New Method For 'dealing With' Stringy Weed

[arpie]

Hi guys

Had an interesting day yesterday, chatting to a bloke who catches heaps of big blackies all over - he is prepared to travel, tho & makes Crowdy Head boat harbour his top pick after a strong sou-easter for biiiig blackies!!

We got to chatting about storing weed & he says that when he gets good stringy weed, he puts it in a pillow case & throws it in the washing machine & puts it on 'spin.' This obviously removes all the water (the main culprit for weed going slimey) and then he just puts it in snap-lock bags, removing all the air. It keeps for months, he says!

Well, I wasn't going to pass up on this info, so went & got some weed & put it to the test! As it was still quite wet, I wrapped it in a towell first (didn't want salt water in my machine) & whacked it in the machine & put it on spin. Checked it out a few minutes later & nearly fell over - I had forgotten to put it in the pillow case!!!

Bugger!!

Bloody weed everywhere in the machine, not to mention sand, the odd crab - he looked a bit disoriented as he scrambled around! (plus mine is a front loader - not a top load!) Madly cleaned it up before the other half saw it & had a fit & put a rinse cycle thru to give it a good clean.

The other half later got me some more weed, so I had a 2nd go .... put it in the pillow case this time!! Went reasonably well - definitely got all the water out & made it nice & stringy. But some still fell out of the pillow! Another quick clean of the machine & then put on a full load of washing to make sure all the crap was washed out. All went well - the machine didn't croak & the clothes are not covered in green weed!!!

I have some weed in a snaplock bag, I will vacuum pack some, wrap some in newspaper & put it in the fridge & freeze some - just to see how they all go!!

The weed is getting very thin on the ground up here just now - those big temps in Fewb/march have really knocked the pond around & the 'winter' spots haven't fired up yetl (altho you can still get some nice stuff on the breakwall - just not in quantity!) All the more reason for trying different methods for storing it.

Moral of the story - if you try this method of drying your weed (and I recommend you do ....) make sure you tie some rope around the top of the pillow case before you turn the machine on, especially if it is a front load!!

Funnily enough, I had left a bit of weed in my pocket (I always wear a blue denim shirt when fishing) and put it thru the wash (full wash) on more than one occasion - and surprisingly, not only did it survive, it also caught fish! Truth is stranger than fiction, sometimes.

Cheerio for now - you can all stop laughing now!

Roberta

[roosterman]

my would kill me if i even considered that roberta. i think it will be a goer as i have heard of freezing weed before by an old guy that couldnt get weed regularly.i think you would need to get the water out as it expands when freezing and will break the cell structure af the weed, then you would end up with mushy weed when thawed.. when i used to fish as a kid with my cousin he would leave his last bait on hook and the folowing day or weekend the dried out bait would score the first fish at dawn down luna park in sydney,we used to get a laugh outa that,go figure eh... then again fishing back then was a whole different ballgame... did you get any bf when you came down here recently? hows the breakwall firing lately, you will have to save some for the social as i would definitely be keen to see the difference between fresh/frozen..

[arpie]

Hi Roosterman

So long as you tie the pillowcase, nothing untoward will happen!!! It dried it beautifully! It is almost as smooth as silk & really easy to roll into any length you require! I will get some more from the pond & do the same to it, tho, as it is a totally different type to this lot.

As you say, often the bit left on the hook gets the fish!

The hot weather has really affected the weed in the pond - there is still some there, but just not the quantity. I am looking elsewhere now, as the weed in creek at Hallidays point is also all gone!!!

If you know of any reliable sources down there, start gathering & saving over the next month or so, in readiness for the social here!!

The wall has been a bit quiet the last couple of times I've tried it - really weird, as it was firing about 3 weeks ago!! The spot I tried yesterday will fish better with pencil floats & 3lb leader! Very cunning fish, but they get thumpers there - those who know what they are doing!

Didn't get itno any when in Sydney - but only tried the once, as the wind was positively howling & I was having too much fun on my kayak!

Cheers for now - looking forward to the Entrance Social, so then we can get excited about the Forster Social!!

Roberta

[bart]

Hi Roberta, It is great to see a fisho with a passion for the good old LUDERICK. I have just completed servicing all of my LUDERICK gear tonight and look forward to hittng the water soon. Will see you at Forster in June. Already booked in. I have not fished at Forster yet. Thanks for your articles on Green Weed and Luderick Frozen Fillets. Have photocopied and stored in my LUDERICK folder. Keep up the good work. CHEERS BART.

[arpie]

Hi Bart

Look forward to seeing you up here in June - or any time you make it up this way for that matter!! Always fun fishing with someone else, as I usually fish on my 'ownsome'! My other half doesn't partake (which suits me, in a way!)

The blackies were full on here about a month ago - almost have to hide behind a rock to throw out your line! They have been a bit quiet this last week or two - maybe all the increased boat traffic, being holidays & all?? I don't know! I will keep trying tho!

Better start hoarding your weed - it has gone seriously sad up here (unless it picks up soon!!) I will be doing a reccie over the next week trying to find some of the 'legendary' spots i have heard mentioned, but never in enough detail to know exactly where!!!

Catch you later

Roberta