Houdini

Nothing really new here. I'd be interested to see how it casts multiple times for a rock fishing session. Maybe add astinger hook as well for tail biters

Went for a quick fish off the rocks in the eastern suburbs after work Thursday. Took 2 loaves of stale bread for berley and 1 fresh for bait. Had 4 young spero’s working there way around the washes towards me and they had a drummer and said there were a few around so things looked promising Got a couple of kelpies to start things off and a just legal drummer so let it go. I was getting good bites but missing the hookups I thought there might have been lots of smaller size maybe just legals about. I persisted and finally hooked a steam train. It took off to the right and I had to grab the spool to stop it taking line towards a ledge. It turned and then took off left and arced in under me and reefed up. I tried a couple of different angles with a little pressure and some slack line as well for a little bit to no avail in the end a little too much pressure saw the 20lb fluro let go. I still had a good length leader so re-rigged and got back into it. I got a few more bites and a couple of pulled hooks which was frustrating after loosing a good fish. Sometimes it’s a fine line between getting reefed, pulling a hook or landing the fish. I do like drummer fishing for its brutality though. I finished off the berley and was down to the last of the bait and it was getting dark as well. I was struggling to see the line against the water and was holding the rod up a bit higher to see the line against the horizon. The slack line came tight I dipped the rod a smidge then struck and I was into another good fish. I put the pressure on it but tried to let it surge a bit as well. I felt some rubbing and knew it was in contact with the structure so I pushed the rod out and away to the left and stayed in touch. I got some more winds and eased off the pressure a little after another couple of winds it was on the surface. I had to wait for the swell to wash him out and he took a little dive but no drag the wave came and I washed him up and out. The leader was scuffed and had a few little pig tails where he got to the reef but it held in just long enough. He went 46cm. That was it for me pack up gut him and off home a happy camper.

as well as the left over soap from last time I like to add a worm or two ripped in bits as well as a little bit of the soil they are in and even a piece of cheese as well if you have it for fish bait. Give them the full cocktail

Should I use lemon scented gum wood chips to smoke food? Wiki tells me the lemon smell is from "citronellal" used to make insect repellent. Just from this I would not use it unless someone with experience or scientific back up so different. Shops sell scribbly gum, blue gum and brush box.

Kingfish must have been full to not eat the live gar

get ones like these

I'm with yowie and would tighten the tag end 80/90% first then sinch the knot down to the eye then fully form the knot by putting full tension the main line and the tag and the snap/swivel/hook/lure all at the same time it's what your teeth are for. Some knots aren't meant to be tightened by the tag end but you don't want to pull the excess line through all the loops under pressure from the main line end

I don't think anybody exactly matches their entire rig to rated line classes. 65lb is a compromise between cast ability and strength nothing to do with the reels rated drag 40lb braid and 50lb leader will be ok fishing from a boat go hard early and if everything stays tight you "might" win

Thanks everybody for the positive replys I was using a 2.7m 24kg graphite rod, saragoosa 10000, 65lb power pro and 80lb fluro leader 4x 5/0 mustad 7766d hooks linked with black majic swivels, pink rubber squid and a small ball sinker Yes it did all happen before dark just fading light

I went for a sneaky after work fish last night to make the most of daylight savings before it ends. I look 3 frozen garfish and a bag full of lures. While waiting for the garfish to thaw I tied on a white xxxrap and began casting. Not long after I got a good hit and a big salmon flew out of the water, it jumped all over the place but the hooks stayed connected and on the heavy gear I was using I had him at my feet pretty soon and washed him up and out unhooked and returned. A few casts later and another hit had me thinking salmon again but smaller so I just about skull dragged it in until it was at my feet and it turned out to be the bonnie pictured. You beauty sashimi on the table. A few more cast didn't yield anything and the garfish were well thawed and ready for a swim. I cast and retrieved the 1st garfish until it started to disintegrate beyond use and turned it into burley. The second one was about half done when a tentative bump turned into a violent jerk and solid weight. The difference between a keeper king and nearly equivalent sized salmon is light years apart and I knew in seconds this was a better fish. It took a couple of good runs and was zipping all over the place looking for some cover. The rod and reel did its job and soon enough the fish was in close. A few more last ditch dives for the rocks at my feet and it was done, washed out and mine. Double sashimi oh yeah. I bleed it and put it in the rock pool with the bonnie and rigged up the last garfish. This one lasted about 5 casts and was smashed by a rat on the surface right in close on the edge of the white water, he couldn't take any line against the drag and was washed up and out in double quick time kissed and returned. Out of bait I changed back to the xxxrap for a few more casts with no action so I packed up and cleaned the fish. The bonnie stomach was empty but the king had a perfect whole fresh squid complete with a heap of ink. The squid was so fresh it still had the green colour around it's eyes and looked good enough to eat which I contemplated for a couple of seconds. If I hadn't of packed up my gear I would of definitely used it for bait then and there, instead it went back in to feed some other lucky sea creature. It was a good afternoon with action and the bonus of a feed to take home.

They get cold and die

Can you name the charter

How big were the kings?

Went for a quick fish after work yesterday wading the sand flats on the low tide throwing 70mm wrigglers in good old blood worm. The water felt warm which seemed good to get the flatties hungry and on the move but the bites were slow to come. I had a few little taps but didn’t hook up so kept casing and moving slowly. After a while I got a good tap, struck and felt solid weight and the fish shook its head then took off on a good short run, at this moment it felt like a very good flattie but then it shook its head again and screamed off. I knew then it was no flattie. I was using 4lb braid with 12lb fluorocarbon leader and the fish was heading for trouble, moored boats and 2 rowing crews with a tinny following them made for an interesting fight. I had the rod underwater when the boats rowed between me and the fish I eased off the drag when it headed for moorings and I put more pressure on when it was in the clear. After a few minutes and missed heart beats it began to tire and when it came into view in the shallow water I saw it was a rat king. It took a few more short runs and then I managed to tail grab it in knee deep water. It was about 55cm and maybe 2 kilos I popped the hook out admired it for a second before letting it go. I kept fishing and in the next hour I got 2 of the target species(flatties) one little one and a good size one which would have been keeper but he decided he didn’t want to come to dinner and let himself go at my feet. I wasn’t worried I’d had a good afternoon anyhow.

Forget the sambos and try for a hood lurking below them

I liked the old one better too. What app? What are other favourite weather sites?

I'm going with the original post of "blue Spot"

As mentioned in red I don't think so

There is a massive difference between the Catalina and the Saltist. If you can afford it get the Catalina. Look at Alan Hawks blog he rates the catalina the second best spin reel in the world behind the Saltiga. I was looking at the saltist but have changed to the Shimano Saragosa after researching

That background looks more like the channel than the river

Either you are one lucky person or not wading in the water. Numb rays are all over those sand flats, after catching a few a treading on one I don't fish there any more. If they get you good you could pass out in the water and drown when it's only knee deep.

Thanks for the kind words guys. thefisherman6784 no salmon fishermen about Monday arvo the only surface action seen was a gannet dive bomb about 200m out to sea. I take a spin rod most of the time just in case some surface activity busts up near by.

With the nice flat seas and a low tide around knock off I hit up the ocean rocks for a Groper fish. I baited up a whole crab and lobbed it out. I was fishing 12 ft rod 6500 alvey and 15kg torture mono straight through to a ball sinker and 4/0 hook. First bait hit the water just past what little wash there was in the hole I was fishing Tap tap tap felt some weight strike hook up and wind in a kelp fish. I rebaited and cast again only to be picked by small fish this happened a couple of times more. Then finally I felt the no nonsense take and weight of a good fish I struck and the rod loaded up only to go slack 2 seconds later. I wound in and still had the crab bait on the hook. Its a fine line between allowing the fish enough time to get a good hook up and getting reefed. I adjusted the bait and cast again tap tap again probably more kelp fish. Another bait and a good bite a bit of weight I dip the rod to give a bit of line wait for the rod to start to load up and strike. Hooked up wind hard and hold on the fish dives for the bottom but doesn't make it then it surges to the right I wind a bit more and pull hard left it tries to get in under my feet but I wind a bit more and the 12 ft rod helps me keep it out she pops to the surface and I see my hook just pinning it in the lip I ease the pressure a bit and it dives down again but not as powerful this time I get her up to the surface again and guide her to a sloping ledge and wait for a swell to wash her out. The ocean obliges and she is mine.

pic here

Caught in QLD any ideas?