SgtBundy

I had read it was to do with the pressure on the fishes swim bladder

About $4 an hour I think from memory. The place was pretty packed that morning actually. I might be doing a night session this week to gather some bait, but my boys want to tag along (they think I can just go out and get another kingy, and they want to help by looking after the livies) so I might go to Balmoral. Any issues with the no fishing signs at Palm Beach wharf, or are they only new?

At the moment 1.5V - a D cell. The ones I am looking at are the clip on type ones that hang outside the bucket and drop a hose + stone into the bucket. I was thinking to setup a more fixed one but I usually switch the bucket out to carry all my other crap when its not holding live bait.

Thanks guys - I sometimes wonder if my frequent yet low scoring posts are worth doing, or if I should just save it up for when I actually have something interesting. I always find its good though if I write it up as is because sometimes that elicits advice that proves useful.

Just to clarify - I am looking for a portable one for land based. The current one I have is a small D-cell powered one that clips onto a 20L bucket. It has no rubber seals at all so even being in salty air gets to it, and mostly fails because it has a cheap rocker switch on top that corrodes inside fairly quickly, regardless of what I treat it with. Looking for one that they have at least thought to rubber seal it and has a button that is at least waterproof.

Do they exist? Most that I have seen in the shops seem to be all fairly similar cheap looking things, with most being the same model with a different brand stamped on it. The one I currently have simply has no sort of seal so despite multiple attempts to keep it alive (including replacing faulty switches and corroded wires) it just keeps failing and usually I only find out once I have something I want to keep alive. Off the web the alvey ones look at least like they have tried to water proof it somewhat - are they ok? Can anyone recommend one that is decent or should I just accept unless I seal it up myself they are all the same cheap rubbish?

Horse of a bream - good work

Top eating done as fillets

Seemed it to me - on the wharf, in the bucket about 4 times straight after changing water and when I went to grab him to rig up. The arrows in comparison seem to be "whatever bro, go for it"

Yeah, that is what I was thinking. The arrow squid seemed more compliant though, this one had a real attitude

Nice haul there

Hope so now that I am getting onto the odd live squid, assuming I figure out handling them next time

We planned to hit the entrance on friday with my kids and my dad but the weather was foul. We went out sunday morning too near picnic point and the boys got some small bream and a small flathead which they enjoyed, and I got a small flattie on plastic. Good to see there were some keepers about.

Had no plans for monday and the wife insisted that it was to be a sleep in day so I was not to so anything like set an alarm to go fishing early. As it happened the kids had me up at 6am so I took the opportunity to duck out for the morning. I wanted to try for live squid again so headed for Palm beach ferry wharf as had been suggested to me and got there just after 7. Fairly quickly I was on to what I think was a small cuttlefish (short tenticles, fist size oval shape not arrow). Cranky little bugger inked everywhere. As I got him in the bucket I then noticed the no fishing signs. Having seen council rangers out early that way before I moved off the wharf and tried from the bank but with no luck. After 8 I moved over near the ocean pool on palm beach and setup on the rocks. At that stage it was calm and seemed safe enough. I went to use the cuttlefish and he wanted no part of it so I started tipping the bucket water out to get to him. Of course I went too far and he slipped out of the bucket, down the rocks and off in the wash, followed by some choice words about the hour I wasted getting him. I had the float rig ready anyway so turned to some twice defrosted piclhards instead sending them out under the float just past the rock wash. Second cast in the float went under with a light run which was easily brought in. At first I saw red and thought it was a squid but got it up to be what I think was a Sargent Baker. Sent it back and setup another pilchard this time more towards the ocean side. I saw the slack line pick up, start running and the float started running. I gave it a moment and then struck and was on to something solid. It took a run then came in for the ledge in front of me. I am pretty sure I had line on the ledge and in the excitement I just muscled it up and over and with the next wave had it in front of me where I could see the distinct colour and shape of a kingfish. Poor bugger was hooked in the eye which maybe explained the easy fight (it was on solid gear though). He was only 50cm so was sent back, but it was my first rat. The pilchards ran out not long after (I only had half a back intended for catching yakkas). This was about top of the tide and at this point the waves started surging up on me and some of the breaks were drenching me so I was getting a little concerned, but decided to stay a little longer and try some lures. I put on my new rapala xxxrap cast and started some fast retrieves in case kings were still about. About 5 minutes in I heard that fatal ping noise as my leader snapped and I watched my somewhat expensive lure sail off towards barrenjoey... more choice words. That did it, packed up around 10:30. Moved to Narrabeen lagoon to prospect with some SPs (I didnt fancy paying for more parking at Palm) but 2 hours of casts without so much as a tap. Called it a day and headed home.

As I understand it its a anticoagulant so it will bleed and hurt but thats it. I have a blood mark on a thumb from about 5 months ago where a flattie spiked my thumbnail. I have a cheap car chamois that I use for handling. Just wet it to handle the fish and squeeze out and fold up when done. Its cheap, the soft wet surface is good for the fish and its easy to have handy. Saves pulling gloves on and off.

Grab some fresh woolies prawns, they seem to be good for some bites at least which will keep the kids entertained.

I have been eyeing off the spinfisher SSV liveliners for this and heard good things about them, but mixed about some others that dont quite have the drag or build for heavier fights. That said I am yet to use one one but I can see the advantages

See I didn't even know these places existed. Took me 5 minutes in google earth to find it.

No, have not had any chance to go exploring non-beach locations on the peninsula - usually I have limited windows for doing an outing so I tend to just focus on hitting a spot I know I can get to. I have had some locations PM'd to me so I might go do some exploring when I get a chance.

I have had a few goes in the past but never really got much more than the odd tailor, and that was a rare hit - that was from the south side though, from what I read the north side seems more the place to be. The trip up to newport was more just based on knowing the beach and having some luck there, it was probably a bit too much mucking around in hindsight. Sure - I have always wondered if I was fishing next to a fellow raider without knowing it - we need some sort of secret handshake or something.

I just came back at looking for some more jigs actually Now that I have broken the voodoo of getting them I hope to make them a more regular feature of my fishing. The little choppers were around at Balmoral, and I think some of the hits at the beach were good size tailor with the way the baits were hit and chomped up - in one cast they missed the hook by a bare millimeters, and the other they bit me off.

Oh, the ones that had a new name for the noise my aerator was making You guys were certainly having a good night of it. Any luck after I left?

Yeah some of the hits this morning were tailor I think, with possibly a big one hitting a fillet on the retrieve.

Those cormorants are stupid things - smart enough to pick up on an easy meal, to stupid to realise why its easy. At least you got on the board - good job

Well, I know I can get yakkas at Balmoral but I have had no success using them there. Newport has been fairly successful for me off the beach and I know people occasionally pull good jewies from there. I have tried a similar thing before at Colloroy but all I ended up doing was feeding carpet sharks. Maybe I won't try so hard once I crack that first one. Mind you the overnight stints are a bit too much, but if I go day fishing on the weekends I get in the bad books for not doing a family thing (as the family does not want to do fishing), so I figure doing it while they sleep is about as time efficient as I can be. Running on red bull and sugar at the moment though