Jiggy

When rock fishing you need to remember that every rock platform is dangerous. You may be fishing a ledge 10 metres above the water and still have a risk of a wave climbing that high. Rare maybe but I've seen it happen on days where it was considered safe to fish. If the rocks are wet, and it isn't raining, then waves are getting there. Wear the right footwear, wear an inflatable pfd, observe where you plan to fish for at least half an hour. Don't fish alone. If you don't like the looks of it go somewhere else. Or home. No fish is worth your life or that of a mate. Cheers Rob

Apparently they are pretty common off the far south coast beaches at certain times of the year. Say Batemans Bay and beyond. I've spoken to a couple of guys at Merimbula (Victorians) who target them in the area and do well off the beaches, or so they claim. When I've been down there in the autumn I've seen plenty being cleaned that we caught off shore, so they are there.

I hope this is OK to post. There is a couple of clips on YouTube where they chase snapper and longtails from Coffs beaches. This is one where they target longtails and get a few:

Just a thought on this for you. There is a charter operator in Coffs that does drone beach fishing targeting pelagics and snapper. And from what I've seen on Youtube he does well. Big snapper and longtails, I wouldn't be surprised if mackerel are also caught. Going on one of his charters could teach you a lot about targeting big fish, from the beach, using drones. To me it's a much safer option than the rocks and also it also seems productive. Cheers Rob

Cabbage weed, I've plenty of blackfish using this. Mostly used off the rocks and breakwalls where it grows, but river fish will often take it. But sometimes they won't, because they can be fussy buggers at times in the rivers. Cheers Rob

I watch a few US YouTube fishing channels and these have been released into much of the US east coast. An invasive species but all agree that they fight like demons and taste great. That looks like a great trip! Well done. Cheers Rob

A little off topic, but the Banks used to be one of the prime yellowfin grounds back in the day when we had an inshore run of them. Great catch too well done.

In all fairness he might be like me. I can have all the parts and tools and still wouldn't have a clue what to do. Putting in petrol and pumping up the tyres is about all I can do. Yeah I'm useless, but I can cook and clean like no one else! Cheers Rob

Yes that will put fish off, but these buggers were like that from the get go, before any were hooked. I thinks it's something they've learned watching other fish get caught, or being caught and escaped/released themselves. But I could be wrong. Cheers Rob

I've experienced on a number of occasions well educated bream that would not play the game. Years ago I was at South West Rocks, and trying to catch some herring for bait in back creek, when a local commercial operator pulled in and started cleaning his catch. Jewies, decent sized and plenty of them. Anyway as soon as the guts hit the water bream came screaming in to feed, many of them big with some huge. So I pitched out an unweighted herring fillet; ignored. Live herring; nope. I scooped up some floating guts and cast that out. That got a few swimming up to look at it before ignoring it. I thought maybe they are seeing the line so I went down to 4 pound. FYI this is pre braid so it's mono. Made no difference. I then found some small, red hooks in my box, I stitched that in to some red coloured guts and cast that out. I had bream take that, but all small. The big ones would swim up and eyeball it, then swim off. Over the next couple of days I tried everything I could think of; I think I got a bit obsessed with them. Yabbies, small crabs, lure, bread, all with the use of berley. Caught lots of small ones but none of the big ones. FInally on the last day I caught one on a whole garfish I'd caught that morning, a small silver hook inserted into it's rear with just the point showing. Fished unweighted in 4 pound mono no trace. I don't know what it weighed but it was 56 centimetres long and fat like a football. I'd call it 3 to 3.5 kilos but that could be wrong. Like I said some of these fish were huge and very well educated. A local had warned me that these fish were uncatchable, and he was pretty well right. Pretty sure if I tried again, using the same bait, it would have been ignored. I haven't been back to SWR for a while, but I reckon those big bream are still there and still pretty well uncatchable. Cheers Rob

You're going to be there at the right time to chase sea run trout; something I've been wanting to try for a while. This site has some pretty useful information on them: https://tasfish.com/articles/130-salt-water-fishing/2252-sea-run-trout-mysteries-unravelled Cheers Rob

There is a channel on Youtube I watch, Outdoor Chef Life, from the US. The guy is a former Japanese chef and he does catch and cook shows; his filleting skills are awesome! Anyway he was in New Zealand recently and tried kahawai for the first time. In his opinion it is an outstanding fish for sushi or sashimi and he highly rates them. Who would have thought that.

Hi Guys, I have an interest in military history and read that, just prior to WW1, we purchased a battlecruiser. She was called HMAS Australia. I found this very interesting as I always thought that the largest ship we had, apart from carriers, were a couple of heavy cruisers. Anyway she saw some service during the war, including providing a small number of men who took part in the Zeebrugge Raid in early 1918. You can see her history here: HMAS Australia (I) | Royal Australian Navy Post war it looks like she was too expensive to maintain, so she was scuttled some 25 mile east of Sydney. She sites on the bottom, upside down, in 275 metres of water. A bit too deep to dive. If anyone would like the co-ordinates just message me. Cheers Rob

Isn't it just disappointing when your hoped for decent spanish turns into a big mac. I really need to head north and find some new ways to lose mackerel.

I know that we turn our noses up at Mac Tuna, great fighting fish and bait but eating them...🤢. But if you give them the tuna treatment (spike them, bleed them out, gill and gut then get them on ice); then fillet and discard all the blood line, what's left is not too bad on the plate. Cook them the same as you would yellowfin, or not cook, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Cheers Rob

This guy, not the one driving the boat, has a Youtube channel where he publishes boats running the Noosa River bar. You get to see a wide range of driving skills watching his clips. Some people who make it look so very easy to others with a death wish. Sometimes when I watch the clips I find myself, well not quite yelling, but telling them what to do. Like that would help. Apparently I'm very amusing when I'm yelling advice to the TV!

It looks like a Bills Bluddy Terror or Teeny Terror? Bill Way made metal lures for many years; there is more about his lures here: https://www.lurehuboz.com/nat-nat.php In general his lures were not too bad, I used them quite a bit. Helped that he lived close to me too. His big Nat Nat jigs were big king favourites...hmm I'm sure I have a few still stashed away somewhere in the garage. I think refitted with assist hooks they'd be pretty good still. I'll have to do a garage cleanup and see if I can find them. Cheers Rob

You could try putting a small sinker onto the connecting loop knot. That will give you some casting weight and allow the lure to sink. You'll have to experiment on what size to use, you don't want it to sink like lead balloon, but a slow descent. You can then either work it along the top fast or slower along the bottom. It shouldn't effect the action, but you'd need to test that too. Oh and I really like these science experiments.

OK so any of us who have mucked around in boats have had times where we've launched boats without the bungs being in. I've done it and it sets a routine to follow when launching. But at least we've not had our mistakes splashed all over the media like these poor guys: Bellambi boat ramp bungle | Watch (msn.com) Double Ouch!

Arrgh that damn tackle store. Last time I was up that way I popped in for what should have been 10 minutes. Walked out more than an hour later with shiny stuff I wanted, but didn't need. Probably do the same next time I'm up that way too. Cheers Rob

It's a Rock Cale AKA Cockie Rock Cale, Aplodactylus lophodon (Günther, 1859) - The Australian Museum If you like your neighbours or mother in law and get on with them, don't give them this fish to eat! If on the other hand you don't like them, then please give it to them. They are likely to never talk to you again. Cheers Rob

It looks OK, what make and model is it?

Hmm I'd get it inspected by a marine surveyor. It looks OK but paint can hide lots of issues. There are a lot of dud boats out there and the last thing you want to do, after paying out a pile of money for a boat, is having to spend a lot more fixing issues. A bit of spending on a survey could save you a lot of time, cost and grief. Or confirm that your buying a good boat. Cheers Rob

Thanks Damon. I suspect that they are referred to inshore cruisers as they have a flat water hull, designed for the sort of conditions you get in rivers and lakes. Not the sort of boats you really want to run offshore. Cheers Rob

Going fast in an offshore boat is kind of relative. You can have a boat that can go 30 knots but, offshore in rough conditions, you may be lucky to run at 10 knots. It's sea conditions and hull design that will determine how fast you can go on the day. A extra deep vee hull can go faster on rough days as long as you're back is OK. Glassy days where you can travel at speed anywhere are not that often, at least around Sydney. I've thought about the sort of boat I'd have if I lived in FNQ. And a diesel cruiser that hits 10 to 12 knots WOT, but has longish range, hits the sweet spot for me. You're travelling at trolling speed, so you have lures out the whole time. Long range means you can travel to places that are lightly fished, so they'll fish better. Add decent size freshwater tanks and bunks, some sort of kitchen and a fridge and you've got a sweet outfit. I'm moving up to Hervey Bay in the next couple of years and I am thinking about a boat like this. A 10 hour cruise would see me at the Bunker Group off Seventeen Seventy. And there are lots of other places that I could cruise to as well. It's the sort of boat you should definitely consider. Cheers Rob