Captain Spanner

Has anyone used both the Led Lenser H14R and Petzl Nao to have a comparison of brightness, range, functionality, user friendliness, comfort and battery life? I have been very impressed with my Petzl Myo 3 for 10 years and it has served me well but the battery cord has become unpleasantly temperamental. I have looked up both the Nao and Led Lensor and they both look good but with these things I reckon it is too hard to know what is best in real life circumstances. I fish boat and beach. I currently have a black diamond which is ok, not sure the model but it has multiple setting LEDs and is the 90 Lumen model.

When I went to the Solomons we used the 2 halco laser pro models described above. Xrap 30s handle speed pretty well. We also caught fish on a classic blue water f18. We used a foot of single strand 61lb wire albrighted to a 100lb mono leader. We did our own haywire twists in the wire. I upgraded split rings and trebles on a few lures and the blue water was the only lure that had hardware destroyed. But that was dragging a 4ft reef shark over the side. We got the lure back. I just put upgraded splits and trebles. We also found we didn't get a touch on the divers unless they were run at least 50m behind the boat. We used heavy bibles minnows too

I've seen them free diving in Byron and have also seen them at lillipilli baths less than 2 inches long. They are cute and brave little fellas. They are happy to swim up to your mask. They grow into their fins.

I haven't fished up there much sorry because i never take my rods or have much time but make sure you aware of the green zones. http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/cbmp.html

Hey mate, If you are just getting started then i would just tie a 2 dropper paternoster using anywhere from 30lb to 60lb mono leader and see how you go. Just tie a loop on the bottom to allow you to easily change sinkers. If you are having trouble with snags then have at least 30cm from your sinker to your bottom hook and then another 30cm to your top hook, then a swivel about 30cm above that, that connects to your main line. I would not use wire unless you are losing lots of hooks to leather jackets. Just try using standard octopus hooks from anywhere from a 2/0 to a 5/0. Try a different type of bait on each hook. You can even use a soft plastic and a bait on your hook if you want. You can pre-tie rigs the night before and keep them in snap lock bags to save time re-rigging on the water too. I would use either a uni knot or full blood knot to attach swivels, whichever you are more comfortable with.

Sounds like you've got it pretty much right mate for starters. I don't know if you are using a wire trace or not, i wouldn't bother. Depending on what else is around you might consider 20lb to 60lb mono as a trace. I only use wire for jackets if i want revenge when bottom fishing. Fishing off the rocks i would attempt to fish as unweighted as possible and focus on wahsy and foamy areas. You can also try spinning with 15g up to 60g chromies if you feel like a change of pace but if you just want to catch one o would stick to the pillies. Off the beach it probably isn't as critical how much weight you have as long as you can cast it. I would probably target the holes and gutters along the beach but the salmon will often roam. Hopefully one of the local fellas down your way can point you in the right direction as far as spots are concerned. With the pillies you may want to try casting it out unweigthed or with a small ball sinker right on top of the ganghooks if required for casting distance or due to excess current. Let the pillie sink to the bottom (or close if it's snaggy) then lift it up with the rod and take up the slack, letting it sink slowly again similar as to how you would with a soft plastic. If your pillies aren't coping with this tecnique you can use salted pillies or wrap the baits in baitmate or stocking thread which makes them survive casting, pickers, sand and to some extent rocks. On a side note i'm not sure if you know that Australian Salmon is quite different to eat from the nice pink fleshed stuff like Atlantic and Tasmanian Salmon you often get at the shop. Good Luck

I've thrown up pretty much every remedy so far except ET's seasick pills which i've been taking for a couple of years and been fine ever since. Just make sure you take one at least 40min before you hit open water and if it's rough i take another one 4 hours after i have taken the first so taht the 2nd has kicked in before the first wears off. Unless it's pretty ugly the first tablet usually lasts me all day.

If you're lucky it might be like a problem we get with our outboard. I'm no outboard mechanic but sometimes if we end up driving a bit shallow through sand/mud/sediment and it gets sucked into the water intake the sediment clogs the outlet hole for the telltale. So the water is actually still going in and coming out the bottom but you cant see it come out the tell tale. We just unscrew the telltale cap, hose out the sediment and make sure it is clean and it will often start flowing again.

I pretty much only use Yo-Zuri and Yamashita jigs. If the squid are being tentative and not commiting try using a spray like Egi-Max, Glo-Max, Ultra-Bite or Gulp as mentioned above. I also find in those situations downsizing to a 1.8 squid jig and trying to get the jig to sit as still as possible mid-water can make the squid braver and commit. There are also some jigs that are smaller but they can be difficult to cast and sink very slowly.

I use double uni's for all work under 30lb and mid knots for work over 30lb if i have time. Otherwise i just use a double uni. I'm not very good at Albrights but In the past when i've experimented with albrights i've noticed that if you try to tighten the knot too much by pulling both the strands of the main and leader at the same time the knot will half bunch and catch but not form properly. Once you have the knot starting to hold, let go of the tags of the main and leader and only pull on the main part of the main and leader to tighten and form the knot. Make sure you lubricate it properly as there is alot of friction as it tightens.

This is pretty much how i approach it. Start with a wide lap towing 2 surface livies pinned through the nostrils, I have the reel in free spool. Then pull up up current of the FAD and throw a couple of handfuls of pilchard cubes over. Leave one of the surface livies out and on another rod a whole pilchard on 2 6/0 gamma octopus circle hooks. I have the bottom hook through the head and the top hook towards the tail end. The top hook is free sliding on the trace and the bait fixed with 2 opposing half hitches around the tail. I fish similar leaders as mentioned above, Starting heavy and working down to 10lb fluoro on a bream stick if required. Circle hooks are a good way of getting the hook in the corner of the mouth and line away from the teeth. I usually start fishing the pilchards on baitrunners and if i have to go light i use a 2500 stradic on a rack raider with the bail arm open. One draw back of this pilchard method is mutton birds if they are around. You can use ball sinkers to try to get the baits down but the birds will still dive for the baits. A tuna oil slick can help deter the birds from diving for your baits.

Just remember the tailor still have to be legal. Pretty sure it's 30cm in NSW.

What about the Shimano T-Curve King Mack Spin. I think it comes in 2 piece, is 8-12kg and is about 7ft. Its the series before the revolution series. I think they were around $340 which is way over budget but i dont know if you might find them getting cleared for cheaper somewhere for the new revolution series.

I've never fished the Hawkesbury but if i could only take one type of lure to any of the estuaries i've fished it would be Gulp 3" Minnow grubs in the coulour water melon. I normally fish the on a 1/8oz or 1/4oz and occasionally 1/16oz if it's shallow or super still. I've caught mostly flathead and bream but also tailor and EPs on them.

No probs, hope it works out. Something that doesn't hurt and can help in a decision is to take the rod you intend to match the new reel with into the shop and actually put the reel in question on the exact rod it will be partnered with. This gives you a better idea of how it will feel as a combo before you buy it because they often sit and balance differently in your hand when all setup. Also make sure the reel seat fits nicely and securely into the reel mount on the rod if there is a possibility that they may not be compatible from a size point of view. This is very important when you intend on maxing out your fishing gear on kings.

The specs said that the 4500 holds 300m of PE4 (40lb braid), so it would take 50lb but probably not quite as much but probably still enough. I've never been to Cape York and it depends what fish you are using it for up there. I would imagine that the 4500 should be big enough for the fish you are targetting and will be lighter and much nicer in the hand. If you really want a bigger outfit and want the 6500 i would seriously consider a heavier rod (at least 10-15kg or maybe 15-24kg) so you can fish the reel to its potential.

I haven't seen or held the reel in question so ill speak generally and from the specs i just quickly searched. In my opinion the 2 biggest things to consider when matching a rod and reel are if they feel balanced in your hand and is the rod designed to handle the pressure that you intend on fishing with your reel. If the outfit you are talking about is for jewies and small kings then i would say your rod is ok. I have a 7foot 6-10kg crystal blue that i fish with a 6500 baitrunner with 30lb braid. This balance works but i could probably get away with a smaller reel and the outfit would feel lighter and more balanced in the hand. My baitrunner has an upgraded drag and would fish up to about 7kg drag at best, I wouldn't want to put too much more grief on my 6-10kg than that. In your case i think the 6500 reel you are looking at claims to put out up to 15kg drag pressure which i dont think your rod could do justice. The 4500 size in the same model reel you are looking at appears to put out 10kg drag,have sufficient line capacity in the classes you would probably be using and is almost 200g lighter than the 6500. As i mentioned I haven't seen or held these reels you are talking about but just based on specs my vote would be for the 4500 if you want that model.

I never fish Middle Harbour or the Harbour but when i fish inside and outside Botany Bay and Port Hacking i am usually slow trolling and just pin a livebait hook sideways through the nostrils of the bait. Hook size should be dictated by the size of the bait moreso than the size of the fish you are trying to catch. Leader weight i use anything from 40lb Fluoro up to 150lb Hard Mono. To give you a starting point if you are using live yellowtail about the size of a mars bar on 50lb braid you might use about a 5/0 or 6/0 Gamakatsu (i've only included brand because different brands are different physical sizes for the same size number) livebait hook on 80lb leader about 2m to 3m long. If the fish are smaller you might or you are fishing with 30lb braid you may use a 40lb to 60lb leader but still base the hook size on the bait size. A longer leader gives you a better buffer zone for abrasion but if its too long it can be a hassle when the fish is boatside ready for netting. It really is easier if you can swim the fish to the net straight from the rod tip without having to handline the leader so just figure out what works with your rods and boat. I normally slow troll one bait on the surface with the the reel in bait runner or ratchet freespool to prevent the loss of baits due to hesitant inquiries or missed takes (especially by those pesky salmon) but someone is always ready to pounce on the rod so the fish doesn't have too much of a head start. Alot of guys will fish lockup from the get go. I fish in fighting drag when using tiny livebaits baits, downrigging and squid baits. You can make a "poor mans downrigger" by tying a 2oz to 10oz snapper lead (depending on conditions) to one end of a swivel with light line or a rubber band and slipping the other end of the swivel onto the mainline like a running sinker or via a sliding sinker clip. The light line or rubber band joining the sinker to the swivel is like a fuse or insurance incase the sinker snags on structure or the bottom. Alternatively you could just use a large torpedo sinker. You can slow troll this along and when you see the fish on the sounder slow down to let the bait sink through the fish. If you are anchored you can use similar sized leaders, hooks and sinkers or unweighted (i recommend at least one on the surface unweighted and one on the bottom). If in strong current i would still pin the bait sideways through the nostrils with one hook because they last longest this way before drowning and kings normally hit the bait head on anyway. Some guys pin the bait in the shoulder or back (do not pierce the spine or lateral line), some guys may use a two hook fixed or slider rig with the top hook through the nose and other towards the tail. If there is no current or fishing off the shore you may want to put the top hook through the tail end and the bottom hook sideways through the nostrils so the bait swims away from the boat. You can do this with either no weight, a float, a balloon or with a sinker rig. Using squid for bait i fish a 2 hook slider rig, top hook through the tip of the hood or strip and bottom hook between the eyes if dead or bottom of the hood next to the mantle if live or through about an inch and a half or 2 inches above the bottom of the strip. With strips always have the point of the bottom hook poking out the side of the strip that used to be the outside of the hood because when it naturally recurls you dont want the hook point obstructed by the bait. For using just the had as bait i only use one hook unless it's a massive head. Same rigs as per livebaits. If you search kingfish and jewfish rigs or baits on here you should find explanations and diagrams of rigs. As mentioned i dont know the Harbour or Middle Harbour very well but from what i've heard: The Spit Bridge, North Head, and the major navigational markers throughout the harbour hold fish. Hopefully someone on here will have better info on spots tides etc. In general an hour either side of a tide change is good.

I agree with xraps but also try halco laser pros, christmas trees, skirted lures, chromies. For sizes keep in mind"the "match the hatch" theory and if you dont know, give them options. I like the combination of deep diver under the back of the prop wash and a sluggo fished back behind it at about 4 to 6 knots depending on conditions. If the diver goes off leave the sluggo out there for the followers. If the sluggo goes off crank the diver in or at least keep it moving because there is a good chance there are fish down there. Often you will get bonnies on the diver, salmon on the sluggo and kings will take either and sometimes both. Be prepared to go through sluggos as they do have a tendancy to get torn when getting hit on the troll. As an aside i reweld my torn sluggos using a hot knife. It does work enough to give you back up plastics that you normally would have tossed out.

I usually troll divers first up if i'm fishing for bonito but sometimes if you think they are there but not biting you might need to try trolling different size christmas tree lures or metal lures and travel a bit quicker. If you're fishing for the flathead in the ocean and not getting any try different baits, different sized baits and then move further in or further out and try different depths. When i used to fish for flathead outside i used to drive out through the heads until it got to 30m deep and then pull up at the first current line i crossed and try one or 2 drifts in it. If we didn't get fish or get fish of the size we were after we would head wider and deeper to the next current line. The current lines are often easy to spot as a change in the water surface. It might look like a smooth path or slick through ripply or slightly rougher water or the other way around. You may also notice one where different coloured waters meet (eg green & blue or brown and green etc), This is often but not always also associated with a temperature change which you may be able to detect with your sounder.

I'd be happy to volunteer to look for it. If you send me a photo pinpointing where this missing lure was last cast it would assist me greatly in recovering your lure for you.

I've goto 2 and haven't had any troubles at all. That sounds like a good price, just check there are no hidden postage charges. I use mine with gimbal mounts and one has a swivel mount which make life easier.

I've made a small metal lure using a single hook, a split shot (for casting weight) and a strip of beer can about an inch and a half long, folded around the hook into a shape similar to a large fly on a bait jig to catch tailor. When they stopped biting i bent the back end with the pliers to give the thing more action and they started to hit it again. So it can be done.

Sweet, I'll put that in the trailer that i'll have to tow behind my boat.

I just checked out that article on squid eating marlin and i've decided i want to catch a big squid. Does anyone know of any reliable bait grounds where i can catch the marlin and how many i can reasonably expect to keep in my 70-80Litre live bait tank? Now i just have to figure out how i am going to weld the reef pick to a street sign post to make the bait spike and then buy some bigger snaplocks.