DrRaymondSnapper

If you get the chance , visit the island of Aitutaki. Its close by plane and is probably one of the most jaw-dropping places on the planet. I`ve done a fair amount of travelling all over the world but the lagoon on Aitutaki is incredible. There is only one road on Rarotonga and it follows the coast in a circuit Its a very small island and doesn`t take long to circumnavigate. Good luck with the fishing. I hated leaving. Long flight to get there though. About 8 hours if I recall so take a book.

My bad. I probably got his name wrong anyway.

If this is a 2022 topic then I can give you a little help. If its an old one then my advice is out of date. I was in Rarotonga for a few months a couple of years ago. Rule no1 is don`t eat anything from the lagoon due to ciguatera. You probably know the island is surrounded by a reef so the area inside the reef is termed the lagoon. All fish are potential sources of ciguatera in the lagoon so no eating anything caught there. Ciguatera poisoning can be very unpleasant. Beautiful place , by the way. Enjoy. There are a few boat charters to the reefs outside but my recollection is that its mainly gamefish orientated - mahi mahi , sailfish , marlin etc. There are a couple of big operators present. I went out twice and caught absolutely nothing. I went with the local " character " <name removed>. He is famous for never smiling and always being surly. Go with the other bigger charters if you want to catch fish. The time of year is huge and the catch is seasonal. Hope this helps a bit. Don`t forget --no shore based lagoon fishing and consuming or you`ll experience diarrhea that is life changing.

He'd probably been getting stuck into the kava. Its pretty popular in Fiji.

Thanks frankS , you learn something new every day.

Thanks Waza , that`s very interesting. I`ve never caught one myself but I may have to give it some attention since its local and I have the time since all our beaches have been washed away.

That`s amazing to hear about the Hairtail in Newcastle Harbour. The only reporting about them seems to be from the Hawkesbury only. Do they get them from any specific harbour location and are they resident or move in from elsewhere at certain times of the year ? I thought that they required deep water in the Hawkesbury system . I guess that there must be a few locations in the harbour that fit.

A friend [ part -time fisherman ] recently showed me a few photos on his phone that included a couple of plastic crates filled with Hairtail that had been caught in Newcastle Harbour last week. I was not aware that Newcastle was a Hairtail hotspot. Has anyone else had any experience catching Hairtail in the Hunter region ?

Was that a live or a recorded performance from Zoran ? Maybe its the secret to catching fish too ?

Maybe try some of those bait jigs that come pre-packed. Samaki type ? Available at tackle shops and they`re cheap and seem to work well off wharves. Not sure if good for yakkas but worth a go.

I`m not 100% sure but suspect that it may be too heavy for that rod. Maybe go a bit lighter and use 20 - 25lb. The 9`6" rods advise PE 2 and 3 which would equate to about 25-30lb maximum. It would be a bit more exciting and sporting to use the lighter line and less like skull-dragging. The reel that you use would also be a factor. Using 20l - 25lb line should be adequate for most scenarios and would cast better and further than heavier braid. Knot tying would also be easier with the lighter stuff , especially if you are relatively new to the sport and are chasing hard fighting fish. I think that the Coltsniper would be a great choice for your requirements. All Shimano`s JDM rods are top-of -the-line . I love their Zodias range for soft plastic fishing. Beautiful rods to use.

Gave your youtube videos their first " thumbs up ". Congratulations , you are now an influencer [ lol ]. Next comes monetizing DerekD

I`m a bit of a Shimano fan so endorsing the Prevails is unusual for me but if you are looking for a shorter , sweet casting rod then its hard to go by the Shimano Hardrocker BB in 7'6" to 8`6" length or the Coltsniper BB in 9`6" and 10` models. I also have a 9`6" Jewel which is a great alternative at a lower price but is still a quality rod. They also come in 8` and other shorter models. I caught my best jewie on that Jewel so it has a special place on the rack. Their Anarchy rods are also excellent too and come in multiple lengths. Shimano rods are , generally , excellent quality and perform well. It depends on your budget but it pays off when you have your dream fish on the other end of the line.

Sorry , I see by the title that you mean to use it for lures and shore jigging. Since the Prevails have a slower action then they may be suitable for shore jigging but I`m out of my depth on that subject. They cast very well and won`t be too exhausting for long use with the 10`model. If I was only allowed to have one rod for multiple fishing scenarios then the 10` Prevail would likely be my choice. Don`t forget though that a matching reel designed for your purposes is also important and you may not get the best from your rod selection . whatever you choose , if its doesn`t have the right reel attached to it. I sound like I`m sponsored by Penn with this reply. Go down to your local tackle store and wave a few rods around to get a feel of their weight and action. Sales people love to see that and it will give you a much better idea of what is going to work for you. Most fishing outlets stock Penn rods. They are very popular , which says a lot about their quality.

Love my Penn Prevails. I have the 10' and 12' models that I use off the beach , rocks , breakwalls etc and rotate according to swell size , bait type etc. The 10' is nice and light for extended bait sessions as long as the reel isn`t too hefty but I don`t know if I would use it for repetitive casting with metals etc when there are so many excellent rods that are designed specifically for that purpose. As an all-round rod , I think its a great choice for many different situations and it`s very well built and configured. And looks good if you are fashion-conscious. Personally , I prefer the Shimano Hard rocker BB 8'6" for throwing lures off the beach but its cast weight is 10-40gm which may not be enough for your intended usage. It`s light to carry and throws the proverbial country mile. You don`t mention what you are casting and where but you won`t be disappointed if you buy one of the Prevails. I`d suggest the 10` as the 12` version is more for baits off the beach and is subsequently a heavier , bulkier unit. I have a few beach rods including Aerowaves and Wilson Live Fibres but the Penns get the most use. Great fishing rods in my humble opinion.

I feel your pain. I`ve been following the same path on Newcastle beaches , chasing jewies too , with only one success this year. That fish was caught on a live poddy mullet so maybe a change of bait might help. Some nice flathead also liked the livies too. I think that the wet weather may be a big factor. Everyone I`ve spoken to has said the same thing - not many Jewies around so far this year. However , the best time of year for Jewfish off the beach is coming soon so your persistence will probably be rewarded.

Shimano Hardrocker. Plenty of whip for long casts and lightweight for long sessions on the sand. Few different sizes but I have the 9 ft variety and its a pleasure to use with my Stradic FL or 5000 Vanford.

Humesy , I just saw this post. I'm a Lake Mac local and get plenty of poddy mullet out of Cold Tea Creek at Belmont. I also see lots of livies caught on bait jigs on Swansea wharves near the RSL club on south side of channel. Hope this helps if you haven't already found your answer.

Good call on the Youtube fisho channel. Excellent viewing. I binged on all his downloads after the first one. Possibly the best fishing channel om Youtube. And , by the looks of the beaches , a fellow Newcastle boy like you and I Horse

Your original GPS measured and calculated ETA based on your average predicted speed on your journey. When the traffic became congested and your velocity decreased below the predicted value then a re-calculation of the ETA was made based on the new speed value. As you had not reached a certain distance within the predicted interval , further time was added to your journey`s duration based on the discrepancy. In short , even though you were moving forward , it wasn`t fast enough to satisfy your predicted ETA and so time was added to your journey as a result.

Beaches firing sporadically with tailor and salmon and occasional jewie [ if you are lucky ]. Flathead on the sand and weed beds at Pelican and Swansea Channel. Not many Whiting yet. Getting a few big Bream in the channel and around Swansea Bridge . Hope this helps. Are you land based or boating ?

Mmmmm Vssss. A fisherman's best friend. Oh , there are fish too.

I hope that it turns out better than my Lord Howe trip. Had to return to Sydney after getting to within 5 km of the island but the weather was too bad to land. Then , when I finally got there , a monster swell was running and no boats went out for a week. I didn't wet a line.

Thank you. Followed your advice and found the info I was chasing.

Hi everyone , new member from Newcastle NSW here with a question. Has anyone had any experience fishing on Norfolk Island ? I'm contemplating a trip there in the near future. Any advice appreciated on reliable charters , land-based opportunities or general fishing information. Thanks for any help that anyone can give.