Jiggy

You'll find that most of them will speak English well enough to understand what's being said to them; no speak English is used to avoid confrontations. And before anyone starts I'm first generation aussie and my parents and their friends did the same trick when they felt the need.

Hey Guys, DPI have published a list of fish stocking sites and numbers for 2018/20019 and 2019/2020. You can see the details here: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/stocking/enhanced-fish-production/freshwater-fish-stocking-plan Some are dependant on rainfall but overall it gives you an idea of what's happening with fish stocks. One thing I've noticed is a dam near Crookwell called Redground Dam. DPI are planning to stock it with cod and have been putting trout and yellowbelly into it for the last few years. Has anyone every fished there? Cheers Rob

I was fishing off Towradgi many years ago in about 12m of water. I looked at the sounder and told my dad a big school of fish is under us and turned away to drop a lure into them. He looked at the screen and said no there is a big fish under us. I looked at the screen, a hummingbird wide eye, and on it was etched the perfect great white shark image. Mouth, fins, tail; just like someone had sketched it by hand. I looked over the side and a huge shadow was going under us. I had a 4.3 metre predator tri hull and it was bigger. I swam under us and kept going towards the beach. About a year later in, almost the same spot, I was trolling for bonito when the sounder showed a big blip then drew on it a perfect shark tail. Same beastie I reckon. Cheers Rob

I've got a box at home with some of Bill Ways metal lures; LU-K in 4 or 8 ounce and maybe some Nat Nats. I need to dig them out as they would still work. I probably have a pile of other old stuff from the eighties in there somewhere too. Cheers Rob

I've had a MotorGuide i5 for the last couple of years and I think it's great, but if I had to buy a new one tomorrow it would be a Minn Kota. Some of the MK models have auto self deploy so you can lower and raise it off the remote control. Very handy when you use it off shore and the boat is pitching around in the swell. I mostly fish offshore but if you fish river and lakes only it may not be such a big deal. Cheers Rob

What Jeff has said makes a lot of sense, bur as you have a green light to buy there is no harm in looking around. There are some very nice boats for sale that are a lot less than 23 years old and in very good condition. You can pick up something that needs no work at all and with well maintained recent build engines. But then you'll have the problem of what do I do with the old boat! Cheers Rob

I saw of the Sydney Harbour RFH facebook page that a marine scientist has admitted that no studies have been done on the proposed lockout areas. It would be too expensive to do these sort of studies. So this basis of the proposed lockouts is because we can or my kids drew a pretty picture on a map. What a joke. Cheers Rob

Could it be for a stringer, I think that's the correct name? A bamboo\glass pole that was used to set live baits at certain depths when using a handline. Cheers Rob

I've read the info and I find it a total joke that recreational angling is an environmental threat greater than global warning, pollution etc. What a load of crap. Anyway survey done! Problem with it though is that some greeny can sit on their machine and fill this out multiple times. Oh that's right they don't do things like that.

You can also troll small skirts about 10 to 15cm long, in any colour as long as it's pink, at 5 to 6 knots (9 to 10 km an hour). Run as many as you like but at different distances so you don't tangle. When you get a hit keep trolling and you can often get multiple strikes. Mostly bonito and stripies but salmon, tailor and kings can jump on too. I've done this off SWR an Coffs and a few times it's resulted in huge runs and very cranky mackerel or longtail! Cheers Rob

You can also launch at Minnie Water which is not far from Wooli. It's a lagoon launch and reasonably safe. Check it out and see what you think.

Eat him, one less to worry about.

As I am one of the greatest SB fishers in the Sydney area I'll see if I can smash the record over the next few months. Cheers Rob

Hi Guys, I need a new boat cover and was wondering if anyone could recommend anyone to me. Boats is at Fairfield and ideally I'd like a mobile service. I know there are a couple around but I don't know anyone that has used them. Cheers Rob

I was a member on another now defunct site and one of the members lived at Minnie and launched a 7 metre plate boat from there. But he did use a tractor and not a car. I've been there and, though I haven't launched from there yet, I'd be comfortable launching my 6 metre console boat from there. That's the plan later in the year chasing snapper. I've been told that the trick is to be quick, if you take too long you'll start to sink into the sand. Cheers Rob

You can also launch at Minnie Water, it's a beach launch into a lagoon with no bar crossing involved. It's just 10 km up the road from Wooli. Cheers Rob

Minnie Waters Beach launching; I used to be on another fishing site and one of the members lived at Minnie Waters most of the year. He used to launch a 7 metre platey from there, with a tractor, often solo. He said it was OK as long as you were quick otherwise you'd get stuck. It's in the corner of the lagoon so swell isn't much of an issue though I guess you can have good and bad days. I was up around there a couple of years ago, not fishing, and there were plenty of boats being launched and no one seemed to be having trouble. It was April and a lot of Spanish and snapper being caught. May be trying it out myself come March/April, wouldn't try Wooli as it scares the crap out of me. If bar and beach crossings are a no go then try Coffs. Still good fishing wise with a ramp in the harbor and lots of things for the non fishing people to do. Cheers Rob

+ 1 to what Hookup said. I don't often use bait but when I do I'll try to catch it on the day; bonito, squid, slimies etc. Treat them as if you're going to eat them, knock them on the head then into a slurry. Any bait left over I salt then freeze. Squid is frozen as is without salting or touching fresh water. If you're not sure about how to salt watch this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnAUTIvBS4A Only difference is I freeze the bait after 24 hours. Cheers Rob

I have the Xi5 and think it's great, but if I was to buy a new one tomorrow I'd get a Minn Kota. Only reason is that some Minn Kota models have self deploy, one touch of a button lowers and raises it. Yes I'm a lazy bugger. Cheers Rob

Many bait shops sell live bait, usually blood worms and sometimes nippers. These are excellent baits to use so try them if you can get them. Whiting are suckers for blood worms and you'll also get bream and flathead on them. The downside is the pickers like them too! Cheers Jiggy

Hey Guys, I stumbled onto a Burrendong Dam Facebook page and it looks like the redfin are ON. Cricket scores of decent sized fish are being landed. If you get on to Facebook just search for Burrendong Dam and the page will pop up. If you want a feed of redfin it looks like this is the place at the moment. Cheers Rob

Hi Guys, I stumbled onto a map on the Dept of Primary Industries site that shows the fish stocking areas and rates in NSW; the link to the site is here: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/stocking I've attached an example of how the information is presented. The information is just great. As an example there has been quite a few bass stocked in various metropolitan Sydney locations in the last couple of years. Lake Burrendong has had a lot of cod released into it over the last few years, 120,000 in the last year alone! This is a great tool to check out places to explore or check if worth fishing either now or in the near future. Cheers Rob

I had the same issue a couple of years ago when I bought a boat in Queensland; boat transport or drive. I ended up driving to Hervey Bay to pick it up. I saved a couple of grand, had a very nice drive and got to make sure the boat was right when I picked it up.

The recent Canberra Tuna comp saw one alby landed in admittedly bad weather. Mid June and basically nothing on the YFT front off Sydney when once, by March, they were regular catches on the inshore reefs. Cheers Rob

Have you thought about trying a drop shot rig, it's similar to this and you can add another hook above for bait. You can see some drop shot setups here: https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=drop shot rig&qs=n&form=QBIR&sp=-1&ghc=1&pq=drop shot rig&sc=1-13&sk=&cvid=ECA3198E746E438EAB3E65ECC4336D1E Oh mods if this is against policy please remove. Cheers Rob