Berleyguts

Thanks Paikea, Yes. A stargazer, I think now. I just checked Grant's: "The Stargazer should never be despised as a table fish; it yields thick fillets of delicious white meat". Oh well! Baz

Great report! Thanks for sharing! Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My fishing club had its annual flathead day at Swansea yesterday, so my mate Mark and I left home at about 3:20am yesterday morning, got to Pelican ramp about 5. A bit earlier than we had planned. It was a bit dark navigating up into the creek to catch poddies. We had no luck getting poddies, so we headed for the channel below the bridge and did a couple of drifts, using plastics and bait - Mark had squid caught the day before and day old servo prawns and I had frozen bonito. The only thing caught below the bridge was an occy by Mark in its jar! We had more success drifting the channel from the lake down towards the bridge. Among the throw backs were a couple of grinners, small red bream and a couple of small flathead. We finished the day with 7 flathead from 39 - 50 cm. Mark doesn't eat flathead so I was happy to take them home - $35 a kilo in the shops! Not much luck with the lures - all taken on bait. I had one flathead jump a couple of times which was exciting and I lost a nice one at the boat when the hook pulled. No big girls around that I heard of. I did catch a strange oogly fish on a lazy plastic. Does anyone know what it is? I didn't want to touch it, so the photo's not so good. Something from the bullrout/stonefish family perhaps? Anyway, had a great day on the water, but a long day away from home. Cheers, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice fish! Well done! Baz

Hi Dan, I've been trolling it at around 5-6 knots, speed taken off my GPS. It will troll faster but I found that the best action and results were around 6 knots. I tend to troll a few knots faster when I'm also trolling a Xmas tree or similar (or I'm in a hurry) but then I struggle dealing with a hookup and retrieving the other lure(s) fishing on my own! Best results I had were trolling 50m or closer to the rocks, particularly along the fringes of the wash. Just be careful and watch for bommies etc. Cheers, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I read that the chain needed to be the same length as the vessel, too, so swapped the metre or so that came with my new boat for 4.5 metres. It's a pain in the proverbial sometimes but I'm sure it helps hold better. Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great effort! I'd love to get a Spaniard! Some of my skirted lures are still rigged on wire from several years ago and I was thinking about re-rigging them on mono. Now I'm having second thoughts! Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Rapala Xrap in Glass Ghost? Thanks! That will help narrow my search down. I want spares in case I lose it! It's becoming my favourite lure! It's about 4 inches. Cheers, Baz

Good effort. I did OK on the bonito the other week trolling in close from Barrenjoey to Whale Beach. I'll be targeting bonito again soon, I hope. This is the lure that has been working well for me. I don't what make the lure is and I can't find another anywhere. I probably won it in a fishing club raffle or found it on the cover of a magazine! Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Actually, two jackets self inflated! For the Axis, i contacted the distributor via the website and they sent a new bag, cylinder and auto inflator valve for $22, GST and postage included. Not bad at all! The other one's a Burke, so I'll have to chase down a valve for that, too. Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Paikea. I understand now. Your installer is the same one I was talking to, so I'm sure he can do the same for mine. I'll book him in. Cheers, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice catch. The flathead are great eating at that size. I would have kept the blue swimmer. Yum! Baz

Starboard side with wing nuts, it is then! It looks like there are already mounting holes for a pot anyway: I've used a small cage I throw over the side so far but like the convenience of a pot. Cheers, Baz PS. I'm getting a lot of info out of Fishraider lately! Not just through my posts but through the search function. Fantastic help! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure where to fit a berley pot on my Stacer Outlaw. Port side is the step and the intake for the live bait tank. Starboard side is the transducer for the Humminbird and the speedo sensor. Starboard side looks like the only spot it would fit but the berley trail would interfere with the sounder reading, wouldn't it? Ideas? Thanks, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With the forecast for a southerly this morning, I thought I'd give Broken Bay or Sydney Harbour and outside a miss and headed for Penrith Gorge to hone my skills with the Minn Kota. I thought I'd be able to use the spot lock and work each snag thoroughly. No chance of that as I couldn't get a GPS fix! So I did a bit of casting and a bit of trolling. Caught half a dozen tiny bass but it doesn't matter how small they are I still love catching these little native battlers! Had a great day on a beautiful stretch of water. One thing I learned... I probably shouldn't bother playing around on Facebook while fishing... especially with polarising sunnies on... You can imagine the comments I got from my friends! My son sent a screen grab by SMS - he thought it was so funny! Then I lost Internet connection and couldn't fix my typo! "Bass! I meant BASS!!!" Cheers, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks Paikea. Some pics of your setup would be appreciated. Now that you mention it, the guy did say there was a drawstring option but I thought he was talking about an Allover cover, not a storm cover. Baz

Does anybody have any experience with custom covers that attach under the gunwhales with press studs? Are the studs an issue for fishing lines? Electrolysis? Thanks, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, that u-turn's a b!tch! Illegal, too, from memory, unless it has changed. I find it best to turn off up the hill and come out at the lights near the bottle shop on Arthur St. I'm hoping to head out tomorrow but Willy Weather has the wind swinging to the SSE quite early and then to 22 knots by 11:00am. Baz

Great deal! Do you know if you can trade in non-inflatable life jackets? Thanks, Baz

Thanks Mark, I really should update my profile! I have a new boat - a Stacer 449 Outlaw side console with 60hp ETEC. I've only had it out twice and haven't run it flat out on good water yet. It handles a LOT better than my old 4m tinny! The slop coming back into Broken Bay the other day with the noreaster and the the run out tide was no problem. From Juno Point to Brooklyn I managed to run at 26 knots but copped a lot of spray! I haven't run it WOT yet. Thanks for the info. Looks like I will try Roseville ramp next time. Maybe this Tuesday but I think it might be a bit rough outside. Cheers, Baz

Thanks Oziodin. The small toll on the M2 and the short stretch of the M7 from Sunnyholt Rd is minor and I have a couple of servos quite close. I will give Roseville a go! I have launched there before a long time ago but only to fish upper Middle Harbour. Cheers, Baz

Hi, I am looking at getting a custom trailerable cover for my new boat (Stacer 449 Outlaw side console). I have a supplier in mind already. There are 2 basic types: an all over cover, which attaches under the boat with straps (or to the trailer) and there is a storm cover, which attaches to the gunwhales with press studs. I like the convenience of the storm cover and less flapping(?) but am concerned that the press studs could cost me a fish if the line hits one. What do you think? I'd appreciate feedback on raiders' experiences with both types of covers. Here's my boat: Thanks, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As far as time taken cleaning the boat and putting it away goes, I probably just need to get my system down pat! lol Baz

Good point. And if there are strong winds and big swells as I am expecting on Tuesday (my next day off), I can be at Penrith ramp in about 35 minutes to fish the gorge for bass. Baz

I did - i was back at the ramp by 1! To be fair, I had a bit of a wait for a berth at the pontoon and then 3 cars in a row dropped their trailers off the ramp! Baz