Jigholio

Naval waters are out of bounds. No anchoring/mooring or LB access. I have never seen kings at those baths but I have seen those huge yakka swarms pack death & bolt into the pool, some kind of predator in those waters, probably calamari - lots of kelp & moorings there. best of luck Jig

My Family scattered our Father's ashes in the Hauraki Gulf, NZ @ his favourite snapper spot. It was a scene straight out of The Big Lebowski, the persistent winds there scattering half of it over us. We laughed our asses off at the irony of the situation, someone said "He's STILL in our faces!" That really lifted our spirits at such a somber time, the tonic we all needed. Everyone enjoyed a drink or ten and remembered the good times we had at Dad's 'good time' spot. The way he would have wanted it - with a garnish of good humour. So if you want to be poddy poo, tell your family to respect your wishes!!

Cluedo: It was Mr. Cat In the Synagogue With the Poison Dart

Bro, you need more line to fill the reel!! Please, pretty please... take it to a tackle shop

You mean wake boats? I've noticed them to be the worst offenders of all, especially where crowds of small craft are anchored. One I remember on NYE super shiny & new packed with barely pubescent boys just cruising inches past good folk trying to enjoy the show. "just cruising" still produces a steep wake, at least the doof doof doof provided some warning. The revellers to our port must have had a good beer supply - enough to spare a few as projectiles...bye bye doofwakeboys - ask daddy to buy you a real brain - like the other kids have - next Christmas

PM sent

I've been buying up the last of their existing lure stocks over the last few weeks, and today the business has been listed on eBay! I hope the new owner(s) have as much passion and ingenuity, and that it stays 100% Australian...

I believe this is the location Ross is referring to: The semicircular baths you mention also hold huge swarms of tiny yakkas in close. Mucho berley required. I like a paste of breadcrumbs & tuna oil in those little mesh garlic bags from grocers. But everyone has their own 11 secret herbs & spices

Those pics are un-freakin-real. Jawdropper day, champagne memories...How privileged you must feel!

Poor bugger can't close his mouth!!

Is this the rod ? USP-JBW1600/Jig Blue Water I piece 1.80m/6'0" 15-37kg Guides 6 + Tip If so, you should be using a sizeable overhead reel. The rod is fine for 50lb braid-probably ideal. I expect you're on a budget? If so consider something like a Penn senator, 1st gen Shimano TLD or Daiwa/Penn graphite framed equivalent. They are all relatively cheap, and last well if looked after, especially the Senators. The rod should take a lifetime of abuse, they are super tough. You should really take the rod to a reputable tackle shop (site sponsors) and tell them your intentions and budget. As for the Daiwa spin reel, I would keep it, and find a suitable rod. It's the perfect 'allrounder' size reel.

That's a sweet whip you've got there and Mrs Rabs looks well pleased! Good karma policy releasing your first catch, did the same with my new tub and next outing we bagged 36 in just over 40mins, you gotta give something back to Odin. See you on the water. Jig

That is a work of art, and a thing of beauty only an angler could appreciate. Hang it on the wall, for sure. My budget can only justify Farlessthan Branzino...:-(

the best ones are R&R sabikis from Florida but you can't get them retail in Oz. They have stainless hooks/fluorocarbon and will last until something 'a bit special' pinches them. I favour the pink krill rubbery type, they work when others won't. But all the styles & patterns have their day! Jig

Tags from DPI at Cronulla. Worth calling the Research Centre at Taylor's Beach they might have some. DPI will also supply you with the applicator(s) for different tag types (sml pelagic, bill and shark) edit: got smoked by Smokinjoe - gotta be quick!

NZ's Nth Island is THE destination for big Kingis & Snaps that's for sure. great fish & what a way to unwind after work! Last time I fished Hauraki Gulf w/family over there we bagged out on yellow toothed old man Snapper then the Kingis moved in. We left with 3 busted rods & a seized reel, lol. Unlike you David we took stanley knives to a howitzer fight!! 27kg is a big fish even by Kiwi standards. Great effort & a lifetime of memories Jig

This ripper from Varivas will not fail, and flies thru guides effortlessly. Once tied never forgotten. The key with PE knots is wraps that tie over more wraps and tighten when pressure is applied, a 'cuff' more so than a traditional knot, the load should be spread over the leader rather than concentrated on one point, eg bimini twist, lest you risk slippage or cutting the leader. Midknot is another goodie. Jap jiggers don't use wind-ons, I found out the hard way why: PE will guillotine dacron under extreme pressure even when cat's pawed. PS. when you cinch down wraps in PE it should darken in colour considerably. That's your clue to a solid connection.

Here's one straight out of science fiction, Phronima H.R. Giger's inspiration for Ridley Scott's alien. A very aggresive little predator that 'steals' jellyfish & makes it home. kind of like a parasitic hermit crab. With developing offspring inside a 'stolen' jelly We know more about the surface of the moon than our oceans.

It was Jigrrrl who stamped my date. Used permanent ink, so no removal I'm afraid

Sounds like a sweet FAD or is that SQAD?

DELIVERANCE Australian tour. "Can you squeal like a piggy, boiii?" But seriously, that's some worthy-of-counselling sh!t to see. Freakin occultists, no doubt.

Stockton Bight, sunset 2 mins later... Jigrrrl hooked a nice kahawai just after this shot was taken, in the long shadows

Would you consider a flatted or spade eye ? Opens up some optionsShame gama don't do these livie rigs in SW sizes...bummer This is the One, Neo:

I think you guys will like this. From Tony Bishop, well known Auckland angling identity and former tackle shop owner. "Ed the lad and me made the long trip in the tinnie out to Takatu Point from the Sandspit. We set up a good berley trail and were beginning to catch some good fish. We heard the boat before we saw it. The roar of big diesels under plenty of revs. As it rounded the point we saw it was a 50 foot-plus gin palace, the flybridge littered with people. Suddenly the boat veered from its course and turned towards us. It passed not two or three boat lengths away and swung around us to a halt. The steep wake hit us full broadside and water slopped over the side. Enough water to put at least a foot or 18 inches in the bottom of the boat. Our tackle boxes crashed off the seats emptying hooks, sinkers etc into the bottom of the boat. We came very close to tipping out. "Catching any?" yelled the idiot on the wheel. i gave him the benefit of a short, sharp character reading, with some helpful hints on boat management near anchored small craft. "Should that boat have all the water in it?" asked one of the nearly bikini-clad bimbos adorning the owner, laughing enough to spill some of her gin. They departed giving us a one fingered wave goodbye. Ed and I bailed out the boat, carried on fishing and eventually made our way back to Sandspit. As we slowly meandered up the inlet, we spied the gin palace now sitting serenely and unattended at anchor. Ed and I slowly motored up to the boat and stuffed pillies and skipjack bait into every orifice we could find. A lot of bait into a lot of holes, nooks and crannies. We left this to percolate in the summer sun. 'Waking' boats is unforgivable, and avoidable. ...pillies and skipjack - best served cold, and spiced with time

Same as yours...Read some interesting info from Peter Pakula on hook design & what makes a 'gun' hook. he could not find one in the market so had them made bespoke to his req's ('Dojo hook'). Gist of it was: wide gape is good, turned in point is good (pointing straight at eye), finer the wire the better. example would be why fine wire suicide pattern is so lethal with both penetration & hold. Remember about a decade ago when those crazy looking ultra wide-gape hooks were all the rage for flatties & other bucket mouths? Then came the longline hook revolution - Both have a wide gape & turned in point. More recently we have assist hooks & live bait patterns...same Longshank & sneck are on borrowed time. Good topic, something different & applicable to every angler, nice one Slink. Jig