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Have to say that the refs & touch judges on the night made some really bad blunders at times when the outcome of the game could have swung a differnt way. Anyway, having said that, this has been going on for years and ALL teams have had bad calls, St George included. On the night however, i don't think anyone can say that the Dragons were not the better side & they definitely deserved their win. GO DRAGONS !!!!! Cheers , Scoop

Good report Piratin, glad to see the reds have turned up, nice catch. Bluebotles seem to be a good indicator, warmer water & nth easters. Seasons looking promising. Cheers, Scoop

I've heard about sharks attacking but never blurters! Better keep my toes out of the water. PS They smoke up pretty well. Cheers, Scoop

I haven't tried this yet but maybe those Glad Zip Lok bags might work . They seem to have a better seal than the Gulp bags and are see through as well. Cheers, Scoop

Was in the NT earlier this year & one of our guides mentioned he fishes the Tongariro River in NZ each year. He gave it a pretty good rap. Cheers, Scoop

This is not uncommon & I have seen them for sale before, mainly in asian shops.I also know that some europeans like to eat them. I guess you have to know how to prepare them. Lots of herbs & spices I guess. Cheers, Scoop

Difficult to tell from this photo but would have to agree with Ray, juvenile maori wrasse. Cheers, Scoop

I had a FSU5120 which was extended by the rod builder. The extension was fibreglass & kept the weight down. However, I ended up cutting it back so that I could use it for wash fishing out of the boat. You will need to consider the type of reel you intend to use. If it is an Alvey then you will probably have to fit a new reel seat. Fuji make a lightweight reel seat which is glued & bound onto the blank and does not enclose the entire circumference of the rod.If you need to take off the old reel seat then this may be a problem if it cannot be removed from the bottom of the rod. If it is an eggbeater then the reel seat you have may be ok.If you do extend the rod & have to relocate the reel seat further towards the bottom then you may have to fix an extra guide or two. Goodluck. Cheers, Scoop

Speaking from experience after many years of wedded bliss, it doesn't matter how high my "points" are, I'm alway's in the s..t !, it's just the depth that varies. Scoop.

Sounds like a great trip. Would like to see the photos when you can put them up. Nothing like a trip up north. Cheers, Scoop

On the NSW far north coast, jewies are often targeted with surface lures when the rivers are in flood or big seas have been running. Generally at the river mouths or headlands where you have a lot of foam whipped up or discoloured water, you will stand a good chance with this type of lure. In the old days they used feathers or broomstick lures, so modern equivalents should work today. Jewies will sometimes work the surface, generally at night when you can hear them chasing mullet on the surface, so it stands to reason that you could try lures although you stand a good chance of being annoyed by tailor. Cheers, Scoop

Before all the new bridge work started, you could access the northern end by parking on the left side where the bridge ends & walking down.The southern end is all blocked off with the construction works. The only other way on foot would be to park in Henry Lawson Drive just past the bridge (on the nth end)over Salt Pan Creek & walk around past Mickey's Point & along the beach to the bridge. Cheers, Scoop

I thought you had a apir of rock boots on but I could not make out out what was strapped to them. we used to screw self tapers into the soles of plastic sandles & strap them over our sandshoes. Now i just wear standard rock cleats. I guess you can buy the ice cleats from specialist hiking & camping outlets ? Cheers, Scoop

Nice catch Ray. Mind if I ask you what type of footwear you are using ? Cheers, Scoop

I think you have made a wise decision. If you are considering another boat, I would also consider one with higher gunwales as well which will give you better security & safety when walking around and standing up to fight fish. Cheers, Scoop

I've got a mate who regularly washes his plastic tackle boxes in the dish washer when the missus is out. He reckons they come up a treat Cheers, Scoop

I agree that it's a type of goby, possibly a Kreffts Goby. Cheers, Scoop

Do you know what type of wrasse it is. Really strange shape. Cheers, Scoop

Mate, I just think that you are missing the point. You probably will not have any problems if you are just out near the heads on a good day. You could be out at the Shelf on a good day with a flat sea in that boat and not have any problems. But if you are 6 klms out and it blows up really hard, you will be in trouble with that size boat. Coupled with very strong winds and a big sea you are very likely to take in water.Believe me, I have experienced it.Conditions at sea can change awfully quick. If you do go ahead with this boat you will need to keep a very good eye on the weather. Cheers, Scoop

I have fished in much larger boats with engine wells and had the occasional wave come over the back. This was mainly due to fishing close to a wash. If you plan to do a lot of fishing offshore, then I would look at a larger boat especially if you are chasing dollies. A 449 seems a little too small for my liking and if things blow up outside you may have problems. Cheers, Scoop

Ditto all of the above + beer! Scoop

I really enjoy reading your reports and am always amazed at the amount of effort you put into your fishing, especially hiking into the spots you fish. Now I'm really blown away by your intentions to make your own sleeping bags etc. How dedicated are you !!!! Cheers, Scoop

I guess that's why it's called fishing and not catching. You will be back to try again. Cheers, Scoop

Dhype, There are numerous spots on the Georges & Woronora Rivers where you could try. Firstly, you should try & get hold of a good map as the spots are numerous. Secondly, you will need to locate a source of good weed as cabbage from the rocks is not as effective up river as weed. A lot of blackfish are caught on cabbage around the pylons of the Captain Cook Bridge and you will need plenty of cabbage mixed with sand to burley them up. In the Woronora River from the Woronora Bridge to the where it meets the Georges River there are rocky area's along both the Eastern & Western shores which fish well for blackfish. Generally you will need to anchor close to shore. In the Georges try Black Butt,Soily Bottom,Great Moon Bay, Russel Jones. These are all reconized spots but as I said before you will need a map to locate these area's. Cheers, Scoop

Nippers, royal red prawns, bread and you can't go wrong. Used to use abalone gut which was a gun bait but this is not allowed these days. Good luck, Scoop