Sunday 29th September 2013

Tackle specials and angling politics

from Downrigger Shop

Picture this. Golden sun of late afternoon. You’re in a thousand fathoms, on the tide change. Feeding back a half pilchard and suddenly the arc of line from your rod tip to the water straightens sharply. If you’re Greg or Dale from Reel Magic, this is how it all turns out:

 

 

Hi Andy, we got them on Wednesday this week! Fish came up around 4.30. Acres of them, screaming around feeding on 50mm white bait.

Water was 21.2.

 

 

Boats with live baits didn't get a look in as they were only interested in the little fish - the light blue was white bait!

 

Congratulations lads, I know how much preparation goes into your success. Sounder shot is very interesting, too. Damien Clarke boated this beauty last Sunday:

 

 

Pending line class record on 24kg for Shellharbour Game Fishing Club. Caught last Sunday on the troll wide of the Shellharbour canyons after a double hookup, the other one was lost. 59.3kg on a Black Bart Cairns Prowler. Thanks Damien

 

No, thank YOU cobber, for this great pic and report. Bruce Rayment sends word of a young angler’s success:

 

 

G’day Andrew, mad keen young Shire angler Trent James has been fishing on PHGFC boat Just Chill recently. They headed out last Sunday sharking, but after drifting south to past Wollongong at 3-4 knots, pulled the pin and started trolling for Tuna instead. In less than a mile they came across Tuna busting up and hooked this 57.5kg fish with Trent on the rod. A 4 hour fight ensued before the fish was landed. The drive back to port against the current I am told took almost as long! Regards, Bruce.

 

Blimey look at the finlets and sickles on that fish! Nice job, Trent. Regular contributor and gun fisho John Holt scored an amazing incidental capture, early in the week:

 

 

Hi Andy with the large yellowfin bite off Sydney, ventured out on Monday and ran into this fella.

Wahoo that's what we were saying, when it was on the deck.

 

He! Can only imagine how fast and hard his opening run was, Johnno. Well done! John Pennisi scored some top drawer bycatch, too:

 

 

Hi Andy, John here. Thought you might like this photo of myself from today. Caught east of canyons.

 

Thanks, John. Truly amazing, what’s happening off Sydney. Nathan was listening to the excitement via VHF:

 

 

As I mentioned on facebook we went out for a run on Sunday morning. After spending the last few trips chasing game fish for no result we decided some bread and butter species and a feed was what we were after! …didn’t we pick a day to do that. We sat there chasing snapper and flathead hearing TUNA!!! MARLIN!!! All morning on the radio! It was a form of torture.

 

Anyway conditions were magic, it was a little bit sloppy early on but it glassed out by about 9.30. We worked Esmeralda reef from about 6am to 8 with not much luck. A couple of nanny-gai and a few undersized snapper. We then worked a sandy region of Long Reef in about 60m and got 9 decent flathead in about 2 hours. All fish where between 40 and 50cm so perfect eating size.

 

 

Back to Parsley Bay ramp by 11am to a horde of pelicans. There was at least a dozen surrounding the cleaning table. My brother was throwing guts and heads to them. He didn’t spot one that snuck up behind him… it preceded to try and grab a flatheads head out of his hand! Gave him a slight cut on his hand and an even bigger fright. They aren’t scared of people at all down there.

 

To boats, and the big story this week was the theft of Kurt W’s Predator, on Friday night:

 

 

Hi Andrew, would you be so kind as to mention in your Fishing report that Predator was stolen from Norman Avenue Thornleigh in the early hours of the morning Saturday the 28th September. The family is gutted. More than just a boat stolen. A stolen lifestyle. We don't hold much hope to recover but if you could include it we would greatly appreciate it. Kind regards Kurt

 

 

Hi Andrew, boat found 2:30 a.m. on the side of the road in a remote area west/southwest of Sydney. Not exactly sure where but my Brother in Law said he passed a couple huge scrap metal places on the way to pick it up. No damage and the only thing missing is a tool box. I suppose tools they can use on their next theft. We can only imagine they caught wind that there was a significant social media broadcast and got cold feet. We would all like to thank you for your support and assistance. Kind regards Kurt

 

Not at all champ, glad to be of help. Rob Graham saw this beauty and left his heart, in San Francisco:

 

 

Hi Andy, just got back from family trip to California. Headed from LA to San Francisco along the coastal road and stopped at a place called Pillar Point which has a harbour and decent boat ramp setup. Some nice boats coming in from 50nm out after a hot bite of albacore.

 

 

WOW look at that beautiful steep angle boat ramp. Carl has a question:

 

G'day Andy, just wondering if yourself or one of your readers could give me some advice. Just starting to look to upgrade from the old cruise craft 16,6 to something I can go out wider in. What is the ideal offshore trailer boat? Budget around 20k and not sure on size. Haven't done much fishing out wide so not real sure what is an appropriate size. Need to be able to manage it on and off the trailer myself that's all. I just keep seeing all your reports from Browns and the like and wish I could get out there. Would be looking to buy during the coming winter for next summer.

 

Good O Carl, let’s see what our readers come up with.  John Klapsis, what a dad:

 

Hi Andy, first of all I enjoy your updates. Thanks for all the time and effort you put into it.  I purchased my 3 month old son a present.

 

The true meaning of fatherhood, John. You better give it regular workouts until he’s ready to use it? North of the border and Nick scored a good one, out on the Reef:

 

 

Hey Andy, didn't go for the macks but did get onto this nice large mouth nannygai, 6.8kg cleaned and 83.5cm, would have gotten onto more but a boat was zeroing down on our spot, fastest anchor retrieval ever! Bloody spot stealers!  Close to my PB which is 86cm.

 

Seven kilos, that’s a beauty Nick. Andrew Turner had a similar idea:

 

 

A days fishing on a Reef North of Fraser Island this last weekend produced Tuskies, Hussar, Big Grassies, Red Emperor and Coral Trout plus a Stripey.

 

Mouth watering. Note there were three fishos aboard. Three weeks until the Sydney Adventure Show, at Eastern Creek.

 

 

I’ll be out there with Spiro from Bluebottle Fishing and will have the new 3.2m demo boat set up, having racked up some sea time downrigging with it by then. Stop by, if you’re out that way? For anyone interested in camping, boating or fishing, it’s a great show. Carl Dubois worked the freshwater:

 

 

G’day Andrew, last week I was fortunate enough to be in Gladstone for work and I managed to get out for a day chasing some Barra in some freshwater land-locked lagoons. Thankfully they came out to play and I landed my first Barramundi ever on a diving minnow lure, a Blooowin 140s. Absolutely chuffed! My mate Mark landed his first, too. Not huge fish (between 71-75 cms) but all up we landed 4 and dropped 5 (man they can jump) and they were all sent back to grow bigger and meaner for the next lucky angler. Loving the newsletter by the way.  So many talented anglers out there.

 

Yes there are mate, and you’re one of them. UK client Roy Gibson is a professional carp angler and fishing writer who’s just back from a trip to France:

 

Hi Andrew, just got back from a trip to France Carp fishing, caught six fish over 50lb biggest being 56lb 5oz , seven over 40lb, seven over 30lb & four over 20lb, attached a few pics & also one of a rig I use with great effect!

 

 

The old three kernel hair rig. Taking a note, Roy! Congrats on those giant fish too. Some big results from the Sydney deeps as good weather means easy access, to Browns Mountain. George, Ivan, and assorted members of Rooty Hill RSL Fishing Club booked a charter on Sunday:

 

 

G’day Andrew, just thought I’d send a few pix from our Browns trip last Sunday. Another beautiful day on the water, and there wasn't many boats, maybe 10 - 15 max. Managed some gemmies again and also trolling I had some fun with a few striped tuna. I had a few massive hook ups which had your 20W screaming but lost them when I locked up the drag, bad mistake. The water temp was around 22deg out wide, and we saw some dollies jumping on our way back but did not get a hook up.

 

 

Yep. Summer’s coming early this year but the gemfish are still swarming out wide. Harry from Nemo took a couple of our Tanacom Bull combos out to Browns last week. So pleased with how they went that he’s made a very generous offer:

 

Hi Andrew, rods and reels were great, if anyone needs a reference on those rods and reels give them my phone number.  We got some lovely sized gemmies. Thanks for all your help.  Best Regards Harry Miriklis

 

 

Fisheries Scientific Committee

 

The Committee comprises:

Dr Jane Williamson (Chair)

Dr Alan Millar (Deputy Chair)

Dr Philip Gibbs

Dr Donald Colgan

Dr Sandra Diamond

Assoc. Prof. Mark Lintermans

Dr Dean Gilligan

 

These are the people who recommend fishing bans on common species like Murray crayfish and silver perch – without consulting those affected. Before we take a look at the back story of this bunch let’s recall that, just this week, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confessed that their global warming estimates were way over:

 

 

First up, Jane Williamson - head of the NSW Fisheries Scientific Committee. When she's not recommending bans and closures? She's on the global warming gravy train - even though there's been virtually no warming, for 15 years. Check this scam out but - don't laugh. You're paying for it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind these wasted millions could be spent on real science – curing disease, or any one of society’s truly important problems. Instead Jane, Al and Phil are funded by taxpayer bucks to ‘prove’ global warming exists. That ‘proof ‘ is then used to waste money on a truly gigantic scale:

 

 

Andrew Hestelow

Managing Director