DerekD

Hi all, I’m in a philosophical mood today. The topic of conversation is “wind knots”. Over the years I have seen the term wind knot come up many times in a fishing context, often resulting in some sort of bird’s nest of the line. Wind is a lovely example of a heteronyms (same spelling but more than one pronunciation). Problem being is that both options are feasible in a fishing situation so I was curious as to other peoples’ interpretation of the term “wind knot”. Most often I hear people talking about win-d (as in a stiff breeze or rhyming with pinned) knots. When fly fishing this makes sense as the line can be affected in mid-air by a breeze and you can end up with a few overhand knots in your leader or tippet if your technique is not up to par on the day. This could also be applicable to bait casters casting in to the face of a breeze where the lures slows down against air resistance but the drum keeps turning due to momentum and then results in a bird’s nest. For a spinning reel this interpretation doesn’t make sense as the slowing down of the cast weight leads to a slowing of the rate at which line is pulled off the spool. The other option is wine-d (as in to wind up a clock mechanism or rhyming with kind) knots. The context in which this makes sense is when you are using ultralight lures and you are not winding the line on to the spool with sufficient tension. On the way out the loose loops (especially with fused braid) can grab other and result in the bird’s nest. How do other people pronounce the term wind (win-d or wine-d) knot and what is your understanding of the underlying mechanism resulting in the bird’s nest or similar? Regards, Derek

Hi Will, Short answer is yes - but that it didn't have FK written on the spool left me a little uncertain. The Snapper Raider 762 rod was a present to me over a decade ago from my mother so I wanted a nice reel for it and matched it with the Stradic 4000FI (which I still use and which still performs very well) and 15lb braid. A couple of years ago while putting the Stradic in for service when the kings were around I bought a Sedona with 15lb braid which I now use when I want to take the rod out on the kayak. If it gets wet a $90 reel is less painful to damage than a $200 plus reel. While in my local fishing store I saw and picked up the Stradic 4000 FK and thought why not. It is the least used of my 4000 reels but such a nice reel. The new FL looks really nice but I can't justify it (yet). On a related matter - how have you been going with the new rod and lures? Regards, Derek

Two or so years ago Fishraider @HenryR on a trip with @krauseoutside of Sydney heads hooked up on a huge Cobia (1m plus). For those who missed the write up with photos: I've also heard some reports of Cobia being seen in Middle Harbour last summer.

Pretty sure I could too but don't have a photo. Do have this one though, which I picked up on a SP while in a friendly competition with a mate. As it was caught/hooked (albeit foul) on a lure it counted towards my point score - note that the plastic is 3" (75mm) long.... Shortly after my mate hooked this one which under my rules counted towards his point score and left me laughing out loud.

Good memory Waza, This was the one caught in Mosman bay. Left me doing a double take. Shame I didn't have a better camera with me but they are a beautiful fish. Regards, Derek

Dang.... and I'd just found it on the Bunnings site. The 9mm ID by 25mm OD looked like a viable option. Back to the old drawing board. I have some whipping twine and needles from when I was making up some safety ropes for my game gear. This is one. I'll create the loop in a similar way. It comes up neatly. Will do a test run with that same method and the 8mm shock cord you suggested. If I'm going to do it I may as well put in that little bit of extra effort for a nice finish as I'll be using it for a long time. I love these little projects from time to time. I'll have about 7 of these handles to make up once I find a method I'm happy with.

Thank you! I will also be researching some neoprene tube to slip over this. It is a very workable solution and meets my other criteria. Would you tie it or stitch and whip it? Just realised that even cable ties could work for the binding.

Genius! Hadn't thought of that - do you mean in lieu of the rubber loops I was talking about and then still stitch the strap part or do you have something even more clever in mind? Even just the loop part solves a lot of my issues.

Hi Berleyguts - will have to get some of my old knot books out to see if I can find one that is pleasing to the eye and simple too. During online research I found someone that had done it with woven parachute cord. These are the sort of ideas I'm looking for - thank you.

Hadn't thought of that Savit - can see where it is going. Simple too. Further research on Bunnings.

Hi All, I've been using Seahorse PVC rod tubes for years. With their oval shape I find they are pretty compact. Problem is that the handles are starting to play up on me. I also have a few PVC rod tubes that I have made up from Bunnings plastic components for some of my more expensive rods. I even stuck polyethelene foam in the caps to protect the rod ends from bumps. What I didn't do was make a strap or handle for these. I'm looking for ideas to make handles or straps for all my cases. Firstly, the before and after of the Seahorse rod tube handle. While probably easy to make, the ring part which circles the case is pretty thin and breaks after a while. Depending on the balance of the rod in the case I could slide the yellow handle along the tube till I reached a point where it was easy to carry. I could also grab three or so of these handles in one hand. I've got some ideas for replacement ones but I'm sure someone has come up with an excellent idea already and has a patent pending. My criteria for the handles. Relatively inexpensive (Seahorse rod tubes used to cost me about $28, the home made Bunnings ones cost less than $15). Does not put a catch point on the interior of the rod tube - was considering rivets but they could catch on the guides or scratch up the rods. Does not leave a sharp point to catch on the outside - was considering hose worm clamps but the screw mechanism has a sharp point. Ideally can slide it along to suit the balance of the outfit. Went to Bunnings today and found a $6.60 25mm x 4m tie down strap which is stitched. This is the material I'm thinking of using. Not quite as meaty as old handle but it is an option. Sufficient length that I could probably do all my rod cases. I could also run this strap through another material like a neoprene tube to give me that meaty feel I'd like. The two ideas I've had are: 1: Cut to length (say 300mm) and heat/melt the ends to prevent unravelling. Double 25mm of the end over to double the thickness and duct tape to rod tube. 2: Cut to length. Find some thick elastic (not pure rubber as it degrades) bands slightly smaller than the tube circumference and then stitch the ends of the strap into loops over the rubber. Essentially copying the old yellow handled design. What have other Fishraiders done? Regards, Derek

Hi Jack, PM sent. Regards, Derek

Hi SISB. This is a topic I've written up a few times for a number of mates. We still have a PM thread going in there somewhere. Can you PM me your email? Alternately look at the response I sent to @JamoDamo on this thread: Regards, Derek

PM sent.

Hi Will, Firstly the spinning reels are usually the same design for both winding styles. That is, you can switch the handle from right to left or left to right to suit your preference. You don't need to specifically buy a right or left handed spinning reel. Some exceptions to this are bait casters and overhead reels which are predominantly right hand wind. I fish with a couple of Finnish guys. They are right handed and fish with the handle on the left hand - like most other Europeans I know that fish. We've had a friendly ongoing argument on the topic for about 4 years now. Short answer is there is a theoretical advantage but in practice I haven't found it to make much of a difference. Arguments for fishing right handed but with left hand wind. You are not swapping hands. You cast with your right and don't have to swap hands to wind. Some people feel they have better control twitching with the right hand. When fishing in snags with species that pounce on lures you have a better chance of reacting quickly to the strike rather than fiddling around swapping rod hands. I cast with my right, swap hands and reel with my right. In my case, when I cast I flip the bail arm and swap hands extremely quickly just as the lure hits the water. Not had problems missing strikes so far but I don't fish a lot of snags. I sometimes fish metal slices for which you need a very fast retrieve - I do this far easier and quicker with my right. Couple of people I fish with have been winding so long with the left hand that they can just match me for winding speed. When fighting the fish I prefer the dexterity I have with my right hand. I might do a couple of quick winds then use the right hand to assist the left pulling the rod up and then quickly switch back to winding as I'm dropping the rod. My counter question to the left hand wind business is "why are most baitcasters and overheads right hand wind". In the end if you want to switch it will take a while to get used to winding with the other hand. Regards, Derek

It will be fine but personally I chase most of my flathead on my bream finesse. Was introducing a father and son to soft plastics on Sunday and the son picked up a nice 60cm flattie on a 2-4kg rod with 4lb braid. Your rod will kill it but it will be a challenge fishing the ultralight lures.

Hi Will, For my smaller reels I top shot (150 yards/metres of braid with mono backing to make up the difference) but with both my Stradic 4000 reels I went braid all the way. On older one I have about 300m of 15lb braid and newer model has about 270m of 15lb braid. For the sake of saving $20 or $30 on the line cost I didn't want to hook the fish of a lifetime then worry about the backing and joiner knot as it is flying off the spool. Just something to consider. First meter of line on both reels is mono to ensure it locks in to the spool. Other option is to stick it down. Regards, Derek

Just one heads up. After lots of casting with my Snapper Raider rod I can get a slow separation between the two halves. If I don't catch it in time the top half of the rod flies off. Might be just my rod - this probably won't happen to you. My solution was to rub the top part of the lower half with a bit of candle wax to just increase the friction lock just that little bit more. In your case after lots of casting just check the two halves are still together tightly. Unlikely but possible with any two piece rod.

Mind??? Not at all. I've recommended the Snapper Raider and the smaller Bream Finesse to a number of people over the years and coincidently today. If I damaged mine I'd probably buy another. It is an excellent combination. If you ever get down to the lower North shore I'd be happy to show you how effectively it can be used for a variety of lures. With the schools of kingfish due to arrive in numbers in Sydney over the next two months your timing is excellent. Yes I do have some recommendations. My go to for kings are the 6 and 9 inch (pink or white) slapstix used with a TT bullet head jig head and XH hook. 20 and 30gm halco twisties. Phatt blatz flutter jigs. Size 3 squid jigs. More later. We also do well send down stripped squid pieces unweighted through the water column. I like either a 5/0 mustad light gauge circle hook or a Gamakatsu 5/0 or 6/0 circle hook.

Hi Will, The rod rating on that is 5-8kg. You could probably up it to 20lb but it depends then on how you fight the fish and a couple of other factors. Let me explain. General consensus is not all braids are the same. I have two different lines rated at 80lbs. One is a Fins braid and the other is a Japanese YKG. The difference is diameters and handling is very noticeable. The other issue is that some companies under rate the braid (probably to allow for losses when people tie knots). That 20lb braid could be breaking at 30lbs or even more. The rod and fittings have been set up for 8kg and probably a safety margin. One of my mates straightened the guides on his rod because he used line on his rod double what the rod rating was. You can get away with this if you fight with the rod pointed more directly at the fish as the load runs back to the reel with a lot less strain on the guides. You still want some bend in the rod to take the shock loading but you are not high sticking or putting stupid strain on the runners. My mum gave me the series 1 Raider Snapper over a decade ago as a birthday present. I've fished it hard and it is still going strong. Having said that I've recently been trying out two rods in the Atomic Arrowz range. I almost bought another one the other week. Based on your question there is one in the series I think you should look at. In 2 piece the model is the AAS-270H. It is 7 foot spin rated for 14-30lb line and 10-50g lures. They also do it in a one piece (drop the 2 in 270 model number). I came so very close to buying it but didn't need it and not ready to retire the Raider Snapper. look at Frogley's offshore to check the technical specs. Worthwhile picking one up to check the feel but also check in with Dinga to see if they have them (and hopefully at an excellent price as usual). I was fishing off the rocks last week with another Fishraider who uses a longer rod with 10lb braid which can really get the light lures out there. He and the guy next to him hook up about the same time. Guy next to him gets a small bonito. Mate takes a bit longer but surprised at the fight the bonito was putting up. Turned out to be a 71cm king which played nicely this time. Didn't go back in the water. Just some more things to think about and make your decision a little more difficult. Regards, Derek BTW - I'm not a fan of having leader knots running through the guides. If you can feel it passing through then there is the risk of damaging guides/rods. I run a leader of maximum about 1m depending on the length of rod I am using. Just something to think about when you get your setup and as you get involved in those frequent cast and rip it back sessions. Yes I can tie an FG knot but I still don't want it ripping through the guides at speed.

Hi Will, The problem with fishing off the rocks is not just hooking and fighting the fish it is landing them. I was using a Shimano raider snapper 762 (15-45gm lure weight) a 4000 Shimano Stradic c/w 15lb braid and 30lb leader. I ended up dead lifting a couple of kings. I prefer a shorter rod than some of the other people off the rocks as I try and get a lot of lure movement with the sluggo/slapstix lures I like using and I struggle to achieve this with the longer rods. I do lose a bit of casting distance. I also picked up a Daiwa Saltist Hyper 7ft PE3/5 (60-120gm lure weight) and matched it with a Daiwa BG5000 and a fine 50lb braid. The reel I can switch between that rod and the 9 foot 6 Saltist Hyper I also own if I want that extra bit of distance. Good luck. Derek

Hi JamoDamo, I put the following together for some other mates that were looking at getting into kayaks. They ended up getting some relatively inexpensive $350 kayaks which gets them out on the water. Just some things to think about. A lot of information (have plenty more) but use it as a check list: Kayak: · Suitable load rating (I’m 108kg plus battery, fishfinder, fishing gear, water) · Tracks in a straight line when paddling (mine doesn’t so I make rudder adjustments during the rare times I'm using the paddles. it is a Hobie Revolution 13 with Mirage drive so I don't paddle very often and thus the tracking is not an issue in my case) · Longer is faster but harder to store · Easy to carry to water or has wheels (mine is 30kg but I can lift it) · At least 2 rod holders (I needed 3 – bream/snapper and heavy rods). Ideally put extensions in to get reels clear of water – you can make these from PVC · Decent paddle so you don’t snap it when pushing it hard · Storage hatches for cases, water and a dry bag for keys, money, phone · Colour: I chose blue as it is visible on the water for other boats and my safety . I don’t think the fish care about the colour. I’ve heard (unverified) that yellow is a shark magnet and I know red fades in the sun. Roof racks: to get two kayaks on you will need very wide ones or ones you can put accessories on such as a cradle. I have Thule but Rhino is also excellent. If you get the Aero designs they have a removable strip of rubber which allows access to the accessory slot Foam on racks: Clark rubber insulation foam split and wrapped over bars. Stops point loading and damage to kayak when you tighten down the straps. Straps: Long enough to go under rack over kayak under rack again and back over kayak again and tightened off. As a starting point I suggest something like these ones from Bunnings for $23: https://www.bunnings.com.au/gripwell-28mm-x-4-5m-300kg-cambuckle-tie-down-with-pvc-cam-cover-2-pack_p4310641 Life jacket: A higher rating is required for off shore than inshore. If you get an inflatable you can also use it for rock fishing but it must be inspected (can do by yourself) annually. I have an inflatable jacket but I usually use foam filled jacket specifically design for use on the kayak. If kayak shop doesn’t have them then look at your boating or outdoor stores. I got my foam one from a kayak shop. Make sure they are a comfortable fit as you will be wearing them for a while. Regards, Derek

PM sent (even though it sounds like you solved the issue). Be warned - the weed will generally get pretty fragrant pretty quickly.

Hi JamoDamo - nice touch with the plug for Dinga!!

@wazatherfisherman has a huge breadth and depth of fishing experience (and a pretty big collection of Alveys too by the sounds of it). If he says it is worth looking at then it is. If it suits your fishing style is another matter. They are very simple so there is little to go wrong with them. An accidental dunking in water and sand shouldn't stop them. They were a part of Australia's fishing heritage so you will have a bit of history in your hands every time you fish. If you are going the more traditional luderick set-up then why not. I thought you had already sourced the rod. BTW from a more practical perspective which model of Alvey? In the end the overall balance has to feel right. You don't put a Saragosa SW20000 on a 2-4kg bream rod.