neilm

Good to meet you Peter, I expect I'll probably see you down there some other nights chasing the elusive (well for me anyway!) jew in the warmer weather. Cheers, neil

I was at MV as well until about 6:30, great gutters,berleyed up, tried pillies & slimey mackerel for nothing. Glad to hear there is some action somewhere on hte beaches. Spoke to a guy who was fishing the southern end - was that you Peter? Cheers neilm

Sounds like a bigger jighead (& maybe SP) may be the go? Cheers

It has also decimated parts of Pittwater. It's very important to get the whereabouts known as these need to be no-achoring spots to prevent this weed getting moved to other locations. I think to try and conceal the locations is to take a short term view which would ultimately lead to our waterways becoming deserts. Pittwater council and fisheries have had a public meeting on Caulerpa in Pitty and the outcome was less than desirable, ie. Fisheries said they were going to hope that a naural cycle would allow the levels to become accepetable. This is not very likely to happen. The sooner it can be jumped upon the better. I hear what you're saying Dan, and I tend to agree that Fisheries are toothless, but I've seen more and more parts of Pittwater becoming fishless.

Mate I couldn't get out due to work etc., but I do keep a diary and following your missives on the subject of barometric pressue I will expand my diary to make notes on the rate of change of pressure and its effect on fishing (I already have a barometer that tracks back to 48 hours previously, plus I subscribe to another website which will give me both historical data and predictions) I'll report back in a few months with my observations. Thanks again, Cheers Neil

Hi Jewgaffer, would today/early tomorrow be a good day to fish as the pressue is forecast to drop from about 1030 at 22:00 tonight to 1020 at about 16:00 on Saturday, or is that not a big enough or fast enough change in pressure? What would you say is the drop or rise in hPa per day (or hour or half day) that we should look out for? Being a bit of a weatherhead and mad keen fisho, I find this is all very interesting stuff and I appreciate the effort you have put in to convey this knowledge. Cheers, Neil

I use a cheapo keeper net attached to end end of a length of rope looped around a stake usually with pillies that I stamp on every now and then to get the juices flowing. In winter when the fishes metabolism slows down and the fish need less food I get tuna cat food and put it into a fine mesh washing bag so that small amounts seep out every now and then when washed over by the surf. The most important thing is positioning to ensure that the currents actually take the burley to where you expect the fish to be, not the gutter further down the beach where someone else is fishing. I used to use the rod holder to loop the rope over but found this too inflexible and consequently take a wooden stake. Useful for vampires when night fishing too Good luck, look forward to the reports!

Mate, how do you upgrade the drag washers? Any advice? I've just bought a 6500 for exactly this purpose. Cheers, neil

Ha ha good call! She'll probably be behind me burleying....

I'll be there on 2nd Sept. Thanks for the report, now I can't wait and I was excited before!! I've booked in a day with a reputable charter operator targetting spaniards, and have got a pass from the for a couple of early land based sessions. Still too many sleeps to count before I go... Cheers,

Thanks Stumpy. Let's hope I have something good to report!

Hey Raiders, anyone here ever fished land based in Darwin? I'm going up for a holiday in early September and would be extremely grateful if anyone can give me any advice on what to target, locations, gear or anything. I'm a complete novice when it comes to fishing the tropics, so I'm all ears . I have got the North Australian fish finder mag which is apparently the bible, but you can't get too much information when it comes to fishing. Any help much appreciated. Cheers, neilm

Welcome mate. Firstly, my recommendation is to focus on a spot, figure out what could be there (watch others, ask questions and so on), and then make a plan. I find my fishing works much better if I persist with a spot during different tides, moon winds, temperature and other conditions, keep a diary and look at what works. Every spot is a good spot if you understand what works. Unfortunately there are no real short cuts, but the guys on this site are knowledgeable and helpful and will have some pointers down on south side. I've been fishing for more than 40 years and still learn something new every time I go. Goold Luck. Cheers

excellent report, sorry to hear about the one that got away. You won't get a better illustration of the value of SeaTow! BTW, was the rod a catana by any chance? cheers, neil

This may be old news to some of you, but there is a two monthly publication from DPI Fisheries called Newstream. It has been going for about a year. I have only seen the latest and it seems to give emails of people within DPI to whom we can ask questions of specific projects. We need to take every opportunity to get involved. I know I will. Mods, if this newsletter is not common knowledge please put somewhere suitable for people to read. Cheers, Neil Below is a direct cut & paste from the newsletter: Subscribe to Newstreams Newstreams is a free newsletter available to anyone interested in fish habitat. To subscribe to Newstreams, email the editor, Rebecca Lines-Kelly, at rebecca.lines-kelly@dpi.nsw.gov.au. If you no longer wish to receive Newstreams, email the editor with ‘Unsubscribe Newstreams’ in the subject line.

Mondo speaks words of wisdom. In a strong southerly wind for example, protected southern corners of beaches are your best bet - but the surfers will be there too. Best to get the at daybreak or dusk to avoid too many people if you can, otherwise find a nice spot in the harbour or an estuary. I admire you for persisting the other day Polyrandom, I haven't been close to a beach for two weeks now and can't wait to get fishing again! Hopefully this weekend! Good Luck! Cheers, neilm PS Sparkles is spot on re: rock fishing. People seem to underestimate just how dangerous it can be.

Long reef is between Dee Why to the south and Collaroy to the north on the northern beaches. Cheers

Have you thought about shelf-stacking at the local supermarket? Is there a local hospital or nursing home that needs porters or wardsmen? Just a couple of suggestions. Good luck and let us know how you go. Cheers, Neil

Interesting point Dave - I heard yesterday that the Greens in Newcastle were giving their preferences to a labour defector standing as an independant. We have to be very careful not to generalise to ensure that our preferences don't go to the Greens by some indistinct path. I have real concerns over Debnam - he's an idiot who will clearly do anything for publicity - it would not surprise me if he sold Rec Fishos down the line if he got in anyway. Iemma's just as bad. I just now have to be careful that my choice doesn't mean giving preferences to someone who'll take away the rights that we pay for.

The Advisory Council of Rec Fishing has an Nature Conservation Council member on it's board! A group unfoundedly supporting Marine Park Lockouts! Does Rec Fishing have a member or rep on the NCC board, I think not!

ain't that the truth. Is there a local fishing club you could join and tag along with an 'old salt'?

There's a load of poddies down there. Flathead lollies! Go to the right when you go down the ramp of the main road and go past the BBQ areas. You'll see a small bay and you should find poddies there. Cheers, neil

Mate I'm with you on that - the seas have managed to flatten out the little bit of structure there was. My fallback is usually the rip hard up against the rocks at the south end of Warriewood - only problem is that the surfers use this to get out the back, so it has to be at night (which is alright if you're after Jews). Hope this helps. cheers, neil

Manly Dam I'm told is good for carp. I would think bread flies would be good for them.

Mate I'd use their gear for the bottom bashing I would only use the bream / bass gear if you happened across a school of sambos on the surface, then it's a case of matching what they're feeding on (SPs, metal slices etc in an appropriate size). Having said that, personally I'd probably leave my gear at home. Good luck! Post a report when you get back.