big Neil

Thankyou Dr Raymond Snapper. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. As you say living in the scrub is a great place to be. I love it. I have fished the Namoi quite a lot, though not recently. Plenty of Carp but also lots of Yellas and Murray Cod. Great fishing when the water has a good flow in it. Much drier country than the Riverina, where I now live. bn

Many thanks linewetter. I am an old person and it was a mammoth job learning how to compile a video with music...I am not very technology savvy. Anyway, I managed in the end. I am very pleased that it reminded you of your fishing in the USA. We are very fortunate to be living in a country with such diverse fishing opportunities. I like to fish saltwater but am most at home on my own doorstep fishing for native Australian freshwater species. The ambiance of being the only person on the river, at one with nature, is incredibly peaceful and relaxing. I love it. Would you like to put some posts up about your USA fishing experiences? I'm sure there would be Fishraiders who would be interested in your experiences. Cheers, bn

Welcome to the forum Speedy. Hope that you manage to find some like minded people who will join you for some fishing. There are plenty of members in and around Sydney so hopefully you will get to catch up with a few and enjoy some quality time on the water. Looking forward to reading your reports down the track. Cheers, bn

Howdy folks. Anybody on here got any info about fishing in Williamstown (Victoria)? I will be heading there for a few days on 21st April. Thought I may fish the wharf pylons with some light gear, any other suggestions? TIA, bn

Fried, though steamed will probably get their interest. bn

Still the best bait by a country mile are the Bardi Grubs. Alas, I can't get them any more as my knees are wrecked. Dim sims are the latest fad with some very nice Cod being caught on them. What next? bn

An excellent report. Some very nice fish caught, well done. Always somebody around to take the shine off the trip...thieving a...holes. Cheers, bn

Hi, md5. Send a PM to Pickles. He is full of good information on what to do and what to avoid. Excellent angler and a very helpful Fishraider too. I can offer you one piece of advice. If it looks even a little bit risky, don't do it. Good luck and keep safe. bn

Can't say I've ever tried Bonito but if they suit your palette go for it. Certainly fun to catch as they are like mini Tuna with their fast runs. Good sized Flatties for the plate too Scooter. Tight lines, bn

A good read Mike. As you say a lot happening for one fish but isn't that what makes fishing so addictive? Very good that you got the preciously gifted lure back to continue its good deeds. You never have much time for fishing but always manage to create small windows of interesting reports. I, for one, enjoy reading them. Tight lines, bn

Good to hear from you Jani. Hope the new season is very good for you and the family. I will look forward to reading your reports. Tight lines. bn

Good thinking 99. bn

Great report of a memorable trip out for you and Dad. Looks like everything fell into place for you both and especially Dad with a PB. Lovely getting out early and enjoying the experience before the city wakes up. A very clear photo of the catch, trust you enjoy the feast. Cheers, bn

Cautious of course, I'm not uncouth LOL bn

ROUND TWO. Over 4 hours on the river for James and I today, and not a sausage. Not even a nibble on the franks, except for the odd couple I had while James wasn't looking. Not much of a report but a report, none the less. Cheers people, bn

I had a visit from fishing mad grandchild and his Mum...also a keen angler who had never caught a Murray Cod. We headed off to the 'Bidgee at Narrandera with the boat... armed with cheese, worms, cocktail franks, chicken breast, and a few shrimps. Daughter Debbie had (apparently) never caught a Murray Cod, James had caught a few small ones in the Macquarie River. I tackled everybody up and we set about seeing which of the baits would work. James caught a very small Cod on worms and I followed by getting an almost legal Cod on the cocktail franks. Debbie was next to score and after 4 hrs of fishing she got 2 nice Cod on the cocktail franks. That put her in the lead and she was rubbing it in that the boys couldn't catch as many fish as she did. Alas, that was true UNTIL James's rod doubled over. He confidently brought the Cod to the boat where I had the waiting net. 62cms of very healthy Murray Cod hit the deck. Debbie managed to capture the excitement on her phone...see video below The score card for the day read James 2, Debbie 2, bn 1. I'm not going to live this one down for a while. So that was today's outing. Tomorrow James and I will head off for another episode...report to follow. Thanks for reading this report. bn James catching Cod.mp4

A pleasing "mixed bag" of stories there Mike. Always great to catch up with other Raiders for a fish together. The story of the guy hooking the Kingie is a fairly common occurrence in the harbour region. They are a bit like the street hoodlums just cruising round looking for an opportunity. I guess most anglers that encounter them are not prepared for the fight as they are targeting other species. A good report. Cheers, bn

Try Manly Dam with earthworms or bread. You may be pleasantly surprised and catch any number of species, including Carp. Good luck, bn

You don't hear of them being caught from the beach so I think it's a rare occurrence indeed. Well done and good to see the new reel handling the job well. Cheers, bn

Great report that reminded me of the capture of my massive Flathead at Port Welshpool in Gippsland, Victoria. My Father in law and I got onto this spot where a huge number of Flathead were actively swarming around this larger fish. With the aid of good visibility we could make out the movement of the fish as they took our bait. We pulled up heaps of Flathead to about 50cms before I hooked the big girl. We got plenty for a feed and she went back to produce more little Flatties. A great day on the water. bn

Great advice in the post from corro. How we use soft plastics is the secret. As corro says, the longer in the water the more likely to hook up. Think about what's happening under the water. If you can get your sp to represent a sick or wounded food source, fish will readily take it (an easy meal). Even stopping the retrieve altogether and letting the sp sit on the bottom works. Explore, experiment, and do things differently. Soft plastics are great so keep at it and you will have success. bn

What a heartwarming tale...brilliant. You really have grown in confidence when you can ask your partner to accompany you on a fishing trip and confidently boast that YOU will catch a fish. Moreover, you have become so capable that you showed your partner how to do it, and it worked. Nice to have friends who will go fishing with you, and even better to have your partner go with you. Your posts are really interesting to me as they reflect the journey that you have travelled learning to fish. It's a long time since I learned to fish as a beginner, still learning today, though not the basics. Keep up the good work and posting your results. I didn't know you would catch Whiting on bread...we live and learn. bn

Many thanks for your very comprehensive reply linewetter. I shall take all you have cited onboard and give it a go. Be nice to hook into a few Bream similar to the ones you scored. Will add the Action 4 to my research list to look into. Cheers, bn

I haven't got a proper "Men's shed" Frank and you know what my shed is. My pottery studio with the great sign that you made me adorning the door. "BIG NEIL'S POTTERY". Like other people's sheds, mine provides me with a wonderful range of experiences as I transform the pieces of clay into functional pottery items. But it's more than that, too. We all look forward to finishing our routine 50+ years of regular working. But you can't just stop working and do nothing. Apart from the commonality of us all going fishing, we still need to keep busy. I love my hobby and am lucky to have a "men's shed" where I can relax, dream, listen to music, and lose myself in the ambiance of the pottery making process. Never being one to miss an opportunity to show my creations off, here are a few recent pieces. Cheers, bn

Good report Ryder. That table would know some stories if it were animated. Great that it should end up at the Powerhouse, hopefully they will be able to provide some ongoing interest to their public. Cheers, bn