slinkymalinky

The 'Gorillas were back in the mist' this morning, introducing a new member of the troop to Bass fishing in Northern NSW rivers. Grant asked me if I wanted to bring my yak down for a morning session. I drove the hour down from the Gold Coast and met him and his new offsider, Matty in the dark at Grant's place. The first challenge is that Matty is a different species... he's orginally from Liverpool where they apparently speak a different language. At least I think it was a different language... I was picking up about one word in three and had the weird feeling that I had somehow ended up in a Beatles movie. Matty hadn't been bass fishing before so we were pretty keen to get onto the water and see if we could bust his cherry. Grant and Matty loaded the last of the gear into the back of a small metal dog dish that Grant assures me is actually a boat, then we headed up to a local spot to launch. The 'ramp' is actually a bit of the river bank where thick bankside grass has been removed and a rough sandy 'drag' worn into the bank by fishos, over the years. Unfortunately the gentle sandy gravel 'beach' had decided to go visit other parts of the river, leaving behind a sharply sloping edge dropping straight into waist deep water. Now, I'm not the most svelte and agile kayaker so getting onto my sit-on Jackson Coosa wasn't really a picture of elegance. I probably would have been much more offended if I had understood the comments that came my way in a thick Liverpool accent. We headed downriver and started the session fishing small surface lures. For the first time in memory I managed to get to the first prime spot ahead of Grant (I think he was still busy laughing at my launching antics). First cast and I had a solid hit that didn't hook up. I let Grant and Matty know and was given a mouthful shouted out of the darkness by Grant about "..... his *%$*! spot". I hooked up solid on my third cast and brought a nice 38cm fish to the net and not wanting to upset my local mate I brought it over for Grant to admire so that in the general excitement he would forget about petty rivalries over who fished where and who's spot is who's. I think I might have heard some more Liverpudlian around about then. We worked our way from spot to spot down the river. Me catching fish, Grant and Matty looking good fishing. Then I heard some hoots and hollers in the darkness from the direction of the dog dish. I paddled the 200m down to Grant and Matty had vindictively decided to fish one of my own favourite spots ahead of me. When I got there, the dog dish was in chaos. Grant had managed to connect to and land what turned out to be his PB bass from the river. Matty had managed to land himself, Grant and most of their gear... not so much with a lure as with the loops, tangles and knots of braid originating from Matty's brand new outfit but that were now everywhere in the boat. Somewhere between the swearing and laughing, Grant managed to untangle a beautiful 45cm Bass that had absolutely engulfed his popper. After a couple of photos Grant managed to find a spot free of braid where he could release his great fish and get to the serious business of untangling Matty's line. I think now Matty knows that fishing into snags in the dark has some new and unusual challenges. Grant is now much better at Macrame. After that the dog dish boys went a bit quiet while I continued to land fish. The average size of the Bass in the river at the moment is a bit up with most of them being in the high 30s. While still a bit 'post spawn' skinny they were all very fit and fought particularly hard. One of the outfits I was using was a tiny Shimano Ultegra 1000 loaded with 3lb fluorocarbon. Not my usual snag bashing rig but the reel and some lures I was using were gifts from a Japanese family who recently hosted my eldest daughter on her year 11 school trip. It was an awesome and unexpected present and a sweet way to fish snags that really got the heart pumping as the buttery-smooth drag sang to the song of angry Bass. Once there was light in the sky, casting accurately became a lot easier but like often happens in this spot, the surface bite shut off like someone had thrown a switch. So we changed over to spinnerbaits and hard-bodies. With the advantage of light to help him get the hang of this unfamiliar form of fishing, Matty started to hit his stride and not long after a nice Aussie Bass fell victim to a Liverpool Basser. Matty's first ever bass was a fit 35cm model but I'm pretty certain it won't be his last (one of the advantages of living in the middle of some of the best Bass water in the country). Unfortunately I wasn't nearby when it happened so didn't get a picture but Grant did so I'm pretty sure he'll post some. Congrats Matty! Grant managed to eventually pick up a second fish somewhere along the line while I pretty much lost count. I asked Grant a couple of times to help me keep track of how many I was catching but for some reason he wasn't very cooperative (or polite). With more complaints ringing across the water about Grant's snags (take it to the U.N. if you don't like it), I pushed close to a drowned tree, flicked a purple spinnerbait into the ugliest part... and hooked up hard into a solid Bass. After being dragged around all over the place in my yak I managed to land my own PB bass. 44cm... I thoughtfully made sure it was 1cm shy of Grant's fish so that he wouldn't be so upset about how badly I was kicking his butt. After that the fishing went really quiet. We worked our way back up the river from snag to snag. I caught a couple more... again. Grant and Matty didn't... again. And we finally pulled my yak and Grant's dog dish out of the river at about 8:30. Great day, great session of a beautiful bit of water with a good mate and a new mate... and really great to see a couple of PBs and Matty getting his first ever Bass. Cheers, Slinky

That's a nice lump of a Trag! Slinky

Bullseye. I wouldnt bother eating it

Congratulations on the great fish Vili Fishing with kids is amazing. I still remember times as a youngster fishing with my dad and I'm sure that when he's grown, VIli will remember that time Rainbow fishing with you. Hope the fish tasted as good as it looks. All you have to do now is to teach Vili to row the boat. Cheers, Slinky

Just wanted to share my new 'fishing & boating knife'. A Spyderco Salt 1. In a word, awesome. Surely I'm not the only Fishraider who appreciates quality knives as well as good quality rods and reels. I've got the usual collection of filleting and bait knives but I always seem to end up fumbling around for a knife for all those little fishing and boating tasks... cutting off rigs, trimming ends, halving pillies, even cutting anchor ropes. The Spyderco Salt 1 is made from premium H1 steel... pretty much the last word in corrosion-resistant steel; takes an awesome edge although not as durable as equivalent quality higher carbon steels (the price to pay for that corrosion resistance... this knife essentially WON'T rust) The scales are grippy and in the yellow (also could have got black), it should be easier to find in the dark insides of a tackle box. The belt clip isn't just for show... it's made from titanium and solidly built and should keep the knife securely where it's meant to be. The deployment hole seems a bit bigger than on other Spyderco knifes which should be good when I'm wearing gloves or have wet, cold, fumbling fingers on my Kayak. I tied a short lanyard/toggle from paracord for the same reason. Cheers, Slinky

Good to hear. Businesses that fail with their service have a pretty short life span these days. With so much available over the net and often very cheap, local shops need something more to keep customers coming back and their big advantage (for the ones smart enough to realise it) is service. I've dealt with Daiwa, Shimano and Pure Fishing (Abu) service departments heaps and they are all fantastic. I've never dealt with Penn (distributed in Aus by Jarvis Walker I think). There are a couple of other brands though that I won't buy any more after crappy service. Next time I'm passing through Ballina, I'll make a point to stop in and buy some gear. Glad to hear you got everything sorted out and that I don't have to break out my reel service kit for you!! Cheers, Slinky

9wt is my recommendation as the best allround set up for Northern flyfishing. Heavy enough to cast heavy flies quickly to fish on the flats, plenty of grunt to deal with big queenies, tuna, trevs etc; but light enough to be comfortable casting all day. I've fished North QLD and cape york a few times. I took a 7wt the first time and put it away after the first time I got smacked by a big queenie while fishing to small ones. I also took a 10wt the first time and my shoulder didn't love me for it.

G'day Jani, It was great to catch up with you. Since you've posted some pics now I hope that means you worked out the problem with your camera. I now have Chilli & Garlic Smoked sauce in my cupboard at all times since you got me to try it... yum! Hope you don't miss the ice creams and kebabs too much now you're back home. If you come back one day with Saija and family there will always be a bed for you on the Gold Coast. Maybe one day I might get to travel to Finland with my family... the photos you, Stewy and Donna showed me looked great (although the water really looked too cold for swimming!!). Best wishes, Tony

For no particular reason I've been going the other way and making it harder to light fires... I decided to see if I could start a fire with 'flint & steel' (these days a magnesium alloy fire steel with steel striker or knife as striker). Got a couple to play with and after a bit of mucking about to get the technique and tinder worked out, found it remarkably easy. Now I have fire steels sitting in my glovebox, camping box, first aid kit, hunting pack, etc... handy things to have around and kind of satisfying to 'make fire'. Cheers, Slinky

G'day Paikea, This year I've 'discovered' soft vibe lures for estuary fishing. The now discontinued Berkley MF40 and MF50 have become a couple of my 'go-to' lures. The big difference for me between soft vibes and blades is that the vibration is not as fast or intense (not sure if that does a great job of describing it). When I use a metal blade the feeling through the rod is a high-frequency buzz... with a soft vibe it's more subtle and a lower frequency (feels more like a burp than a buzz). We had a session on the Tweed where the fish were all over the soft vibes all day while a metal vibe of the same size and approximate colour was all but ignored... not saying soft vibes are better but just that some days fish switch onto their different action. I have to admit that when I first tried Berkley MFs I didn't like them because I was comparing them to metal vibes and didn't get the expected harsh buzz. Not any more. I also have similar feelings when comparing Jackall hard vibes to mask (semi soft) vibes. The softer body softens the vibrating action. Sometimes the fish prefer the more subtle approach. Different lures on different days depending on the mood of the fish. Cheers, Slinky

Since we're turning this into BTA (boy's toy's anonymous) I'll stand up. My name is Tony and I'm addicted to lures... and rods... and reels. Oh and sorting out and resorting my tackle boxes. Not to mention bows, arrows, knives, power tools, reel servicing tools, sharpening stones, fly-tying material, military model kits, glue, cleaning solvents (for cleaning), spinnerbaits, jig heads.............. Oh bugger... help me, I have a problem.

I've had a Nitro Undertaker for a few years and used it both Cod and Bass fishing. Awesome rod... light enough in the tip to happily cast 1/4oz spinnerbaits and hardbodies like Jackalls but with heaps of grunt in the bottom end. Very sensitive and light in the hand. It's 6'6" so a bit longer than you want but it's a 2 piece so very easy to travel with if that's why you want the shorter rod. Cheers, Slinky

Happy Birthday, Old Man. Many happy returns Cheers, Tony

I'd check the anti reverse bearing (titled 'roller clutch' on the schematic) before bending levers or otherwise messing with the engineering of a good reel. With use, lubricants in reels move around, change viscosity, get into places they're not meant to be etc. Diawa AR bearings seem particularly sensitive and just the slightest excess of lubricant will make them slip. If you're confident to pull apart and then rebuild your reel it should be easy to check if this is the problem. Once you get the AR bearing out, just give the pins a very careful wipe over with a clean, lint-free cloth (don't use tissue or cotton buds if you can help it as the fibres can get caught in the pins). This will take of the excess surface lube and I'll be really surprised if it doesn't fix the problem. You don't need or want to remove all the lube but all the bearing needs is a 'film'. If you're not confident rebuilding your reel don't even attempt it. To get to the AR bearing you'll need to expose and remove some of the guts of the reel and the main drive bearing and anti-revese assembly. Lots of parts. And be super careful with the AR bearing... if you lose a pin, you'll need to replace the whole bearing. Cheers, Slinky

Congrats on your first cod Dean. Sorry the weather was lousy... the best day for fishing is always yesterday. Sorry I couldn't make it but hopefully we can sort it out again another time. Cheers, Tony

Top work, Nats. I've got 2 little fishing buddies of my own, although these days they're both more into homework, roller skating and makeup. That was one of the best reports I've read for ages. Got to love it when a plan comes together... you could turn it into a reality TV show. Best Dad gets to move into the semi final... fishless dad gets to mow the lawns while his kids get a playstation. Cheers, Slinky

Hi Donna, Midgies are a fact of life up here on the Gold Coast. Any of the tropical strength repellents work ok but Bushmans is far and away better than the others. Bushman repellent contains DEET. Heaven only knows what it might be doing to my body chemistry and I know it really irritates some people's skin but it works. As Ian said, oil works well. Midgies don't bite, they pee or regurgitate or something and that's what causes the 'bites'. In oil, they both get stuck and also the pee can't touch your skin so you're doubly protected. A few old guys up this way use home-made concoctions mixing stuff like Aerogard with coconut oil or baby oil. They swear by it but spending a day fishing covered in greasy oil isn't much fun so I stick with the nasty chemicals.

Welcome to Austraila again, Jani. See you next weekend. Cheers, Tony

Spool on a good baitcaster for big Barramundi and other tropical creek ooglies

What sort of fishing are you planning to do with your baitcast outfit... luring or bait... and what with?

G'day Mark, The only suggestion I'd make is to choose a different rod. The Silstar is a great choice for bait fishing but not what you want if you also plan to do some lure and soft plastic fishing. The solid glass tip of that kind of rod will kill any feeling you'll have when lure fishing. Soft plastics are all about finesse and being able to feel everything that's going on and being able to work your lure exactly how you want to. That means a full carbon (graphite... same thing in fishing land) rod, not one with a solid tip. For the same money as the Silstar there are some good options like a Berkely Drop Shot, Abu Cardinal, Shimano Starlo Classix. Maybe also try something in the 2-5kg range too... its only a little lighter but will make a lot of difference when flicking plastics around for flatties or Bream. Still enough rod to handle tailor, salmon and small harbour kings. A 6kg rod will be tough to use for the small plastics and jig heads that make up 90% of estuary plastics fishing. Cheers, Slinky

Not great pics but looks like it could be a Wirrah

Jewhunter and I get to do man stuff today... a great way to recover from Valentines Day, in-touch-with-your-feelings, girly skirt day. Although Jewhunter reckons he looks ok in his skirt. We were headed to the archery range for a shoot at 8:30 so that gave us a couple of hours on JH's local water from just before first light. The river level was up but not too dirty so we felt pretty confident. In the pre-dawn gloom we came across a line of trees along a bank, full of Ibis. Both of us were fishing surface lures and first cast into the bird-poo infested water and JH's black Jitterbug got smashed. I immediately turned it into a double hookup on a Cicada walker. Lots of yahooing and excitement as we both got towed around by hard pulling good fish. 2 good fish in the low to mid 40s. Both fighting fit and in good condition. I love the sound of squealing drags before the sun comes up. What a way to start the day. JH got another one near the same class shortly after while I picked up a 'micro Bass' a little over 20cm. We continued to poke into all the likely snags and overhangs, although some of our favourite snags from last time we fished the area together, had completely disappeared. The surface bite switched off like a light as soon as the first edge of the sun touched the horizon. I managed another fish on a spinnerbait and JH finished with a tally of 4, bringing us up to 7 for a short sharp session. Now just as an aside, I service a lot of reels and I get the dirts when I see people post advice to put reels in a bucket of fresh water if they get dunked in the salt. NO NO NO NO NO!!!! I dunked one of my spin reels today.... in fresh water. True to the advice I give others, as soon as I got home I completely stripped, cleaned and re-lubed it. This pic is what the inside of a spin reel looks like after immersion in FRESH WATER (salt is a million times worse but fresh will still kill your reels). Bear in mind that this is maybe 5 or 6 hours after the dunking. The creamy looking goop in the reel is grease that has emulsified. If I'd left it for 48 hours, the bearings would already be well on the way to being stuffed, the gears would be starting to wear as the grease broke down and the reel would eventually seize. If you dunk your reel in fresh or salt and you want it to keep perfoming... it has to be pulled down and fully serviced. You can spray all the innox or silicone lube into it you like (I know you're out there are you swear this works) but its not going to be anything but a bandaid on an infected wound. Cheers, Slinky

Pink Tilefish

Excellent... my boat is a bit underpowered at the moment