Past few sessions

[Little_Flatty]

Morning all,

My fishing life has been quite ordinary of late. Apart from not having much action on the few sessions I have been out for, I've been frantically busy with work, life and stuff (even more so than usual). It's only going to get worse in April  But you all know me, I'll always find time for a spot of fishing, even if it's half an hour here and fifteen mins there 😎

I haven't been fly fishing because the early morning darkness has made it too unsafe to wade at my usual fishing time, so most of my sessions have been fishing topwater lures. I've been having a terrible time with wind knots with my PE0.6 J-braid expedition because that stuff is so lightweight that it stays in the air for ages after a cast. I've needed to hold the braid until I make contact with the lure after a cast. Not enjoying it to be honest, although it casts a country mile! On top of that, my reel has developed a squeak which is starting to drive me nuts, so a service may be in order in the next few weeks.

A couple of things have happened fishing-wise of note. On the weekend I dropped my first flathead hooked legitimately on topwater, with an OSP Bent Minnow. It was really quite a splash in shallow water, but unfortunately the free treble snagged on a mangrove root and gave the fish enough leverage to get off. The next was this morning, when I got my biggest (perhaps almost-legal) whiting on topwater at Tarban Ck.

Nothing to write home about...but check out it's tail! Something's had a good chomp at it!

 

Apart from that, the FTT Popper has been claiming a few more scaly critters.

I've lost two of the three I made and haven't had the chance to make any more. In any case my tackle purchase embargo will end on Sunday anyway, so I might take the chance to replace my lost slippery dog, and also buy some wooden dowel + assist hooks to make some poppers/stickbaits. This lure making thing has caught on more than I expected. I'm also going to get some shanks to tie the SK Skipping Prawn fly that I've had my eye on these few months.

Bring on the end of daylight saving!

Keep those lines wet!

Mike 

[Pickles]

Another great report 😊 that’s a solid whiting- wonder if the 1/2 tail mean he was hunting for an easy feed & hit the lure (good fish though)

Well done 

[mrsswordfisherman]

Life gets in the way!

The good thing about fishing is that you can ALWAYS come back to it 

[bessell1955]

Good to see you having a go.

[Green Hornet]

Good to see you out having a go Mike, that’s more than I’ve been able to do lately.

In regard to the wind knots, many years ago I used to use 6lb Sunline Super, a line that was famous for wind knotting and I got into the habit of when I flipped the bail arm manually after a cast, I’d grab the line just in front of the reel and pull off about 20cm against the drag before commencing the retrieve. This eliminated the problem completely and is something I still do with any line to this day without even thinking.

[Little_Flatty]

3 hours ago, Pickles said:

Another great report 😊 that’s a solid whiting- wonder if the 1/2 tail mean he was hunting for an easy feed & hit the lure (good fish though)

Well done 

Thanks Bob, Nothing to write home about but I would’ve eaten the rest of it had it come from the lower harbour! I have the ‘easy feed’ theory with regard to the bent minnow too. It mimics a wounded fish or prawn perfectly so should look like an easy feed to a predator.

3 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said:

Life gets in the way!

The good thing about fishing is that you can ALWAYS come back to it 

Life sure does get in the way and you sure can come back!

As you know I had a long hiatus from fishing in the late noughties/early 2010s pursuing other interests. Unfortunately they would’ve been my best fishing years, as I had a steady income, excellent fitness and few commitments outside of work. My single life regret, not fishing and travelling more when I could’ve! That’s why I encourage the young ones to get out as much as they can!

3 hours ago, bessell1955 said:

Good to see you having a go.

Thanks Bessell!

3 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

Good to see you out having a go Mike, that’s more than I’ve been able to do lately.

In regard to the wind knots, many years ago I used to use 6lb Sunline Super, a line that was famous for wind knotting and I got into the habit of when I flipped the bail arm manually after a cast, I’d grab the line just in front of the reel and pull off about 20cm against the drag before commencing the retrieve. This eliminated the problem completely and is something I still do with any line to this day without even thinking.

Thanks Pete, I was thinking about your little trick but I’d forgotten it was 20cm worth of braid! I’ll give it a go, but while I wait for a service, the BFS outfit may get a chance to nail a few fish. 

Hope all is ok. It really sucks not to be able to get out.

[big Neil]

Any attempt to go fishing is good therapy Mike so keep snatching whatever time you can. Variety is the spice of life and fishing needs to be a part of our time plans.

Good report, bn

[Yowie]

Keep at it Mike. No fishing means no fish caught.

 

[Green Hornet]

1 hour ago, Little_Flatty said:

Thanks Pete, I was thinking about your little trick but I’d forgotten it was 20cm worth of braid! 

I’m not sure that we’re on the same page here Mike. I don’t mean discard 20cm of braid, just pull the line tight so there’s no chance of loose line or loops on the spool before your retrieve.

[faker]

Good catch Mike, I still do estuary fishing despite my enthusiasm with my rock fishing escapades. Hopefully you get more top water chances 

[Steve0]

7 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

Good to see you out having a go Mike, that’s more than I’ve been able to do lately.

In regard to the wind knots, many years ago I used to use 6lb Sunline Super, a line that was famous for wind knotting and I got into the habit of when I flipped the bail arm manually after a cast, I’d grab the line just in front of the reel and pull off about 20cm against the drag before commencing the retrieve. This eliminated the problem completely and is something I still do with any line to this day without even thinking.

Mike, heed that advice. I will stress there are two parts to the advice. 1) close your bail arm by hand 2) pull line and ensure it is tight (and stays tight) when retrieving.

Tasline was my nemesis. Ensuring tight line before retrieval kept it under control. I also give a quick glance for loose wraps on the spool or across the reel face before casting.

 

It is probably fairer to say Sunline (and other quality braids) are less forgiving of loose wraps of line than say it is prone to wind knots, but that's easier to say when typing at a keyboard than picking out wind knots!

Unfortunately, line loops aren't the only reason for wind knots. It may be a combination of factors in rod/reel/guides/spool lip angle/uneven line lay. So, if ensuring no loose loops are forming, you may need to start thinking about other reasons. 

 

 

Edited March 27 by Steve0

[Little_Flatty]

1 hour ago, Green Hornet said:

I’m not sure that we’re on the same page here Mike. I don’t mean discard 20cm of braid, just pull the line tight so there’s no chance of loose line or loops on the spool before your retrieve.

I heard you right Pete, I just pulled out 5cm after each cast rather than 20. That’s substantial tension! One other thing I’ve thought of is stop the lure before it hits the water. That should also fix the line in the air issue.

9 minutes ago, faker said:

Good catch Mike, I still do estuary fishing despite my enthusiasm with my rock fishing escapades. Hopefully you get more top water chances 

Cheers @faker, glad you are getting in your rock fishing exploits. That ship has sailed for me (too much travel time amongst other things), so I’ll have to be happy with reading your reports! Estuary fishing can wait for when it’s too rough or when you’re too busy to rock fish.

3 hours ago, big Neil said:

Any attempt to go fishing is good therapy Mike so keep snatching whatever time you can. Variety is the spice of life and fishing needs to be a part of our time plans.

Good report, bn

The corollary of being busy and stressed is that you need your fishing more than ever, but you lack the time! Definitely making time for it, even fifteen minutes helps, especially if you catch something.

3 hours ago, Yowie said:

Keep at it Mike. No fishing means no fish caught.

 

That’s just about the most important fishing advice you can give anybody! You can’t catch fish on your couch. Was a lowish tide this morning, if it was me even a few years ago, I wouldn’t have bothered!

31 minutes ago, Steve0 said:

Mike, heed that advice. I will stress there are two parts to the advice. 1) close your bail arm by hand 2) pull line and ensure it is tight (and stays tight) when retrieving.

Tasline was my nemesis. Ensuring tight line before retrieval kept it under control. I also give a quick glance for loose wraps on the spool or across the reel face before casting.

 

It is probably fairer to say Sunline (and other quality braids) are less forgiving of loose wraps of line than say it is prone to wind knots, but that's easier to say when typing at a keyboard than picking out wind knots!

Unfortunately, line loops aren't the only reason for wind knots. It may be a combination of factors in rod/reel/guides/spool lip angle/uneven line lay. So, if ensuring no loose loops are forming, you may need to start thinking about other reasons. 

 

 

Thanks Steve, noted. I had to change out the tip with my rod recently. Perhaps this has had some bearing on my experiences.

[Fried Rice]

Nice couple of fish on lures. I was watching about 2/3 of a large whiting happily swimming around a while ago. It was completely missing it's tail and most of the wrist. Was well healed so the injury obviously happened  some time previously.

Wind knots can be a pain with light braid/lures.

[Little_Flatty]

1 hour ago, Fried Rice said:

Nice couple of fish on lures. I was watching about 2/3 of a large whiting happily swimming around a while ago. It was completely missing it's tail and most of the wrist. Was well healed so the injury obviously happened  some time previously.

Wind knots can be a pain with light braid/lures.

They certainly are tough fish. I guess you have to be if you are one of the tastiest fish in the ocean!

I haven't had as many problems with wind knots as I am having now.

[linewetter]

11 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Morning all,

My fishing life has been quite ordinary of late. Apart from not having much action on the few sessions I have been out for, I've been frantically busy with work, life and stuff (even more so than usual). It's only going to get worse in April  But you all know me, I'll always find time for a spot of fishing, even if it's half an hour here and fifteen mins there 😎

I haven't been fly fishing because the early morning darkness has made it too unsafe to wade at my usual fishing time, so most of my sessions have been fishing topwater lures. I've been having a terrible time with wind knots with my PE0.6 J-braid expedition because that stuff is so lightweight that it stays in the air for ages after a cast. I've needed to hold the braid until I make contact with the lure after a cast. Not enjoying it to be honest, although it casts a country mile! On top of that, my reel has developed a squeak which is starting to drive me nuts, so a service may be in order in the next few weeks.

A couple of things have happened fishing-wise of note. On the weekend I dropped my first flathead hooked legitimately on topwater, with an OSP Bent Minnow. It was really quite a splash in shallow water, but unfortunately the free treble snagged on a mangrove root and gave the fish enough leverage to get off. The next was this morning, when I got my biggest (perhaps almost-legal) whiting on topwater at Tarban Ck.

Nothing to write home about...but check out it's tail! Something's had a good chomp at it!

 

Apart from that, the FTT Popper has been claiming a few more scaly critters.

I've lost two of the three I made and haven't had the chance to make any more. In any case my tackle purchase embargo will end on Sunday anyway, so I might take the chance to replace my lost slippery dog, and also buy some wooden dowel + assist hooks to make some poppers/stickbaits. This lure making thing has caught on more than I expected. I'm also going to get some shanks to tie the SK Skipping Prawn fly that I've had my eye on these few months.

Bring on the end of daylight saving!

Keep those lines wet!

Mike 

Awesome fish!  And seeing your homemade topwater lure still catching very good fish - proves it's all a skill issue and not a matter of me needing another expensive lure to catch those fish

 

So funny seeing that measuring device of yours! I saw you talk about it on another post a little while ago and have been thinking of getting a measuring thing lately...the instant product that came to mind was the one I had seen you mentioned a while back.  Funny seeing it today now.  How're you liking it?  Do you just clean the fish slime off & dry it before you retract it?  

[Little_Flatty]

28 minutes ago, linewetter said:

Awesome fish!  And seeing your homemade topwater lure still catching very good fish - proves it's all a skill issue and not a matter of me needing another expensive lure to catch those fish

 

So funny seeing that measuring device of yours! I saw you talk about it on another post a little while ago and have been thinking of getting a measuring thing lately...the instant product that came to mind was the one I had seen you mentioned a while back.  Funny seeing it today now.  How're you liking it?  Do you just clean the fish slime off & dry it before you retract it?  

It's a Daiwa Fish Measure R.

I like it. Nice and compact and easy to use. I have multiple fishing bags (fly, 3 x Lure and Bait). They all have their own brag mat and scissors. If I won the lotto, I'd kit up every bag with the Daiwa, but alas that hasn't happened yet (and a lotto winning probably won't go far when you have kids🤣). Not exceedingly expensive, I'd just rather waste money on other things  

No don't stop buying lures! 🤣

I'm only making them because I can't buy them at the moment and I'm attracted to the challenge of catching fish with something made at home! All that said, it's been really fun and I'm seriously thinking about fishing almost exclusively home made lures for topwater season. It seems that basic poppers and stickbaits are quite easy and cheap to make. During the upcoming long weekend, my first experiment will be to cut a piece of wooden dowelling (no carving), install weight and eyelets, seal (i.e. very basic paint job), attach hardware and see if I can catch a fish on it!

[linewetter]

49 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said:

It's a Daiwa Fish Measure R.

I like it. Nice and compact and easy to use. I have multiple fishing bags (fly, 3 x Lure and Bait). They all have their own brag mat and scissors. If I won the lotto, I'd kit up every bag with the Daiwa, but alas that hasn't happened yet (and a lotto winning probably won't go far when you have kids🤣). Not exceedingly expensive, I'd just rather waste money on other things  

No don't stop buying lures! 🤣

I'm only making them because I can't buy them at the moment and I'm attracted to the challenge of catching fish with something made at home! All that said, it's been really fun and I'm seriously thinking about fishing almost exclusively home made lures for topwater season. It seems that basic poppers and stickbaits are quite easy and cheap to make. During the upcoming long weekend, my first experiment will be to cut a piece of wooden dowelling (no carving), install weight and eyelets, seal (i.e. very basic paint job), attach hardware and see if I can catch a fish on it!

I'll be very interested to see what you come up with on your next homemade lure - I bet the funnest part will be painting/designing them.  I've thought about buying blank lures and painting them myself but kind of fizzled out on the idea when I saw people said you need a dedicated toaster oven, etc. to cure the paint on the lures.  

[Little_Flatty]

17 minutes ago, linewetter said:

I'll be very interested to see what you come up with on your next homemade lure - I bet the funnest part will be painting/designing them.  I've thought about buying blank lures and painting them myself but kind of fizzled out on the idea when I saw people said you need a dedicated toaster oven, etc. to cure the paint on the lures.  

I'm no artist and I have ZERO interest in painting!🤣I was thinking of just clear-coating the wood, but I don't think I have any clear coat so it will either be UV epoxy, diluted 24 hr epoxy or whatever paint I have lying around the house. I'm not much of a colours guy with my lures. If a certain colour is on sale, then that's what I'll buy.

I'm sure painting will be fun if you had the talent though!

I'm more interested in the shape/form of the lure, how it moves and how it sits in the water. 

[Little_Flatty]

Got out again this morning to Tarban Ck, got two more. Again not large, but at least there was one legal in there:

This little guy savagely hit the lure on the drop, catching me by surprise:

Unfortunately a botched de-hooking turned one of the trebles into a double. Wasn't much force at all. Will need to replace the hook at some point.

I really haven't caught any fish of size on topwater, other than a 35cm model earlier last month. It's funny how I've gone from catching 90% flathead to 90% bream. Just goes to show how you need to be targeted with your methods to score certain species.

[Mike Sydney]

I’ve had trebles become doubles plenty. I still catch with doubles as I’m far too lazy to replace trebles. Figure that if folk often replace with singles I’m not really missing out on much!

[Yowie]

27 minutes ago, Mike Sydney said:

I’ve had trebles become doubles plenty. I still catch with doubles as I’m far too lazy to replace trebles. Figure that if folk often replace with singles I’m not really missing out on much!

Trebles can be harder to remove than doubles.

It appears that doubles are not available, only older stock being sold. I was told that doubles are going out of fashion and not being manufactured anymore.