big Neil

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

They all look good Hilly. bn

You're on a bit of a roll Bob and Steve...squid, Bass and Jewies is successive outings. No risk of You guys going hungry. Keep up the good work. bn

Another successful day on the water Bob. I know that you like to get offshore but you still manage to catch fish and squid regularly while you wait for the weather to come good. Some very nice, healthy Bass pictured. Cheers, bn

Great report Bob. You always do well when you fish with Steve. Lucky I wasn't there to jinx the session. Good result for the Harbour, both squid and Kingfish. I assume that Rosie showed those Mexicans how a good dog works. So from the rod tip...line to a small sinker then swivel. Line from swivel to dropper knot with a squid jig, then through to another squid jig on the end of the line. Is that right? Hi to Steve, cheers, bn

That's one of the things that I like about fishing...plenty of diverse locations to go to, each presenting its own challenges to the angler. Different views, wildlife, and target species. bn

A good wrap up of your fishing adventures Hilly. I have hardly been out as it is too hot after about 9am, not 100% at present either. Went to check out a boat ramp last week and spent a few hours under the shade of 1 big gum tree. 1 Cod which would have been a keeper but couldn't be bothered so put it back in. The ramp is a disaster with about 7m of hardened mud between the end of the concrete and the water. Can't wait till the weather cools down a bit here, been very oppressively hot. Excellent photos too. Good luck for your March assault on the Cod. bn

Thanks very much Frank. I love it here. Took me ages to do the "video" and I wasn't sure if it would work on here. Neil

Don't book any accommodation, I have 4 spare bedrooms. Just let me know when. bn

Experimental: While sorting out some files on the PC I came across this old video that I created many moons ago. It may be of interest to people who have never fished an inland river system or wondered where the water for irrigation farming comes from. The water for irrigating the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) comes from the Great Divide mountain range via 2 storage dams...Burrinjuck Dam and Blowering Dam. The Murrumbidgee River flows Westerly from there and feeds a series of man-made irrigation channels which in turn feed the farmland of the MIA. The Bidgee, as it is commonly known flows into the Murray River near to Wentworth and ends up supplying water to Victoria and South Australia. Fish species found in the system include Murray Cod, Trout Cod, Golden and Silver Perch, and Redfin. Carp are also present in abundance. There are also freshwater shrimp, Yabbies and Murray Crayfish which are all part of the food chain. Hope it is of interest to some of the Fishraider community. bn Fishing the Murrumbidgee River_0.mp4

You need a shorter Fishraider name or somebody needs to tell me how to do that @ thingo that everybody else uses. You have a very eloquent style of report writing, that I enjoyed reading. "casting an ethereal glow upon its surface"... poetic. Good luck with yours and Brenden's fishing mate. Please continue with the unique writing style that you use, it's excellent in creating a mental image of you guys enjoying your fishing. Cheers, bn

WOW! What a top report mate. A massive Bream that is probably older than you are. Brilliantly described in detail... as you say a fish you won't forget in a long time. Keep up the good work, no telling what's around the corner. Cheers, bn

Sydney Harbour is a big place and there would be lots of areas where you would be ok with your tinnie. However, the further you go from the boat ramp the more risk of being stranded should you have something go wrong. I would suggest heading out with a companion and investing in a pair of paddles as an absolute minimum. Hopefully, some other Fishraiders will offer their opinion. Good luck and welcome to the forum. bn

Sounds more like an account of a month's fishing than a day's fishing. I wish I had 10% of the energy that you guys have. I would have needed a nap after chucking the boomerangs around...although I most likely would have headed straight to the hospital for shoulder surgery (lol). Your account of the days' proceedings was an excellent read, accompanied by related photos. Keep up the good work and we will all look forward to reading some more of your fishing experiences down the track. Well done Derek too. Just shows how much expertise you have that you can pre-plan a day like that and have a successful outcome. bn