Thursday 04 October 2012

Tackle specials and angling politics

from Downrigger Shop

G’day lads,

 

Gemfish spawning season is coming to a close off Sydney, meaning the females head south for summer. But the males are still there, and if you know what you’re doing, you can get your bag limit no problem at all. Bruce R fished Browns Mountain on Monday:

With the wind forecast looking good we headed to Browns on the Monday of the long weekend to drop the bottom. This was my second use of the Electric and the first trip for the rest of my family with it.

Our first drop drew blanks, but once we found the fish virtually each drop was a hook up. We all got amongst them and finished with 5 Gemmies and 1 nice Blue Eye for eldest son James. Chunks of Striped Tuna worked a treat again as the bait. Different to the last trip there seemed to be more smaller Gemmies than a few weeks ago. Didn't spot any sharks.

There are plenty of Striped Tuna in close to the coast off Port Hacking. We had a couple of failed attempts to land them on 1kg mono - we'll come back to them in the weeks ahead.

 

Nice work Bruce and glad to see the big electric is delivering the goods for you.

Eddie I scored one 70 kilo mako there, on the same day. Going on what happened this time last year, there should be some big hapuka turning up soon. Thanks for the tip on the skipjack too, spinning for those off Bondi in October is something I try never to miss. George managed a run to Browns Mountain too, and found deepwater tasties in good numbers:

Hi Andrew went out to Browns Sunday 23 and got a real workout in the deep but it was well worth it.

We bagged out on gemmies and also pulled up a couple of nice blue eyes. Weather great, seas were calm.

Congratulations George, although just looking at those big old deck winches is giving me shoulder twinges. Mate we have got to get you into the 21st century, with a nice Tanacom setup.

J Rod sent in some old gold:

 

Andy, One from the old days. Coral with a decent Skate that she caught in Westernport Bay Vic. The old 303 was always used to hit big sharks a split second before the gaff struck home. A flap off this skate was used to catch a 10 ft shark later that night. A battle which lasted 3 3/4 hrs on 30 lb.

 

Sensational! Is that a star post in the background, being used as a cleat? You really are a throwback, Rodda. Maybe I am too because as I recall, a rifle on the boat used to be really handy, back in the 70s. When things were quiet Joe would blaze away at the shark balloons with his M1 carbine. Considering he was firing from the flybridge on a 23-foot Huntsman, deckies Grant and myself were permanently on the alert!

Our man on the spot at Jervis Bay, Dave T, sent in two helpful reports over the long weekend:

Hi Andrew, the long weekend ended on a good note for most fishos with snapper, trevally, flathead, luderick and squid coming in. The luderick were caught on weed brought down from Kelso Park in Liverpool by a couple of very keen luderick fishermen that come down here quite often and have their special spots in Currumbene Creek.

 

 

 Phillip, pictured, was very pleased with his snapper caught just east of Pt Perp?? Regards from JB, Dave and Kate

 

‘Caught just east of Point Perp.’ Narrow it down why don’t you, Dave? J Thanks for the report, champ.

Young Nick stopped by for some tackle and was kind enough to send some feedback:

Hey Andy, Me and Dad arrived at Balmoral around 6 this morning with a reasonably high tide . Yakkas were not very common but did manage a few. Around 6.30 my new Exceler 4500 I bought from you a couple of weeks ago went screaming off and after a few tangles and hand-lining up popped a baby salmon . The new gear casts like a dream and I'm excited to get jigging with it

 

 

Glad it’s working for you Nick, and thanks for letting me know. Daiwa 4500T combo still only $325, I was using mine yesterday and it’s such a good setup:

Eric R nailed a Barrenjoey Mulloway AKA Port Jackson shark, on the long weekend:

 

 

Hi Andrew, caught this Port Jackson shark off Barrenjoey yesterday with your Gemfish rig that you made me. It took 2 of us and a lot of pulling to extract that circle hook . The PJ is such a gentle creature. Happy to see it swim away with a bit of a tooth ache and a belly full of my bait fish.  Cheers, Eric

 

 

Good on you Eric you’re a gentle creature too, to release that PJ so carefully.

Keep up the reports I had some fun at Melville Island a few weeks back fishing the creeks and mud crabs galore. It is still a fisher’s & croc paradise up there. Regards Hal

Nice Tiwi barra, Hal! While we’re still down Memory Lane here’s my little cookie cutter with her first. Bathurst Island, circa 1988:

We got engaged, that trip. Our hands brushed together, while simultaneously reaching for a Nilsmaster Spearhead, and I knew she was the girl for me.

 J Talking of family matters, Ultimate Family Man Glen C from Brisbane (who sent in those sensational pics of a giant cobia, caught off the beach) has been at it again. He went to Moreton Island last Thursday:

Hi Andrew, some pickies of my daughter's King. Took both girls over to the inside (of Moreton Island) for a fish on Thursday evening.  It was on the inside of Moreton Island on Curtin Reef. My youngest, Aleisha, thought she would show me how to do it. Thanks Glen

 

 

Mate, what is it with your offspring and these whopper Moreton kings and cobes? I’m putting it down to good genes. PS is that a Jarvis Walker ‘Mundoo’ Aleisha’s using? Because if it is, BE STILL, MY BEATING HEART.

Dave sends in a sad pic of yet another ‘cartopper’ incident:

 

 

Why anyone would overload a smallish Jeep with such a huge and heavy glass boat, for trailering on a dirt road, is beyond me. But since I once had two prangs in one day, perhaps I shouldn’t be commenting.

Stan from Wooli Charters has had a sensational winter of snapper fishing in productive grounds offshore. Check these out:

Hi Andrew Just a few more photos to get your mouth watering.

The cobia is over 30kg.

 

Blimey, look at the tail wrist on that beast. Stan, keep em coming, and send an update on whether you’re negatively affected by the new boundaries at North Solitary, if you will?

Mick T from WA came east to visit family and friends and stopped by the Lady Denman Pool at Huskisson. He’s a skilled photographer who produces great images, this one is a true classic. Two flatties, eyeing off a quacker:

 

What a great pic and thanks for sending, Mick.

Dave R sent a kind invitation to fish aboard his Spearfish 6.5m centre cab:

I have attached some pics of my boat, you are welcome aboard anytime...always have room for extra crew just call me.

 

Much appreciated Dave and I’ll be taking you up on that kind offer, since as of yesterday the Carolyn Jane is at Port Stephens for the next seven weeks. I have so many happy memories of the place, it’s hard to stay away:

We’ll be at the Tinny & Tackle show at Eastern Creek from Friday 12th October until Sunday 14th October, inclusive:

If you’re visiting, please drop by and say hello? We’ll have our tackle there, but also something new I’ve been looking at.

 

What got me motivated was fishing for hairtail in Cowan Creek this winter, mostly on friends’ boats.

The first issue was their concern about leaving deck lights on and possibly running down the boat batteries - to the point where the outboard might not start, when it was time to leave.

The other issue was getting back to the boat ramp in pitch black darkness without hitting any of the rocky points or even other boats, some of which have no lights(!)

So when one of our suppliers came up with a great new portable rechargeable LED combo lantern and spotlight, I was very interested indeed.

After testing and finding out it worked brilliantly, we decided to add it to the line up.

You can operate it like an Eveready Dolphin underhand, as a spotlight, or as a lantern:

Lantern light lasts 8 hours and  Price on this light, including 240 volt charger, is just $29.00. Great piece of gear, here’s our draft pamphlet. It’s not just for fishing or boating, this light’s great for camping, as a work light or trouble light, in the car:

We also have a plastic lockable tool box:

ideal for storing your safety gear, on the boat:

Or as a reel box, to keep them dry:

Ammo box:

To politics, and NSW Fishing Monthly correspondent Greg Clarke writes in the October issue, about proposed compulsory life jackets for rock fishing:

Interesting take on things and I’m keen to hear what our readers think. NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann attended the NSW inquiry into Land Use Management on Thursday, standing in for her fellow Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham. At lunchtime, she Tweeted nasty comments about witnesses appearing before the Inquiry. Totally unprofessional, and totally typical:

NSW Fisheries prosecuted a habitual abalone poacher. This week, the Court handed down a heavy sentence on the bloke:

 

 

For persistent pro-green bias the Macleay Argus newspaper takes the cake. Based in Kempsey, NSW, the paper is distributed around Kempsey, South West Rocks, and Hat Head – an area the greenies are determined to close to fishing, citing unscientific agenda-based research on grey nurse sharks as the reason. Chris from Community Acccess for Fish Rock writes:

 

You may have seen this story in last Friday's Argus. This is how it appears online.

 

http://www.macleayargus.com.au/story/364565/environmental-groups-to-keep-watch-on-fishers/?cs=1526

 

If you are reading this you have the capability to comment. Let them know what you think....!!!!!  NO...!!!!!!!  LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY THINK..!!!

 

I put a post up Chris, but the Argus never uploaded it to the page.  Les has a local update:

 

 

CAFR ( Community Action for Fish Rock ) held a meeting at South West Rocks Country Club on 26th Sept. to discuss new fishing and diving rules at Grey Nurse aggregation sites and critical habitat zones. The meeting was well attended by stakeholders from local business, professional and recreational fishing groups and concerned residents from The Macleay Valley, Coffs Harbour, Urunga, Nambucca and Port Macquarie.

 

It should be remembered that this started off as a local Fish Rock issue and CAFR was formed by locals to work for the local community at large to fight against unnecessary fishing restrictions in this area.  The fact that the grey nurse issue has expanded to include the whole state has not altered the focus of CAFR to obtain the right result for our local area.

 

The Director and Manager of DPI Fisheries Mr Talbot and Gallagher were invited to explain their reasons for advising the introduction of these new rules but they declined to attend. All items contained in the Minister's announcement were discussed especially the no surface bait issue and we came away from the meeting with three unanimous resolutions.

 

1. CAFR is to continue to lobby against unnecessary fishing restrictions at GNS zones particularly at Fish Rock. Also with regard to the 200 zone at Green Island taking in part of the mainland coastline, for the Minister to review and amend this as soon as possible.

 

2. To call on the Minister to come to the Macleay and meet with representatives of stakeholders and peak bodies to discuss our concerns and to visit Fish Rock to personally assess the issues.

 

3. To strengthen the scuba divers’ code of conduct addressing the following issues:

 

a) That there is to be no more than 10 divers within 200 metres of GNS sites.

b) The failure to address flash photography.

c) The failure to address human impact on the GNS.

Once again we would like to thank our members and sponsors for their support and input.

Chris Wallis 0427686015

Les Palmer 0427674354

'CAFR' Community Action for Fish Rock

 

 That’s it. Taking charge of the agenda, not leaving the initiative to the greenies. And, asking the obvious question.

 

If the greenies are so worried about grey nurse welfare, why won’t they address the dozens (or hundreds) of divers, passing through the shark cave every long weekend?

 

What I admire about you blokes is the way you take the fight up to the greenies. As to Bill Talbot, he’s pretty tough when deciding whether to fine someone who’s caught a Watson’s bonito in the declared bait grounds, at Cabbage Tree Island. But when he has to front the people whose lives he’s made so difficult, he wimps out. Good on you Les Chris and Maurie, if there’s anything I can do to support you just let me know. Until next week, thanks to our readers and contributors from the bottom of my heart and please – keep all these fascinating stories and pics coming in! Until next week,

 

Andrew Hestelow

Managing Director