DerekD

What are the lure weights. Are you talking a heavy, medium or light jigging set up. Slow pitch or fast pitch jigging? Did you want an overhead reel or a spinning outfit. What budget do you have to work with?

And you were that close to getting your one meter plus cod.... I feel for you.

Or the head of Marshmellow Man from the original Ghostbusters complete with sailor hat.

Hi Troy (aka @ThePod, Firstly I really want to thank you for posting this and being prepared to take us along the journey with you. I'm absolutely fascinated by this project. I admit one of the earlier thoughts that crossed my mind is "are you insane" but that is not meant as an insult as most visionaries would have probably had the same response from their peers. I have so many questions (I have the engineer gene). You don't have to answer them all but I just wanted to get them out there. On a side note I've been following a gentleman in the US who is doing something similar but his is more boat shaped than flying saucer shaped. This one in fact Firstly, from a safety perspective. Is your fire extinguisher suitable for confined spaces (it doesn't look like CO2 but wasn't sure which one of the other types it was). What is the sealing on the propeller shaft? Stuffing box? Have you checked it (you look pretty thorough but it does not hurt to ask). With the limited all round view have you considered putting in some small cameras for the blind spots). If the engine fails have you considered a secondary means of propulsion to get out out of trouble? I see you going around in circles with a paddle. Maybe a Minn Kota on the bow. How does it work with cooking, gas, diesel engine operating in a confined space. What is the ventilation like? Did you try and get the CO2 breather operational again. Now some technical questions What is with the inverted dish underneath the pod? Is it to give it some stability when sitting or is it designed to minimise the rocking of the vessel when in rough seas? What are those two pods on top of the pod. Are they for fuel, water or storage. It looks like they can be used as seats but that is a complicated way of doing so. From the photos it looks like they have been stuck on top rather than being accessible from underneath. Can you post some photos of what is inside them. If they are for fuel and water then would it make the vessel top heavy? You mentioned it goes along at 6 knots (11km/h) but with that shape how does it track? You mentioned transport was under wide load conditions. How do you drop it in the water. Is there a Hiab on the trailer or do you have to get a special crane in to lift it into the water. How deep does the keel sit under water line when fully loaded. Just how curious how close you can get to shore or to what depth you can operate. Now for some general questions. Did you consider a paint job to make it look like a panda? It is all I can see when you open both hatches in the photo. What is the view out the windows when raining. Are you replacing them with clearer ones or are you considering some sort of windshield wiper. Will they fog up due to condensation inside the vessel. I've got more but I don't want to overwhelm you. This is the first post I've followed in over 10 years on Fishraider.

Cause I can get it in white/crystal which is my preferred braid colour for my light outfits. Also used to use Fireline crystal till woven braids such as Shimano Powerpro came along. I prefer the X5 over the X9 as the threads don't separate as easily. I've been fishing it hard for several years on several outfits and haven't had any major issues.

If you are interested then suggest we meet up. We can use the same weed flies on a classic rig. Interested as to why you need the floating line. I use just mono for this style of fishing with a spinning rod or a floating line and strike indicator with a fly rod.

On a related but side topic. Do you fly fish?

OMG....... (jaw just hit the floor) I've got so many questions once I can process this..... First thing that comes to mind.... where are the rod holders?

Hi @Subtropic I used the uni to uni knot for years and in the past I've found braid can cut into the mono at the knot when test loading it up. If it is happening at the knot then I think it probably isn't a braid issue as such but just a peculiarity of the knot. Try doubling up the braid and then tying the same knot (known as the double-double uni knot) and see if you have the same issue. The doubling up of the braid makes the line a bit thicker and the knot stronger. You will still have to trim the excess. Also try learning the FG knot and see if you have the same issue. If it goes away then I think it is the knot rather than the line. Alternatively, @dirvin21 could have hit the nail on the head. PS. How are you testing the knot? I've seen some people snap their hands apart to test a knot. This shock loading doesn't happen in the real world as the shock of a strike is partially taken up by stretch in the leader and mostly the rod tip bending. It is fast but it is not a shock load. You should be gradually loading the knot up.

Asking for a spot is only a small part of what you need to learn. Squid move around. 15 minutes could make all the difference between getting some and that donut. Read this:

Hi @JustJames, It was a pleasure to meet you today. I was impressed at how quickly you picked up some of the concepts. Retraining the muscle memory will take a little longer but you are well on your way there. Looking forward to reading more of your reports. Regards, Derek

A fishing buddy.....

Know the area well. Played golf at the Castle Cove golf club now and then. Lived in Middle Cove for years before moving to Lane Cove. Done a lot of fishing in Sugarloaf bay and that is one of the squid grounds I use when on the boat. Suggest a meet up at some stage if you don't mind breaking that perfect streak of yours. Won't guarantee a squid but expect we have a very high chance of doing so and can show you the where and how after which it becomes a matter of time. Can do shore based first.

Hi @JustJames This is a really good question. I was a little hesitant about replying for fear of ruining your perfect record. Firstly, the standard disclaimer, I don't consider myself an expert (on a side note have you read this article: The reason this one is difficult to answer is that it is pretty subjective. I'm of the opinion that if you can get the squid's attention (short sharp movements) and it looks like a prawn and moves like a prawn you have a good chance of encouraging a strike. Having said that squid mad companies like Yamashita or Yo-Zuri have put a lot of research time into their colours and designs. I've got a pamphlet somewhere which recommends which jig colours to use depending on time of day and colour of water. I've also heard too many times that someone changed a jig colour and then started to catch them to discount it entirely. Coming back to your situation. Where in Sydney are you based? Do you have access to a boat or can you do land based only?

Hi @Dazza72 Glad to hear you got out with your family and a nice result. Covering ground is generally the trick. I generally find I catch bigger squid in the winter but more in the summer. Regards, Derek

Hi @Denisfisho, If that redfin was caught on lure suggest you do a full report and then you can apply for the record as it puts you in second place.

I don't believe you. Well done @Denisfisho To get a session like that would make most people envious. You are a world away from the person who was going to give up lures a few years back. Glad to hear the successes rolling in. You may not be doing so but be careful not to high stick the rod when fighting the fish.

When mentoring people I tell them a flathead is an ambush predator waiting on the bottom for the food to come swimming past so the idea is to cover ground and bounce the lure along the bottom. This gentleman was fortunate and patient enough to catch several flathead strikes on a lure from above. First the missed strike: Now the one that didn't get away:

I have to ask.... Could it be simply that the Youtubers only post the videos in which the conditions were right/perfect and everything came together? Most surf beaches will have similar conditions with the wave layout being impacted by the same factors (e.g. swell size and direction, shape of sand underwater, etc.) so I'd expect to see Youtubers having the same issues that you are depending on the day they head out.

Hi Daniel, Welcome aboard. There are people that would pay money to have the problem you currently have. I think you need to spend a bit more working on the how rather than the where. While I haven't actually seen you fishing I suspect part of your problem is that you are not covering enough ground (and thoroughly or systematically). The flathead is ambush predator lying on the bottom and generally waiting for the food to come to it. The fact you are catching fish suggests you are fishing productive areas. If you are casting out baits and waiting for the flathead to find the bait you will be waiting a while and the most likely time of hooking a flathead is when you are winding the bait in and dragging it over the bottom. The same with lures. If you are repeatedly casting to the same section of water and haven't hooked a flathead then they are not there or not interested. You need to fan your casts out and then move along and try another section of water and ideally overlap your previous set of cast so you overlay the area in a kind of grid pattern. Consider this diagram by @XD351 and how he suggests working an area (I'd probably have the casting areas a little more overlapped but he probably rushed it a bit but it is still an excellent diagram): Regards, Derek PS. I like the drop offs where the current is likely to take the food to the flathead or use long casts in sand areas. One of my go to lures recently has been the Ecogear ZX in the larger sizes. They cast long distances on light gear, get to the bottom quickly so you can really cover a lot of ground and vibrate when worked properly to get the attention of the fish. I just don't use them in snaggy areas.

If you hook the big one then difficult to land. I prefer Neutral Bay wharf over North Sydney wharf. Another advantage of NB are the shops and cafes if you want something to drink or eat. Just got to be careful with casting at NB due to roof of wharf.

Yes and no. The concrete section is still intact and you can fish off that. No fishing signs on the new floating wharf. You can also fish along the wall. Was a bit crowded when I went there a few days ago.

Hi @AlbertW, Congratulations on the first king. Then next one should be a lot sooner. Your first legal king will also be a blast. What do you mean a couple of lessons? Think we did a couple of lessons on shore based jigging alone. 😀 It has been a beautiful experience watching you grow in technique and confidence over the past year. You are one of the people that make mentoring worthwhile. You are passionate, engaged and are prepared to put the time in to try things. You have a maturity beyond your years and I think your parents can be proud of you. I'm looking forward to more and more fishing reports and especially of the quality of this one with the video. I loved the excitement and joy in your voice. Regards. Derek PS. I also really appreciate that I was one of the first people you contacted straight after achieving this milestone so I could share in the experience. Being at work at the time I was also a little envious.

Hi @faker That rod upwards movement is generally used with the flutter type jigs. It makes the lure rip up through the water column, pause then dart away again. I teach people to then give the lure some slack to allow it to flutter back down in the water column. It forces the fish to chase. I prefer it with the 9 foot rods as the extra rod length really allows me to work the lure. @AlbertW recently got his first king by using a shore based jigging technique. Regards. Derek

A bit of background here. Apparently chasing Carp in the Great Britain is something akin to a religious pilgrimage. The back of my car often resembles a small tackle shop but practioners of carp fishing would add in a trailer of gear to what I have. The gear and techniques they use are specialist and in my eyes over the top. I’ve laughed when seeing photos of carp fishos climbing trees to scope out an area. On a side note, years ago I met the president of one of the UK angling associations while he was out here on a sabbatical from politics. He genuinely couldn’t understand why Ozzies were not passionate about carp. I responded with many of the issues they cause in our waterways. If you ever get the chance, talk to someone that carp fishes over there as the stories are an eye opener. Hopefully I can convince @Ryan.f to contribute a little more on this. In amongst the specialist gear they have are remote control bait/burley boats. While probably not actually that silly in practice over there the fact someone has invented these for a genuine market makes me shake my head in wonder. Now the video: PS. The carp over there look a bit more spectacular in size. There is even a guy that has combined his love of carp fishing and photography to put out an annual calendar called Carponizer. Here is the instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/carponizer/?hl=en