Steve0

Salmon need to be looked after. There's a kill spot on top of the head, which is easy to find because it seems like a clear spot. Stab the brain and move the point into the spine and the death is immediate. Straight away, cut the throat and bleed it. Some people would gut a fish at that point but I takes fillets straight off. Skin the fillet. Remove the bloodline that runs down the middle of each fillet (it runs quite deep in a flaring 'V'). Aussie Salmon is oily and has a strong flavour. If you prefer delicate flavoured white fish, Salmon may not be for you. Smaller fish don't have as strong a flavour. I like Salmon curried. Any milk-based recipe will tone down the flavour. Some people prefer to use them as a basis for fish cakes. You can also soak them for ten minutes or so in white vinegar then simmer the fillets in salt water until they are ready to flake then use the flakes however you like. I ate them regularly for a year or two then my tolerance reduced to approximately monthly, provided the recipe kept changing. Mostly I enjoyed the fight and released, unless they came in bleeding from the throats or had gill damage (past tense - I was living Far South NSW where they are plentiful and large). You can catch them all year. Dusk is definitely the time of day they come in to feed and they will chase lure well after dusk on a moonlit night. They will also take a lure very willingly during the day if you can find a school in close.

Must of us associate WD40 with WD-40 Multi-use, which is not a lubricant. From their website: The brand WD-40 does create spray lubricants and other products, including silicone spray mentioned next. Silicone sprays are dry lubricants (good for backpack zippers of those who walk beaches) and should work for a steelite, but I imagine sewing machine oil may be better for corrosion protection in situations when you don't get fine sand infiltrating parts and sticking in oil/grease. Silicone spray degrades monofilament. Not sure about Flouro or braid. So, reel off, out of the way then spray. Hardware stores and auto parts places will stock a variety.

A loop cast may work for you (video should start at 43 seconds, which skips Wallis cast method). Line will come off straight, so no twisted line due to side-casting.

Correct. I was trying to stir some Admin reaction, but nothing happened. I did solve my rapid logout issue and attempted to help Roberta via PM, but she had no success and just stopped visiting. Its a shame KFDU closed down. The archives were a wealth of knowledge. I was well down the coast down at that stage and still thought I was interested in kayak fishing. I joined Vyak as it is more species-relevant to far South Coast but that's died down to only a handful of active members. I'm hopeful Raider will fill the fishing chat void. So far, so good. Not long after moving down the coast, a school of Salmon gave a lot of fun out of the yak one day, but that stirred the interest in chasing them from shore (literally, I did a lot of catch, release, run, cast and repeat). It was far more productive than sitting on a wet plastic seat, so I mostly stuck with it. Clean beaches, no people, lots of fish, plenty of them big fish. Sometimes I wonder why I agreed to come back.

Arpie left KFDU around the time number of active users started waning. She (and many others) had problems with the site logging her off before she could complete posts, but forums dedicated to kayak fishing were in decline in any case.

Add Bare Island to you list. Depending on swell direction, it may give you some fishing when other places close down.

I walked out to Yellow Rock and had a look years ago. There must have been a release. While I looked down from above, water went from discoloured to dark brown. It looked like fishing in a septic tank. They were even had bits of paper get on the lines of people down there. I went elsewhere and left about half a dozen people pulling fish out of it. It would have been far from a pleasant place to get washed in. I wonder if it is as productive after the outfall moved. @noelm The best spots are low and weed covered. Of course you are going to get wet! Eye on the float; eye on the swell; 100% focus. Its a great way to forget your cares for a while.

Sorry, no idea. I go for soft, and at my feet and only what I need (includes scratching some loose as burley).

That's a very respectable first Salmon. +1 on the shorts message.

Thanks. That saves a second trip with spikes added. Luderick fishing gets me onto some low shelves, but I don't fish them unless they have high ground I can get to quickly when a wave heads my way or a wide shelf that dissipates the waves. Next on the agenda becomes Narrabeen headland. I walked around about six years ago, but was not thinking about it as a fishing location at the time.

Has anyone fished Turimetta headland? With limited time and no fishing gear exploration, I took a wander up from the beach to about 15m from the point. It has a nice looking platform but looks a wet feel location. Apart from walking under all the loose rocks on the way in, there seems to be no place to escape if a larger wave heads your way, but I didn't go around the point. Are there dry spots to escape there and an alternative way in?

I wouldn't mind tossing some weed out at any of the locations. They all have weed. Maybe not as much around the 3rd.

In the car one-ups my locations. Maybe the spiders scare them off? Borax usually works but, as bait mixed with other things, not on its own. Web search 'kill ants with borax'. If you don't find one that includes a peanut butter recipe along with the sugary substance recipe, search for kill and with borax and peanut butter. Pets and kids like peanut butter and sugary things, so be careful to make it safe. It is slow, but that's a good thing. It allows plenty of time for workers haul it back to the nest to feed the rest.

Congratulations on you catches. It sounds like a nice day out with good instruction. Ants. You got me started, but I'll skip the battle stories! Recently I heard about Diatomaceous earth (DE) It worked on some carpenter ants on a track of the frame they were following to get inside our house. Inside, those ants didn't seem attracted to anything but came to the shower at night between bouts of chewing rotting timber (which is now replaced). Unlike other things, DE is perfectly safe for humans and most pets (e.g. not pet cockroaches).

I've had a few arguments about that over the years and agree but, make that 'WD40 Multi-Use' (WD40 make a range of sprays, including some that lubricate) From their website: Solvents and degreasers are not lubricants. I can't say For those who beach walk and carry gear in a backpack, Teflon spray is a dry lubricant. Fine sand won't stick and it should help reduce metal oxidisation jamming the zipper. The same spray is more than likely good for use on metal ferrules and reel seats (but I am in a habit of running the male end of a ferrule through my hair and using nothing on reel seats).

I went in here looking for a spot years ago. There was a chance where rocks shear to the left creating a ledge overlooking a location that looked good for Drummer, but standing on that slope and not looking directly at the swell scared me, even in fairly calm conditions. Nice to look at so, not a wasted walk.

You might try looking at some Youtube videos that people have posted, showing others in trouble with waves while rock fishing (and generally blaming 'freak wave' instead of 'bad decision'). Start with this one. IMO, he broke a lot safety advice. The worst is debatable but, fishing in a location without good personal view of the incoming swell was the start to his problems. The rock was obviously wet towards at the top before he was caught by larger waves, which is a sure sign of potential trouble and the rock to the right acts as a ramp for the swell to climb. His gear was too close to the water (e.g. what happens when you are focused on re-tying terminal tackle or unpicking a wind knot). He didn't seriously heed the warnings called out by his mate and seems to have no idea the main danger is behind him. Maybe fishing to the right would have been safer, where he could see the swell, but those wet spots should have been enough warning to sit, watch and learn. Obviously he is not wearing a jacket. A life jacket is not an accident prevention device. It only helps after you make a bad decision, at which time you are both injured by tumbling across rocks and barnacles and in the water. It's only purpose is when you fall short on caution. Media like to publish stories about rogue waves causing rock fishing deaths when the main cause is lack of safety skills and experience.

Swell can come from different directions. Imagine throwing two rocks of different size into a still pond. If the rocks are at different angles to where you stand, you'll get waves crossing when they arrive at your feet. Depending where you stand, size will vary. If the rocks are directly in line, waves of different height and length head your way. Crests may arrive separated or together. The ocean is far more complex that two rocks tossed into a still pond. Crests that meet where you fish may be substantially higher than regular waves. You need to watch the sets for a long time and understand whether the tide is rising or falling (a bit like a surfer waiting for the right wave, we wait for the wrong wave). Waves can change directions around projections. If water close to shore is relatively shallow, large waves are more easily seen building. If water near shore is deep, the big ones seem to come out of nowhere. You need far more margin for error when you are not getting early, clear warning of wave size. Here's the wave forecast web page. Take it as an indication, only. Drag two finger to move the map (look for the 'refresh' button). I always like to see blue arrows, fairly much parallel. At times, one end of a beach (and adjacent rocks) may be calmer than another.

In law, its the meaning of individual words that matter (in context with every other word). The illegal part is 'taking', not 'catching', but the use of a 'Blue' in the rules and regulations is potentially confusing IMO. Wait for Saltwater size and bag limits to change before deciding what's OK and what's not in the new rule. Don't stop on the first page. You need to follow the Groper link for a fuller explanation (specifically, for the 'old' limits, rules relate to Achoerodus viridis ... colour is very variable with adults: males a vivid blue, females reddish brown and the juveniles a greyish brown, brownish orange or green. In other words, it doesn't matter what colour the Achoerodus viridis is). I prefer to use my own taste buds rather than rely on someone else's opinion about edibility of fish. I have eaten Groper. Female. Probably twice in my life (and that's a long time). Personal opinion is "OK but there are many other species I prefer". Males I leave alone. Just to make it crystal clear, you need to read the new rule/regulation and not make up your mind from anything I wrote above. That is example, from what is proposed to be replaced.

That hit the nail on the head. There's nothing in DPI media releases first thing this morning. Better to wait than speculate!

Mostly, I prefer fall jigs, but I do prefer thinner profile when distance is required. However, they surf as easily. Wind is an issue when it can get hold of your line. The greater the angle your line is to the break, the more chance the waves can get hold of your line and surf your lure in. Do you use braid? Quality thin braid will reduce the problem because there is less for the water to get a purchase on. Assuming you have quality braid, then up with you lure weight, cast flatter, directly into the wind, change to a more sheltered location or a combination.

It may help to know what your jig is. Assuming it is a combination plastic and lead, you might try swapping to a fall jig when conditions are heavier. They'll work on the drop, slow retrieve or fast. You can even skip them across the occasionally to excite fish (experiment with speed and height of rod tip). You don't need to buy the S brand. I order mind direct from the country that manufactures most lures (you should be able to guess that and the budget seller). I generally bought mine with no ring or hook attached so I can fit heavy duty rings and 3X single hook. If they did happen to come with rings and trebles, before use I replaced them (because cheap lures have rubbish that bends or straightens too easily). I'm not hung up on colour, having an eye or anything else, but do go for some reflective shine when buying. Here's are some examples of lures newly fitted and lures well chewed (and battered) but still taking fish. It's the width of the lure that makes the lure flutter as it falls. Some shaping of one side pay help, as well. . If you are wondering about the absence of hooks, I was mid task, fitting new ones.

The eye of your is a standout feature, so the common name is hardly surprising, but it is not a classification. You can use the fishes of Australia website for that. Sometimes you can start with the common name and it will take you straight to an easy choice (e.g. 'Luderick'). A search for 'Bigeye' gave me five pages of choice. Using the State filters on the left narrowed it but nothing resembled your fish. Sometimes Google image search for the fish description helps, but that is very hit and miss and did not help in this case. Starting here, you'll see what is needed for a full classification ID. For salt water species, click the 'Fish family key' button near the bottom of the page. Some of the choices, such as body form, are subjective (sometimes you need to go back and make a different choice). Colouration also varies with some species. In my experience, a different colour pattern (e.g. different count of bands) is a different species. It gets easier with practice. HINT: most species we catch come under the 'No match' criterion at choice #1. I gave up at Nemipteridae with what I could make of your fish.

Storm front rolling past (unedited).

Just when you thought you were safe, drop bears learn to swim.