by phoning the RMS. Ron

It is my belief that having a solid plastic loom prevents wiring from bouncing and flexing which can cause connections and soldered joints etc to break or fail. I use rectangular plastic conduit which has 2 way tape on the c section to attach to hull with the 4th side/top which can be removed and clipped back on. Ron

Jewfish would be my 1st thought, but I've caught flathead on 8inch yakkas and 10-12inch mullet so they would be worth a try as well. Ron

I assume you will be making stainless axles for those lovely alloy rollers. Have made my own stainless axles for my last 2 boats with nylon rollers and try to convert everyone to do the same. Rollers roll easier and never stick even if I get a bit slack with the greasing. Ron

Drift anchors are only affetive against wind drift. I have a 5.6m Quintrex and use one of those bags they use to crane sand etc that are about a cubic metre in size. Ron

About the only thing thats good about getting old is that in retirement you don't have to fish on weekends. I only fish weekdays where possible but will have a go at night on weekends for jewies after the mob have gone home. Only exception is when fishing comps as unfortunately they are always on weekends. Only way to beat the ramp issues is to launch early as most yobbos don't seem to want to get out of bed too early. Hang in there and don't let them spoil your fun. Ron

Most high end reels especially the bigger ones with more powerful drags do not have an anti reverse, as it's just one more thing to fail. As already suggested, I would set it forward and leave it as it is rarely used. If your realy determined to fix, attach a photo of broken part, as your more likely to get suggestions on a fix. Ron

Under paint bubbling is caused by electrolysis. I was told by a member of my fishing club who is a retired metalurgist that the heat caused by grinding, cutting and drilling aluminium is enough to change the composition of the metal so you can create a dissimilar metal enough to cause electrlysis. Interesting but nothing you can do about it other than go slowly when using power tools to reduce heat buildup and reduce problem. I would also be wary of using rubber gaskets. Plenty of people do but keep an eye on them if you do. The original Quintrex boats were a subsiduary of Alcoa Aluminium and were discontinued due to the rubber strip between bottom strakes and the hull skin. After many years the rubber supplier they used changed the formula of the rubber (including more carbon I think) and over the next few years hundreds of boats developed pin holes in the hull from electrolysis between the rubber and the hull and began to leak. For about 3 years quintrex operated in the red as they recalled and repaired these boats. I have heard rumours that it cost about $1 million to fix. Ron

Well done. If I lived there I would have a hole in the fence and build a little fishing platform out over the water. Ron

I and my back agree with above. Unless your very short, the long pump is the way to go. Ron

When I went in to Doc, he said he recognised my name and thought it may be me. He is a member of Wollongong ANSA and knew me as I have regularly won ANSA comps in Sydney and Nowra. After a little fishing related chat he numbed the area with 4 shots of local anesthetic and then inserted a thick strong needle next to the hook above the barb. He then used the needle to pull the flesh away from the hook so it disengaged the barb. He then was able to slide the hook out. He then spent some time squirting what I think may have been saline into the puncture wound to thoroughly wash it out to minimise infection risk. Funny thing was the local injections stung more than when I had the hook go in.

Due to various reasons I hadn't had my boat out for months. With Good Friday looming and no fish in the freezer I decided to duck out to Bate Bay and try to catch a feed of blue spots even though it's my least favorite way of fishing. I started in close in 17 metres as a mate had been bagging out with decent flatties there before the rain, but could only catch little spikies. I gradually worked my way out deeper and didn't have much luck until I was in 40 metres. A lot of just legals at 33cm and the odd one at 40cm. As I was desperate to give the fam a feed, I set my minimum at 36cm and threw more than I kept back. At about 10.30am The bite came to a halt with 9 in the esky. It took nearly an hour to catch the last one at 38 and it was getting harder and harder throw back the just legals. A little disappointing size wise as the biggest would have been 42cm and another 3 at 40. As I put the last one in the esky I thought now for some fun and decided to head to my squidding spot to see if there were any around. As I moved back towards my rod the boat lurched and I stumbled and kicked my line still on the deck. The line flicked up and embedded the 4/0 hook all the way to the curve into the middle of my calf. Bugger! As I was by myself I headed back in, got the boat out and back home to get the wife to drive me to hospital to get the hook out. Disappointing way to end a nice day but mission accomplished. Nice to get the boat out, still 2 nights before Good Friday, maybe try for a Jew??? Ron

Thanks Fishmore. Ron