big Neil

An excellent report of your trips Rob. Some quality fish for a few meals, right there. How do YOU catch poddies? bn

Do you miss living in PNG? bn

A very warm welcome to Fishraider eitai2001. What a cracking boat you now have and quite a step up from your previous vessels. Not sure how many members are in Victoria but I certainly will look forward to reading your reports as you get out on the water in the new vessel. I have done a bit of fishing down South...Port Phillip Bay and Port Welshpool. Both are excellent locations to fish for a variety of species. Good luck, bn

An excellent reply Mike. Big tick... bn

A fantastic report Dave and a great outcome. Whiting, Bream, and Bass on a learning curve lure followed by MJs for Amy and yourself. Sounds like an ideal use of a 3 day break from the workhouse. As always top photos to complement your summary of events. bn

You should catch up with Derek. He is more than capable of telling you what suits best and WHY. As many others have done, you will benefit immensely. Good luck, bn

Welcome to the forum mate. You've already done a couple of good things to get you started on your fishing journey. Firstly you have joined the best forum in the world, secondly you are asking questions. There are some brilliant anglers on this site. Most are only too pleased to help others out. Each of us who have been fishing for a long time can recall how we started and the experiences we gained along the way. The best way to learn then was to fish with others and each learn from each other. Today, with the information highway you can learn the theory behind fishing without leaving your lounge room. But that doesn't make us good anglers, we have to get out there and put it all into practice. You are very fortunate to be living in a place where there are stacks of opportunities to get out and attempt to catch fish. So, in answer to your question "what's your best fishing knowledge/wisdom gained over the years? " Being on this forum, being ACTIVE on this forum, never being afraid to ask for help, and taking the opportunity to meet some of the other anglers on the forum." Give it a go. I will enjoy watching your journey. Cheers, bn

Hi linewetter (I like the name). Firstly, welcome to Fishraider. What I am going to suggest will likely get shot down in flames by others, but hey, we're all entitled to an opinion. You are relatively new to fishing and unlikely to spend 40 hours a week fishing so why spend a heap on rod and reel?... get some lures, soft plastics and have fun. You can always upgrade later. Just remember, you don't need a Rolls Royce to drive to the shops. Firstly, if you're getting a 1-3kg graphite rod, your 2500 Sienna will be a little big/heavy to match with the rod. So look at a Sienna (or similar) in about 1000 size range. Put some backing on the reel then about 100-150m of 2-3kg braid and a leader of about 6lb. Raider rods are reasonable value for starting out. The 1-3kg spinning rod is available in 6ft6in or 7ft2in. Just remember that with graphite rods not to "high stick lift". That would be my suggestion for you, let's see what others have to say. Good luck with your fishing journey. I will look forward to reading your reports. Cheers, bn

QUOTED ABOVE: When I fish estuaries for Flathead I usually drift with the current and cast soft plastics ahead of the drift. At the end of the drift I slowly trawl hard body lures back to the starting point. Both are successful at catching different species of estuary fish. The method quoted above is for lure fishing. I assume your paternoster rig is being used with bait? Whilst I was quoting a method for lure fishing from a drifting boat, you can actually catch Flathead from the bank, or an anchored boat, using a double bait paternoster rig SLOWLY dragged across a sandy bottom. The sinker, when moved slowly across the sand/ mud bottom disturbs the bottom and attracts the interest of hidden Flathead. A double paternoster rig can also be dragged along the bottom BEHIND the drifting boat,. However, this can easily get snagged. When you go fishing, don't be afraid to try different things. That's how we learn to fine-tune our efforts and improve our results. I hope that I have answered your query. bn

Excellent report whiskey299. How good would you feel seeing your 83 y/o Dad having the best days fishing. Good on him, good on you too. Well done, bn

Great description of a good day on the water Bob. Never a dull moment fishing with you. bn

Many thanks for your in-depth reply, Faker. What a buzz going to another country and seeing the different angling methods used. Thank you very much. Cheers, bn

The boat drifts with the current and you cast in the direction you are heading (ahead). Not necessarily directly ahead...best to fish the drop-offs from the shallows towards the deeper water. Hope that makes sense. Can you further describe the lures the anglers in Japan were using...size, shape, weight, etc. bn

Your percentage catch rate must be pretty high Yowie. You certainly know the areas where you fish, as well as the available bait, and the spots most likely to produce. Years of learning go into making accomplished anglers... how old did you say you were? On a serious note, I always look at the condition of anglers' catches. Your local area must be an ideal environment as the fish you show are always in A1 condition. Lovely feed in this catch. Cheers, bn

I think that most fish use their sensory equipment to locate potential food sources "eyes, smell and lateral line". The lateral line picks up vibrations even when a fish can't see the prey. What lures do is trigger these sensory reactions. That can lead to a fish targeting it as a source of a potential meal. Flathead are one of the easier fish to fool into taking your lure, whether it be a soft plastic, a blade, or a hard-bodied lure. Pelagics like Salmon, Tailor, Tuna, etc will readily chase down fast-moving lures. When I fish estuaries for Flathead I usually drift with the current and cast soft plastics ahead of the drift. At the end of the drift I slowly trawl hard body lures back to the starting point. Both are successful at catching different species of estuary fish. Maybe you should try what you have seen in the Japanese video, it will most likely work for you. Good luck and let us know if you do try it, how it goes. Cheers, bn

Could they have been Carp Fil? Good healthy-looking Bass, well done. bn

Well done on your first visit to the Blowhole. It appears that you planned the trip well with safety considerations taken into account. Always difficult landing fish off the rocks but I think it will only be a matter of time before you succeed. Looking forward to your next reports. bn

Doubt it would be much better than the motors...absolute neglect. bn

Looks like an expensive job to get that boat back into service Noel...shocking. bn

Well done on your first post Knightsup. Soft plastics are a great innovation to angling. They are reasonably cheap, versatile and very effective in targeting many different species. A few different weighted jigheads coupled with a few different-sized plastics, and you can target heaps of species. I will look forward to your next post. Cheers, bn

A great report Sam. I hope that the kids maintain their interest in fishing, it's a fabulous outdoor pastime and even better done with the family. Your photos are excellent and show joy and success in each one. Good luck with the offshore plans... bn

Yep, and tomorrow. Time to make some bowls and mugs in the studio methinks. Cheers.

A great result Basil and I'm sure that your friend will remember it. I love the pictures that show the light reflected on the water...brilliant, especially the one between the two bridges. That one has great artistic creativity whether intentional or not. Top post in my opinion. bn

I'd settle for a couple of those Flathead Yowie, love 'em. Not all that thrilling to catch, except on soft plastics, they certainly provide a delicious meal. bn

That's a fabulous Bream and good to see that you're benefitting from the forum. Look forward to your future contributions. bn