casper

Glad I don't work near the water (Liverpool wier doesn't count in my book) as I would be out there all the time!

Hi Raiders, I have now suffered from water in my underfloor fuel tanks for the second time in 12 months. Is the cause pruely because it has sat for a time without a full tank? This time it had a 3/4 full tank and was only sitting around for 5 weeks? last time was several months through winter with 1/4 tank. I never had a problem beofre with my old boat and it's plastic tanks even though they sat around not full for god knows how long at times. I only buy my fuel from a trusted service station where I fill my car, the boat is a 4.8 quinny coast runner with a 90ltr tank running a 75hp Mariner. Any ideas or tips would be greatly appreciated. Luke

Hi Ross, A big thanks to you and Emu for the day out on Friday, it was a great corporate day and our clients enjoyed themselves immensely. I especially enjoyed putting my client onto the biggest fish of his life - the nice mowie and the smile shows it all. The weather was great and although the fish were not in great numbers you still were able to put us onto a few nice table fish! Thanks Luke

Absolutely incredible - well done!!! The Georges is on fire for the jews!!

Howdy Raiders, Bit of a delay in posting but finally here it is: My brother Josh has been bitten by the Jew bug and has spent the last few weeks researching tactics/methods etc for catching the elusive jew. When I heard this I sent him through a couple of links to posts from jewgaffer and the like and he devoured these with gusto. So since I (plus wife and child) was staying at my parents place due to renovations at home, Josh made a call to go for a jew fish on Friday night. Plan was: 1. Catch some fresh squid on Thursday night - done (Josh picked up one healthy specimen from Wally's wharf) 2. Load up the boat with supplies and hit the water by 6pm to catch the last of the run up - done, on the water at Bonnet bay just after 6pm right as the heavens opened up for the first time, so we went at sat under Como bridge to rig up until the rain passed. 3. Find the hole - Josh had a spot pointed out to him just upstream from the bridge, and if you look at the maps it's not hard to work it out. After sounding around we found a spot and settled in for the last hour of the run up and within 30 minutes my brother is on - hoots and hollering all round as the first jew - 54cm - comes on board. This was my brothers first and proof that a good plan will lead to success!! With the tide beginning to slow the call was to move to the other side of the hole - only to find that the battery was dead - ah well, so off with the motor cover and find some rope and whammy we are moving again! Motor around and find the next spot- we were in approx 8-10mtrs with the drop off from 4 mtrs behind us. Baits in the water and the cooker comes out for some sausage sangas! Next two fish in the boat are to me and my brothers mate Crabbie lands his first jew, both of these fish come in at 43cms so back in they go. Next up is me again with my first ever legal jew at 53cms, we are looking good with 4 fish landed so far. Crabbie is then on with another under size at 43cms(returned), then I am back on again with a 46cm model landed. Then the heavens opened big time and it just bucketed down, and all went quite for about 40 mins so more snags were cooked and we were looking at calling it a day very satisfied with the result so far. But with having to get out in the rain to rip start the motor the call kept being delayed - just 10 minutes more and then just give it another 10... 1am comes by and the rain is not stopping, then that magic sound of line screaming off the bait runner sounds out through the night and Josh screams he's on!! Stuff the rain now we are all up and clearing the rods from the water and reading the net, after a nice little fight Josh with legs shaking and heart pumping lands a nice 73cm Jew!! So the wrap up - 7 jew landed from 43cm up to 73cm Fished the last hour of the run up to about 3 1/2 Hours of the run out. barometer was about 1007 - 1005 Moon was two days from full Bait was fresh squid stripped down (my 3 jew were all caught on the same strip!!) Using two hook rigs with long leaders and running sinkers All I can say is he is now hooked and next time he makes a call to go jew fishing I will be there with bells on!! till next time... Luke

Hi Bruce, My brother and I were fishing just upstream from the bridge on Fri nite and landed 7 jew from 43cm up to 73cm. I am just waiting to get my hands on the photos so I can post a report. Also one of my brothers mates were fishing at the bridge in a little tinny and on the drift upstream picked up a 81cm flathead, before the heavens opened up. Luke

Well done on still bring home a feed Peter, My bro and I were out on Saturday in perfect conditions only to pick up countless undersize flatties and a never ending stream of slimies of the bottom. We tried everywhere from middle of Bate bay all the way down to mid way between Marley and Garie in 30-100 meters - even trolled back from Marley to Jibbon for zilch. Was a great day to be on the water though with virtually no wind a few passing whales and seals. Cheers Luke

Just want to say a big thanks to Donna and Stew for organising and to Bob and Harry for their time and wealth of knowledge. Just got the results in the mail last night and I passed with 90% - one of the biggest reasons for that was the study questions that Donna sent through if it wasn't for them that result would have been much different. Thanks Again!! Luke

Hi Peter, What depth did you get the flatties at - I was out on bate bay on friday and from 24 to 40 meters could not even make the bottom thanks to the numbers of small jackets!! Thanks Luke

Hi Darkhorse, With the southerly still blowing in the morning the water will be rough but you might be lucky and get out of the wind hanging around the towra side, specially if you are after flatties and bream. Either side of the high would be best. Good luck Casper

As a result of the accident last week Police were out pn Saturday at the mouth of the Hacking checking boat rego/licences and safety gear. Although they only took the rego details of the boat next to us (Weekend crusier with an older gent and his two ladies) they certaily went through us with a fine tooth comb! Casper

Just heard that one person is dead and one survior after a boat hit by wave at Jibbon reef. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/one-de...9516344809.html Sad news but there is a very big swell running today, surprised to hear someone would be in so close. Casper

Ads, if your into file sharing you could search for Garmin Mapsource South Pacific and download a copy - it may say you need a code to unlock the maps but thats only if you want to upload them to your GPS. You can then use the tools in the program to workout distances etc and even upload/download GPS marks from/to your GPS Cheers Casper

As far as i am aware females are only returned when carrying eggs. On the mullet- strip it first so you have bait, they love the guts and heads etc. Also anything that is oily I have found they love old pillies - save a mesh onion bag next time and string that into the trap with the pillies inside. Cheers Luke

I was out walking along the beach front at cronulla yesterday arvo with the wife and bubs and there was a massive school of bait fish out in the middle of bate bay. The were so many birds having a field day smashing up the school - didn't see any fish activity on the surface just the birds constantly dive bombing over a large area. Was perfect conditions - so wanted to race home and throw the boat in!!

Yep I know them as Cocky's too - there is a reason that there are so many around it may be due to the fact that they are crap to eat. Casper

Tom Tom, For bait I normally use mullet frames after filleting for bait. If you are going to leave the pots for an extended time the crabs will normally take all your bait and take off to the next feed. I use a piece of fly screen mesh and stich it up like a pocket and fill with bait - seal it with a piece of line and attached to the trap - the crabs are still attracted to the bait but can't pull it apart and take off with it. Usually have most success around Towra and up towards the sticks. Casper Plus to get them out you need to shave first then apply a cream!

Up to the family holiday house in Foster, so will be surfing and fishing one mile beach over saturday and sunday. Casper

Gday Raiders, Had the morning off to go with the wife for our first ultra sound - she's 3 months preggars with our first! So we killed some time and walked the esplanade along the beachfront at Cronulla. As is always the way while we walk the wife talks and I either look at which wave I could be surfing or which spot looks good for a fish. Well with the southerly blowing strong nothing was looking real good but off in the distance I noticed a rather large spray of water out near the Osborne shoals - after carefully watching for a second or two a huge humpback launched virtually it's whole body out of the water to an almighty splash which was followed by many other in the pod sometimes 2 and 3 at a time. Even though they were some way off the coast these giants of the sea looked spectacular breaching and spraying water high into the air which was pushed even further by the strong winds. After this all died down with the thought that they had now gone deep and down the coast - but to the wife's and mine amazement they resurfaced about 300m off the back of shark island and worked their way up until beside the island. What I would've given to be one of the young guys out surfing the island as the whales then turned and cruised gracefully around them and into the waters just out from shelly beach. What a way for these young guys to finish off the school holidays! By now it was time to get going and we left with them cruising out off windy point. What a great way to start the day and to cap it off by seeing our unborn child kicking and moving around - the beauty of mother nature at it's best. Casper

The good ol' Numb fish - my first experience was when I was about 13 and fishing up around Ettalong with my Pop. Pulled this thing up on to the wharf and proceded to try and remove my hook then BAM - but being the inquisitive kid went back for a second shot BAM again - this time I went straight for the knife and released him the easy way. you live and you learn. Casper

Didn't see this yellow one but: Over the past couple of weeks I have seen quite a few different boats hanging around between shark isalnd and Jibbon. I walk with my wife every arvo along the esplanade and there has been at least 3 different trawlers/fishing boats plus 2 massive red boats which I would say were dredge boats - one which came right into south cronulla inside the point then backed out and turned around on Saturday morning - it is now anchored of jibbon beach with a larger version. Seeing the trawlers/fishing boats parked in so close is very dissapointing especially if they were working.

Welcome aboard Shannon, Least you have a trailer to put the tinnie on - my first boat went into the back of my mates van! Good work on the flatties. Casper

Hi Guys, the only way that I've found is stop the jakets biting through line is don't touch your line after you have handled the bait or rebaited the hooks. Always wash/rinse your hands after baiting up or handling bait and when you bring your line in try to only handle the hooks. This is a bit of an old fishwifes tale but in the last 3 trips offshore off bate bay have caught many jackets without a single bite off. hope it helps next time Casper

Sounds good - i'll be in unless priors from the Missus

There seemed to be a heap around as my mate bagged out the weekend before. He said that there were heaps around laying eggs. Normally they look for the eggs in the shallower water as they will be heap around them, but they were only out in the deeper when we were out due to low tide. Casper