spizza
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Posts posted by spizza
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I've got 14 on last count....lol. Even better, you need to start a surf rod collection (low) to marry them
.S.
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Spizza your a dead set legend!!! Check the fishing reports I had success Friday night! Only a little one as far as these beasties go (a schoolie 105cm) but down right freaking fantastic!!! I love my Alvey reels!!! Pulled the 651C apart and found of all things the top circle nut had the washer slightly askew so it didn't line up with the spindle hence the movement between spool and backing plate! Simple problem simple fix, I can't believe how robust these reels are! The drag is simply a series of washers and man do they do the job! Will take me a while to adjust to the reel spinning while I am holding onto the handles though...
Mate thanks so much for the feedback really appreciate it!!!
A lot of reels will come and go, but your Alvey will still be there for many years. Nice work on the bronzie.
Spizza.
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Hello!
I need some advice on using an old 651C5 for sharking off the beach.
1. What weigh line should I be looking at? I know mono is the go for this reel, but how heavy should I go?
2. How should I rig for this style of fishing? I will be casting baits into gutters at night... how long a leader? Should it be wire? Hooks, swivels and sinkers?
3. How does the drag system work on the Alvey? I have only ever used the A and B models with no drag function.
Looking at catching Bronzies, etc. to about 1.5m...
I appreciate your time.
SMn.
Hi buddy,
Some feedback below, I own a couple of the 'C' series...650 / 700.
1. You don't need to go too heavy on the beach for sharks of that range...Something like Tortue or Platypus Lo-Stretch 15kg will do the job. Beef up your leader to 60/80lb.
2. As with all Alvey rigs, make sure you have a swivel before the rest of your rig (60/80lb). I use a running star sinker (up to 115g), and snooded 8/0's. Don't need wire, but be prepared to lose some rigs with mono.
With a 'C' style drag system, you balance the drag setting as required with the tip of your index finger as needed. The good thing with an Alvey is that you can always switch off the drag and use the 1:1 ratio, palming with your hand for drag. To get really familiar with it, just keep going out there and using the reel. Practise in daytime too and even go to a park and practise there.
Bronzies are around at the moment too...look for a late high tide (e.g. anywhere from 8 to 11p.m.) and full moons are good too. May - April see's a big run if whalers on the beaches. Butterflied baits are good, as is Squid too...the fresher the better.
Whaler's initial strikes are good, and usually they'll leap out of the air when hooked, so that's a dead giveaway there's a whaler on the other side of your rig....they usually run along the beach with fast head shakes, but are easily subdued if you take your time.
S.
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Firstly, Hi to everyone. I've been doing some googling, (hence I found you guys)to try & find out a bit more info, (age & quality mostly) on my surf fishing outfit with mixed results. I found some info on the rod, (but very little), it's a Butterworth Fish Hunter (MT7144) but can't find anything on the reel. It's a Butterworth Project 7000GT, which I bought 2nd hand at a local auction about 13 years ago for $75. It's a great outfit for the big salmon we get here at home but the drag on the reel is playing up a bit so not sure if it's worth getting fixed or just replacing it??? I've attached a photo of each, hope they help.
Thanks in advance
Mick
Hang on to your Butterworth mate, they are great rods built to last...Jarvis Walker bought the rights to the Butterworth name in the 80's, and started releasing a range of butterworth (graphite, hollowglass). Len Butterworth partnered up with Dick Snyder in the 70's and rolled quite a few top notch blanks, such as Snyderglas which was another legendary range of blanks...I've got quite a few and love them to bits.
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Hey raiders,
went off north curly last night with some live mullet and a salmon head, Thought i might try my luck at some big fellas. Got out around 9pm and chucked them both out. There was a small channel and gutter not far from the lagoon entrance and the wind had died down so it was a good night. Burlied up all night but didnt even get a touch. Ended up butterflying the mullet to try and tempt something but still no nibbles. Fished to the high tide then packed it up at 12.
Was a really good night even tho i didnt get any fish, managed to see 5 separate shooting stars which was pretty nice. so all in all a win!
Dave
Can be a tough little spot, but always has nice gutters.
S.
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Hi Fishraiders,
Can anyone give me some advise?? I have recently decided to take up beach fishing and have been spending my time at Wamberal/Terrigal generally at dawn with an incoming tide fishing with a whole pilchard on gangs (3 x 3/0). I have tried to find the channels hoping to get a Tailor or Salmon, however so far I have only landed 1 x 46cm flathead which I was happy with but still no Tailor or Salmon.
I am thinking about venturing to North Avoca on my next trip and was wondering if anyone has been catching the Tailor or Salmon there or am I too early for the season yet?? I have all the gear for beach fishing ie 3.8m Snyder rod with 650B Alvey so casting isn't a problem.
Any friendly advise would be very appreciated so I can catch my first Tailor and Salmon.
Cheers
Try an arvo high session a couple of hours before a dusk high tide....unless you are up in the pre-dawn hours, tailor will usually show right before and after dark sets in. The choppers don't usually hang around long but the larger stray large Tailor will lurk well into the late hours...Salmon should be thick up your way now.
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Raiders,
I hit Narrabeen this morning - it was looking great: nice gutter, decent swell outside, and beautiful wash running over the gutters. The beach was pretty low, there has been loads of erosion in the huge swells last week.
I was fishing for whiting with beach worms. I tried in close, out on the sand bar, on the banks, in the holes, in the middle of the beach and next to the rocks... All on the rising tide. All that for one flathead, about 15cm who went back in of course.
Is it just me, or are the beaches very very quiet at the moment?
They beaches were good for whiting, Salmon, Tailor (XL) and Sharks (bronzies) a couple of weeks ago, although things have gone quiet after the big seas...there's a lot of run in the water at the moment and lot's of surge....big breakers out the back and good water sitting just out of reach...
S.
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Hi Raiders, I've only ever used my Alvey in the estuary where it doesn't belong and wanted to have my first go at beach fishing.. It's a 10'6 with a 600B Alvey spooled with 17lb Trilene.. For my rig i was thinking:
swivel
20lb leader
dropper loop to a surf popper
dropper loop to ganged pillie
smallish star sinker on the botton
And where should i fish at mona vale
Thanks Nick
That's a good set up mate, just look for a nice gutter, and with that rig you should pick up a Tailor, Salmon, dart or bream......things have been a little quiet of the beaches though. Good luck.
S.
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Great report mate. I love Noosa, have been going up there to visit my bro-in-law the last 3 years....I still haven't figured out the river system, but each time I go I'm learning more about the area....hanging to do a surf fish off one of the local beaches too.
I went landbased down along the river near hastings st last November and got killed by sandflies! For the next 5 days I looked like I had the measles or mumps lol....lesson learnt about fishing the river after some rain....
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The problem is, it seems this move was also supported by various rec fishing groups. Whether we like it or not, Salmon are seen as an absolute scourge by many rec fisho's up north, and they would actually be rejoicing at this news.
For those of us like me who see Salmon as an iconic sportsfish, we lose out big time. For those rec fisho's who see Salmon as a scourge who steal baits intended for their 'bread and butter' fish, this is good news. When I was up at the far north coast in Sept this year, the folk in some tackle stores were bemoaning and cursing the large presence of salmon in the area....kinda ironic given all the kids I saw down at the rockwalls were having a lot of fun hooking up with the Salmon & have a guess where they were buying their bait from...!?
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Just got in. Trolled and downrigged live yakkas from Palm beach through/around the moorings - Palmy, Careel bay, Clareville, Newport and around Scotland Island. Nothing, not a touch. Beautiful morning though, just a little breezy..
I'm close to giving up on Pittwater and just working the harbour, it sounds much more productive.
Fryboy
No doubt the fishing inside Pittwater can be tough...I go out there in my yak quite a bit and pick up most of my keeper fish on the troll, or chasing surface bust ups...there's been more dud trips than memorable ones...I'd imagine the heavy commercial fishing has given the place a hammering since they were moved out of the harbour.
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I will let you read this for yourself.
I am so angry about this. This is bad news for all of us. As soon as we see stocks increasing, they decided to increase netting.
This is setting a scary precedent
Damn shame, just when it was becoming enjoyable going out on the beaches and estuaries in winter and getting into some awesome sportsfishing action....let's see, lot's of Kingies around lately....what's next do you think?
S.
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I believe spawning is around Sept - Oct up at Fraser Island. They should be arriving back in Sydney now if they haven't already. I have been waiting for them to start biting back here in Sydney but haven't had the chance to get out and have a go in the last few weeks.
The choppers should be in better numbers off the surf in the next few weeks, though I wish they were indeed in the Fraser size calibre...we seem to get a smaller run of fish in good numbers, with the occasional beast here and there...
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Thanks for that mate, I will hit you up with a PM closer to the date to get some more tips. Il be staying in Bangalow when I get up there so maybe could even meet up for a fish.
That's a summary of my trip last month Dicko, hanging with the inlaws at Bangalow (first trip, nice place), whilst driving over to Brunswick Heads / Byron every day I was up there....
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Hey guys, does anyone know how Narrabeen lake's fishing at the moment? I went up a week or so ago only to find the lake flooded, which was a real shame after making the trip up there on a rare day off work. Planning to fish it this week and I don't want to be disappointed again so if anyone can help it would be appreciated. Cheers in advance.
Saw a pic of a stunning 1.4kg bream caught there this weekend on a lure....I fished it for a donut 2 weeks ago, I went land based, but I reckon I should have taken my kayak instead. It can be full of surprises that lake...
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Lol
I live in Sydney folks
Stockton Beach I reckon.
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Yeah that is much rougher then what I saw, there werent really any breakers in the bar and it wasnt choppy. I guess Il just have to make sure I pick my days and tides right! Although even in your pic it looks a fair bit flatter on the far side (im assuming thats the north side?). The day I was up there there were a fair few small boats like mine going out, even a few tiller steers. Although I dont think it would be too big of a drama if you couldnt get out as the river it self looks awesome to fish for flatties, jew and mud crabs!
Yeah, the wind was really up when I was there, and unfortunately I couldn't fish the beaches, which was my aim when I was there...about 200m of whitewash...I spoke with the old salt at the local tackle shop and the river had lot's a salmon in there start of the month...the mouth of the rockwall would have to be a gun big jew spot in the right conditions....
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Im heading up to Brunswick Heads at the beginning of March next year for a few weeks and just have a few questions.
Firstly, I was up there a few weeks ago and the bar was flat as and didnt look too difficult at all. Was I just there on a lucky day? My boat is 4.5m quintrex lazeabout with a 50hp, generally speaking would I be able to get out most of the time or is the bar usually pretty cranky?
Secondly, getting there in March - will there still be mackeral around? Cobia? Kings? Snapper?
Where is the best places to get slimies, gars, squid and yakkas? On the reefs or are there bait grounds near the entrance?
If anyone has any gps marks they would be willing to PM me that would be great as I have never fished there before so will be pretty blind!
Thanks for any tips!
PS - I will also be fishing the brunsick river a fair bit for flatties etc so any tip on that would be appreciated but Im really hoping to be able to get into the offshore pelagics!
Hi mate, I was up there too earlier this month. The bar was raging when I was there and it is notorious from what people have told me...I actually fished the wall but didn't do too well...saw a guy land a school jew on the Nth wall.....it's an awesome place. The river looks great. I will go up there again sometime...
Here's the bar on the day I was there....
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Hey Fishraiders,
Had a great day on Sydney Harbour today and thought I should share it with you all... I tried to get out of bed this morning but I had misjudged the number of glasses of wine that I could enjoy myself and still able to spring out of bed early in the morning.
So it was an afternoon season from 3pm onward. I left from Clifton Gardens and managed two good large squid. I tried for more but they weren't biting, probably because of the rain on Friday night making the water slightly cloudy.
I trolled with the squid for almost three hours until the sun was low in the sky and my rod went off at about 6:30pm. After many screaming runs I managed to keep my cool and landed a nice 96cm hood.
I still had one squid left and was loosing light. So I chucked the second squid on a hook and paddled back to the spot I hooked up to my first kingie. After a couple of passes I connected to his mate who first I took as shark due to the endless screaming runs! After 5 minutes I saw colour and netted a 99cm beast!
With the banning of fish traps and commercial fishing in the harbour the fish stocks are looking great and if the fishing is this good in October I can't wait for summer!!!
Cheers,
Andrew
Brillant stuff, lovely yak too.
Cheers,
S.
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Ah, that's great to read! I thought I'd lost my beach mojo. I've been 4 beach trips in a row, and no fish.
I've used pillies, prawns, worms and fresh-caught squid (dead) and hit Dee Why, Curl Curl and Narrabeen in the centre and north end. I blamed the lack of success at Narrabeen on the fact that the council had closed off the lake as they repair the parking lot adjacent to the bottom of the lake. But then the other beaches weren't producing either.
Tired of the lack of success on the beach, this past weekend, I hit Pittwater with a friend. The wind was too strong to hit Barrenjoey in my little tinnie, so we stuck inside near Careel Bay. 2 tailor and a third one lost at the boat, all on pillies while our livies were ignored. Only one livie got a bite, and that was as we reeled in to leave. Of course, that delayed our departure as we had to try one last cast, but 2 tailors was to be our catch for the trip.
Here's my take on the situation:
1) the baitfish move on from the gutters this time of year, so do the fish that usually frequent the gutters
2) the salmon have eaten all the bait
3) the salmon have eaten all the bait and the other fish, so they move on
4) a variation of 2) & 3).
S.
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cheers spizza
i love beach fishing and am usually always sucessful, but i must admit i havent been doing it long enough to notice a correlation between surface school salmon and beaches shutting down - ill keep it in mind.
i was hoping there would be some salmon around before the warm weather / water hits.
ahh well its almost kingy season
Indeed, my last two sessions off the surf where the same as yours, not a single touch. I keep diaries of my trips and there's a definite pattern emerging. Prettty much shuts right down at times this time of year.
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Hey all
Headed down to Narrabeen beach looking for some flattys and salmon. was down there with some mates and stared 2 hours before low tide.
Found a nice gutter and rigged up. 4 rods went out with different rigs and baits - Pillies (ganged and fillets), squid, sandworms. Berlied up. low tide came and went. tried a different gutter a bit further up the beach. Spent 4 hours out there without a single bite. I guess it was just one of those days.
least it was warm and sunny and the wind kept down.
Got home just in time to watch the wallabies win. Go Aussies !
The fishing can quiten down if not almost shut right down on the beaches this time of year on the Nth side. I always find this month and next very tough off the beach. Once reports surface off big salmon schools working the headlands (boiling up), I've found a clear correlation with the deathly silence of salmon off the surf over the last few years. It's like they are totally concentrated on moving in big schools (headlands, harbour, estuaries) zoned in on a particular bait source away from the beaches.
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Outstanding catch...that Bonny is a horse and nice work on the gummy too.
Cheers,
Spizza
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As per what has been said, there is some good Alvey combo's to start you off. I recently grabbed the new lighter graphite composite ROD6500 Beach King rod, which did the job on some decent Salmon, and tangling with some of the big port jacksons out there at the moment...most Alvey rods are hollow glass, but there is some new lighter graphite composites out there at the moment.
12ft rod (keep in mind, Alvey reels suit low mount rods) and a 600 or 650B reel and you're sweet for many years fishing off the beach for the species you mentioned (Tailor, smaller Jew)
My 650A is 12 years old and still looks like new.
.
Scored my 1st Mulloway!
in Fishing Reports
Posted
Nice work mate...they are special off the suds.
S.