big Neil

March 16

11 hours ago, Yowie said:

That is a good catch of fish in a day, and some nice ones amongst them b.n.

Plenty of water flowing in the photos. Great work.

Did you keep any for a feed, or all released?

No Yowie. I have taken a few at times but they are such an iconic fish that I let them go to do their thing. When I have taken one for the table, they are very good to eat. Yellowbelly are the ones I usually take for the table. bn

March 16

You did well on the Trag Yowie and will have some tasty fish for a while, not that you're often short of some fish to eat. Do you have an opinion on the whereabouts of the Flatties? Not many reports of any good catches at the usual locations at present.

Cheers, bn

March 16

7 minutes ago, zmk1962 said:

... sounds like an excellent result to me for any type of fishing BN ... well done.

Beautiful pictures mate. I don't do much freshwater fishing but love the scenery.

Cheers Zoran

Many thanks Zoran. The scenery is somewhat unique on the inland rivers. I have to say that I love it. We are fortunate (in Australia) to have so many diverse types of fishing to get into. I have been fortunate to have done quite a lot of different types. Hopefully catching a Mahi Mahi may eventuate some day. I have the opportunity to try it with Pickles but haven't been able to slot it in this Summer. Still many species on the bucket list but as long as I'm able to spend a bit of time fishing the Murrumbidgee, I should be able to maintain my sanity.

Here are a few pics from the Murrumbidgee River that you may enjoy. Cheers, bn

March 16

Hi Zoran. You don't get out very often but when you do you usually have a worthwhile trip. Maybe not so good this one... especially when the Flathead had vanished. Beautiful looking fish the Mahi Mahi and excellent on the plate. I scored some recently courtesy of Hoods when I visited his part of the world (Taree area).

What is an ideal water temp to have Mahi Mahi in good attendance?

Cheers, bn

March 15

11 hours ago, Hill373737 said:

Nice work BN, that looks like a good session mate and I'm pleased you got out and got a few.

Its still very hit and miss here, few fish around but you definitely work for them.

Yep. I went out for a bait fishing session yesterday and scored a few Cod and a Trout Cod but nothing close to legal size. I did manage to lose a truck load of terminal tackle. The river is absolutely full of snags at present.

Cheers, bn

March 14

Looks like your day went to plan Tarik, plenty of Dollies and some large Blue Swimmers too. I had a look at your short videos too. What camera do you use?

Cheers, bn

March 13

7 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said:

Great thread @Ryder and interesting discussion everyone else!

I am no AI expert by any length, even as an amateur, but working in the technology space and having studied some of the science/technology that underlies it, I see much of the potential and pitfalls that it brings.

What I will say is that at this point in time, with regard to AI generated text, it can be fairly obvious to many when AI is used, particularly when the reader is reasonably literate. At this point in time, most AI prose I have experimented with has been more flowery than a regular person would usually write, to the point of hyperbole, and more often than not, completely missing the point. @Ryder's fishing rod ad is a classic example of that.

Which advertisement of @Ryder's would inspire you to buy the rod? I think we all know the answer to that. The AI report is flowery drivel.

That said, a couple of caveats.

First things first, as I said I am not a skilled user of AI and like most things (including technology and fishing gear), it does take skill to use well. There is actually an emerging profession known as prompt engineering which is mostly about getting AI to produce results that you want. A good operator will likely get better results out of AI. I actually have a suspicion I'd be quite good at this myself, but the past few years, I have been so run off my feet (doing things robots cannot yet do!) that I don't have the energy to look into it any further (got to allow time for dribs and drabs of fishing here and there!). It also should be pointed out that with amount of effort required to get a good result out of AI, you might as well have written the article yourself!

Secondly, referring to Neil's comment:

AI is initially created by a human, but more importantly, it is trained on a given dataset. If we use good information to train AI, then it will likely present better results. If we trained an instance of ChatGPT purely on the Deckee community, we would probably get a pretty good report writing engine for the forums, but don't dare use it to write your PhD thesis on microbiology unless you want a solid fail! This is because we've biased the bot to our ends. The bias of training data is either good or problematic, depending on what you are using the trained bot for. This example I have given is a very benign one, but it could get much more serious, such as when it is applied to law enforcement or the military. Think of the movie the 'Minority Report'. It could really get that ominous if we blindly trust technology.

If you have a substantial body of work that can be converted to text, then there is a risk that you could be emulated. That's part of the reason why the writer's guild in the USA went on strike last year because of their fear of getting replaced (at least in part) by AI screen writers. Closer to home, prominent writers like Tim Winton have taken issue with their works being used to train AI bots without their permission. Some others have decided that they might as well have some fun with it, like comedian Sammy J:

What is ChatGPT and can it write a Sammy J song better than Sammy J? - ABC listen

However, the permission issue is a deep and complex one and unfortunately I don't feel that the writers and performers (and the human race at large) will win on this front. Even if one company or country abides by a code of ethics (and this is assuming it is well written, which is a big assumption), there are dozens of others who will not.

So will the robots kill us? Maybe, maybe not. I actually suspect they will, but not intentionally. They will kill us because robots will screw up, and that will be because we trained them inadequately and some (human) idiot decided to trust it, against their better judgement!

I've just realised I've been going on for longer than I intended to, and compared to those in my technologically literate circles, I don't even feel like I have a strong opinion on this! 🤣

Thanks for your INFORMED opinion Mike.

As a banal old fart, my major concern with all this Technology stuff is that we (the human race) are being de-humanised by the advent of Technology. Since its inception, I believe that we are seriously in danger of COMPLETELY losing one of the most essential of human traits. The ability to look at each other, to be able to FEEL and SEE the impact of the conversations we have with each other. This is one of the most basic of animal interactions that we have within our human psyche. How often do we misinterpret the text messages or the video where we have no access to body language?

I guess that older people see the world of Technology in a much different light than younger people who have only known the Technological world. The older folk have experiences to draw comparisons to. Sure there are many benefits to be gained from the introduction of Technology, I am using one now. To me though, I would much prefer to be sitting across the table from the readers of this post and communicating how we used to. Pluses and minuses!

bn

March 13

I have long held a desire to be able to take video footage of my fishing environment. I am blessed with the ability to fish in my perfect environment, chasing down native freshwater fish species.

I have never been able to successfully edit video footage, no matter how hard I try. Do I need to? Maybe not. So I am going to give it a go. This is where you guys (non gender specific) come in.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Those who know me and those who have witnessed my technical struggles over many years will already know the following.

I am an old guy who missed the Technology train when it visited my station many moons ago. I only learn things by being shown them and doing them repetitively and often. I have enough manuals to open a bookstore, all in pristine condition, as they have never been opened. I have been diagnosed with "thick as a plank syndrome"... a rare disorder that attaches itself to the elderly and renders them TECHNOLOGICALLY INEPT.

So here is the issue. I would welcome input from fellow Raiders to help me achieve my goal of being able to produce some reasonable video footage of my fishing trips. I do not wish to edit the footage, unless I can overcome my inability to understand the processes involved. The camera equipment needs to be easy to use (turn on/off quickly) when required. The simpler, the better. Probably head strap mounted so that I can keep both hands free and know that it is operating. Reliable brand with the availability of spare batteries, SD cards, and easy to transfer images to my PC (something that causes me much grief). Affordable... I don't need a Rolls Royce to go to the shops, neither do I need a broken down push bike...

So, if any of you would like to put forward some input, I would be grateful.

Thankyou, bn

March 13

G'day Ryder. Good to see your comparative report of the two versions. Hard to believe that the reference (supposedly) is the same item.

I guess that AI is (initially) created by a human, so it would be subjective, based on the initial input from the creator. If that is the case, how reliable is it anyway? Surely it merely superimposes the AI creator's presentation over your own. Is that a good thing? In my opinion, probably not, particularly if it purports to know better than you do. We humans are imperfect creatures and luckily all different from each other. We have got this far on the evolutionary journey, making mistakes and doing amazing things. Do we now need to hand over the reins to a riderless horse?

Sure AI would have some benefit to humankind, but do we need it to replace humankind? Have we created a friend, a foe, or both?

bn

8 hours ago, Yowie said:

Is that Ar**hole Intelligence?

Many humans are too lazy to think for themselves, and why society is failing.

Buy a new vehicle - lane departure alert, rear traffic alert, radar distance alert, speed warning alert, etc. Just sit there and let the vehicle warn you of everything you should do, but don't.

I had better stop now. 😂

Had you continued Yowie you probably would have ended up with the same conclusion that I have with the new COW.

The young engineering innovators of the present are working toward the premise of driverless vehicles. The modern COW is designed to know better than you, how to drive a car. The current range of COWs are merely test models, testing the waters, on the journey toward replacing yet another skill that we humans have perfected. Or have we? Maybe we are not capable of making such a call. Maybe we need AI to tell us what we are really capable of achieving, and what we are not.

Information only: COW, in the report above, refers to my new car...COMPUTER ON WHEELS.

bn

March 12

Probably best to be really cautious with most saltwater fish 'cos you don't really want to find out if you are more or less allergic to their toxins. I had a terrible reaction to being spiked by a humble Gurnard.

Good post this cos not only do we get the fish identified, but we find out a lot about their habits. Keep up the good work people.

bn

March 11

3 hours ago, Crabstar said:

Its about time! Been having a horrible summer. Good to have the freezer full for the next 3months with the bubs on the way in 8 weeks

I've never fished for Spotties so thanks for the info re trolling for them. Always great to have some tasty fish in the freezer.

Good luck with everything regarding the new arrivals, hope all goes well. Cheers, bn

March 11

I don't know of Carp clubs in Sydney. I live in the Riverina and take every opportunity to catch and despatch Carp when I am out fishing. They are in plague proportions in the Murray and Darling Rivers. I have recently started fly fishing for them and they put up a great fight on my 5/6 wt fly gear.

I look forward to reading your reports in due course. bn

March 11

Very well done, some fine eating among that catch. Were you trolling or casting? bn

March 10

A well demonstrated (line saving) Uni knot Derek. Logical when analysed... a simple pull from the other direction.

The FG demonstration knot without tension doesn't impress me as much.

The whole purpose of the FG knot is that it can travel through the guides with minimal impact. I use it on all of my braid-to-leader applications, namely on my baitcast setups. Because the knot runs through the eyes of the rod easily, I have about a 5ft leader attached to the braid on my 5ft 6in or 6ft rods. This allows for the knot to never enter the reel. The FG knot is somewhat rigid and doesn't sit well on the reel spool, so best to keep it off the spool altogether.

I can see the benefit of the FG knot being tied without tension is convenience... but feel much more comfortable tying it under tension. I don't think it a good practice to pull braided line wrapped around the bare hands as it can cut like a sharp knife.

I have used, and do use Fastach swivels to allow for quick exchange of lures. I do NOT believe they are detrimental to the swimming action of most hard body lures. I don't use them for soft plastics or spinnerbaits though.

Once again Derek, you have put together a very beneficial post that will prove invaluable to Fishraider members. Keep up the good work.

bn

March 10

12 hours ago, frankS said:

Sounds like a pretty good day\s fishing to me although I don't know about doing 10 hours straight these days.

Frank

I know what you mean Frank. Very little relief from the baking sun whilst on the river so I didn't need rocking to sleep. Quite knackered...time for another sleep. Cheers mate. bn

March 10

8 hours ago, XD351 said:

Nice fish and a great report BN!

I never got around to fishing any of the big freshwater rivers.

It's a worthwhile experience that everyone should try to have if they can. One of the great things about fishing is the learning curve required to catch all the different species that location provides. We are blessed to have plenty of variety here in Australia. Let me know if you ever wish to give freshwater river fishing a go...it's different.

bn

March 9

A couple of visitors from down South were visiting mate Luke for the weekend. We met up and headed to the river to fish an area we hadn't fished for a while, arriving just on dawn. Luke and I in one boat and the visitors in their ideal river boat. A beautiful set up with everything needed for chasing down native species. These guys (Ian and Mark) didn't need any help other than guiding them to the right area to do their stuff.

I started off with surface lure and Luke with his trusty "Bardi Grub" lure. Not long after I get a strong boof on my surface lure, but the Cod failed to connect. Several casts back in the same region and it was clear that the Cod had no intention of making the same mistake, so Luke chucked his trusty lure in and the fish obliged.

Conditions were ideal with a moderate flow and plenty of water to navigate the numerous stumps. Once the sun appeared over the treetops I started using my trusty red/black spinnerbait and hooked this nice Yella right next to the boat.

Luke was next to hook up to a nice Cod going 67cms...

...and I got another Yella on a deep diving lure, again, right next to the boat.

We moved from place to place chucking lures into the snags and got a few more Cod

The Cod continued to play ball and we worked diligently to get a few more on board. The sun was starting to make its presence felt so we took time out to find some shade and a spot of bait fishing with cheese for bait. Probably got about 8 more Cod and a few good ones among them, including this mid 60s model

...and this chunky fella

One of the "shady spots"...

So that's how we went, but the visitors weren't outdone as they trolled lures slowly up their selected sections, preferring this to chucking lures into the snags. They too got among the mid 60s model Cod but got no Yellas.

All up the 2 boats and 4 anglers fished for 10 hrs each for a total of about 20+ fish. Doesn't sound like a lot but in terms of Cod/Yella fishing this was a good result

Thanks for reading,

bn

March 8

Great report of a great capture Larkin... a couple of Bonito thrown in for good measure. Samson fish are related to Kingfish aren't they? Are they as good to eat?

Cheers, bn

March 7

They all look good Hilly. bn

March 7

You're on a bit of a roll Bob and Steve...squid, Bass and Jewies is successive outings. No risk of You guys going hungry.

Keep up the good work. bn

March 6

Another successful day on the water Bob. I know that you like to get offshore but you still manage to catch fish and squid regularly while you wait for the weather to come good. Some very nice, healthy Bass pictured. Cheers, bn

March 6

Great report Bob. You always do well when you fish with Steve. Lucky I wasn't there to jinx the session. Good result for the Harbour, both squid and Kingfish.

I assume that Rosie showed those Mexicans how a good dog works.

So from the rod tip...line to a small sinker then swivel. Line from swivel to dropper knot with a squid jig, then through to another squid jig on the end of the line. Is that right?

Hi to Steve, cheers, bn

March 6

9 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Nice one Neil. Wildly different scenery to what I fish!

That's one of the things that I like about fishing...plenty of diverse locations to go to, each presenting its own challenges to the angler. Different views, wildlife, and target species.

bn

March 5

A good wrap up of your fishing adventures Hilly. I have hardly been out as it is too hot after about 9am, not 100% at present either. Went to check out a boat ramp last week and spent a few hours under the shade of 1 big gum tree. 1 Cod which would have been a keeper but couldn't be bothered so put it back in. The ramp is a disaster with about 7m of hardened mud between the end of the concrete and the water. Can't wait till the weather cools down a bit here, been very oppressively hot.

Excellent photos too.

Good luck for your March assault on the Cod. bn

March 5

1 hour ago, frankS said:

Neil. That would have to be the most entertaining 6 minutes I have experienced on this site.

Thanks for putting it together . Should be more like it.

you sure d live in a beautiful place.

Wiradjuri Country , People of 3 rivers, home of many Lizards.

Frank

Thanks very much Frank. I love it here. Took me ages to do the "video" and I wasn't sure if it would work on here. Neil

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