DerekD

Yep. Looks good in the water too. I figured since there are kings which cruise those sandflats we may as well have a chance on one while getting better at casting distance and learning how to work the lure back.

Thank you for that @Mike from DECKEE. I'm now curious what all the extra Deckee features are.

The rig will work but the sinker will struggle to keep the bait down in the water column unless you are crawling along. I do something similar on my kayak but just have heavy lead weight on heavy gear. See this article: If you are not happy with the rubber band you can buy the Scotty clip itself as they are not stupidly expensive.

Very observant of you @XD351. What gave it away?

Hi @whiskey299 Loved this report. The combination of being informative and the visually spectacular story board knocked this one out of the park in my opinion. Really appreciate you posting this one. Regards, Derek

Hi All, Not an Oscars speech but like the Oscars, being nominated for these badges, by your peers, is a great honour and means a lot to me and possibly more than you realise. The people I've helped in person over the years know how much effort I put into each session to help them grow in fishing skills they have previously struggled with. That I also get accolades from members here who I have not yet had the pleasure or opportunity to fish with has put a huge smile on my face. Having people reach out publicly and privately to say the advice I've given has helped them has made the posts and long hours writing in depth articles worth it. I strongly believe everyone should contribute back to the community in ways that play to your strengths and I'm grateful to Fishraider over the years for giving me opportunities to do so. In giving to others on and beyond this site it has given back in ways I've not expected. I've made some close friendships that I hope will last me for the rest of my life. In teaching others I've refined my skills and explanations. I also have a larger group of people I keep in semi-regular contact with and it allows us to all do better fishing as we let the others know what is biting and where and what technique is working best. I also get to experience the joy of the "first time" on multiple occasions through the people I help. First kingfish. First fish on lures. First topwater bream or whiting. If you get the chance I highly recommend taking a budding or struggling angler under your guidance. You don't have to be an expert because even if you are only a few steps ahead of the person you are helping it will make a difference. If you are helped by someone on this site please take the time to do a report. You may not see it but you are probably helping someone else who has been experiencing the same struggles as you did. Let people know what was causing problems, what you learned, what you would do differently. Out of academic curiosity a little while back I went and collated reports on the site of people I assisted (mostly in person but not all) over the years and who actually submitted a report (ok I probably shouldn't mention the stingray incident). A little help, even once or twice a year, adds up and the roll on effect of them then helping others makes the fishing community a more fun place to be. So if you have an opportunity to teach someone then please do. Once again thank you for the kind words of encouragement and the new badges. @AlbertW: https://community.deckee.com/topic/96670-finally/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/95171-first-fish-on-a-lure https://community.deckee.com/topic/95350-ladies-and-gentlemen-we-got-‘em/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96739-dereks-fly-fishing-lesson/ @anthman: https://community.deckee.com/topic/81984-soft-plastics-tried-and-failed/ Anton: https://community.deckee.com/topic/87135-pittwater-stingray-ouch/ @Bateau Stu: https://community.deckee.com/topic/96084-gday-all-new-to-the-game/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96215-gathering-of-fish-raiders-on-the-central-coast-and-the-croc/ @Bennyg78: https://community.deckee.com/topic/94512-lessons-learnt/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/94574-the-errant-disciple-and-the-patient-master/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/94889-musings-from-a-beginner-fisho/ @BIGG DADDA TREVS: https://community.deckee.com/topic/87456-first-kingy-on-lure/ @big Neil: https://community.deckee.com/topic/87219-the-trip-away-a-summary-part-one/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/87220-the-trip-away-a-summary-part-two/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/87943-thank-you/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96054-learning-to-use-the-bent-minnow/ @Chhayzor: https://community.deckee.com/topic/94630-learning-from-the-best/ @dajayjay: https://community.deckee.com/topic/95300-my-first/ @Dazza72: https://community.deckee.com/topic/96866-sydney-fishing-mentoring-w-derekd/ @Denisfisho: https://community.deckee.com/topic/94004-nearly-about-to-give-up-on-lure-fishing/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/94173-learning-to-fish-from-a-fellow-fishraider-derekd/ @faker: https://community.deckee.com/topic/97265-topwater-lessons-with-derek/ @finfur: https://community.deckee.com/topic/93112-a-fishing-sesh-with-derek-d/ @FishyMcFishFace https://community.deckee.com/topic/92050-lure-learning-curve-drummoyne/ @frankS: https://community.deckee.com/topic/96641-question-to-derekd/ @Gengar: https://community.deckee.com/topic/92627-finally-converted-to-sp/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/93211-beach-rod-advice-for-lure/ @Gustadi: https://community.deckee.com/topic/96230-the-voucher-and-the-knighthood/ @JahmonW: https://community.deckee.com/topic/90758-kiwi-fisho-exploring-sydney-land-based-fishing-report/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/90815-topwater-bass-fishing-is-so-much-fun/ @Jay88: https://community.deckee.com/topic/78671-lure-vs-bait/ @kilp: https://community.deckee.com/topic/91613-luderick-assistance-help-please/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/92491-blackfish-tutorial/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96137-balmain-blackfish/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96158-balmain-ludericks-again-with-the-boss/ @pscarey: https://community.deckee.com/topic/93890-learning-to-fish-during-lockdown/ @Little_Flatty: https://community.deckee.com/topic/94378-surface-and-casting-lesson-with-derekd/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/95537-lesson-report-fly-casting-with-derekd/ @Madkanu: https://community.deckee.com/topic/96268-are-you-doing-ballet/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96292-le-grand-jete-or-the-great-leap-are-you-doing-ballet-part-2/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96336-wax-on-wax-off-or-was-it-paint-fence/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96361-acanthuriforme-avicennia-marina/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/96487-feed-of-flatties-after-remembering-to-paint-the-fence/ @Mattymattmatt: https://community.deckee.com/topic/88549-need-some-help-sick-of-catching-small-fish/ @Mike89: https://community.deckee.com/topic/83539-saturday-plastics-session/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/85299-first-king-on-plastics/ @Mike Sydney: https://community.deckee.com/topic/92241-topwater-whiting/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/92550-article-land-based-lure-fishing-shallow-flats-and-mangroves-sydney/ @Miketheangler https://community.deckee.com/topic/86184-how-to-fish-sydney-harbor-moorings-for-kingfish/ Mr.Wang: https://community.deckee.com/topic/95842-me-into-the-lure-fishing/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/95950-lure-fishing-102-nov-10th/ @nutsaboutfishing: https://community.deckee.com/topic/93722-thanks-derekd/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/95238-thanks-again-mr-d/ @Robbo from Sydney https://community.deckee.com/topic/97456-learning-how-to-cast-efficiently-and-effectively-thanks-to-derekd/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/97459-first-topwater-bream/ @robthefisherman: https://community.deckee.com/topic/95743-sydney-based-experienced-beach-fisho-needed-for-youtube-vid/ @Ryan.f: https://community.deckee.com/topic/95583-fishing-session-with-new-fishraider/ https://community.deckee.com/topic/95701-the-holly-grail/

Then I'm assuming you are fishing from the jetty next to the marina. First read my article which Donna posted the link for above. Secondly, don't despair. Sounds like you are already doing some of the right things but the challenge you have is that you need to cover ground and if you only have the jetty to fish from it limits you. Not a huge problem but it means it will likely take longer. I'll add to this when I'm at home.

Hi @jgoodare, I know the Careel bay area well. Dad has his boat there and sometimes I launch my kayak there. I've caught plenty of good squid there and it is a pretty reliable location if you can cover ground. First question, are you only landbased or can you get water access too? This changes the nature of my response. Regards, Derek

We are starting to zero in on something but you need to be clear about the expected size and weight of the target species. Travel rod is a bit too vague. Bait or lure? I've got several older 3-piece Shimano travel rods. Bream (2-4kg spinning), Snapper (5-8kg spinning), Barramundi (4-7kg baitcast) and BEAST (50lb Spinning)!! 3 of those were from the Shimano Raider series. The last was from the Shimano Revolution series. I've also got two 4 piece Crucius rods (I still blame @Little_Flatty and am grateful to him for showing me these) and a 4 piece fly rod. You've also got extendable rods which pack down smaller than the one meter you've specified but they have always felt a little clunky to me. If it is a one off trip then go cheaper. If you want something for life then spend that little extra. There is little to break and unless you are a frequent traveller they won't see a lot of use and thus wear and tear. As a starting point, here are some of the excellent value Raider travel rod (there are also the Shimano Grappler/Zodius/Revolution ranges) specs: I think you should be looking at something capable of handling up to 30 or 35gram lures (1 oz lures fall within this range). Then probably spinning with a line weight of around 5 to 7kg (say 12lbs to 15lbs). This sort of outfit will comfortably land just legal kings and meter long mulloway if you do your job. So what if you lose the odd fish.

Little light on details.... What line and lure rating? Spinning reel or baitcaster? Four piece or 3 piece. What is the maximum packed length that you can work with. Budget?

Hi @FishingFables Yes please!! Now just have to sort out the when. My office closes on the 22nd of December till the 8th of January. This year I am planning on a fishing vacation for my summer - IN SYDNEY. Yes, it is a Staycation. Topwater bream and whiting. Kings and squid from the kayak. Shorebased jigging for pelagics. I also want to learn to catch beach worms on Sydney's northern beaches to say I've done it (I know the theory but just never bothered as it is easier for me to pump yabbies for sandflats fishing - I will be asking for help on this one on Fishraider). My lightest fly rod is a 7 weight but should be fun. D.

Hi Jason, Narrabeen lakes is an easy drive from my place in Lane Cove so I would very much like that. Are you shore based or wading? Regards, Derek

Read Niall's article. Watch the hard to find video link inside the article (this is it Cover new ground. Niall's follow up article: I was lucky enough to meet @Niall and he showed me some additional subtle lure movements which I had not thought about. Best session to date since he helped me with this aspect of fishing was 14 bream and one big eye trevally. They were still biting when I left to get some lunch.

Hi @FishingFables Thanks for sharing this. I have bread flies but haven't managed to catch a mullet or bream on fly with them yet. Wasn't sure if and how much burley was required. This video helps point me in the right direction. Hope to bump into you one day at the lakes. Regards, Derek

I was asked this many years ago and sent back the following response: What I love about fishing... Essay by Derek, aged 5: "Catching fish!!" More seriously. I have loved fishing for longer than I can remember. I received my first fishing rod when I was five years old (I loved fishing before then) and I still have it. Unlike some I can't say enjoy a feed of fish so that is not my motivation but having said that I have always enjoyed being able to feed friends and family with what I do catch. In some ways on a primeval level I think it comes back to being a hunter-gatherer but if I was to look at it in the modern context then my answer is along the following lines. What I love about fishing: It is a pastime I can do by myself or with company. It is a beautiful way of connecting and then bonding with people. Some of my best friends have been made through fishing. Sometimes it just starts with a simple request for or an offer for a little help. How many kids have memories of fishing with their family which still brings them joy years later. When doing it with friends we can share in each others successes and failures. You get to see places you would not normally bother going to. Unlike most other sports the breadth of knowledge and skills to learn seems almost infinite. What might work one day may need to modified to work the next day. You must think and adapt to do well. You have a huge range of accessories to buy and play with. To a degree it is an art as much as a sport. This especially applies to fly fishing. On a quiet day it gives you a chance to do something while sorting out the thoughts in your head. On a day when the fish are biting you don't notice time slipping by. There is always another species of fish to catch or a bigger one out there. I think you have more respect for nature as you learn more about it and take only what you need. When fishing with lures I love the poetic justice of the fish picking on something much smaller than them to find something much bigger than them on the other end of the line. The lottery aspect of it. It is often a surprise what you can catch and sometimes don't know until it comes into view out of the depths. You could be chasing flahead and hook into a kingfish. I enjoy being able to teach others what I feel I can do very well and see the joy as it comes together for them. I like being able to send a lure weighing less than a fake pinkie nail over 20 metres and settling it down so lightly on the surface of the water that it does not scare a feeding fish. I like that you can go out fishing with just $5 of gear or $5,000 depending on what you are chasing or how much you want to get into it. I like it when someone asks if you are likely to catch something your friends actually answer for you that you are. They have faith in your abilities after seeing the time you have put into it and the skills you have learned and shared with them. I love being able to put food on a friend's table which would cost them hundreds of dollars if they were to buy it from the shops. I love the warm glow felt after a day by or on the water. I love the fact that I only need to catch one fish to make the whole day worth it. I can go on but a lot of it would be variations on the above.

What @frankS said - it is not a winch. Lift the rod with pressure and then wind while lowering the rod but keep some pressure (a bit of bend in the rod) on the line to stop the fish from throwing the hook. There could also be something wrong with the reel but think you start with technique first.

Hi @faker have a really close look at that excellent photo that @whiskey299 posted. Look at the head of the baitfish, look at the silver shine along the side, look at the slightly clear tail section of the fish. Once you really see it then you should get a feel why the silver halco twisty, the caspar clear with lead jighead or the eye fly can be so effective. They will hit about 10cm in length by the time we reach late January or February so we can keep going up in lure sizes as the weeks progress. A typical eye fly (also look at Bay candy).... And some more:

Depends how far away they are. I happily use 1/4 jig heads for chasing kings and salmon and have done so for years. What I do do is get size #1H hooks in the TT bullethead jigheads because they look right with a 3" berkley minnow and are also strong enough to land good fish. I also have the 1/6th and 1/8th oz in my kit but they also have the #1H hook. I rarely use the 1/8th as I want to cover ground and get that lure dancing. You cannot outwind the fish. Having that lure moving faster in some ways is better as the fear of missing out instinct kicks in. If they have time to decide if they want the lure then there is a good chance they won't grab it. That retrieve I showed you is effective because it forces them to chase without getting the time to think about it. One of the people I mentored had two outfits exactly the same with the same lure and jighead. He and his mate were fishing the same school of pelagics. He used the retrieve I taught him and hooked multiple kings. His mate didn't and didn't hook any kings.

Trim them down till you get strikes. The Caspar clears can be very effective if used right. Often bigger fish underneath the schools so jig weight not really an issue. Covering ground is more important. Fish the edge of the schools and not the center. Learn to fish light. That 6lb is breaking at over 10lbs. If I fish light and hook 3 fish and lose 1 and you fish heavier and can't hook up I'm still way ahead of you. It is a buzz and if you let your gear do its work and keep a cool head then you can land really good fish. It takes time but I'm grinning like a happy maniac the whole time. The worst realistic thing that will happen is you lose a fish, the lure, some leader and maybe some braid. You are chasing kingfish and that is the challenge and the joy.

Seems it was the fault of the British scientist that invented it. Is it aluminium or aluminum? The metallic element with the atomic number 13 is used in a wide variety of everyday objects, such as in cans, kitchen utensils, and foil to wrap food. In American English, this element is called aluminum, while in British English it’s more commonly referred to as aluminium. The two names refer to the same chemical element. In scientific writing and academia, both aluminum and aluminium are commonly used and considered correct names. The term aluminum was created by the man who first identified the existence of the element, British chemist Humphry Davy. Davy originally referred to the element as alumium but ultimately altered the name to aluminum. The term aluminium emerged around the same time as Davy’s aluminum. This term seems to have been motivated by a desire to give the element a name that sounded more like classical Latin, which was in line with other known elements at the time whose names ended in –ium, such as magnesium and calcium. For the rest of the 1800s, both aluminum and aluminium were commonly used to refer to the element. Beginning in the 1900s, preferences for each term began to split among users. Aluminum became the more popular name in American English, and aluminium became the more popular name in British English. These preferences are still common today, but most chemistry organizations recognize both terms as acceptable. Yes, I've also noted your second example of Americans calling Soldering, Soddering. First heard it from the Mythbusters team then started to hear it from other people. I'm not sure at what point the L went silent or the justification therefore. For those that haven't heard it here are a few examples: First few seconds of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jG_JvnHGvQ This one at 15 seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qps9woUGkvI

When selecting the hook hold the single alongside the treble and they should be pretty close in size. From memory I believe I use a size #1 (not #1/0) and maybe a size #2 (which I probably use on the 5 gram halco twisty).

Hi @faker Unless you actually saw them my bet would be at this time of the year they are more likely to be salmon. The large schools of salmon generally turn up earlier than the kings. Regardless of what species the predators were yes they were likely feeding on small anchovy. Sometimes referred to as eyes. Your best bet is the small silver halco twistys in 10gram or even 5 gram. I like to take off the treble and put on a Gamakatsu large eye single hook for several reasons. Does less damage to the fish. They are a little stronger than the treble and remove more easily. As they are black rather than the silver trebles they reduce the visible length of the lure making them closer in size to what the fish are feeding on. Even better. Buy an Eye fly and tie it to the rear hook of the Twisty with about 30cm of line. Best of both worlds.

Hi @DrRaymondSnapper Interesting question but we need to drill down a bit further on the details. Where I am going to be heading is we want you to forget the money aspect at this stage but get the right gear for the job. I'm better off buying a small hatchback for the 364 days a year I am driving in the city than a huge 4x4 RAM truck just for the half afternoon I might head off road. Firstly, what are you actually trying to do? Catch decent flathead and specifically for a feed. With the slot size rules it means the size range of our target species is actually in the 36 to 70cm band. Anything over will have to go back (and they will be relatively rare anyway). What are our assumptions: They are an ambush predator waiting for food to come to them. Conclusion = we need to cover a lot of ground. They are not overly picky. A live bait, a soft plastic, a vibe, a hardbody all have a decent chance of hooking a flathead. The area is or isn't snaggy. If snaggy (e.g. weedbeds) then we might have to go up a line class or two to get our lures back. If not snaggy then we can go lighter and get the benefit of extra casting distance. Even the big ones can tire out relatively quickly if played well. We shouldn't be spending 3 hours to land a one meter flathead. It means mainline strength is not critical and we can go lighter if we let the drag do its work. They have raspy teeth. While they won't cut the line like a tailor they can rub the line. Maybe it is worth going slightly heavier on the leader if it doesn't affect the lure. If they are lip hooked then the leader doesn't come into the equation. NOTE: as @XD351 pointed out it is good to match the outfit to the weight of the lures you prefer using. We can make a recommendation but if you prefer to fish much heavier or much lighter than our suggested outfit is rated for then the advice won't help you. My biggest flathead (about 75cm) for years was on a bream rod, 4lb leader and a 2 inch pink grub. Recently I picked up a 73cm on an ecogear and super thin PE 0.5 line with 8lb leader. That 2-4kg outfit was set up to get the maximum distance I could on light lures for sandflats fishing. At the other end of the spectrum I went back to the same lagoon to try a 50gram glide bait on a 9 foot rod with 20lb braid. That lure didn't get half the distance what I could do on my light outfit. The glide bait was beautifully designed and looked amazing in the water. I can see how it would catch big flathead but I'd need water access to get the most out of it. Went back to my 2-4kg outfit for the rest of the afternoon. Currently my go to set up for this sort of fishing and topwater too is. Crucis Elite 7 foot 8 inches (4 piece) rod with short butt to suit my fishing style, match it with a 1000 reel (I've got a Stradic and a Nasci as they both have the wind in handle), I went all the way with Sitlon colour change braid in 0.6 PE (8lb). Whole outfit (Nasci) including a reel bag came to $350. I blame @Little_Flatty for putting me on that rod. By getting colour changing braid I learn what distances I can get out of each lure and can see what differences minor changes to my casting technique make to the distances I can achieve.

Wow I rated a mention. Thank you @XD351

I think there is also another factor at play. I've found technique is just as important as correct spooling. I can get a well spooled reel to birds nest with poor technique. If you are not winding the line on under tension (especially happens with ultralight lures) then you create loose loops and risk birdsnesting.