joel.pringle

What a monster!

Howdy Fishraiders I was up at Lake macquarie visiting the folks over the long weekend, I usually aim for a fly-in and fly-out visit, but spent a bit more time. Which was a great excuse to hire a tinny and get out on the Lake. Ended up five of us on the water; my old man, brother, his wife and my more beautiful half. Not much fishing talent between us, but more than enough enthusiasm. Unfortunately I talk up a good game, which led to others thinking I might be a bit of help getting them hooked up From Pelican we headed into Swan Bay, not much happening. We then headed out to various spots around the flats and drop-off near the opening to the channel. Moving around, we ended up with a couple of fat bream around 30cm, and a skinny 25.1cm version whose scalp I claimed. Mixture of fresh squid and prawns. (sorry no photos) Funny thing was, these were the only three fish to make it into the boat, nothing undersize. I didn't have any luck with the new UglyStick and Fin-Nor reel that I shelled out for a couple of weeks ago, which spent some time connected to a yakka that was caught at the jetty the night previous; but I experienced enough to know it will bring me plenty of fun. Not enough to feed the whole family, but good time on the water with family. My sister's partner went out the next night with a mate and they bought back 30 legal bream, next time I'll have to get onto that session. Hrgh

Anywhere west of the Harbour Bridge it's not recommended to eat fish, especially Bream and Flatheads that tend to stay local. Hrgh

Mmmm. This is why i fish. Hrgh

Congrats on the catch. Sounds like a great weekend. Any chance of The Cheif Foodie doing a cameo and putting his tasty looking recipe onto The Kitchen thread? Hrgh

With one eye squinted, and my head tilted to the left, I think this BoM page is saying that La Nina is moderating. Meaning more sunny days on the way! http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/ENSO-summary.shtml

Depends on what you are trying to catch. Buy a book, or talk to the guy in your local tackle store. You're asking about basic gear, the best thing you can do is visit a local tackle store and have a chat. They'll give advise about local spots too. Hrgh

Hook sizes; the number get smaller as the hook gets bigger, until you reach 1. Then the sizes have /0 added, and the number gets bigger as the size gets bigger. ie. from smaller to larger ... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 etc.

Gah, the Quantum XTRALITE just arrived. I gave it a quick bend test and... snapped the bugger. Within five minutes of receiving it. It didn't take much strain. The rod was only $20, but the shipping was an extra $30 (from the States). 50 bucks down the drain. Think I'll stop getting creative, go to the local outdoor shop and get a telescopic rod. Hrgh

There's a lot of talk on this site about the Greens not understanding recreational fishing (for the record, as a member of the Greens and new to fishing I agree), but I wonder if anyone from here has tried engaging with the Greens and helping build that understanding? Hrgh

Using tags goes further by suggesting to users what the most likely tags, or search terms, are, making the search easier. Hrgh

I don't know too much about the back-end of these forums, but is it possible to add a 'tag' function to posts? That would help people search more quickly. i.e. you might hit the 'landbased' or 'rockfishing' and 'kingfish' tag to drill down to the posts that you are interested in. Saves having to divide the content up. Don't know if it is possible here. Hrgh

It'll need to be versatile, I'll basically take it wherever I go and hope to come across some water. Being hiking/solo camping , I'll be land-based, mostly in estuaries. I imagine lures will be easy to take out than bait. The rod I ordered isn't telescoping, but a short-arsed (4'6") two piece. Hrgh

After looking at various collapsible rods, I've ordered a Quantum XTRALITE 4 1/2 ft, graphite rod through online shop. Under $50 including shipping, so hopefully not a bad buy. Still got to get a lightweight reel to match. I'm interested if anyone carries a 'minimal tackle kit' and what they carry it in. Hrgh

Amazing video. Deserved the front page. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/a-lone-kayaker-a-marlin-and-one-wild-ride-20120204-1qypb.html

Hi all I've been doing a bit of hiking lately, and am keen to get a lightweight fishing kit going. A couple of weekends ago I camped on the Great North Walk near Crosslands and something more than a handline might have been more successful at catching dinner. Has anyone else put together something similar? Any tips? Any good weekend walks to fishing spots that you would recommend? Hrgh

I make habit of soaking my reel in fresh water anytime it hits the salt. This might help with your new reel Good to hear about fishy success in a local spot, I imagine I'll be walking around some time soon. Hrgh

Hi all There are a lot of misdirected anti-Greens comments here. Whilst everyone has their own opinions, it's worth remembering that a lot of Greens enjoy recreational fishing aswell! At the risk of outing myself, I'm one of these (ducks for cover). I have to agree that the Greens can miss the distinction between recreational and commercial fishing at times, and think that anglers would be well served by building contacts with the Greens to fix this. Recreational fishers have a huge stake in the health of our waterways and can be great custodians. Such a small party doesn't have the resources to know everything about everything, so relies on external networks to develop better policies. Yeah, lots of us are watermelons. Proudly. But I don't know anyone in the party who doesn't genuinly believe in environmental justice, as well as social justice. The two go hand in hand, respect for nature and respect for people. Anyway, off my high horse. If anyone wants to chat about a relationship might be developed, pm me. Cheers, Joel ps The Centre for Policy Development, a think tank close to the Greens, put out this sustainable fisheries report last year, might be of interest. http://cpd.org.au/2011/09/stocking-up/

I've asked this question in another post, but your report makes me think to ask you: Do you eat luderick caught west of the Bridge? Given the dioxins etc. Hrgh

Thanks for the replies. Sounds I best follow the recommendations.

Thanks Harvey, message sent! Cheers, Joel

No replies yet, so I'll add some info. I was up at the Central Coast over xmas, so had quite a few unsuccessful morning and evening sessions from the south end of Pearl Beach (zilch) and from Patonga Creek (an undersized flathead and a small leatherjacket). This would have been for 15 hours fishing all up. I had a recent go at squid from Birchgrove ferry wharf, but nothing going. Planning to hit La pa and Yarra Bay some time this week (I work in the area). Basically I'd like a confidence booster of bringing something home to eat. Curious about chasing Blackfish, but even keen to hit Bream or flatheads. Especially keen on landing some squid for the bbq. I'm can reach anywhere within scooter-riding distance from Camperdown (read La Pa, the eastern beaches, Harbour, and lower North Shore). There are lots of tips on these forums, but I'd be willing to contribute some beers to someone willing to show me how to put them into action. Cheers, Joel

Howdy all I was wondering if anyone here eats fish caught west of the Harbour Bridge? I've seen the signs warning of dioxins and other toxins, but the bridge seems an arbitrary line. I'm guessing that the water would flush well around the Balmain / Birchgrove area? I see quite a few fishos around, and lots of reports here of fishing from the north side of the harbour. Does anyone hazard a feed without any obvious signs of ill-health? Or any (gulp) bad reports? Hrgh

Howdy guys and gals As a new member, thank you to the mods and community for such a great site. Having recently (at 30) rekindled an interest in fishing, Fishraider has been an eye-opener to how much I have to learn. Targeting species? For someone who blindly threw a hook and running sinker into estuaries as a teenager, this was a revelation! Your name: Joel Your Location: Camperdown Fishing technique: Anything land-based around Sydney Harbour Availability: Weekends / some weekday afternoons, evenings Preferred location: Within striking distance of Inner West / Eastern 'burbs. Provide your own gear? Yes (basic) Provide your own boat? No I want to learn enough to enjoy the occasional session close to home, catch the odd dinner, etc. I would love to know how to target some good plate fish (but secretly desire to work up to a land-based kingfish), and have had a couple of unproductive squid sessions around Birchgrove. My fishing interest really stems from a desire to get better at gathering/harvesting/cooking my own food (Community gardening: check. Fresh caught fish: working on it. Chooks: no room in the apartment). In return to the Fishraider community, I'd be happy to put up some articles or posts from a beginner's perspective, on the basics and what I learn. I have some experience writing, and it could be a handy resource for other beginners? Thanks!