big Neil

While sorting some stuff on the PC I came across this video and thought it would be worth posting again, because we have so many new members on the forum. It shows one of the memorable days spent on the Murrumbidgee River. A day where mate Luke caught not one but two giant Murray Cod on consecutive casts... a rare feat indeed. Hope you enjoy it, bn big fish movie vimeo (1).mp4

Hi Birdy and welcome to the forum. Blackfishing is an amazing form of fishing, having the right gear is great if you plan on doing it a lot. The pictures below show a locally produced Blackfish reel that can be used left or right-hand wind, has drag settings, and swivels to 90 degrees for casting. It is easy to clean after use and will last you a lifetime. ALVEY 455B The reel turned through 90 degrees and ready for casting Check it out and good luck with your Blackfishing. bn

A good post Rob. Interesting all the reports of sharks being seen in heaps of shallow water locations. There must be plenty of them about. bn

What a great report Mike and a fantastic result too. You should be awarded recognition for it. Keep up the good work, enjoying reading the reports/ Cheers, bn

I have had very little experience with Kingies and am yet to catch a legal one...but I'm certainly going to keep trying when I can. They represent a challenge and learning curve to most anglers but are well worth the effort to feel how strongly they fight. Good luck with your pursuit of a legal one, I'm sure it's not far away. Cheers, bn

Trust you will recover quickly from that encounter Bob. I didn't know that Catfish are a sting issue. I have caught both salt and freshwater species and didn't realise their potential danger. They do taste good on the plate though. Apparently, anglers used to catch them regularly down here, but not in recent times. bn

Great photos of the results Bob. The fish look to be in great condition. Be nice to have a crack at them on your local stretch of country. Hi James. bn

WOW some quality fish there Isaac. The good thing about coastal saltwater fishing is the opportunity to chase numerous species in one outing. That Trevally would have given a good account of itself. Well done. bn

Thanks for the heads up on that technique Hilly. Along with a bread berley and bread flies I will give that a try down the track. Cheers mate, bn

A very enjoyable read Ben and well done on the recognition from Donna. I can only imagine what it's like fishing from a kayak. I envy all you young, fit people for using them to chase down your quarry. Good luck in your future competition entries. bn

Better luck next time you get out. Must be great fun hooking a Kingie while fishing from a kayak. bn

Possibly after Lawn Bowls Pennants finishes. Early April, 2nd week. bn

Yep and a good little fight on the fly gear. Would be nice to hook into some of the monster Carp that abound down here. I intend getting some bread flies and putting out among some surface pieces of bread. Should get a result. Cheers, bn

Yesterday I had a text from fishing buddy Luke asking if I fancied taking the fly rod down the river. "Sure, why not?" Luke had mentioned that he had been out fly fishing for Carp. I was mildly interested in how it all worked and when he sent a few pics of some 70cm models he had caught, I was very interested. So we arrived at the river and the water level is as high as it can be without being flooded. There are a few backwaters, not very deep normally, but ok with the river up this high. THE PROCESS Cruising around looking for Carp and QUICKLY casting to them before they get spooked and disappear from sight. My casting was in terrible shape and having the fly rod set up for Blackfish on fly didn't help. I had about 6ft of light leader attached to the tippet so that was never going to work on short, quick casts of 5-6 metres. I re rigged and that brought me into the game. Did some practice casts and got ready for spotting some Carp. I had a black Woolly Bugger fly on and cast several times to the shadowy figures just beneath the surface. No luck, mainly because my casting was either too slow or not accurate enough. Spotted about half a dozen Carp mouthing on the surface and managed to hit the zone with the cast. The fly sunk and I stripped a bit of line in, then was on. A great little fight and a Carp of 40cms. Many near hookups and Luke got a similar model with an excellent cast against a big dead gum tree. The wind got up and the Carp disappeared so we pulled the pin. SUMMARY: With fishing there's always something new to try. This type of fishing has some appeal to me so I'll definitely do it again and see if I can perfect the technique. Will probably get some bread flies and do a bit of berley with bread crusts...might add another dimension. Thanks for reading. If any of you have done this type of fishing, I would be interested in reading about your techniques. Cheers, bn

Nice way to spend a few hours Derek. Quality fish there and all released to fight another day. bn

Shame about the crap conditions but you did well, considering. Looks like the new lure was a success. Good onya, bn

Many thanks for your reply. I am almost totally opposite to you in that I don't consider any circumstances PRIOR to going fishing, apart from water level. I never take the boat when the river is really low as I can't travel very far. Also I bait fish mostly (solo), so have few opinions on what lure is better than what other. I do have a belief that there is "always one stupid one" that is doing something unexpected. Just have to find it. Good luck with the rest of the season, tight lines. bn

You got any theories about why they're not biting readily? The only thing I can think of is they are definitely well fed. Maybe not as hungry as they usually are??? Interested to hear your view. bn

Love the analogy of the greased stick JJ. Classic. bn

You have constructed an extremely descriptive account of your encounter, linewetter. Good onya for acknowledging the benefits that you experienced following your catch-up with Derek. It's good to see somebody improve their technique, it's even better to see somebody find the light switch in a darkened room. Optimism plays a big part in successful fishing... To me, further evidence of the benefits of being on this forum. bn

Tricky one to answer eitai2001. Ramps can be slippery and 2WD vehicles (front wheels, I assume) can easily lose traction. I have towed, launched, and retrieved Pickles 5m aluminium boat with my Toyota Camry 4 cyl petrol vehicle with no trouble and maybe Pickles could tell you what his outfit weighs. Probably not a definitive answer to your question though. bn

Definitely the same company as the bait providers Albert... same logo. bn

So when you are bait fishing with nippers and drifting, do you allow the bait to drag along the bottom BEHIND the boat Rob? bn

Hi Noel. So what's the rig set up for catching Leatherjackets off wharves? What bait is best? bn

Good to read that the Hacking is providing for so many Raiders. Looks like there are some good Whiting about. bn