Monday 29th September 2014

Tackle specials and angling politics

from Downrigger Shop

Spring. The faster the weather warms up, the better the fishing gets. Mitch checks in:

 

 

Hey Andy, 12 Mile produced a few nice kings on those jigs I picked up on Friday. Thanks again! Losing a couple to jackets wasn’t so painful knowing they were so cheap. Legend.

 

You’re very welcome my friend, green jigs so hot at the moment. We found things tough last week because the kings preferred live bait to jigs. Show at the Nine Mile disappointed because when the bait’s evenly distributed it means no predators around:

 

 

Nonetheless we did manage to find a few - through sheer persistance:

 

 

Will Bazley got into them too. With his enthusiasm I’m predicting big things from his fishing career:

 

 

Hi Andy, last weekend we headed out to the Peak and caught this beautiful 75cm Kingfish,  believe it or not caught on a dead yakka.   It was a great day and we cooked it up on the bbq that night and fed the whole family.

 

Glad to hear the good news Will, we’ll be out for a rematch this week. Just by the way Bob Greenhill sent me a fascinating paper on reefs and seamounts off Sydney. Here’s the Peak, where you fished:

 

And here’s Browns Mountain:

 

 

Thanks Bob, really interesting. Lots of reports from remote destinations. Kevin Fitzsimmon’s story brings good memories. Gettin’ misty, remembering how we used to moor up at Hope Island off Cooktown in the late afternoon, cook some trout nuggets, and wash them down with Bundaberg liqueur. Then stretch out on the sand, light up a cigar, and watch the sun sink over Thornton’s Peak. Happy times:

 

Hi Andrew, went to Cooktown fishing and used the Jig Day rods bought from you.  Had a great week.

 

 

The cod were caught on one hook!  It seems the small one took the bait, was chased by the big one and expelled the bait through its gills – to be taken by the big one.  The little cod weighed a couple of kilos, anyone’s guess on the big one, but he made the Jig Day sit up and take notice, as did the long nosed emperor.

 

 

All in all, the Jig Day rods were fantastic.  Also, further tested the sebile knot – ended up with everyone wanting to use it.  Got to tie it in the wind and dark I tied it so often.

 

 

Excellent report. I’m seething with jealousy, Kev! Kim Ngov in Vanuatu. Some weather issues there, with good advice resulting:

 

 

Hey mate. Here are some pics from our trip to Vanuatu last month. Weather was crap. Blowing like crazy 1.5-2 meter swell.

We got a heap of dollies.

 

 

Some small yellow fin. Girlfriend caught a decent coral trout jigging.

 

 

Here are the pictures. Doggies were very hard going. Only taking short 100grams jig. We only had a few. We hooks up. But there are so many sharks with them. Lost heaps of jigs just to sharkings.

 

 

Anyone looking at going, I would advise booking a live aboard. Or at least book their bigger 32 footers. That thing goes anywhere. Our little 23 footer couldn't make the far seamounts in those seas.

 

Good recommendations and thanks for sending, Kim. Brad Gray working the South Pacific too:

 

G'day Andy Fiji was a blast arms got a work out GT fishing charters come up with the goods highly recommended if anyone is looking for a charter in Fiji

 

GT Charters, will keep that in mind. Closer to home and Glenn Crofts pleased with his nice red taken on our light combo:

 

Went 55cm on the light action rod 6lb braid. Pic was taken day after as we had to go from ocean to 4 year old party.

 

Excellent.  John Klapsis, Snapper Machine, tells us what works:

 

 

Batemans Bay 65m water depth. 15.5c water temp. All fish on 6lb braid and 8lb fluro leader. Lure was 6inch nuclear chicken Gulp with 1oz jig head. Got 13 in 3 hours. id like to promote my video if you can assist. Please view it 1st as it might conflict with products you sell. Cheers mate

 

 

 

All good champ and thanks for checking. Jamie Illistom happy with the light combo too. Now *this* is a solid estuary perch:

 

 

I finally christened that reel I bought off you a little while back. Wisemans ferry is firing. Flathead, EP's and bass broke in the reel with this 55cm model and this is a pic of Butch's EP

 

Steve stopped in for a couple of snapper combos and tried them out on the yak last week:

 

 

Hey Andrew, couldn't find the kings at Longy yesterday but plan b was snapper and found a couple to test the new combo.

Performed beautifully. Thanks again.

 

Nice one Steve! How you blokes land good fish on those tiny boats I’ll never know. And talking of boats, thanks to Cap’n Dan for sending pics of this amazing hull wrap. Arrrh:

 

 

Aye, and maybe she could give the gemfish thief at Browns a broadside or two:

 

 

Shiver me timbers, I do like the look of that poopdeck:

 

 

Matt Loraway reckons this graphic way better than the pirate ship’s, for Aussie conditions:

 

 

This is the wrap you need on your boat if you want to keep the gemfish stealing seals at bay at browns…watch them take off with the tails tucked

 

Maybe! But what would definitely work is the real thing, in an aquarium ready for quick release. Andrew Turner pleased with his new sounder set up. And why wouldn’t he be, that’s great deepwater resolution:

 

 

Andrew,  bit the bullet and bought split, mounted through the hull,  Airmar,  1 kw each, SS264W-20-50 kHz and  SS264W-20-200 kHz Transducers. Screenshots are from the 50 kHz Transducer on a Furuno 587. Somewhere off Moreton Island commonly known as the Coral Sea.

 

Good one, Andrew. Send the marks for that spot whenever you’re ready. J Glen Cadoo sends some silly and with the crazy week we’ve had a bit of light relief was never more welcome:

 

 

When fishing last night caught my first mangrove jack

 

He! Not so funny, actually kind of creepy, is a pic Mike Fitzgerald sent in late Sunday night:

 

 

Hey Andy , got a name for this. ???

 

Yes I have Mike but couldn’t use it in mixed company.

 

To tackle, and the typical summer run off Sydney is up to Longie chasing kingies first, then out a little wider to the FAD or trap buoys for some dolphin fish action. We’ve been looking for the perfect stick for both options and last week a new shipment of something ideal arrived.

These Daiwa Exceler 602MFB overheads are six feet long, ideal for casting a popper, smallish live bait, or micro jig.

Featherweight, at only 80 grams.

Rated to 17-pound line, so just respool your bass baitcaster and you’re ready to go.

Fuji guides.

They’re two piece, meaning we can mail them.

Best part, only $80 each.

If you’re interested don’t delay, because these won’t last long:

 

 

Dave reckons our GPS Tracker can locate a stolen boat. He’s right:

 

Andrew another boat stolen overnight in Perth. Can u copy and paste the GPS Tracker info from last weeks’ newsletter for me. I will place it on the fishwrecked forum for you. Tx Dave

 

 

 

 

Keith ordered three Trackers then told me why he needs to protect his trailer boat and caravan.

Here’s how a power failure shows up on my $39 non Internet keyboard Nokia:

 

 

 

Hi Andrew, thanks for that, I was interested to read that most boats are stolen by tow truck drivers on a wet and windy night. I can relate to that as we had an old site caravan stolen that way. It took me a while to figure it out, as it had a flat tyre and I thought that they couldn't tow it away. It cost me a carton of Coke to learn its whereabouts and the cost of the tow vehicle to get it back. Lesson learnt is that tray backs can pick it up and cart it off easily. Regards, Keith.

 

Good O Keith and let me know how they go? Sadly there’s still some blokes way behind when it comes to securing their pride and joy. With this one, orange cord goes through a system of pulleys to the owner’s big toe J :

 

 

 

To Politics, and here’s a radio rant from last year about the way western Sydney anglers get the shaft, as regards fishing license expenditure. Just wondering if any fishos in the Blacktown/Campbelltown/Penrith area want to fight for access to Prospect Dam? With the state election six months away, now’s the time to think about it:

 

 

To a bigger issue, and Dennis Donald from the Amateur Fisherman’s Association sent his insights on the problems associated with ICOLLs – Intermittently Closed (saltwater) Lakes and Lagoons. Here’s Old Bar (Foster NSW) closed due to heavy sand build up:

 

 

And here it is open to the sea:

 

 

The idea of letting ICOLLs manage themselves naturally doesn’t work anymore because of human intervention like flood mitigation, weirs, training walls and the like. Here’s Korogoro Creek, Hat Head – at low tide:

 

 

Back in the late 70s we would launch our Quintrex Fishfinder here through almost the whole tide range. But the flood mitigation gates further up the creek have caused a gigantic sand buildup at the mouth:

 

 

That’s not natural. You can’t modify a watercourse to its detriment and then demand nature take its course. Dennis writes:

 

the state and federal government have to become involved. Local councils do not have the funds to ensure that the routine and preventative maintenance is performed on ICOLL’s. I speaking with Kevin today from Wyong Shire Ratepayers & Residents Association he informed of various grants over the years which have been state and federal. Currently weed is being removed from Canton Beach in Tuggerah Lake via a state grant of $3 Million, and it is believed that this is just a band aid as the weed will re-grow quickly, hence the problem will reemerge.

 

I need to come up to speed on this important issue so, if anyone has anything to share please get in touch? And as I always say, keep the great stories and pics coming in. So many fishos enjoy this newsletter but that’s not due to any brilliance on my part. All the credit goes to the blokes generous enough to share what they’ve been doing, out on the water. Until next week,

 

Andrew Hestelow

Managing Director