stricko4

I'm onto my second pair of multi focal polarised sunnies & they are fantastic. I have worn specks since I was 5 & for the past 6 or 7 years worn multi focals. Being able to tie nots & drive the boay without the hastle of changing glasses is great. Getting nice frames is the easy part. Paying for them & the lenses is the nasty bit. To get the prescritions I need in a lens that isn't 1/2 inch thick means paying for the absolute best plastic lenses you can get & add to that the cost of making them dark polaroid makes them bloody expensive. But since taking up fishing/boating 3 or 4 years ago I don't venture out without them. I spose it comes down to what you can afford & what you want to look like. I had clipons for years as a kid & there is now way I'd wear them now I don't have to but they are a very cost effective alternative. Paul btw... $500 isn't too bad a price if you get frames you like...

Saw a metre + cobia landed at Clifton this time last year

Hi Guys, Sorry, this is a bit of a rant but I think it is an issue we are going to deal with more & more. I was lucky enough to get out on the water yesterday with my wife & my brother yesterday and what a great days fishing it was. We put in at GRNP at about 7:30 with 3 or 4 trailers in the car park. This was the first time we'd been there since the so called improvements had been completed. On those changes I have a few observations & would appreciate any comments from others who have been there on a busy day. Firstly it is nice to have a long jetty/pontoon set up between the 2 ramps now in operation. Very handy for loading/unloading passengers & gear etc. But having taken out the second ramp, access has effectively been halved. Then there is the new road access to the current ramp which to me seems quite restrictive when the area is busy. Neither of these issues were a problem when we launched as there was bugger all people around. That all changed when we returned around 5ish. As expected the place was packed with 50 jet skiers flying all over the place, fisho's & skiers wanting to get their boats on their trailers. Nothing new here. However there was one huge change in what boaters had to contend with as compared to prior to the changes. KIDS. KIDS KIDS & MORE KIDS. I appreciated this is an area frequented by families & it always has been a great spot for them. And from my past experiences everyone coexisted quite nicely. Obviously as a boater you always needed to be aware of kids & adults alike in the vicinty but yesterday we arrived to find 10 or 14 kids jumping off the new jetty into the water right at the approach to the ramps. Mums & Dads were sitting on the shore oblivious to boats large & small trying to negotiate an approach to the ramps while kids jumped off the jetty & exited the water up the boat ramps. Then once finally moored kids were jumping into the water around the boats tied up at the jetty. Then there was the saga of getting the trailer in position for a retrieval. After a considerable wait due to not only a halving of previous access but 1 of the 2 ramps being covered on 20cm of sand so most cars were avoiding that due to inability to drive a loaded trailer up the ramp in 20cm of wet sand. Effectively we were down to 1 ramp. Add to that a huge throng of adults & kids in the imediate area made it very dangerous reversing with very young kids wandering around the reversing area with absolutely no adult supervision. I don't mind my licencing money being spent on improving boating facilities & services but I think this current change has been a huge backwards step. Halving the ramp access & the new jetty is an instant attractant to kids. Unsupervised kids jumping into the water all around boats approching & moored. Don't these parents realise the damage a prop can inflict on a person?? Especially a little kid? In my view it won't be long at all before we see a news report telling us some innocent kid has been killed by a boat at GRNP boat ramp & I guarantee it will be bad press for us boaties. That won't change the fact that some poor kid will be gone & a boater has to live with the consequences. After yesterdays experience I doubt we will use this ramp again on a weekend unless it's the middle of winter. Has anyone got any thoughts on this facilty since the changes have been completed? Paul btw Police & waterwyas officers were present on jet skis & did nothing to clear the ramp area of kids. Poor form if you ask me.

Thanks Geoff I was looking in Maritime no wonder I couldn't find them. Paul

Raiders, I saw on ET the other day that there is a number of artificial reefs been layed in Lake Macquarie. As I'm spending some time up there in a few weeks I was wondering if anyone knows their GPS coordinates or where I can find them? Also any hints for good locations or hints for fishing that area. Paul

Double uni is easy & reccomended by Starlo & crew in all of the dvd's so if it's good enough for them it's good enough for me. And it has never faied me either. Paul

Well done mate. I fished Budgie beach one arvo over the xmas/new year break for 1 tailor albeit a nice big fat one but for 5 hours work it was not a great result give we had a prime spot & good bait.

Stucatz, I have a 4.6m alloy runabout with a 50 Etec. I can't give you any comparisons because this is my first boat but I am extremely happy with it. It is very quiet & smokefree. Starts first kick EVERY time & uses bugger all fuel. We have not put many hours on it but it has never faultered in any way. The performance seems incredible to me. It gets the Stacer on the plane in seconds & has more than enough power for my boat. As I said I can't give comparisons but I from my experience I would be recomending it to you for sure. Paul

Nothing so bold as to state a size but ANY kingy from my own boat would be a great start. And again I'm not fussed about the size so much bu a legal sized jew would be nice to. To be honest I should just say to get out on the water on a regular basis rather than having the battery in the boat going falt from lack of use. Paul

Fellow Raiders, Just wondering what the Burrill Lakes system is like for fishing? Also what other options are availble in that area of the south coast? Any advice will be greatly appreciated Paul

What a couple of great reports from some very generous Raiders. That bream is huge & it makes you wonder how old it must be to get to that size. They are very slow growing so it must be a fair age. Paul

Bill, We've got a Stacer 4.6mt runabout with a 50etec which is very nice for 2 people to fish from. Personally after 3 years of ownership I'd go for a slightly smaller centre/side console v nosed punt for the style of fishing we do which is similar to what you will be doing. I think it would be a bit easier to handle on my own. The bimini we have is nice for shade in summer & you can hide under it if a shower comes over too but generally I think the open style of boat is a better fishing set up. The Etec is a wonderful paower plant too & would recomend it highly. Whatever you choose I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Paul

William, Nice reel & you should have a look at the Nitro Mag But or Viper. I've got a Viper & Sol 3000 with 20lb Suffix braid. A very nice combo indeed. Paul

Great work. About a week ago we watched a school of tailor push baitfish into the bay at Clifton until they were within casting distance. In a quick 20 min session 3 of us landed around 15 or 18 all around the 40cm mark. It was great fun while it lasted. Eventually they pushed the bait back into the harbour & out of reach again but they continued feeding along with a good flock of birds for another hour. Paul

Well done Ash. A well known Sydney chater operator who has a DVD or 2 shows trolling the Parra River for Bream & he seemed to pick them up pretty easily. Paul

Thanks guys. Looks like another visit to the tackle shop to pick up some Owner split rings & I'll start again. Paul

Thanks guys... got the pliers ans yes I can open the rings up but i seem to be opening then TOO wide stretching the rings to the point they don't close properly after I've fed the metal on. Do i need bigger split rings??

G'day Raiders, After a nice session on Friday night where I snagged about a 1/2 dozen nice tailor on metals I noticed that I had a number of metals that had rusty hooks & split rings in the tackle box. Never having attempted to replace these before I thought it might be a good little project for Sunday while watching the Bathurst race. Off I go to the local tackle store & get some advice on what was needed & home i go with a couple of different sized trebbles, several sized split rings, some single hooks suitable for use on metals & a pair of split ring pliers. Looking at things & even though I'm not the most dexterous when it comes to working with fiddly little things like this I thought this can't be too difficult. Well bugger me it is a pain in the butt isn't it. I've only managed to get a couple changed with much swearing & cursing. What I'm asking here is if there are any secret method to make this job any easier. Or is it a case of perseverance & practice & get on with it?? The problem I seem to be having is opening the split ring wide enough to feed the metal onto it without stretching it to the point where it remains partly open & therefore liable to snag line. I can manage to get the hooks on without too much problem. Any hints or advice would be GREATLY appreciated Paul

The 3000 Sol is identcal in size to the 4000 Shimano Twin Power so I guess the Luvius is similarly sized. If only using for bream & the like you'd not need any bigger than a 2000 Luvis & could get away with 1000 easily Paul

G'day, I saw that chair at the end of the wharf for a few weeks but I suspect it ended up back in the drink. Use it once or twice too. I've pulled in a very old & crusty reel once & about a thousand yards of other peoples line which I always put in the bin. It will be nice to have the place cleaned up. Paul

Guys, I've just been told by a diver mate that the Clifton Gardens wharf will be closed to fishing & boating traffic Thursday 23 October for an underwater clean up. I'd love to see how much crap they manage to bring up. Paul

With the Desal Project being a $1.2 billion job a few (or even a lot of) whinging fisho's are not going to have any impact on the outcome. Yes unfortunately there will be a 4m x 5m channel dredged richt across the Bay then the pipeline will be laid in that trench. In addition there is the outfall for the high salt consentraion water being pumped almost right on top of a reef just off Kurnell. No matte rwhat the experts here at work tell me I haev no doubt that will also have a huge impact. Paul

Great photo Ray. This time last year I watched a school like that cruise up & down the length of Budgewoi Beach all day with only a few venturing in close enough to fall victim to the ganged pillies & metals that were thown out buy the 6 or 8 of us that stood watching. It was very exciting for a novice beach fisho though. We are on our way back up that way for Dads day this weekend & the beach rods will be in the car for sure. Paul

Sam, As a regular at Clifton I'd appreciate you & your mates not lighting fires on the jetty. Apart from being illegal it is dangerous & leaves a horrible mess. This is a very popular fishing location & the rubish that gets left on the jetty is disgusting & that's not counting all the crap that gets blown into the water that we can't see. There are plenty of considerate fishos that get down there that make an effort to keep the jetty clean & free of bait scaps, disgarded line & hooks & what pisses me off most, beer bottles. There is nothing wrong with having a few beers when you're fishing but please have the decency to clean up after yourself wherever you are. Well that's my 2 bobs worth. And for sure it would have been a ray you hooked. There are plenty in the area willing to take lots of line & then bust you off.

Guys We did fish from the end of the jetty but most were picked up from the weed patches off the sides not straight out in front. Biggest had a mantle of about 30cm & most were just a little smaller than that. All in all a great night for some very inexperienced squidders. I'm not sure it was the time of day/night that was the main factor because the were around from the first bait we dropped at 4ish & were still going at them at 7:15 when I left. It was on a rising tide though...... is that a factor? Paul