Jake

Hey raiders, What are the common fish that you can use these on? I've found it's good for trout, mullet etc with the rounded heads, but wouldn't have thought so good on snapper, trevally etc with deep bodies and sharp heads. Is this actually the case? Thanks

Oooooohhh yeaah. All too well. Especially lures! I've tried to curb the problem by doing two things 1. Have only a small tackle box and not allowing more lures than what can fit in these compartments. 2. Going by my clothes rule - If I haven't used (or worn) an item in 12-18 months, it goes to Vinnies or into the "spare" tackle draws at home.

I use 4lb pink fireline on my 1000 and 6lb bright green Sunline PE on my 2500. Have found the firleline, being stiffer, to cause less wrapping and wind knots. However the Sunline being a soft, round and very thin braid casts further and in my opinion is more sensitive. I think the 4lb fireline breaks closer to 8lb where as the Sunline PE 6lb actually breaks at 6lb. So it's a true test of the line rating and your fishing. Heavier braid i go with bright yellow flat braid Platil (or Tuf XP) as i feel it's a bit tougher than the Sunline as it's a little thicker for it's lb rating and breaks a little higher than stated. In the end if I was you I would have one spool of 6lb Sunline PE for the flatties and the other spool 10lb Platil for the Snapper. With tip wrapping hottscotty - I need to wind the knot through the guides as i use a long leader. No problems up to 8lb leader but recently I was up north QLD and was using 14lb leader with 8lb Sunline and found that the joiner knot ( no matter which one i used) was catching on the guides. The difference in thickness between the flurocarbon leader and the braid (because Sunline is so damn thin) was just too much.

Thanks for the info Zuluboy. Got any names for the flys I should buy?

Nice looking flys Slinky. Thinking about having a crack with the long wand this season. Haven't used it for a long time and only on bream, flatties etc in the past. What flys do you recommend off the shelf for the salmon? Do you use a sinking line? I've only got a 6wt, am i kidding myself? Cheers PM

They should ban stainless hooks i reckon. And promote circle hooks even more. I use circles pretty much for all my baitfishing with pillies, slab baits etc. The bream, trevs etc cetainly don't mind them.

Nice one Peter. I'll have to get back out there.

Nice one Hodgey, you've done it again.

You beauty! Bring on summer, bring on the kings! Whats there reasons and how did you know???

Thanks Peter. I was fishing Narrabeen Lagoon.

After sending a PM to Hodgey and also reading his advice on winter flathead, I thought i would put it to practice in a quick sesh on sunday arvo. Went out to my local in the v-nose punt, turned on the leccy and worked those deeper water drop offs with 3 inch grubs and minnows. After a slow start managed 3 flathead - 44, 49 and 53 cm - see pics below. 44cm and 49cm caught on 3 inch Gulp pumpkinseed grub and 53cm on 3 inch Gulp minnow in smelt. All three fish caught in a last hour burst, the 2 biggest in the same hole. The fish bit timidly, except the bigger girl that almost swallowed the lure. They were all pretty fat for their size compared to the ones i get here in summer, but all fought sluggishly compared to the summer fish. I suppose i move a bit slower in winter too Thanks again Hodgey, I told you i would send a report if your advice paid off! Cheers Jake Ps - Eating the 44cm flathead as i write this. Yummo! 44cm 49cm 53cm Typo - the 44cm on the grup, the 49 and 53cm on the minnow. Typo - the 44cm on the grub, the 49 and 53cm on the minnow.

Nice work Mitch, gotta love those blades!

Nice work getting a few Zenman. I went out for the jews on plastics around the same area but on the high in the arvo - you guessed it, 1 hr into it and i got caught in that downpour. Saltwater, aluminum boat, graphite rods and lightning don't mix.

That was a sic report Cam. That big flattie is so chunky, it's as wide as it is long!!! What did it measure????

I agree with Mick. I also own the bow mount 54lb watersnake. I even use it to troll small hard bodies with it goes that quick - that's in my 3.5mtr brooker. I defo recommend the bow mount if you have the space to put it because to be able to foot control everything and be able to cast at the same time is a great advantage. Especially in shallow water finesse fishing. The only negative i will say is that with the watersnake you have to take your foot of the directionals to use the thrust i.e a seperate button for left, right and a roller for speeed. So i will often have to look down at the footswitch to make sure i'm pressing the right buttons - maybe i just need more practise! I think in Minkotas it's all done with one pedal by just angling it left or right and up and down for speed. Heaps cheaper though and i've caught a stack of fish with it. I don't know how people spin in quiet water without one to be honest.

Bad luck Josh but a bit of fun anyway. Slimies seem to be thick everywhere. I got into them in MH a few weeks ago and couldn't get a bait past them in Pittwater on Sunday. Even caught them on a home made slug lure which was fun.

Hi Langa, The definitley work. Just caught a 40cm EP on one on Sat - see my report on Sat in the Reports section. Cheers

Super session Hodgey!! I can only get bream on the SP's at the moment. Would love a nice flathead, it's 12-13 degrees in my patch at the moment, i think they are hibernating. Q: I've thought about the crystal but stick with the pink because i like to see my line when casting and especially retrieving. You don't have that issue or need? Would be interesting to hear yours/others thoughts. Cheers

Cheers nexus and Anti-Carp. Yeah Josh, good spotting .... it was in middle harbour. Had never tried this exact spot before. I won't call it spot X, but maybe spot EP? Hodgey - I love how you can fish these metals at any depth .... don't have to change jig head size as with softies. I was surprised at how hard they hit them also. You can really feel and see the pulsing action, very tight. I just hopped it down the rock wall behind me in the photo. Slinky it was a species on my to do list also. I actually put out the question to raiders not long back seeking help to find them on the sydney north side - thought i might have a chance in Narrabeen Lake. Didn't think I would end up getting one in sydney harbour, but have heard they do exist in there as stated by Mitch (even not far from the harbour bridge a little birdy once told me). Mitch it was one of those "I see it but i don't believe it" moments when i brought him up to the surface You're brain takes a few seconds to compute. So happy when I netted it I yelled to the heavens and gave a double pump with the fists! Now I just want to catch another one ... and another ... and another ......

Had an amazing session in Sydney Harbour this arvo. Went chassing Jew's and bream on softies but came home with a completley different story. Ended up catching what I think is my first estuary perch! Or is it a Bass? Absolutely stoked!!! 40cm on the nose! It's probably older than me! Fought deep and hard, taking some decent drag on my 4lb line and 1000 stella. Caught it on a little ecogear vibro thingy. First time i've used them - bloody good. What's weird is in the same session, in the same area, on the same lure I also caught many micro bream, whiting and tailor. These were seriously small fish. Even weirder than that, rolling about on the surface of the water a few metres away was a 40cm whiting! Had a few scales missing and a few marks on it. I reckon it was either sucked by a Jew or was sick. Thought about eating it but wasn't sure so put him back in the drink. All in all one of my most memorable fishing sessions. It amazes me what that body of water can come up with, with so much pressure and so many people around it. Pics attached. PS - All fish released. Cheers

A little pencil float, with it weighted just so the tip's showing

Haven't been for a few weeks but last time i could only get heaps of little-ens. Time of year is right, conditions good. I haven't been able to get weed latley but will try cabbage soon. Anywhere from Pittwater Rd bridge to Ocean St bridge will do the trick, just find the weed patches with a deepish run along it. I have done better on dusk than middle of the day, especially on sunny days. Use a light leader - i use 4lb's.

Worth eating? Doesn't seem to be a short supply of them and they seem quite meaty, like a flathead.

Cheers, nice one caranx.

Thanks again. Yeah a jew or king wouldn't say no to a medium pike mid water hey. However, I only have an hour for lunch so not really enough time for live baiting.