fragmeister

Just remember that each fish you catch reduces the cost per fish. (This is how I justify going at least once a week). I think I am down to about $125 a keeper on this 12 month old boat. ouch!... not a good way to measure a return on investment. How about we use the enjoyment return on investment? That works better.

I think I am in your camp here. After a day bait fishing in particular, my rods and reels are covered in scales and slime and salt water. I tighten the drag up and wash the rods and reels with soapy water to remove the crud. Then I sit them aside while I wash the boat down and put my gear away. I come back to the reels and dry them off completely, pull the drab knobs off and check to make sure there is no water inside. Every months or so I do a strip and lube. However, do I ever miss one! Yes, sometimes I overlook something so its good to have the backstop of a good sealing system in place.

Good to see the reward of a nice haul after a long spell. Some of the best tasting fish in the sea too!

Good report buddy. Getting a boat sure is an exciting experience. A GF who stays on the boat with you even when she is crook! Don't throw that one back! Cheers Jim

I get the "anchor up and lie in the sun" thing. There's plenty of spots in the harbour to do that is the fishing is a bit slow.

Nice Sambo...they seem to all be down deep at the moment. Had a swim myself today. Once you get past the initial shock its worth it.

Good jobs fellas, sounds like a great day on the harbour. Bummer about the inconsiderate fisherman... you get that but it looks like you didn't let it spoil your day. Cheers Jim

LOL. Forgetting to pack the net. Now who hasn't done that eh?

Hi, Looks like your first post. That a pretty broad question but you will find a lot of information in the forums if you look around. What are you targeting? Are you in a boat or land based? Give us a little more detail and we will try and help you out. Cheers Jim

Good work Jimbu! Jewfish are a great species and its even more satisfying when you were targeting them. Even legal sized fish are worth returning sometimes so great job there too. Cheers

Ouch! But I have to say I have done that too... what were we thinking! Surely the recreational requirements of a vehicle should be foremost in the mind.

Sounds cool... Probably saw you around without knowing. I left the harbour at about 3pm after seeing a few boats head outside earlier. Cheers Jim

Hi Raiders, I hate to lose a fish as much as the next man and I can't count the number of good fish I have lost over the years. In my earlier years I have to say that I mostly blame my poor attention to detail. There is nothing worse than losing a fish because you have not paid enough care to your terminal tackle. I lost way too many good fish before I learned the invaluable lesson to take extra care every time because the one time you don't you will lose a quality fish. Today, I am very careful to use quality rods and reels, I use superior braid and fluro leaders. I use quality brand hooks, swivels etc to make sure I get away using the smallest ones possible and practical and I check and sharpen hooks regularly . I inspect the line periodically for damage and cut off the offending section and reattach the terminal tackle. I look for pieces of bait stuck to the line in case some picker has a nibble on it and damages the line. I have learned ( and still learn) better knots and rigs. I use scales to test the drag settings I put on my line and while I don't always set them at the time I do now have a feel for how much drag I am setting on a fish. I replace line reasonably frequently and I look after my tackle post and pre fishing trips. However, I still lose fish and of course they are the bigger fish and, while it is part of what brings me back to fishing, it is nonetheless very frustrating. I guess I may be stating the obvious, but losing fish is inevitable because not everything is in our control. If I look at my most recent lost fish I can see than many of these things I couldn't really have influenced many of these events. Yesterday I was busted off on on 3kg gear by something that took an unweighted strip bait intended for a bream/trevally. It reefed me. I could have set the drag a bit higher and stopped the initial run but sometimes that can also pull hooks so sometimes being conservative gets more fish. I could have used heavier line but I catch more bream with unweighted baits on light lines. Also yesterday, I have a dead squid taken by a freight train of a fish ( shark/ray I think) who was heading out through the heads regardless of what my plan was. I wound up the drag in a vain attempt to stop him and I pulled the hooks. The rig was meant for a jewie so I don't think the rig helped the hookup. Not so sure I could have ( or would have wanted) an hour fight with a big shark on 20K gear anyway. I have lost count of the kings I have lost when I have hooked them on a unweighted squid bait intended for something else. I often get rat kings when they pop up in a burley trail and I drop a tiny piece of pilchard with a small almost bait sized hook hidden inside. There is no way they will take a bigger bait on heavier line but it is great fun trying to keep them out of the structure on a little 2 kg bait rod. At this stage I think its Kingies 19 and me 1! There is certainly value in paying attention to detail. That will always catch you more fish but I have finally come to the conclusion that losing fish is an inevitable part of fishing and that if we never lost a quality fish the whole mystery and excitement of fishing just wouldn't be the same. Having said that... I welcome other readers to add their own tips and tricks for keeping the "fish that get away" to a minimum Cheers Jim

Very true, The are a great sporting fish... I chase them in winter on light spin tackle when they are surface feeding. Very exciting.

Yes, They have been doing this for a few weeks now. I haven't seen any surface action at all.

Hi Raiders, Went out for my regular Friday Sydney Harbour fish today. Went to Rose Bay for yakkas at about 4am but the norwester made it unpleasant so I headed over to clifton gardens to get out of the wind. It was alive with yakkas of a good live bait size and with very little burley I had a dozen or so in the tank in as many minutes. There were a lot of gars around as well and I toyed with the idea of catching some but opted to chase some squid instead.... not that I caught any but I like to try places I haven't tried before. The water had a lot of fluorescence to it which didn't seem to impact the fishing inspite of what my old man used to say. Water temperature was 19 degrees On first light I headed over to the north side of the harbour and anchored up at the headland near the quarantine station. I set out a squid bait on 20kg braid and live yakka on another 20kg braid and to keep busy I tossed a lightly weighted half pilchard over the side on a 3kg rig. The tide was still running out and for the next few hours I caught pike, bream, trevally, a shovel nosed ray, an octopus, a red rock cod and some big salmon. The salmon took the squid and the live yakka rig but bust me off on the lighter gear. Ended up with half a dozen of these that all went back. About 10 am I had a run on a squid bait that looked like a descent fish. I leant back and set the hook and it took off it a steady powerful run. I was hoping it was a big Jewie but I am thinking it was a big ray or shark. I tightened the drag on it to try and slow it down but I pulled the hooks. Didn't worry too much about losing it but still, I would have like to see what it was to know for sure. Was a good day. Cheers Jim

Thanks guys, I will take all that away and do a little research and testing. Cheers Jim

I often fish alone midweek in the harbour particularly around the various markers for kings. I often encounter larger specimens and these can be a little difficult to handle if the hookup is close to the marker and you don't have a mate to drive you away from the structure. I overcome this to some extent by setting a second spot lock in my I-pilot about 30 meters off the marker and when I hook up I let the I-Pilot take me back to that point. This is only an option of there are no other boats around. So, when I fish alone I used a rig with 20kg braid attached to a swivel and a short fluorocarbon leader of about 60 lb. I find the fluro carbon to be very stiff and difficult to tie knots in. The heavier rig lets me give them a fair bit of stick and keep them off the structure which is my response to being busted off so many times last summer on 10kg plus kings. This is an entirely different approach to the season before when I caught so many more kings on much lighter line but then I nearly always has a mate with me. I actually prefer the lighter line approach but it is definitely harder when you are alone. Cheers Jim

Hi, Similar to a uniknot but two loops rather than 1 and only twice throughout the two loops rather that the 4 I use for a uni knot. It seems to work well with the stiff line. Knowing your experience in game fishing I will revert to the uniknot and let you know how I go. Thanks Jim

That looks real or some very clever photoshop work. it show the swelling on the lip and a little glaze over the victim's eyes. Not as bad though as a hook that has not gone all the way through.... Cut the hook close to the lip with side cutters and pull it out. ouch!

Hi guys, I have been using a knot for heavy flurocarbon to a swivel taught to me by my dad when I was a kid. Don't know what it was called or what the actual knot strength is but its the only knot I know that can be tied in 60lb plus line. Can other raiders please let me know hat knots they use of do you use crimps? Cheers Jim

Great photos mate! As I mentioned in other posts I was born in the UK and came out here when I was only 5. If you find yourself in Sydney one day look me up on Fishraider... maybe we can do a photo session in the harbour. Cheers Jim

Born in the UK ( been here 50 out of my 54 years so i feel I am Aussie as the next guy). Australia is my side but I would still like England to do well. In the exceedingly unlikely event that they meet any allegiance to the smother country would be out the door in a flash.

Hi Snatchger, I was born in the UK ( came here 50 years ago so I feel like an aussie) none the less I am still fascinated by the fishing techniques and the species. Lots of posts please! Cheers Jim

I tend to agree... The paddle tail looks similar but it has a much deeper V in the tail and top of the tail has a very characteristic shape. http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/fisheries/species-identification/reef-fish/tropical-snappers-and-seaperches/paddletail