spizza

Nice work mate...they are special off the suds. S.

I've got 14 on last count....lol. Even better, you need to start a surf rod collection (low) to marry them . S.

A lot of reels will come and go, but your Alvey will still be there for many years. Nice work on the bronzie. Spizza.

Hi buddy, Some feedback below, I own a couple of the 'C' series...650 / 700. 1. You don't need to go too heavy on the beach for sharks of that range...Something like Tortue or Platypus Lo-Stretch 15kg will do the job. Beef up your leader to 60/80lb. 2. As with all Alvey rigs, make sure you have a swivel before the rest of your rig (60/80lb). I use a running star sinker (up to 115g), and snooded 8/0's. Don't need wire, but be prepared to lose some rigs with mono. With a 'C' style drag system, you balance the drag setting as required with the tip of your index finger as needed. The good thing with an Alvey is that you can always switch off the drag and use the 1:1 ratio, palming with your hand for drag. To get really familiar with it, just keep going out there and using the reel. Practise in daytime too and even go to a park and practise there. Bronzies are around at the moment too...look for a late high tide (e.g. anywhere from 8 to 11p.m.) and full moons are good too. May - April see's a big run if whalers on the beaches. Butterflied baits are good, as is Squid too...the fresher the better. Whaler's initial strikes are good, and usually they'll leap out of the air when hooked, so that's a dead giveaway there's a whaler on the other side of your rig....they usually run along the beach with fast head shakes, but are easily subdued if you take your time. S.

Hang on to your Butterworth mate, they are great rods built to last...Jarvis Walker bought the rights to the Butterworth name in the 80's, and started releasing a range of butterworth (graphite, hollowglass). Len Butterworth partnered up with Dick Snyder in the 70's and rolled quite a few top notch blanks, such as Snyderglas which was another legendary range of blanks...I've got quite a few and love them to bits.

Can be a tough little spot, but always has nice gutters. S.

Try an arvo high session a couple of hours before a dusk high tide....unless you are up in the pre-dawn hours, tailor will usually show right before and after dark sets in. The choppers don't usually hang around long but the larger stray large Tailor will lurk well into the late hours...Salmon should be thick up your way now.

They beaches were good for whiting, Salmon, Tailor (XL) and Sharks (bronzies) a couple of weeks ago, although things have gone quiet after the big seas...there's a lot of run in the water at the moment and lot's of surge....big breakers out the back and good water sitting just out of reach... S.

That's a good set up mate, just look for a nice gutter, and with that rig you should pick up a Tailor, Salmon, dart or bream......things have been a little quiet of the beaches though. Good luck. S.

Great report mate. I love Noosa, have been going up there to visit my bro-in-law the last 3 years....I still haven't figured out the river system, but each time I go I'm learning more about the area....hanging to do a surf fish off one of the local beaches too. I went landbased down along the river near hastings st last November and got killed by sandflies! For the next 5 days I looked like I had the measles or mumps lol....lesson learnt about fishing the river after some rain....

The problem is, it seems this move was also supported by various rec fishing groups. Whether we like it or not, Salmon are seen as an absolute scourge by many rec fisho's up north, and they would actually be rejoicing at this news. For those of us like me who see Salmon as an iconic sportsfish, we lose out big time. For those rec fisho's who see Salmon as a scourge who steal baits intended for their 'bread and butter' fish, this is good news. When I was up at the far north coast in Sept this year, the folk in some tackle stores were bemoaning and cursing the large presence of salmon in the area....kinda ironic given all the kids I saw down at the rockwalls were having a lot of fun hooking up with the Salmon & have a guess where they were buying their bait from...!?

No doubt the fishing inside Pittwater can be tough...I go out there in my yak quite a bit and pick up most of my keeper fish on the troll, or chasing surface bust ups...there's been more dud trips than memorable ones...I'd imagine the heavy commercial fishing has given the place a hammering since they were moved out of the harbour.

Damn shame, just when it was becoming enjoyable going out on the beaches and estuaries in winter and getting into some awesome sportsfishing action....let's see, lot's of Kingies around lately....what's next do you think? S.

The choppers should be in better numbers off the surf in the next few weeks, though I wish they were indeed in the Fraser size calibre...we seem to get a smaller run of fish in good numbers, with the occasional beast here and there...

That's a summary of my trip last month Dicko, hanging with the inlaws at Bangalow (first trip, nice place), whilst driving over to Brunswick Heads / Byron every day I was up there....

Saw a pic of a stunning 1.4kg bream caught there this weekend on a lure....I fished it for a donut 2 weeks ago, I went land based, but I reckon I should have taken my kayak instead. It can be full of surprises that lake...

Stockton Beach I reckon.

Yeah, the wind was really up when I was there, and unfortunately I couldn't fish the beaches, which was my aim when I was there...about 200m of whitewash...I spoke with the old salt at the local tackle shop and the river had lot's a salmon in there start of the month...the mouth of the rockwall would have to be a gun big jew spot in the right conditions....

Hi mate, I was up there too earlier this month. The bar was raging when I was there and it is notorious from what people have told me...I actually fished the wall but didn't do too well...saw a guy land a school jew on the Nth wall.....it's an awesome place. The river looks great. I will go up there again sometime... Here's the bar on the day I was there....

Brillant stuff, lovely yak too. Cheers, S.

Here's my take on the situation: 1) the baitfish move on from the gutters this time of year, so do the fish that usually frequent the gutters 2) the salmon have eaten all the bait 3) the salmon have eaten all the bait and the other fish, so they move on 4) a variation of 2) & 3). S.

Indeed, my last two sessions off the surf where the same as yours, not a single touch. I keep diaries of my trips and there's a definite pattern emerging. Prettty much shuts right down at times this time of year.

The fishing can quiten down if not almost shut right down on the beaches this time of year on the Nth side. I always find this month and next very tough off the beach. Once reports surface off big salmon schools working the headlands (boiling up), I've found a clear correlation with the deathly silence of salmon off the surf over the last few years. It's like they are totally concentrated on moving in big schools (headlands, harbour, estuaries) zoned in on a particular bait source away from the beaches.

Outstanding catch...that Bonny is a horse and nice work on the gummy too. Cheers, Spizza