rehab

I did a heap of bonito on the weekend and also a couple of australian salmon. Even the salmon were delicious. I dont have a smoker, I just used the bbq - even though it has gaps all around it 1. I filleted and brined the fillets overnight in salt and brown sugar and water 2. Dried them and covered them again in brown sugar 3. I put the wood chips in an aluminium bag which i placed on top of one of the burners 4. Once it started smoking I turned heat to low, shut the lid, put the fish on either side of the lit burner, then smoked for 1.5 hours Lovely

There is a fantastic article by Steve Starling on the Clarence, targeting flathead, cant remember the name, maybe try a google search?

I can categorically state yes, you should buy them, and yes, they catch fish, particularly salmon. Im an appalling fisho yet somehow manage to consistently catch salmon on them, have only been using them for about a year. Put the popper on the top, and a pilly on the bottom, you cant go wrong, at least 50% of fish are caught on the popper

That last pic makes me miss the goldie, i moved down here from there and had a little boat on my pontoon, used to nip up the broadwater all the time Great pics, looks like fun!

Yes - she is very lucky - especially at that speed, it was a mighty shunt. We didnt give her a hard time, these things happen, she was only young, and we were both happy she wasnt hurt more seriously, and at least we are all insured!

Ill try to put up some pics, that shot doesnt really show anything, and when I went around the back of the boat I was expecting to see it totalled, and at first glance we thought it was fine, but then we got a little closer.... There is a large rip where the roller arm was dragged across the hull, you cant see it but the shaft is actually bent, the trailer is cracked, the axle has a crack in it, the lower transom is bent out of shape at the rear of the boat at the impact point - you can just make out the blue from her car on the hull. Windscreen had popped off its mount, fishfinder was smashed from something flying across the boat etc The winch and winch arm was snapped in half, but amazingly the little safety catch held otherwise the boat would have definately come off the trailer Anyway, like you say, lucky no-one was hurt seriously given the speed of the impact Heres one of the arm

Headed up to Hervey Bay on Sunday, due to the Pacific Highway flooding we went through Narrabri - Goondiwindi - Nanango etc - crossed the border at around midnight - got into Childers at 7am - staying at my folks farm near there which was our base for the week First couple of days were blown out - wet / windy - absolutely hopeless - couldnt even get out - we were very disappointed given the rather large drive up there Finally on Wednesday the weather cleaned up, the forecast looked great - awoke at 5am to no wind, sunny skies - we were off to the pinnacles / reefs around the northern tip of Fraser Headed into Hervey Bay on the highway - stopped to allow a truck to turn left into a driveway in front of us - then.... . . . . . We were rear ended by a 19 year old P Plater at about 90 ks She was injured so the Paramedics / Police and Firies were required. We were all fine as the boat and the trailer / car took the impact. Her car was totaled, we were borrowing a mates HSV 6.0L which has some damage to the rear but nothing too serious. The boat, motor and trailer will also probably be written off - the lower leg is bent - trailer is dead and there was numerous other damage to bits and pieces So we spent around 30 hours on the trip road - got rained off for the first two days, didnt turn a reel, and had a crash - nice..... At least we werent hurt, and I am sure after a short stay in hospital she will be fine as well, everyone was insured so I suppose its one of those things

I have always wondered where the kings go at night? Do we have anyone who can vouch if they feed at night - what happens to them - or do we just not really fish for them at night specifically?

Can I ask how much you paid - where you bought it from? I have only really checked #####

I know that I used to struggle in Sydney Harbour - then a couple of trips with no no no did the trick - perhaps try some of the better guides and pick their brains - its a couple of hundred dollars very well spent

I also prefer a shiraz with bream though

Has anyone tried the heavy spin version? I was hoping to match it to a Diablo XTA with 50-80lb braid?

We are hoping to do browns sometime soon in a 18 ft quintrex, if the run out is nice and smooth and conditions are perfect, whats the average time it takes to get out there? We have a Evinrude 90hp I have been told about 30 minutes flat chat from Botany Bay heads? Cheers Rob

Found some at the local fishmongers - they wanted $35 a kilo. Went down to the fish markets at paddys in the city - they have the same brand for $15 a kilo, and it was delicious!

Aha! Thanks very much, Im not too far away then! Thanks for reinstating it. Cheers Rob

Is Swap and Sell up and running again? Can you point me in the right direction? Cheers Rob

Ill have to check it out - my local doesnt have any - fresh or smoked - a trip to the fish markets is in order. I saw a recipe Huey had the day with smoked trout - looked great

any idea where you can get smoked trout for a reasonable price in sydney?

Great fish - looks like either old yella marker or shark island? what gear were you using? Live squid?

Great report - I was wondering - I am heading up to Cape York and timing my trip around the tides / moons - did you do that when you all went up? I have been told it makes the difference between catching fish and catching nothing? Cheers

Aha, now I see... Thanks for that

? no explanation - just closed? This was one of the best swap / sell forums on the net, I dont really post much but I am always checking swap / sell? Will it be opened again? Can you say why it was closed? Cheers Rehab

It was my first time there yesterday, and we went out in a 20 ft aluminium, i think in a 15ft it would be extremely uncomfortable and if you had gone yesterday, probably dangerous. On a calm day it would be no problem at all, it is only 10 k's from the heads, the other ones is over 20 kilometres away On another note, we heard boats trying to get the coastguard up for about 2 hours, i dont know what was going on, but they werent answering yesterday thats for sure The current was racing through yesterday, it was running like a river, made it very hard to stay on the fad

Once you eat them, they taste almost as good as they look!

Went out this morning... Thought it was perfect conditions until we rounded the heads and the NE was already well into it, very uncomfortable out there today. As soon as we got within 100 metres of the FAD all three lines popped with multiple hits from small dollies They were everywhere, free jumping around the fad, chasing our lures, bait fish etc Very aggressive little things arent they? We only got one keeper which was right on 60cms, the rest went back. Also picked up a heap of undersize kings under the fad on plastics. Only went to the closer FAD due to the weather, and took them on a combination of trolling, plastics and pillies. The current was out of control, extremely hard to stay near the FAD.. Also hooked something rather large which almost spooled us before we snapped off, probably an XOS King judging by the way it was fighting Thanks to all for all the help! Cheers Rehab