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I'm with StGeorge Sportfishing. Fishing 1kg is a dying art and I suspect that the line class will be dicontinued. I have been pretty lucky and have won Sydney estuary comp 10 times, Nowra 7 and Narooma twice. Best flathead on 1kg are two at 97cm and 5.6kg. Age is starting to slow me down now and these 3 day comps are getting to be a challenge but looking forward to Sydney recommencing later this year. Good luck. Ron

I love fishing 1kg pretest but it's rarely done these days by anyone. I assume you are a fellow ANSA fisherman? Ron

I find hairtail one of the easiest fish to handle. No sharp fins or spines and no slime, just keep clear of their teeth. The trick is to grab them by the neck (?) Just behind the head and squeeze hard. They will convulse and whip their tail around a for a few seconds and thats it. They will be dead and no trouble to handle. Try it and let me know how you go. Ron

Some fish, particularly pelagics migrate north with the receding warm water. Some move offshore to deeper water while others such as john dory and hairtail move in toward the estuaries. The trick is to change your target fish to fit. Some of the best to chase are luderick, drummer, john dory, hairtail.if you know the spots, winter is big whiting time but my fave target in winter is squid. There is always flathead if you change your tactics to suit, as well as mulloway if you put in the time. Clearer water (if the rain ever stops) requires lighter lines and leaders and fish like flathead will bight less aggressively. Adjust and you will still find fun and a feed. Ron

I want to add that when spraying the inside go gently, dont spray heavily into the motor. Just a light spray and wipe it over with an oil damp rag to coat the surface. Ron

I have had some success by spraying all internal metal parts with Inox or similar lanplin sprays and replacing external screws with stainless ones. Rubber seals can also be beafed up with grease as well. Any holes such as plugs for 12v leads also need sealing. Like all equipment around salt water you need to wash and dry after use. Good luck. Ron

If you can wait that long, it's only a couple of months until the Sydney boat show. Sometimes there's good deals on offer but if your after 2nd hand you can still look and compare sizes and styles. If still contemplating a cuddy, get in one and you may be surprised at how much space you lose. Spend some time haunting boat ramps and chatting to people there asking questions about any boats you fancy. Winter is appon us which usually means there are a few 2nd hand bargains about. Good luck. Ron

I think with 4 in the boat your top limit of 5.5m is the go. I prefer runabout configuration with flat floor as it gives you more room to walk around as kids get bored pretty quickly if forced to sit all the time. Cuddies offer some protection but at the cost of space at sides to fish from. Bowriders are nice for family fun in sheltered waters but can leave those up front exposed should it get choppy. I went from a 4.5m Quintrex to one 5.6m and the space difference is amazing. Mine is a runabout with a high bimini with option of fitting front and side clears for protection should it rain. This optimises space and I have camped overnight with room for a couple of sleeping bags. Hard decision. Good luck. Ron

I would probably make a plug to fit inside tube to strengthen it and araldite it in place. You could still bind the outside and seal with rod finish or epoxy if you wanted to. If finish looks a bit dodgy you could also finish with heat shrink tube. Ron

I prefer FINNS braid but have used a cheep 8lb braid that comes to aldi once a year that seams ok. Ron

Rig up an underwater squid light and keep a squid jig suspended within the light. For me this often provides a suply of squid to livebait with the best bait you can get. Ron

I haven't been fishing for about 8 months due to health issues with my heart, Covid and lately, the lousy weather. Have been regularly starting my motor for the last 2 months in anticipation of getting out and as Easter loomed closer I was dreading the thought of not providing the family with fresh fish. Monday was looking good weather wise and I got myself prepared to go when a minor family issue stopped me once again from going as planned. All sorted by 9.30am when I thought bugger it, I'll go anyway and at least give the boat a run. Had the boat launched and car parked by 10am and was surprised to find plenty of parking fairly close to ramp. Headed out to Bate Bay and tried at 30 metres only to catch heaps of tiny bluespots. Out to 40 metres for same result so out again to 50 metres where I at last managed a few legals. Only managed 4 with 2 at 37cm a 40 and a 43 when I started to feel a bit crook. Very strange for me especially considering the lovely conditions. Decided to pull the plug and just be happy that I gave the boat a swim and caught enough for a feed but a bit disappointed as I usually bag out. Confident now all is well with the boat and keen to get out again and get a few fish. I was left contemplating how surprised I was about how tired I was after just 4 hours on the water. I know I'm out of condition after health issues and lack of exercise lately but surely I'm not getting old, I only hit 76 last week? Have to get fit so I can fish more often and enter a few comps. Sorry no pics. Ron

Foreshore reserve is place to park. Shop I mentioned is marked as cafe. Park fees are not entry fee but for parking within the park. The residential areas (villages) of Maianbar and Bundeena are not in the park so no need to pay parking fees. If gate is manned just tell ranger where you are going and they will wave you through. You can also drive right through park to Stanwell Tops and further south without paying as road is RMS controlled and fee only payable if you park within the park. Only thing to be wary of is the crossing at Woronora can be closed by floods and it's a long way to Maianbar via Waterfall. Ron

Maianbar flats are huge and easy to get to from car park in front of shop. Nippers are plentiful and getting them is fun for the kids. Whiting, flathead and bream are a possible. This is a village within the park so there is no nead to pay the park fees. I don't think there are nippers at Watamola and poddies are possible but difficult. Ron

Due to Covid, health issues and this damn rainy weather I haven't been fishing for a few months. Started getting gear and boat (5.6metre Quintrex) ready and started the motor a few times. Thought everything was going well when I noticed what I thought was a flat tyre, which on inspection turned out to be that my trailer was sinking into the mud that used to be my lawn. This is strange given that I had sunk a besser block at ground level to park on. Over the next few days it seamed to be sinking faster and you can see in photos that it is nearly down to springs. Waiting for break in the weather when I plan to put jack on planks and lift trailer up out of mud. I am thinking of backfilling with blue metal with the Besser block on top of this. I could just hook up my Colorado in 4x4 and pulling it out but I would probably just make a mess of my lawn. Other suggestions? Ron Apologies, couldn,t load photo will try again

You may have this already, but I believe that a good water separating fuel filter (with bowl and tap) is mandatory with underfloor tanks. I have never had any issues myself but I like to keep my tank full to minimise condensation. Ron

I'm surprised there was anything to catch up on under a jetski as they are pretty smooth underneath. When in a similar situation I find plunging tip into water and winding gives you more chance of keeping clear. Ron

From my (very poor) memory, all vessels have to reduce speed to 4knt if within 40metres of swimmers, fishers boats etc. If he picked up your line I imagine he must have been too close and too fast. It's that sort of behavior that got them banned from Sydney Harbor. Ron

Hi Noob. I have quite a few new rods and a couple of reels that have never been used that I won in competitions that I am thinking of selling. I noticed a couple of replies recommended the ABU Veritas series. I have one of these that I was going to sell at $50. Its new still with tags and 1-3kg but may be a bit short at 6ft 4in as I prefer something around 7ft. Don't know where you live but I'm near Engadine. Message me if interested. Ron

Winter in Sydney I fish for squid a lot with occasional forays for John Dory, Hairtail, Luderick and Drummer. I can nearly always scratch up enough flatties for a feed any time. Ron

I have caught mullet from poddies to well over a kilo using tiny cubes of chicken. I burley with bread and use a small white Styrofoam bobby cork which often attracts the mullet as they think it's bread. If they are up top I only suspend the hooks only 4 to 6 inches under the float. Good luck they can be fussy feeders. Ron

I agree with smobaby. Use wet and rinse after. If you do get anything a bit smelly, I find a few drops of Nilodour (available from supermarkets) in soapy water is best to remove smells. Brilliant for cleaning eskis and fridges etc to remove smells. Ron

Look on facebook to see if you have a local sale group. I sold my car on StGeorge buy swap and sell and you get the option of advertising on other groups. Some people like to deal with locals. I was going to put my Quintrex Lazeabout on ebay and printed the add and put it on Woolies buletin board and had a buyer phoning me before I got home. Selling stuff can be funny game. Make sure you get the payment in a safe way preferably cash and get id for big ticket items. Good luck . Ron

Hi Baz. Glad to hear your back on the water. I haven't had the boat in for about 4 months due to heart issues but getting everything ready to have a go. Can't wait. Ron

Its yakkas we are targeting so what I am talking about is tiny cubes not much more than one eighths of an inch just on the point and curve of the hook. Strips like you are talking about would just give them a feed.