Big improvement.

[Ryder]

Hi Raiders,

I went out early with Hawkesbass yesterday chasing blackfish. They have been a bit hit and miss at the moment.

The first spot we tried, just east of the bridge yielded nothing for the first hour and a half. We kept up the berley, and tried different depths. Then it began. The float would go down, stay down, and when you lift, nothing. Again and again, until I got the first fish around 25cm, well below legal. I think Trevor got the next couple, both undersized. I did get one legal about 35cm, but after 3 hrs and not much to show for it, we threw him back and decided to move.

We moved to the north side of the harbour to fish the top of the tide and the runout. Again things started very slowly. After an hour or so Trevor got the first down. Then it just popped back up. Then nothing for long stretch. We were getting a bit frustrated until the tide started to runout and the downs started again.

It was the same scenario, float goes down, strike , nothing. Over and over but it kept us interested for a while. Then we started booking a few, small fish between 15-25 cm. and we each caught the doctor once.

I hooked one legal fish at this point. The fish had a doctor in its mouth, while removing the hook I pulled the head off the doctor, and hundreds of baby doctors came out of the body. Like lice or opening a spiders egg. Disgusting, that fish went back in.

One bit of good news came through on the text from my wife at work. Cassie the tripod kitten got adopted.

WooHoo

Today I chose to sleep in and fish the top of the tide and the runout at Johns Jetty.

Thing started slow, one fish undersized in the first hour but things picked up once the tide started moving.

No small fish today, but anything under 30 cm went back immediately. I caught maybe 12 fish in 3 hours.

Pulled the hooks on half a dozen more. The biggest was 44cm. It and the next biggest went back in after a photo.

With the nationwide shortage of Dango Wax, (a favoured Blackfishing line because it has a hollow core and floats) I had been using mono with a wipe of Vaseline to make it float. On a very hot day this summer,

The Vasoline liquified and found its way into everything in my tackle box. It in the hook packs and in the swivel packets. I think it could be making my knots fail just by slipping.

Is there a way to remove it.

Anyway today was a big improvement on yesterday.

Ryder

[brad_tate]

Try isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol. You can buy this at Chemists fairly cheaply, and I understand it is non-reactive with regular plastics so should be ok on line, tackle boxes, reel components and hard body lures. Not so sure on soft plastics, so if you need to clean them, I suggest trying a sample first.

Certainly no issues with metallic tackle.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Koalaboi]

Try warm/hot water with detergent.

KB

[Witha]

Very nice mate that second session sounds like a roarer.

I remember going through my grandad old blackie gear and finding everything Vaseline covered [emoji14] a degreaser does the trick

[adamski]

Well done Ryder and that's good news on Cassie Don't want to imagine what a doctor is though...

[Ryder]

Hey Adam,

The Doctor is a tongue eating parasite. It consumes and replaces the fishes own tongue.

I understand its a symbiotic relationship, mutual benefit.

But it freaks me out.

[adamski]

image.jpg

Hey Adam,

The Doctor is a tongue eating parasite. It consumes and replaces the fishes own tongue.

I understand its a symbiotic relationship, mutual benefit.

But it freaks me out.

:puke:

[wchh]

I seem to remember I also saw this type of bug (Doctor???) in the mouth of yellow tail I caught off the rocks in coppacabana. The thing looks freaky in the photo.

Edited February 28, 2016 by ABCfisho