Brendan Monks

Mate, it may be an older style model/handle for that price but still a bargain! (Let me know if you dont get it 🤣🤣🤣). 'LRS' stands for Long Range Special - I stand to be corrected but I think they have a steeper drag curve then the standard 50's allowing you to fish heavier line if required. The 'W' stands for Wide spool = holds more line, but have a google on them as @bookwa suggests - It should show you how to set the drags etc! Let me know when your back up and we will get out for a fish again 🤙

What size sharks are you planning on chasing!!?? 😄🤯 I'm not too sure about your line calculations, but if you are using braid (Better for shark fishing IMO off the beach as you wont get as big a belly in the water compared to mono - Especially when you kayak baits and get thrown around a bit!) you don't want to be using a rollered rod as it can slip next to the roller! If you do down the track of joining multiple lines make sure everything is tested 100%. A BIG shark will put a lot of hurt to your gear/connections. Just my 2 cents... 😄

Hey guys, I've been busy since the start of lockdown redoing a lot of fibreglassing around cut outs etc. that the manufacturer never did! 😑 It's dragged out a lot longer than I hoped, but have just started fitting everything back off - Hopefully ready for Marlins/Dollies. My Lowrance HDS 10 gen 2 sounder has been working fine, but would like a better reading. I've done a bit of research on this but I'd be interested to see if anyone out there is using the Airmar P66 transducer with any Lowrance sounder, and if they noticed a difference in clarity!? I'm only looking to use it for inshore fishing, and around 120m jigging Kings etc. (Marlins we have it set to the top 50/60m). Appreciate your replies. 🤙 Cheers, Brendo

@kingie chaser Love the way you somehow put together all these different ways to eat fish instead of the standard batter!!! Keen to try trevally sashimi now if I get one as bi-catch 😁👌 Keep them coming!

Some cracker fish there again Scratchie!! Can't wait to see another report again today! 😄👌

Cheers Scratchie! I'm expecting we'll be seeing a lot more snapper reports now you can get out to Broughton 😁😂 I'm still working on my boat so hopefully I can tow up soon for a crack!

Thanks again Wazza for the great day! We will have to add cooking to our chats 😄🤣

Cheers Geoff 😀 Can confirm that the reports helped me (Wish I got out more). Happy we managed to add to them!

Cheers Zoran. Hoping to see some of your reports come through now you guys can get out! 👌😀 Yeah, froth levels were high! Both just happy to get back on the water (A feed was a bonus!) 😁 Thanks yowie! Thanks pickles. Interesting!!! Hopefully we can find a few more 😀

Cheers 🤙 Wazza brought along some chicken fillet as a plan B. Lucky he did as it accounted for pretty much all of the fish! Thanks Donna!

It’s been long time between sessions, only really getting out for a spin off the beaches for Tailor and a quick flick to chase some backwater Bass during lockdown. After picking the brains of @Scienceman earlier in the year on chasing some Luderick (And never getting out to do so) he kindly invited me for an early morning fish in his boat! The forecast wasn’t looking to kind with showers expected all morning, but an early check looked like someone had gotten it totally wrong! Not a cloud in site! After a quick 6:00am launch at Woy Woy boat ramp and short cruise up Paddy’s Channel we soon had a bait out and worked an area Wazza had always gotten a feed of Flatties with plastics. After a few hours of zilch – Not that it mattered! It’d been way too long since we’d both been on the water, Wazza made the call to push further up into Brisbane Waters to try another spot he knew and try get us out of the wind. This spot also started off very slow until all hell broke loose the next few hours or so! 😀 The bait rod quickly went off as we drifted into deeper water and soon had a 35cm Snapper on board. I commented that I didn’t know they even got this big in Brisbane Water. Wazza decided to keep it in the livewell in case we got more for a feed! It didn’t seem long before he had another one the same size join it in the boat and it was looking like I wasn’t going to get a thing. 🙄 But…The rod I had decided to rig for bait all of a sudden took a massive run, taking the line almost down to the backing. We quickly called it for a small Jewie although I couldn’t feel any headshakes. I then thought it may be a stingray as it took another long run down stream without slowing down. After a few more short runs we finally got colour. RED! This looked a cracker fish and Wazza quickly had it in the net. 50cm in the Broadwater, still can’t believe it! Wazza continued to add to the bag with a beautiful 60cm Flattie hooked and landed soon after. With a few smaller Flatties and more Snapper on both the bait and plastics joining the bag we decided to call it a day at 12:00pm. A nice size tailor also had a lucky day that Wazza caught and released after we had already taken a few happy snaps. It was absolute bedlam back at the ramp as every man and his dog also had the same idea. I ended up getting a few feeds through the week out of the 3 fish I kept, making some fish tacos with the Snapper cooked in a spice mix, and fish wraps with the Flatties cooked in panko crumbs. 🤤 Thanks again for the cracker day on the water, and the beer Wazza! Can’t wait to get out again! 🤙🍻 Cheers, Brendo

Absolute donkies mate!! 😁 Sure am jealous seeing this while we are in lockdown, but someone has to do it! 😂 I'll be towing up as soon as we are out. lol Love the photos!!! 👌

True True, but we also love the adrenaline 😅 Yeah, it was good to get back to the basics and how it all started. I did have bags with me but didn't have to use them luckily (I make sure he goes at home) 🤣 Cheers 🤙

Thanks! Can be annoying but he's learning pretty quickly 🤪😄 Cheers, thank you! 🤙

That's it, reports have become non existent! 😑 Yeah awesome spot for a camp, I will have to try it sometime with the yaks 👌

He loved it, but it was more towards lunch time when he just couldn't get comfy where to sleep 😆😂😂 Cheers mate! Would love to be out fishing, but using the time to get my boat looking smicko and running again 😄 Fingers crossed a few trips up off Swansea and Port again soon! 🤙

So I managed to get out a few times locally and off Swansea before lockdown hit! (We actually got the news later that day we were going into a lockdown at 6:00pm here on the Coast!). Now I’m just twiddling my thumbs, so I thought I’d write something up to pass the time and for the memory bank – Warning: By no means big fish or anything exciting! 😆 I had recently made some new kayak racks for my canopy so I was super keen to try these out. I loaded and packed the yak the afternoon before with no issues and was set up bright and early on the water’s edge at Patonga Creek. Gotta love the smell of fire wafting by a few people that were camping upstream (Will have to try this sometime!). Boy does it stay cold in the valley! The plan was to head up to the main sand flat to pump for nippers and try catch a feed of flathead or whiting. I decided to chuck in the little cooker in case there was somewhere I could pull up and cook some fresh fillets! It was also the first time taking my new little mate on the yak, so it was always going to be interesting! (He decided it was better in the water than onboard in the first 10 metres we pedaled). 😅😂 During the Summer months the channel always produces a lot of flathead. It’d been quite a while since I’ve last fished this area, and hesitant with the water temperature so cold but was keen to give it a red hot crack. Like we used to always do, some of the first nippers we got went straight back out with a long shank as jewelry while I continued to pump enough for a few hour session. This accounted for 2 very small flathead – At least we were on the board with the target species! I decided to try drifting the channel instead to cover a bit of ground, I was instantly rewarded by a Flattie that was just over legal length. Thinking it was going to be a productive session, I let him swim away hoping to upgrade – No such luck! The next hour or so I spent drifting the same spot as the tide was rising for only small Flattie and micro Bream. I have never explored too far up the creek but looked at it a few times on Google Maps. I thought it was time to see how far we could get up and find somewhere to stretch the legs and cook a feed (Lucky I also had bacon and eggs in the esky). By now the wind had picked up and was getting a bit too much for the patience levels fighting this and an ADHD puppy wanting to clamber over everything. 🤪 I found another fishy looking location and quickly pulled a just legal Whiting off the flats. I was tossing up whether to keep him for later but decided on a quick happy snap before releasing, a few more smaller models came on board but not the size I was after for a feed! I decided to call it a day after finding nowhere decent to pull up upstream and started pedaling back to the ute. Not to be beaten, but almost back to the launch area, I flicked a small grub into the edge of the mangroves that looked like they were holding small bait and was rewarded with another just legal fish. This time a Bream! It’s been too long since I got one of these on plastic so it was great to tick this off in a day. Wish I kept something for a feed but that’s fishing. It was a great day on the water and I hope to try this area again come Summer as the scenery is just too amazing, and hoping for some better sized fish. Cheers, Brendo

Love seeing your inventions @zmk1962! 👌😁. I had a mate from NZ that used to smoke Aussie Salmon and I couldn't believe the taste! This has got me so keen if it is that quick and easy! (Time to chase these and tailor) 😅 As @kingie chaseralso mentioned, he used to always soak the woodchips overnight in water as well - I just remember him telling me how much better it made it taste. Great work!

Cooper, I'd definitely have a read of the post @DerekD had posted above - A lot of useful info in there! 👌 I bought my Hobie 'Outbacks' on Gumtree for approx $2000-$2500 each from memory, I was mainly estuary fishing back then and wanted the stability (Can stand in mine in flat water), but also used them off Terrigal. Personal preference, but there is also the 2 'Revolution' models which have a sharper nose (Better for covering distance).

I can't comment about what areas to fish down that way sorry! I would definitely go for a pedal kayak if your budget allows, it makes it so much easier to rig, fight fish, hold in current etc. I bought my hobies 8+ years ago now before I had my boat so I'm not too sure what other pedal brands are out there now (I'm guessing some a lot cheaper then Hobie!) 😀 The need for a fish finder will really depend on the species you are chasing. If you plan on surface fishing, chasing bust-ups then obviously no need. I used to have a basic model Lowrance just to check depth, drop offs etc. instead of actually hoping to mark fish on the sounder...again, this was quite a while ago 👍 Hope this helps! Tight lines 🤙

Tristan, We done a trip the other day and managed to get a few. I actually kept the head of one as I was interested in getting the skull mounted! It is still in the freezer if it would be beneficial to you? Feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any questions 🤙 Cheers, Brendo

Not the best session at all but at least we ticked the Salmon off. How did it cook up? 😂

Mine is also in the very back of the bilge. Never noticed the noise before - But I also have a 150hp 2 stroke and rarely turn it off when fishing. 😅🔊🙉

@Pickles I fully agree with @wrxhoon1. I have the exact same pump and pickup (Make sure you fit an emergency seacock if you do go down this path!) on my Seaswirl Striper - The manufacture date is 2004 and its still running fine! I thought it stopped the other day but turns out just one of the wires had worked there way loose that the boat manufacturer joined - Don't get me started on some of the things they have done! 😅 I should add I have hardly ever flushed it, although I plan to get something like this to help it last longer. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/265139020776

Hey Mike, It's a mates boat I regularly fish with. The boat is a 18ft Carribean/Pride Gazelle hull I think. 🤙