slinkymalinky

A big piece of water with about a million possible answers.... It's my old stomping ground. Not sure how big your boat is or what sort of fishing you're into but here's a couple of starters. Catching live bait (yakkas & slimies): first light at West Head just in front of the old concretee pillbox (you can't miss it) Flathead drifts: the southern side of Lion Island is a good place to start Bottom fishing: Early or late, anchor along drop offs at West Reef, East Reef, Flint & Steel... good chance for Kingfish or small Snapper at the first 2 and bream & flathead too at F&S, depending on how you fish them. Trolling small lures around West Head or Box Head will often pick you up tailor. Early mornings on the right day will find tailor, kings, bonito and salmon in the mouth of the bay and up into Pittwater but once the sun gets up they get scarce. Downrigging live bait inside Pittwater among the moored boats is a good way to get Kingfish. I've only just broken my Jewie duck and I'd be killed if I gave any information away on that front other than to say all the Jewies are always caught in Spot X (if you don't believe me, ask anyone that catches a few and they'll tell you that's THE spot) Only one other thing to say.... FRESH BAIT Cheers, Slinky

Just wanted to give a public thanks to one of the site sponsors... Huett Marine. I had a curly question in regard to a modification to my live bait well. I was quite prepared to have them look at it and modify it for me and to spend the $$$ but to their massive credit, I got a quick answer with a suggestion as to how I could make a simple mod myself. I love finding people who are more interested in helping and thereby building long term customer relationships and long term profit, than in just making a quick and opportune buck. I've not used Huett Marine before (and no.... I don't have any vested interest or family relationship or anything else either!!) but I have an E-Tec on my boat and they're a dealer so I'll be voting for them with my wallet next time I need XD100 or a service. Cheers, Slinky (support your site sponsors!!)

OK... so the one king was 45cm, the one snapper was about 25cm, but the Flathead was about 55 and the jew (only 55cm) was my first... yay. (and all thanks to BrettP, fellow raider and gun Jewie guide) Had a nice day out in Pitwatter and the Hawkesbury on Sunday. For the second week running we managed to nail plenty of squid.... feels like its all finally staring to come together. Within 5 minutes of starting to tow livebaits BrettP nailed the little king and we thought we were in for a good day but about 1 1/2 hours more and apart from one squid getting monstered and one solid hookup on a mooring, no luck. Finally went to Brett's suggested spot to get me a Jewie and I finally broke my duck, right where he said. And.... (I've always wanted to say this)... just like most other Jewfish ever caught, it was caught in Spot X!! Cheers, Slinky

G'day Reel Blue... I worried about mine for a while but because it didn't seem to be using enough. I've only got a little E-Tec 75 with about 120 hours on it. It averages about 150-200:1 with XD100 (and at the price, it needs to!!) I run my motor in the harbour so most of the hours are 3500-4000 RPM zipping from one spot to the next with occasional live bait trolling runs at idle. Cheers, Slinky

Boat Name/Call sign 'Slinky' Quintrex 480 Freedom Sport White hull, blue canopies Monitor VHF 16

Still getting the hang of posting pics... here's the missing nanny from my last post.

I'm pretty new to 'Raiderhood' so just thought I'd try posting some pics to see if I can make it work. These are a couple of really nice fish caught off Magnetic Island about 3 years ago. Didn't get a length but the cobia went 26kg, the Large Mouth Nannygai was 8kg.

Since the Kings aren't cooperating much in the Harbour, I'll planning to be out in Pittwater this Sunday morning with another Raider on my boat. Pick up some squid (if I can) and slimies (they were thick up there 2 weeks ago), and then give the downrigger a run among the moorings. Anyone else out there who feels like saying hi... call sign on VHF is Slinky. If I find any fish I'm happy to pass on the news to other Raiders on the water if you promise to do the same!!! See you on the water, Slinky

I wouldn't worry too much at the moment. Everyone is doing it a bit tough finding squid. I managed a few last weekend with another Raider but we moved spots 3 or 4 times. They tend to be were you find them.... hey, that's useful advice isn't it? Look for areas close to shore with mixed kelp/weed bottom, rock and sand. I'm convinced clear water is the other key. Give it 10 minutes and if you don't find squid, move to another location. Then keep moving until you find some. I'm no squid expert so don't pay my post too much attention, but this system is working for me and squid are certainly enigmatic little buggers. You'll catch a heap in one spot one day, go back the next with apparently identical conditions and not get one. Go figure.... If you ever find a 'never fail' spot let us all know!! Slinky

What sort of fish are you after? I've got family on the gold coast so have fished there heaps and there are plenty of fish. The biggest problem in holiday periods tends to be the number of other fisho's and boats on the water. Off the beaches there are plenty of good light gear fish... whiting, dart, etc that will keep you amused for hours. Despite all the 'shark' talk about the canals and rivers, they're not really any more prevalent than in places like the harbour... you just tend to get them in unusual places and they're pretty aggressive in the murky water. Personally, I wouldn't swim in the rivers or canals (in deep water anyway) anywhere north of about Coffs Harbour. A couple of summers ago an old guy got taken on the Gold Coast than only the summer before had been interviewed on TV after another attack giving the predictable "I've been swimming here for xx years an never had a problem" quote. If you had a way of predicting the wrong place, wrong time "equation" it would be ok, but since you can't you're taking a risk. I've caught a couple of sharks in the canals.... always at night.... but that's the only time I've fished for them. If you get access to a boat, try to get your hands on live herring or small pike and drift channels, rock walls, jetties, deep holes. Everything eats herring up there.... big bream along breakwalls, big lizards, Jewies. The one thing I've really noticed in Southern Queensland is that the saying 'no run, no fun' seems more true than anywhere else I've fished. At slack tide things seem to go really quiet everywhere.... rivers, beaches, reefs. The more water movement the better as long as you fish the right spots. Hope this helps... I'm sure there are residents that have much more expertise up there. Cheers, Slinky

Interested in opinions from any gun squidders out there. I switched to light braid on my squid outfit a while ago and I'm convinced I lose more squid now... probably because the lack of stretch means that there is more likelyhood of just enough slack forming for the barbless jig to fall out. What do you reckon??? I like fishing with braid because of the feel and casting distance while still having enough breaking strain to mostly get jigs back that get hug up on weed. I'm going to try fishing more often with a couple of metres of bungy leader (I won't name the brand as I don't think they're a site sponsor) but I've got an experimental spool of line that is really stretchy so should cushion the pulsing 'fight'. Otherwise it might be back to mono. Cheers, Slinky

Well, I got out on my boat on Sunday with another 'Raider', we managed to find a nice patch of squid and then headed off after the kings. We only saw one... free swimming... and I wasn't quick enough with the camera but it must have been at least 12 inches long. I think it was trying to escape from an angry garfish at the time it shot past the boat. Not sure I had gear heavy enough on the boat anyway!! Very frustrating after finally managing to peg a few squid to get zip but it was good to get another squid spot in the bank and it was great to catch up with another raider who hopefully will come out with me again soon (after I think I managed to convince his wife I wasn't an axe murderer)... thanks for a good (if fishless) day mate. Slinky

Anyone who lives in or near North West Sydney want a day out on my 4.8m Quinnie chasing Kings this Friday?? I'd really like to find someone who'd like to come out regularly and doesn't mind early starts (all my mates who claim to be into fishing consider anything before a 9.00am start, extreme!!). Definite preference given to anyone who knows where all the squid hang out in Sydney Harbour!! I also go out a bit with my 5yo daughter so if you have a little fishing buddy, happy to do occasional family trips PM me if you're interested