big Neil

Great report of your record-breaking day fishing the freshwater. Top class photos to accompany the story too. Carp certainly give a very good account of themselves when the hook is set. Bet you can't wait to get back down there for some more of the action. Good to get a very healthy looking Bass too. bn

That's a quality Bream from any water mate, very well done. Welcome to the site Fobbie. I'll look forward to reading more of your fishing escapades. Cheers, bn

Yep this discussion has been around for a long time, in a lot of different forms, and basically, it boils down to the discussion about how long is a piece of string. We humans, who think we have all the answers to ALL the questions are insufficiently well-informed to know exactly how the feeding/defence processes of every fish species works. I use lures a lot but I would be crazy to buy a truck load of the same lure because I have reasonable success with it. It happens too and I start to think that one works better than another, but it's a trap. Some well respected guru says that this lure is the best thing since sliced bread, so many people buy it. The well respected guru gets some sort of kickback. As you mention though, the fish aren't aware of the role they are supposed to play in this scheme. Their basic needs are the same as ours...food and shelter, eat but don't get eaten. Fish, like humans, need a varied diet, so it would be absurd to think that one lure that mimics one food source is going to cut it every time. My opinion is that what works, at any given time, is the best lure on the market. But don't fall for the promise that it is the only option, 'cos it's not. Here endeth the first lesson from the BIG NEIL school of fishing myths and legends... signing off, bn

I'm not going to comment on the effectiveness of the dearer lure versus the cheaper option. I have always maintained that if you want to catch fish you must be prepared to lose some tackle, including expensive lures. HOWEVER, I can't really see that large Bream should be busting you off. I know that you can't use QE2 mooring rope for leader if you hope to hook up, but I don't think that you should be getting busted off by Bream that probably weigh less than 1.2kg. What size (breaking strain) line are you using and have you tried anything that is a bit more substantial? Are you connecting the line directly to the split ring or the tow point? I never tie leader directly to a split ring as they have sharp ends that can break your line. Better to remove them altogether unless you are using a swivel clip. Maybe you can get by with a little heavier leader and still get hook ups...and not end up with breaking off. Certainly, you can't keep re-mortgaging the house to buy these expensive lures, so have a good look at every other possible consideration involved in your losing lures. There may well be a simple explanation. Good luck with overcoming your dilemma. Good report and great photos... bn

None left. Absolutely delicious. Had any chance to get out fishing yourself? I may sneak out for a fish this week and could be tempted to keep one. We'll see .bn

Gee you did well Rob, an absolute cracker of a Lizard...some other good fish too. Very well done. bn

Lesson learned mate. Check your gear before you start fishing, cos the very first bite may be the fish of a lifetime...you never know. Sounds like you guys had a good time trying to outwit the fish and had some fun. I will look forward to reading your next report. bn

No Yowie. I have taken a few at times but they are such an iconic fish that I let them go to do their thing. When I have taken one for the table, they are very good to eat. Yellowbelly are the ones I usually take for the table. bn

You did well on the Trag Yowie and will have some tasty fish for a while, not that you're often short of some fish to eat. Do you have an opinion on the whereabouts of the Flatties? Not many reports of any good catches at the usual locations at present. Cheers, bn

Many thanks Zoran. The scenery is somewhat unique on the inland rivers. I have to say that I love it. We are fortunate (in Australia) to have so many diverse types of fishing to get into. I have been fortunate to have done quite a lot of different types. Hopefully catching a Mahi Mahi may eventuate some day. I have the opportunity to try it with Pickles but haven't been able to slot it in this Summer. Still many species on the bucket list but as long as I'm able to spend a bit of time fishing the Murrumbidgee, I should be able to maintain my sanity. Here are a few pics from the Murrumbidgee River that you may enjoy. Cheers, bn

Hi Zoran. You don't get out very often but when you do you usually have a worthwhile trip. Maybe not so good this one... especially when the Flathead had vanished. Beautiful looking fish the Mahi Mahi and excellent on the plate. I scored some recently courtesy of Hoods when I visited his part of the world (Taree area). What is an ideal water temp to have Mahi Mahi in good attendance? Cheers, bn

Yep. I went out for a bait fishing session yesterday and scored a few Cod and a Trout Cod but nothing close to legal size. I did manage to lose a truck load of terminal tackle. The river is absolutely full of snags at present. Cheers, bn

Looks like your day went to plan Tarik, plenty of Dollies and some large Blue Swimmers too. I had a look at your short videos too. What camera do you use? Cheers, bn

Thanks for your INFORMED opinion Mike. As a banal old fart, my major concern with all this Technology stuff is that we (the human race) are being de-humanised by the advent of Technology. Since its inception, I believe that we are seriously in danger of COMPLETELY losing one of the most essential of human traits. The ability to look at each other, to be able to FEEL and SEE the impact of the conversations we have with each other. This is one of the most basic of animal interactions that we have within our human psyche. How often do we misinterpret the text messages or the video where we have no access to body language? I guess that older people see the world of Technology in a much different light than younger people who have only known the Technological world. The older folk have experiences to draw comparisons to. Sure there are many benefits to be gained from the introduction of Technology, I am using one now. To me though, I would much prefer to be sitting across the table from the readers of this post and communicating how we used to. Pluses and minuses! bn

I have long held a desire to be able to take video footage of my fishing environment. I am blessed with the ability to fish in my perfect environment, chasing down native freshwater fish species. I have never been able to successfully edit video footage, no matter how hard I try. Do I need to? Maybe not. So I am going to give it a go. This is where you guys (non gender specific) come in. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Those who know me and those who have witnessed my technical struggles over many years will already know the following. I am an old guy who missed the Technology train when it visited my station many moons ago. I only learn things by being shown them and doing them repetitively and often. I have enough manuals to open a bookstore, all in pristine condition, as they have never been opened. I have been diagnosed with "thick as a plank syndrome"... a rare disorder that attaches itself to the elderly and renders them TECHNOLOGICALLY INEPT. So here is the issue. I would welcome input from fellow Raiders to help me achieve my goal of being able to produce some reasonable video footage of my fishing trips. I do not wish to edit the footage, unless I can overcome my inability to understand the processes involved. The camera equipment needs to be easy to use (turn on/off quickly) when required. The simpler, the better. Probably head strap mounted so that I can keep both hands free and know that it is operating. Reliable brand with the availability of spare batteries, SD cards, and easy to transfer images to my PC (something that causes me much grief). Affordable... I don't need a Rolls Royce to go to the shops, neither do I need a broken down push bike... So, if any of you would like to put forward some input, I would be grateful. Thankyou, bn

G'day Ryder. Good to see your comparative report of the two versions. Hard to believe that the reference (supposedly) is the same item. I guess that AI is (initially) created by a human, so it would be subjective, based on the initial input from the creator. If that is the case, how reliable is it anyway? Surely it merely superimposes the AI creator's presentation over your own. Is that a good thing? In my opinion, probably not, particularly if it purports to know better than you do. We humans are imperfect creatures and luckily all different from each other. We have got this far on the evolutionary journey, making mistakes and doing amazing things. Do we now need to hand over the reins to a riderless horse? Sure AI would have some benefit to humankind, but do we need it to replace humankind? Have we created a friend, a foe, or both? bn Had you continued Yowie you probably would have ended up with the same conclusion that I have with the new COW. The young engineering innovators of the present are working toward the premise of driverless vehicles. The modern COW is designed to know better than you, how to drive a car. The current range of COWs are merely test models, testing the waters, on the journey toward replacing yet another skill that we humans have perfected. Or have we? Maybe we are not capable of making such a call. Maybe we need AI to tell us what we are really capable of achieving, and what we are not. Information only: COW, in the report above, refers to my new car...COMPUTER ON WHEELS. bn

Probably best to be really cautious with most saltwater fish 'cos you don't really want to find out if you are more or less allergic to their toxins. I had a terrible reaction to being spiked by a humble Gurnard. Good post this cos not only do we get the fish identified, but we find out a lot about their habits. Keep up the good work people. bn

I've never fished for Spotties so thanks for the info re trolling for them. Always great to have some tasty fish in the freezer. Good luck with everything regarding the new arrivals, hope all goes well. Cheers, bn

I don't know of Carp clubs in Sydney. I live in the Riverina and take every opportunity to catch and despatch Carp when I am out fishing. They are in plague proportions in the Murray and Darling Rivers. I have recently started fly fishing for them and they put up a great fight on my 5/6 wt fly gear. I look forward to reading your reports in due course. bn

Very well done, some fine eating among that catch. Were you trolling or casting? bn

A well demonstrated (line saving) Uni knot Derek. Logical when analysed... a simple pull from the other direction. The FG demonstration knot without tension doesn't impress me as much. The whole purpose of the FG knot is that it can travel through the guides with minimal impact. I use it on all of my braid-to-leader applications, namely on my baitcast setups. Because the knot runs through the eyes of the rod easily, I have about a 5ft leader attached to the braid on my 5ft 6in or 6ft rods. This allows for the knot to never enter the reel. The FG knot is somewhat rigid and doesn't sit well on the reel spool, so best to keep it off the spool altogether. I can see the benefit of the FG knot being tied without tension is convenience... but feel much more comfortable tying it under tension. I don't think it a good practice to pull braided line wrapped around the bare hands as it can cut like a sharp knife. I have used, and do use Fastach swivels to allow for quick exchange of lures. I do NOT believe they are detrimental to the swimming action of most hard body lures. I don't use them for soft plastics or spinnerbaits though. Once again Derek, you have put together a very beneficial post that will prove invaluable to Fishraider members. Keep up the good work. bn

I know what you mean Frank. Very little relief from the baking sun whilst on the river so I didn't need rocking to sleep. Quite knackered...time for another sleep. Cheers mate. bn

It's a worthwhile experience that everyone should try to have if they can. One of the great things about fishing is the learning curve required to catch all the different species that location provides. We are blessed to have plenty of variety here in Australia. Let me know if you ever wish to give freshwater river fishing a go...it's different. bn

A couple of visitors from down South were visiting mate Luke for the weekend. We met up and headed to the river to fish an area we hadn't fished for a while, arriving just on dawn. Luke and I in one boat and the visitors in their ideal river boat. A beautiful set up with everything needed for chasing down native species. These guys (Ian and Mark) didn't need any help other than guiding them to the right area to do their stuff. I started off with surface lure and Luke with his trusty "Bardi Grub" lure. Not long after I get a strong boof on my surface lure, but the Cod failed to connect. Several casts back in the same region and it was clear that the Cod had no intention of making the same mistake, so Luke chucked his trusty lure in and the fish obliged. Conditions were ideal with a moderate flow and plenty of water to navigate the numerous stumps. Once the sun appeared over the treetops I started using my trusty red/black spinnerbait and hooked this nice Yella right next to the boat. Luke was next to hook up to a nice Cod going 67cms... ...and I got another Yella on a deep diving lure, again, right next to the boat. We moved from place to place chucking lures into the snags and got a few more Cod The Cod continued to play ball and we worked diligently to get a few more on board. The sun was starting to make its presence felt so we took time out to find some shade and a spot of bait fishing with cheese for bait. Probably got about 8 more Cod and a few good ones among them, including this mid 60s model ...and this chunky fella One of the "shady spots"... So that's how we went, but the visitors weren't outdone as they trolled lures slowly up their selected sections, preferring this to chucking lures into the snags. They too got among the mid 60s model Cod but got no Yellas. All up the 2 boats and 4 anglers fished for 10 hrs each for a total of about 20+ fish. Doesn't sound like a lot but in terms of Cod/Yella fishing this was a good result Thanks for reading, bn

Great report of a great capture Larkin... a couple of Bonito thrown in for good measure. Samson fish are related to Kingfish aren't they? Are they as good to eat? Cheers, bn