wazatherfisherman

Nice bag of fish Ron pity about the hook. Out of interest - when at the hospital, did they cut your leg open or pull it back out? Asking because I had one go right through (bar the barb) my finger sideways and managed to get it out, (nearly fainting in the process!) but when my ex girlfriend got a 4/0 straight down the middle of her thumb from top to bottom, they sliced the thumb open top to bottom and it came out easily (I said) Interested to know the technique- "just in case" it happens when too far away from help Regards Waza

Hi Noelm I used to use ordinary long nose pliers rather than worm pliers- I find they seem to work better when they're hard to get, might be how much faster they close? Not sure, but they worked better than the purpose-made ones. The downside is that the worms usually die quickly, but that's OK if using them fairly soon

Hi KC my first bib and brace was a cheaper "Line 7" brand and it lasted really well and less than half the price of the other two brands I mentioned. Don't think they are available these days, not carried by the same chain that used to have them at any rate.

I remember my first waterproof pants- they were made out of industrial plastic bags and didn't breath at all , but they sure served their purpose of keeping me dry, while in a hire boat- freezing Hairtailing in Coal and Candle Creek. The old rubberised "Taft" jackets were pretty hard to beat for night time boat fishing- didn't breath, but kept you warm and dry on those cold nights on the Sow and Pigs, where you are exposed to the winter westerly's. They were Aussie made too

So it's not just mine that's shrunk terribly around the middle

Musto yachting gear is great Pickles, like Noel says above, but expensive. I have a bib and brace Musto and Bourke jacket, still good after near 20 years

There is currently a "DON'T GO BOATING" alert issued, due to the dangerous conditions. Not just the ocean condition, the debris and also there is likely to be almost anything floating around. Very hard to see any floating hazards with the discoloured water at "fisherman's hour" pre dawn. Jibbon would be breaking big time for a while yet.

Nice old chrome winch- still got a few of them somewhere

Postpone your leave if you were going boat fishing. Pickles said in another post earlier that there's heaps of floating debris in the water, will be for at least a week or so after this event is over- too dangerous for boating.

O/H spin with 20mm stripper for sure

I had 2 of those- one cut down for LBG and the other trimmed for Pigs. Land just about anything on that rod but really heavy to hang onto. Great for lifting fish out. Great score!

Nice Flattie and great video, put up a good fight!

Great photo's and nice coloured Trout. Perseverance pays off!

It is indeed a Wrasse-quite common in the harbour

Emma Hurst is tabling some amendments to the animal cruelty bill which are going to include adding creatures such as squid and crabs as well as fish to the list of "live bait" animals. If successful this may lead to outlawing the use of ANY live bait for fishing or otherwise. Not saying this will be the case, but like other attempts to "positively change" our sport, another sneaky attempt to get something through with minimal publicity. Bait shops who sell live bait such as nippers, worms and prawns would be greatly affected, as would those who use live squid, fish or crabs. It's only a possibility, but everyone needs to be aware of the proposal

My ex was co-ordinator and I wasn't allowed to tell fish stories in case someone's parents objected to fishing- sad but true! I wonder if the fish prefer peanut butter or vegemite crusts? LOL

Hi KC I used to be assistant co-ordinator at Australia St (Newtown) Before/After school centre. We provided ready made (by us) sandwiches every afternoon when the children came across from the school. In the space of only 3 months, we had to stop making the (most favoured by the kids) peanut butter sandwiches, due to the "possibility" of anaphylactic shock. Met with a lot of resistance from many parents because most of the kids loved them, however, as safety and well-being are number one priority we ceased making them. I got 5 big buckets of peanut butter to take home- lasted me a few years. 😁 Oh and we didn't cut the crusts off- peer group pressure between the children dictated that they ate right up to the crust if they didn't like crusts.

Hi Burger I've only fished for them as far south as Mystery Bay just past Narooma and we wore the same volleys and cleats there. Don't like the idea of trying to get those booties off if you happen to go in, but they are good on some surfaces. Mystery Bay was always great for Blackies on the south western point of the island (you could walk out there unless it was really high tide). You fish facing back in towards shore about 11ft deep and there's a few Pigs out there as well. Comfortable and scenic spot and not far from the car

Let's all hope that they increase the number of these info sessions as this has been an age old problem and education seems to be the only solution, as signage isn't effective.

Surely the authorities know this and will arrange for more of these events, especially at somewhere like Hill 60 that draws fishers from far and wide. A saturation campaign over a few consecutive weekends might be a more successful approach, sure it would be at a cost to the authorities, but it would have to be better than rescuing those washed in

Agree with Frank, I posted this immediately after I saw it around midnight. Doesn't give enough time for those interested to get organised to go. The organisers should run it Friday, Saturday and Sunday if they want it to get to as many users of the area as possible. Perhaps they will yet. It certainly isn't just a local issue as people travel there from further afield

There is a safety meeting tomorrow at Hill 60 In the past month five (5) people have tragically lost their lives while rock fishing at Hill 60 Port Kembla. A community engagement will be held at this location from 3pm to 6pm on Friday 26 February 2021 to offer advice and educational tips on rock fishing safety. The community engagement is a collaborative approach with stake holders including; officers from Lake Illawarra Police, NSWPF Marine Area Command, NSWPF Multi-Cultural Liaison Officers, Transport for NSW – Maritime, Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries, Surf Life Saving, and Wollongong Local Council. This holistic approach to rock fishing safety will involve these key messages: • Always wear an approved life jacket • Stay alert to the weather conditions • Plan an escape route if you are in danger • Never turn your back on the ocean • Wear appropriate non-slip footwear and light clothing • Don’t enter the water if someone is washed in - call 000 or go and get help • Never fish alone

Sorry I meant oxidisation!

They look good- don't forget to get some dark trebles- black or bronze. The bronze rust easily, but worth the effort for reasons above. Just wash them in warm water when you get home. Colouring in the trebles with a permanent marker helps against electrolysis and aids in keeping them sharp- when the marker is removed then you know you need to sharpen them!

Just to add- when trying to match the dominant bait that is around, it's also a wise idea to take any silver trebles off your lures and replace them with bronze trebles. Reason for this is that at speed, the silver hooks add to the "length" of the lure profile. For example: if you see bait fish in the area that are 4cm long and have some near identical 4cm long lures, the hook trailing adds to the lure some 1+cm in length. This might not seem to much different to you and I, but to fish that are "zoned in" on a particular sized prey, it often means the difference between a fish a cast or a fish every 20 casts. In the case of both Mack Tuna and even more so Frigate Mackerel, exact matching the prey is paramount. Old hands that spin the rocks will also attest to changing over to bronze trebles for better hook-sets, as the fish are going for the lure rather than the "tail?" - being the moving silver hook. Also want to mention that for Frigates in particular, a white painted barrel sinker slid on the line and a bronze treble tied on is also a top producer. Rough the sinker up, undercoat and then use oil-based white enamel- cheap and very effective lure for all the smaller Tuna's. No good for Tailor though as they'll often bite the treble off, losing the sinker in the process.