big Neil

Just saw the news and an unusual report of a whale breeching onto a fishing boat tossing some occupants into the water. I always believed that whales knew their whereabouts relative to what was above them when they surfaced. Obviously they surface regularly and seldom hit vessels, so I wonder what went wrong in this instance? Might add another dimension to the question of whether life jackets should be worn by everyone in a fishing boat. Anybody had a near miss with whales? What are your thoughts? bn

A good feed for a few hours on the water Yowie, well done. Did you see the news about the whale breeching on top of a fishing boat? bn

Thanks for your report and glad you back to business after the technical glitches occurred. I must say that I have never had any issues with x4 or x8 braid before although I do use 30 or 40 lb, so probably more room for error. What lures are you using? Hardbody or soft plastics? I don't do much of that stuff and am always interested in the weight of jighead people use to catch various species. Quality pics, I'm glad you found the lure before it created a problem for somebody. Cheers, bn

Good job you got out when you did with the big freeze that is happening now. Bbrrr. bn

Well done. And while you keep working out HOW and WHY things are happening, you will continue to improve your results and get more value for your efforts. What you have done is what all good anglers do. They analyse their results—job well done. bn

An excellent result James and friend. Not often that we can catch a varied species of reasonable-sized fish. Very well done. bn

A lovely report describing the events leading up to the capture of a beautiful-looking Jewie. As you say you were a little lucky that it stayed hooked up judging by the damaged rig. Well done kingfish 101. bn

Great when you get newbies into fishing, even better if they take it up and you spend time on some serious fishing. The choice is theirs but at least you have done your bit. Well done. bn

Have you got a ring spanner that is a good fit for the problem nut? If you have a good fitting spanner try to add an extension to the spanner (a hollow bar, pipe, or metal tube) to give you more leverage. GENTLY pull on the bar/spanner and see if it will release. If not put more RP7 on, let it sit a while and try again. Be careful. Most likely the impeller will be the problem. It is probably cracked and falling apart from not being used. Good luck with it. bn

Another great report Jani. Fishing for most Fishraiders is not good at the moment, so it is good to see your reports of PB fish catches. Enjoy your Summer and we will all wait for better conditions here in NSW. Lovely pictures, as always. bn

I love catching Tailor, they are very strong fighters and powerful adversaries. Also, ruthless killing machines that hit hard and mercilessly. That is a very fine specimen Mike...well done. I know that most people don't rate their eating qualities but FRESH they are pretty good to eat, excellent if smoked. Well done, bn

I have to say that I have no personal experience of fishing small, crocodile-infested creeks in a low-sided tinny. I have heaps of experience fishing freshwater creeks and rivers in a 3.45m tinny with a 15HP Yamaha, tiller operated, outboard. dirvin21 has a tinny that I would be looking at feeling safe in. Ask him for details Don't neglect to factor in the higher than average tides and associated stronger currents that can exist in tributaries up North. I have a vision of a strong current, a very small motor and a vessel that could easily be turned over. No need to paint the picture any more than that really. A lightweight tinny with high sides is a safer bet, particularly if there are 2 or more occupants...accompanied by at least a 20HP outboard. Maybe 4.2m -4.5m with high sides. I don't wish to put a damper on your trip, just to encourage you to anticipate the possibilities. It's too late if something does happen. Good luck, have fun, and keep safe. bn

I agree with dirvin21 a tiny tinny is not going to be safe enough. The cost of towing something suitable, compared to the tiny tinny, would be minimal. Once you get up to cruising speed the additional weight is insignificant really. Above all you need to consider your safety. I don't think many local boat owners up there would be using really small vessels with underpowered motors. Have a wonderful trip, whatever you decide. Take lots of pics and fill us all in on your adventure. Safe travels mate. bn

An excellent report 44jeff, some nice fish to eat on top of a productive session. Great that you get out with some friends for some beach fishing. Plenty of info gathered for your future use too. Cheers, bn

What a fabulous thing to do James...I AM PROUD OF YOU and I don't know you. What you did is the very thing that needs to be done more if humanity is to benefit from our time on this planet. Little bits of kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness toward others have become a rarity these days. I hope he uses the rod and catches lots of fish...he is obviously passionate about his fishing if he still wants to do it at his age, Good onya, bn