Mr Squidy

That an epic fish and a top report. Enjoy it boys, by the sounds of it that is a well deserved fish of a lifetime. Rich

Hi Carl, I agree with most of what Tony has said but would add that in my experience: 1. Small cuttlefish make great whole baits as even when dead they seem to hold their natural colour for longer that squid do. 2. The smaller Cuttlefish inside the rivers and harbour like similar areas to squid but will stick more to the bottom and ambush prey where squid will happily swim abouts hunting anywhere in the water column. Also, cuttles dont seem to school as much as squid do. 3. Size within a particular species dosent seem to make a huge difference but i do find that the arrow squid are slightly better on the tooth than the southern calamari's. Once you get the hang of it squiding is one of the most reliable methods of getting a feed or top class bait when fishing land based and can get pretty addictive. Rich

Nice work Yowie, nice feed of reddies and flathead there. Shame the bigger model didnt come up for a photo at least. What is the water temp like at the moment? Rich

Hi Dunc, yep she is a 2010 efi engine. Have already dropped back with the Mechanic so will see what they come up with. When it dies the pump literally stopped working meaning no fuel was reaching the engine. Was able to get back to the ramp fine each time by just hand priming as i went which would indicate that its the mechanical as opposed to the electric pump that has failed i would think. The Mechanic seems to think it relates to the seal around the head of the piston being to tight when new and jamming within the pump. Never saw the pump when they removed it the first time and to be honest i think they didn't even both pulling it apart at that stage and just changed it straight over for a new one under warranty. Its a shame because otherwise the Engine is just superb. Thanks for your thoughts on the issue, will let you know the outcome. R

Hi Guys, In November last year I purchased a new 60Hp Mercury 4 Stroke from a reputable dealer in the Sutherland Shire. Engine has had its first 20hr service. Never filled with E10. After around 35hrs the fuel pump that runs off the cam shaft and delivers fuel to the engine just died. Took it back to the dealer who replaced it under warranty and acknowledged that they have had a small number of the new Mercs sold experience this problem. First trip out with the new pump was fine and ran for around 3hrs. Second trip out and the pump simply died again after about 5 minutes of running. Have dropped it back in with the mechanic and they are having another look it, apparently this is the first they have had come back following the replacement of the initial faulty pump. Anyway would love some advice from any raiders with experience in the new Mercury’s as to whether this is a common problem with their fuel pumps? If not what may be the likely causes? For the record i have been really happy with the service i have received and feel like the guys have been reasonably honest but you do always wonder if they may be holding something back a little to avoid criticising the products they sell. Rich

From my understanding of the bends if you can release them quickly they have a reasonable chance of survival. Basically returning back to the original depths should reverse the effects of the bends. Another note to though is that often bigger fish can suffer internal injuries when removed from the water if not supported very carefully. Basically they are not designed to support their own weight out of water. Rich

Yep, Sounds more likely.

Yeah, think different people are seeing different fish. Those Sardines though usually die in under a minute in a bucket. As long as they are fresh though i find that both Jew and kings cant resist them. I usually fish them whole unweighted with a two hook rig, with the top hook through the mouth and up out the top of the skull to help hold the bait solidly as yowie is right about them being quite soft. Rich

They're sardines mate, if you can get them fresh like that they are just about the best bait in the ocean IMO, especially if you can get one back in alive before it dies on you.

Yeah, i've always found that the Hacking shuts down once the water chills down. I reckon with the cold water and your description of feeling the snag and then big head shakes you may have had a big lizard as opposed to a jew. Hairtail over the weed beds WD?!?!?! That would be a surprise. Rich

What a brute, top stuff!!!!!

I know what you mean...

Hi Tumra, My hull is around 28 years old, when i purchased it off my Step Mother i went to change the details on the insurance with Club Marine and they had all sorts of hoops for me to jump through. In the end i went to NRMA and was able to get it all sorted over the phone with no stuffing abouts with valuations, inspections and the like. Not sure what limits they have to it but deffinitely worth giving them a buzz if others are making it tricky. Richard

Yep, i've caugth a flattie and a massive puffer as well as getting lots of hits from tailor all on squid jigs. Also caught a few Gould's Squid whilst down in Tassie on soft plastics. Rich

It is always hard to decide between eating the squid or using it as bait for a jewie, but i am glad i did!!!! Mushtaka I hear your conundrum Mate. Love it when the big Green Eyes turn up. For me, at that size, head and flaps = Jew bait whilst the body = dinner. That way you can have your squid and eat it too. Rich

Yep, i've nearly lost a beach rod to an over excited sambo. Been paranoid about turning the drag off any time i leave the rod ever since.

Hi Guys, Thanks all for the replys, i really appreciate both the advice re fishing and the honest concerns regarding safety. I have been off shore a few times through the years on other peoples boats in a range of conditions and know that even a trip to the Hacking Fad is not something to be undertaken lightly in a boat of my size. I do have all required safety equipment and a very good level of knowledge as far as weather forecasting goes and would only ever consider going any wider at times where we have a nice stable high pressure system parked over the top of us and understand that may only be once or twice a year. Anyway, have started looking at rustling up a group for a charter trip to increase my knowledge. Meanwhile sounds like my odds for Fin in at the FAD are low but not completely out of the question so may have another shot and see how lucky i can get. I had no way of confirming the species of the two fish i hooked last week but they were tuna of some variety and i'd be pretty chuffed to have landed the larger of the two. Rich

A quick question for some of the pro's on this site. I've been a river fisho all my life but having got a nice shinny new 60hp 4 stroke on the back of my little 4.5m tub i've decided to start trying my hand off shore when the weather permits. Last saturday a mate and i headed out on our first shot at YFT. We started at the Hacking FAD putting down a cube trail and fished for around 3.5hrs. Had two strikes in this time but both fish threw the hook mid fight. One fish was a little fella around 70-80cm but the other seemed a much larger fish. Planning for round two this Saturday if the weather predictions stay as they are. Anyway, my querry is, how far wide befor Fin become a real possibility? am i wasting my time somewhat fishing this close in (20k off)? Should i be making the extra effort to head for some of the wider marks like Browns? For a first attempt i was fairly encouraged last week by seeing the larger of the two fish and there was pleanty of bird life abouts all day. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Richard

Hi Jez, I'm just getting my head around Tuna fishing myself. I stumbled across this article by Ross Hunter on this site and reckon it is worth a read. TUNA LINK

Very nice, should be a great little set up. Agree with the choice of mono over braid on the squids.

The bloke needs to harden up some. Otherwise i reckon its been worth watching though, been a few interesting places on some of the shows. R

In my opinion lures are far more expensive than bait fishing by the time you get a decent collection together. The real trick is too catch your own bait. Find somewhere you can pump nippers, learn to catch squid, take some bread along and catch some mullet, yakkas or slimies. As well as being cheaper you will also catch more and better qulity fish than with the baught stuff. Once you learn you'll never look back. R

Bonito are phenomenal!!! Just make sure they are ultra fresh.

Nice feed of Bream there Yowie. I used to paddle a surf ski on the hacking a few times a week and saw many turtles over the years. Biggest surprise was when i accidently caught one on a whole squid off the stones near the mouth of the river, thought it was a ray when i first saw the shape then up pops his head with a hook in his mouth.Poor fella. Anyway, i'm pretty sure they just come in and out of the system at times rather than being permanent residents. R

Yep, i reckon if you put together a website entitled "Chores for your Husband this weekend" it would be hugely successfull in getting alot more guys out on the water fishing...