big Neil

This is an interesting thread in as much as you could visit it numerous times and truthfully write a different answer each time. Fishing provides me with the opportunity to be outdoors in the fresh air, to relax and unwind, and to challenge myself to catch whatever target species I choose. It also affords me the chance to meet like-minded people , many of whom have become lifelong friends. It provides the opportunity to teach others and also to learn from others. I love it. bn

Great answer to the original question. It certainly is a beautiful country that we live in. bn

My lure fishing mentor Luke asked if I wanted to go fishing at Darlington Point this morning. "Yep, of course". The water level was fairly low as we launched at the old boat ramp and slowly made our way upstream. We took full notice of all the snags we were fishing. 5 hrs of solid casting with both spinnerbaits and lures produced nothing but a double strike which did not connect. The area was absolutely packed with big snags so we put plenty of casts in. As we sussed out a new area Luke spotted a fish right up near the surface and quickly cast at it. The fish hit the lure but didn't connect, so I quickly cast near to where the fish was. A few cranks of the reel and I was on. The #1 Stumpjumper was smashed and I landed a 58cm Yellowbelly. We rounded the next bend and decided it would be the last set of snags we would cast to. On the absolute last cast Luke hooked up to a beautiful Murray Cod of about 60 cms. Alas it got on a snag and Luke had difficulty bringing it to the net. I lunged the net under the fish and knocked the lure from its mouth...it swam away. We counted it as caught. The trip back to the ramp was really hairy as the water level had dropped another foot. We ran aground several times and hit numerous snags as we slowly crawled back to the ramp. All in all a good session of numerous new snags discovered, a Yellowbelly, and a Cod. Here are a few pics Thanks for reading bn

Sounds like you may have a good outcome to the saga after all. Good bit of detective work on your part to get social media in the frame. I will look forward to reading the rest of the tale as it unfolds. Hope all is well with the Japanese celebrity and his trip was worthwhile. With anticipation, bn

Well done Rob, very descriptive report. Just shows you don't have to catch a heap of fish to have a successful outing. Great fish for your son to catch, even better on the plate. Trust you enjoyed it. Cheers, bn

Good advice in those replies Aussie fisher. Just be aware not to load up the rod top third and have your drag set so that line will pull through when you're fighting the fish/ Never deadlift a fish with a graphite rod. Good luck bn.

Another cracking day with some newbie anglers Bob. Great that you got among some fish. Shame to come back to the wharf to be greeted by ignorance and rank stupidity. Hope all was well with the Fisheries inspector... bn

Larry sent 2 more clips and I will try to include them in this post. A1215.mp4 1215(3).mp4 Cheers, bn

Thanks Donna. We had a great time down on the Edward River at Deniliquin, caught quite a few fish too. Can somebody do whatever it was that LF was asking about, please?

Thanks Mike. I don't recall seeing that section on here before. Doesn't mean I haven't seen it though...forget more than I remember these days. He is on YouTube as Larrys Fishing. Don't know what you mean by a link, I just click on YouTube and if he has a video there I click on it to watch. Cheers, bn

Where is "The digital cinema"? In Sydney? Will suggest Fishraider to him again but he has a lot on his plate. bn

If only you knew how long it took. Larry sent 3 very short edits from his video via email. I then had to work out how to get them from the "cloud" to the PC. Half the time I have no idea what I'm doing but wing it anyway. That applies to the computer AND the new car (the COW). Cheers, bn

I met Larry some years ago through his video channel. I discovered that he lived only 3 hrs away from me so, as I do, I suggested catching up. Since then, I have fished his region at Deniliquin, mainly the Edward River and the Murray River, a few times. He has moved back to the South Coast but we planned to catch up when he visited Deniliquin for business reasons. The plan was for a week of fishing the Murrumbidgee River chasing Murray Cod. Alas, that plan fell in a heap, although we did manage to get out for one trip to Darlington Point (about 50kms downstream from where I live). I don't know if this small snippet from Larry's video will work on here but will try to load it anyway and see what happens. Larry's channel is Larry Fishing and the full video is on there. Have a look and subscribe if you like what he does. He's a very personable guy, for an American (LOL) and is a mad keen fisherman. Here goes... 1215(1).mp4 Well, looks like that worked. An absolute miracle for this techno buffoon. bn

Make it happen, it's a worthwhile experience. Forgot to mention that I have a mould which I fill with grated pizza cheese and put in the microwave to melt it. When it cools it's in the form of a Bardi grub. Bardi grubs are the absolute best bait for Cod. bn

Is there anything better than getting the heads up from fellow Raiders and taking your son out fishing? Great that you worked out a plan for catching the Mullet and seeing the by-catch Bream take the bait. I hope that your son enjoyed his fishing and is keen to go again. Cheers, bn

What a cracking report Dave and Abbi. Those Eastern Cod look to be in great condition and are a very pleasant by-catch in the Mann River. Some huge Eels in there that take a lot of stopping. The scenery is amazing too. Top pics Dave. Tight lines. bn

Great report Bob with plenty of success on the Jewies. Hope you manage to get offshore soon to see how the arrival of the larger Kingfish is doing. Doesn't seem to be all that many offshore reports on here of a positive nature. The weather is warming up nicely so the fishing should have improved by now shouldn't it? Cheers, bn

Thanks for your interest Larkin. I caught Murray Cod on cheese baits and also on chunks of chicken breast. (more on the cheese though). I use two types of cheese...Tasty and Colby, the latter being a little softer and less susceptible to breaking up on the hook. You have to use sturdy hooks as the Cod have sharp raspy teeth, and the hooks can easily break the cheese baits. I catch predominantly Murray Cod and Trout Cod on cheese, though I have also caught Carp and Silver Perch. Earlier this year I caught a Golden Perch (Yellowbelly) on a cube of cheese (very rare event). I have even caught Turtles on cheese baits. Got one yesterday. Cheers, bn

Use it for bait...upsize! It's the same size as the bait LOL. bn

It's quite distressing to see that their control mandates applied here are the same in most other parts of the State. There has to be different considerations for different locations. What may HAVE to be applied near busy population centres needs different consideration to what is applied to places with low population and high need. But it isn't!. The main reason for NPWS decisions stems from the dread that somebody is going to sue them for some negligence on their part, in managing these locations. Hence the payment and the control factors. Alas, the past world where we could go and do things and knowingly suffer the consequences of incidents and accidents has gone. In its place is a society where everything is subject to risk analysis and who is responsible. I'm not suggesting a return to "the old days" as that is impossible, but surely there needs to be encouragement for people to be able to access these wonderful parts of the State for essential recreation. Todays world is hectic and nature provides a wonderful opportunity for us to unwind and recuperate in pristine environments...if only we were allowed to do so. That is one of the biggest factors in the popularity of fishing. Thanks for your input Restyle. bn

Seriously doubt there are "Action Figures" that look like I do. That would be an oxymoron anyway...bigNeil ACTION FIGURE. The most activity I do is jumping to conclusions. Gotta agree with Frank, only cheating yourself really. bn

Thanks for that info GH. Never heard of cheese being used to catch Bream,,,or any marine species for that matter. I shouldn't be surprised though, many fish are caught on bread, and that's hardly a natural bait either. I think the cheese oozes fats from itself as it changes colour slightly after being in the water for a while. I usually set up with a double paternoster rig on each rod, allowing me to test 4 different baits and get an idea of what they are feeding on. These get snagged up quite easily so once I have the info of what they prefer, I usually swap back to a running sinker rig to the hook or sometimes to a swivel. Only exception to that is if I'm using live bait. These are best fished on the paternoster rig. keeping them off the bottom where they can hide. bn

That's some really good points that you make about the location of these National Parks and who will be using them. I totally agree with everything you mention in your post. Very disappointing that they are not providing the facilities for the people in the areas who need them. Been great chatting with you through the Fishraider system, hope you have a great Summer and we can continue to chat in 2024. Cheers, bn

I have some family relos at Wellington, though soon heading to Orange. bn

I really do live in the wrong place when I see those lovely fish fillets and fish pieces in abundance. I love to eat fish but there's no such thing as fresh fish here unless I kill one of the iconic Murray Cod...something I seldom have the heart to do. Ah well, it is what it is, nothing is perfect in life. I love living where I do, even if I can't get fresh fish. Great post and photos Larkin. Tight lines, bn