big Neil

Still exhilarating getting out to the deep and trying your luck Gordo. Every poor (result) day is a day closer to the next "ripper of a day" outing. I will look forward to reading about it. Cheers, bn

I guess one of the reasons that you and your mates had become such capable anglers was that you (collectively) took some calculated risks whilst fishing. RB was very fortunate in surviving the slide AND the freezing cold water. In true spirit you looked after him and luckily he was alright, but it must have been a real worry for you and John M. You certainly have a great memory for detail Waza, and a real talent for writing your adventures down, so that we may all enjoy reading them. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us. bn

It is indeed timely news that a decision may be made by the end of 2021. As the article states, it shouldn't transfer to any other species and the main consideration is how to deal with the extremely high number of dead Carp which should be produced. Nothing much new information in the article except the possibility of a decision actually being reached. Thanks for posting the article. bn

Thoughts are with you Stewy. Life is really tough when you lose a parent, even more so when you lose both in such a short space of time. You have a loving wife and I'm sure that you will work your way through this very difficult phase of your lives, together. You also have a de facto (Fishraider) family who will be thinking of you, too. I'm sure that you will have lots of fond memories to focus on, and time will permit you the opportunity to recover from the hurt. bn

Yep about 2 years ago the final decision came out that they weren't going to do it. Obviously there were too many undetermined risk factors and they erred on the side of caution. Hope you're keeping well. Look forward to catching up if I can get back to Sydney sometime. Cheers, bn

What a great report Jon. You are a true gent getting out there to save somebody in serious distress. You are obviously a very proficient mariner who knows the absolute capabilities of his vessel. Amazing photos (as always), good onya Jon. bn

Looks like it does the job really well. Can be a tricky knot to tie sometimes. Well done. bn

Good one Dave. They all look pretty healthy. Great putting your worms to good use. Keep trying the lures, only a matter of time I reckon. Keep safe mate. bn

I seriously doubt that Northern Pike would thrive in the much warmer waters of our inland rivers. Leave 'em where they are! For me, I'm going to keep plodding on with my own little eradication programme and having fun at the same time. QED bn

To the best of my knowledge Northern Pike have never been introduced into Australian freshwater waterways. They are an apex predator (like Murray Cod). Maybe their introduction could be seen as a benefit, maybe not? I'd be interested in the thoughts of others on that particular topic. They certainly would be great fun to target and catch, not sure of the impact on the native Australian species though. Comments please? bn

Haha first Greenie on Fishraider. I think most of us are Greenies when it comes to working within the rules which aim to maintain our hobby (and passion) for the future. I absolutely agree with you about Carp as a great learning capability for (newer) anglers. Often they can be easily hooked but they certainly give a good account of themselves, particularly in snaggy areas. I treat Redfin a bit like Trout in that I like to eat them. Often at Burrinjuck you can get onto a school of them and have great fun. Question: Do you get Redfin in the Bidgee near where you are? Locals in the Narrandera - Darlington Point area reckon the Bidgee used to have good stocks of them. I have fished here for 20 yrs and never caught one in the River, I have caught them up to 40 cms in the irrigation channels though. What about Trout, are they in the upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee? Cheers, bn

I haven't tried Gluten Bob but will get some as my attack on Carp is just warming up. Will let you know how I go, thanks for the tip. bn

Yes Donna he's saved a fortune. I love soft plastics, how good they "swim" and , more importantly, how deadly effective they are. Good job Stewy. bn

What Pickles states is correct, reference the legality. I really dislike killing things unless they are going to provide a food source. However, Carp are an exception (to me) because studies have constantly referred to the BIOMASS of Carp in inland waterways as being around 80%. More simply stated they are in plague proportions. I really wish that every angler, every fishing club would make concerted efforts to targeting these species and (at least) try to reduce the ever increasing impact which they have on other species in the systems. I deliberately target them and am comfortable in my belief that every one which I take out of the system could produce hundreds of thousands of offspring in its lifetime. I just wish that other anglers felt the same. bn

Great little unit. Hurry up and get it ready, only a couple of months to go and you'll be on the water . bn