SgtBundy

Second the bloodworm wrigglers Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yup, it's all balance, priorities and a bit of empathy. I try to work fishing around whatever else needs to be done, and only sometimes book time for it in advance. I think work is more responsible for making me miss good fishing than the family Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice work. Can you elaborate on which location you were at if you are happy to do so. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice catch Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is a solid lizard Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Crossfire gave me a few of his and they certainly worked better in the surf than some of my rigs I think you can find them on that large Coffs Harbour based retailer if you search "Shogun 3 Way Black Crane Swivel"

I was doing some pre-made rigs last night. Previously I have done simple dropper rigs with mono and some kato 10lb and 50lb FC and really had no issues with them. Last night I was using 6lb sunline rock FC and it was just hopeless. It snapped on a whim on basic knots, and was painful to form the droppers with as it would spring apart if not held just right or become distorted and have kinks in it from previous attempts. I don't pretend to be super skilled with knots but I have not had line so difficult before. I am not sure what the actual strength of these are - the previous setups I did with 10lb FC handled flatheads in the surf just fine.

I use a uni knot on a light snap - lets me switch rigs and lures easily and saves wasting time fiddling with knots. I don't think it affects the action if anything it acts like a loop knot. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

While I would love to spend all my spare time fishing, I just try to balance the time. If I am fishing it generally means she is looking after the kids which I think causes the most issues if I am out and they give her a hard time. If we have something to do then that takes priority, but if all we would be doing is sitting in front of the TV I tend to just say I am heading out. From her point of view she just would like to spend time together rather than me being at work or off fishing all the time. Usually I can get out once a weekend. If I actually came home with more fish though I think she would believe it is more worthwhile! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If I remember some events from my childhood correctly, the trick is to be out at night in a boat with a bright light, and they jump in for you... I distinctly remember multiple hessian sacks filled using that method. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Got a Shimano Aerplus 762 snapper rod - 6-8kg for $50 - hopefully does the trick and was cheap enough to not be that big a deal if its too light - I can use it for other roles too.

Question in a similar vein - I have a Fin Nor Lethal LT60 spooled with 50lb braid specifically because I want to target kings, but its paired with my current 12ft surf rod which is a bit ridiculous for live baiting off wharves. I was thinking of getting a 7ft heavy rod that I can swap this reel onto depending on what sort of fishing I am doing. What sort of weight of rod should I be looking for - would 6-10kg be sufficient or do I need something heavier?

I am tossing up between a Hobie kayak and a small boat too. Same arguments as tef1on - boat costs more to own and run, but at least if you want to jet about different spots its an option. I am only thinking of the boat for that as I want to go in the harbour - if you sticking with one closed water area I think the kayak is probably a much better option - cheaper, some exercise and you can get into shallow or weedy areas boats can't. At least with the hobie the motion would be with your legs so Tef1ons point about paddle motion might be less, and they have a couple of dual seat mirage drive models as well so both people can contribute to power, or just throw an electric on it if you get lazy. The good thing with the hobies is you can move the kayak and still fish, you don't have to switch to your paddle, but they are a fair bit more expensive than your normal paddle kayak. My dad suffers motion sickness too - we have been out on tuggerah lake in some choppy wind with a small boat and that was enough to turn him green. He fishes with a hobie and he loves it - I dont think it gives him any motion issues but he tends to go early morning and won't go in any real wind.

I thought we had the storm hit us out west on saturday afternoon so once it passed my plan was to go in to Balmoral and try and catch some yakkas with a plan to use them on sunday. Half way on the M2 my wife rang to tell me I was wrong, and the real storm was hitting then. I had enough time once I got to Balmoral to get to the end of the jetty, ask someone how it was going and then it hit hard. As I went back to the car I found the balmoral regular, Joseph, and gave him the hooks I had bought for him, and offered for him to ride the storm out in the car. Once that was done and dusted I got the gear out and went to try for some yakkas. I only had some stale bread and left over steak for bait, and it seems either the yakkas didn't care for that, or they were just not around until later. I got tried a few baits offered by another fisho but once I had some pilchard on they started tapping on it, but it took a while before I actually had one on the hook. In the mean time I had some steak out on my rod which I had just cast out to prospect and a little pinky took an interest in that. Set it out again and went back to trying for yakkas when the rod tried to take off. In my haste to start winding in I managed to tangle my handline into the spool of the reel - pretty dumb. I cut the line, sorted it out and pulled in a just shy of legal snapper, still probably the best one I have caught yet though, so happy with that. By that time all the kids were back at play on the beach and jetty and a number came over to take a look at the fish, so I let one of the lads take a look, show his mates and put it back. A few other fishos setup including a nice couple with the lady catching yakka after yakka, to which she donated me all the ones her other half didn't want. Rather than muck around with my 12' heavy rod, I put one of them out live on my lighter 2-4kg rod - if a king hit it I was going to be in trouble but might as well have some fun trying. Nothing took interest in the livies and as it got dark there was not much activity, although an asian guy there was getting some nice trevally using a light float setup. Headed home about 8ish as the wife was not feeling well - took 3 live yakkas with me and kept them alive overnight. Got up at 3:30 to head in and try to use them at sun up for a king. Setup at Walsh bay and by sunrise the place was packed with livies tangling lines but no real action. When my last live yakka fell off the hook as I cast I decided to pack it in around 7am and went to try at Bradleys head but had not counted on the wind, which was cold, persistent and generally annoying. Had no touches for a while so checked Balmoral thinking it would be out of the wind but at 8:30 the car park was already full so being low on sleep decided to head home. Why is it when you have time to fish the weather decides to be an ass?

That is awesome - sounds like a good way to do it, tour around and hit all the species you can.

Thanks for that. Just happy to help him out. I was overloaded with gear I don't know how to use and all he wanted was those hooks and a handline Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I happened to find his particular hooks at Big-W today, so next time I am at balmoral I am going to drop them off for him. Too nice a guy to be getting by with a single hook for his live bait.

Yup, Joseph. Much respect to a guy who uses only hand lines especially with how much it has damaged his hands. I wanted to give him some gear because he was desperate not to lose his yakka hook but I had none of the size he wanted. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have this week off so I was pretty dismayed by the 30kt forecast for today. As the afternoon was supposed to settle down I headed out intending to go for jewfish on the evening high tide. I wanted to get some live bait so I was going to try for squid at balmoral wharf. I flicked around for while with no touches, but another guy was pulling in plenty of yakkas so I changed to chasing them. He was a very friendly French guy and had happened to live for a while up the far north coast too, so we had a good chat while he gave me tips on catching yakkas. We had a heap in short order (mostly ones he caught and gave me) so coming up to dark I put them out under floats hoping for a kingy. One of the yakkas I caught got chased in by I think a salmon, and some were spotted up around the beach so there was some activity around. Other guys were getting small trevally, pinkies, small flathead, leatherjacket and even a baby stingray but nothing solid. By that time I figured going to narrabeen was a waste so I settled in to use the yakkas for live bait and cutting up the dead ones to send out unweighted. I got plenty of hits on the chunks with some small pinkies, and later into the night some tailor were about too but didn't get a hookup. One of the live yakkas got taken I guess by tailor as the head and tail were clean chomped off. That was about as much action as they saw. Called it a night after 9. It's great you can rock up at a place, strike up a conversation with a another fisho and just have a mate for that session. Had a number of chats with several passers by and other fishos. At some point I even ended up with a beer in my hand. Just one of those nice sessions despite the weather and limited action. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice catch! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/regulations/sw/prohibited-methods-and-activities Line FishingYou are not permitted to: Carry excess fishing lines in, on, or adjacent to waters. Spare lines should not be rigged and should be properly stowed.I would guess the rigged lines is for the guys who have 10 rods out on a pier, and then wind 6 of them in when inspected and say they are compliant. I would also like to think the inspectors can read some common sense into that rule, but I guess public servants are not known for being permitted lateral thinking. I have only been inspected walking back from North Entrance along the beach. Two polite female inspectors escorted by a burly police sergeant - I guess they have plenty of customers who don't like getting inspected. Nothing untoward - can we see your license, may we look in your bags, catch anything? etc.

Was this your submission for the HSC?

Awesome catch, nice work Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, the bait side is something I need to work in but have not had much luck finding yakkas or squid, and the few land based spots I know to get then are weekend hotspots. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good stuff - hoping to get onto a kingy myself soon too! I saw a fair amount of surface activity with birds going nuts at North head all saturday afternoon - good to see so much activity about.