Jiggy

I was on Facebook just now and someone posted that they had caught a strange crab in Brisbane Waters. Turns out it was an Asian Paddle Crab AKA Coral Crab. Now they are apparently good eating but are a noxious pest: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquatic-biosecurity/pests-diseases/marine-pests/crustaceans/asian-paddle-crab So if you run into any on your travels please consider reporting them to the DPI. I think it's probably too late to stop them but who knows. Cheers Rob

Yeah that's Belambi ramp, good time had by all when the swell and wind is up! If this is a local ramp for you I'd consider using the ramp in Wollongong Harbour. It's not great but it's a safe harbour launch with a beach, there isn't a wharf there. When you think of it the Wollongong metro area has pretty poor launch facilities; you need to go to Port Kembla to find good ones. Cheers Rob

I used to launch regularly out of there for a few years; at the time I had a 14 foot predator trihull. I did do a couple of solo launches there; doable but pick your days. You can get a bit of swell coming through and unattended boats will get smacked around by the wharf. At all times launch on the left side, that is the ramp further from the wharf. It's slightly deeper than the side next to the wharf. Overall the facilities are good. It's a very popular spot and can get pretty busy, so of course you'll get clowns blowing up at you for taking too long sometimes on solo launches. Mind you that can happen anywhere. I haven't launched from there for a very long time; bigger boats and more fuel load means I launch from Botany when I'm going south. Well once I start using the boat again in the new year. Cheers Rob

Lots of cabbage, this spot has the potential to be a good blackfish spot on the right tide. If you fish there again fish with no sinker, or just a tiny one right on the hook. And through in a hand full of soaked bread every few minutes or chicken pellets; not too much just a steady stream. Try peeled prawns for bait and also bread too, that should bring better sized bream, blackfish and drummer around. Cheers Rob

Many, many years ago I went out to a marina at Cowan Creek with a mate. He said that there were a lot of big bream there and we should do well. Got there very early with live nippers and worms and started a light berley trail. A few hours later the sun came up and we had landed a total of three very small bream. Another angler came along a cast out a blob of bread under a float...down goes the float and up came a bream around the 35cm mark. Definitely don't underestimate bread as a bait. Oh and the big bream are probably better off being released, but that is up to you when you land one. Cheers Rob

If you want to be really adventurous go down to 2 pound line. That is if you've got the eyesight to tie knots in it though. Light line like that really teaches you on how to fight fish and not bully them. Just be prepared to lose a few in the process .

For big bream try small crabs, around the size of a 10 to 20 cent coin and an appropriate size hook. Nippers and live prawns are fantastic bait but the little ones will pick them apart. Not with crabs. Small bream might pick at them, without much luck, but the bigger ones will crunch them down. And minimal sinker, if you can get away with none thats the better option. Whichever bait you use toss in a small amount of berley to get them going. And maybe try at night, that's when the big girls come out to play. And if you fish at night don't shine your light on the water, that's a good way to scare them off. Cheers Rob

Gee that's good to know. Thanks for the feedback. Cheers Rob

I've towed boats in that size range with both 2 wheel and 4 wheel drive cars; would never go back to 2 wheel drive for numerous reasons. You may be looking at a car upgrade also. Cheers Rob

I find retrieving takes a bit more effort than launching. I always use a ramp next to a jetty to retrieve the boat as it's much easier. Don't be in a hurry, chock up the car and have a routine to follow. Don't let other people harass you to speed up etc. Recovering a boat is something where doing it slowly is quicker, if that makes any sense. Technology can help too. Current trailer has an powered winch, which is much appreciated given by back and heart issues these days. I'm thinking about getting a Balex system installed: https://balexmarine.com/ It looks like it makes solo recovery pretty easy, especially on large boats. Maybe next boat.

Some great spots have been recommended. Another one to consider is Yamba, the Clarence river offers great river fishing. And a lot of jewies get caught off the breakwall there. There is some great beach and rock fishing around Yamba and Iluka. And there is a very good charter operator I can recommend if you want to head offshore. Closer to Queensland than Sydney, so less a drive for some and more for others. Cheers Rob

Yes the snapper fishery up there is pretty good as well as for a host of other species... https://www.fishraider.com.au/topic/91309-yamba-charter-6th-june/#comment-677752 Cheers Rob

The chances of food poisoning is very low if the fish is handled properly. Bled, gilled, gutted then straight onto ice or a saltwater ice slurry is what I would do. What is more of a concern is parasites. All fish can have them, some species more than others. These aren't a concern if cooking the fish, that kills them, but it's a potential issue when eating them raw. I believe in Europe sushi\sashimi grade fish are required to be frozen first for I think 7 days. This kills any potential parasites. Usually parasites will show in the flesh, so you can make your own choice on whether to eat them raw or not. Are fish parasites an issue? Some people say no, some say yes. I saw a fellow on YouTube cleaning an amberjack that had a lot of worms. He ate one and said they don't harm you. Me personally...nope. FYI I do love sushi\sashimi, but I'm picky about it due to the above. Yeah I guess I'm a nanny. Cheers Rob

If you go onto Youtube search for fishing the Twizel Canal, there is a bit of information on targeting trout and salmon there. Sounds like a very interesting place where a 9 kilo trout is no big deal! Cheers Rob

When it come to chasing tailor with bait most people use pilchards on gang hooks. A lot of tailor are caught on this and it works fine. But I tried an experiment a few years ago of using gars only for a couple of years in Botany Bay. I did this after talking to some old timers who said they only used gars back in the day and the sort of results that had. Especially the snapper by catch off the rocks. I found that using gars caught more large tailor than choppers. And there was also a pretty decent by catch of kingfish. It's something worth bearing in mind. I should also mention that now I'm the old timer...oh dear. Cheers Jiggy

I'm a big one for people taking responsibility for their actions, but too many lives have been lost here. This fellow should be alive and well today. It might be time to ban fishing at this spot. Some people will fish there regardless, but if it saves one life it’s worth the ban.

Yes beach launch into a lagoon. Apart from the soft sand it's OK, IMHO a better option than Wooli. Other don't have an issue with the Wooli bar and launch from there. It comes down to your experience with bar crossings and the conditions at the time. Cheers Rob

Oh and still a nice catch and better eating than a stripey IMO. Stripey's have a lot of blood line to discard where bonito don't. Cheers Rob

Sorry guys looks like a Bonito to me. A stripey (Skipjack) looks like this. They also pull much harder than a Bonney. Cheers Rob

If someone is trying to do something, and having issues, yelling at them and carrying on will not help at all. It will just make things worse. Steady, positive encouragement generally will work. And if not just park the boat, stand next to them and give directions while they reverse down the ramp. Too many people forget how they went when first trying to do something. We all get it wrong at first. Some people do make me wonder. Cheers Rob

Mmmmm mowies...🤢🤮

If that was for me I'd be looking at the Penn Slammer IV. The 8500 holds 600 yards of 50lb braid, the 10500 holds 540 yards of 80lb braid and a mile of 50lb. Solid drags on them; the 8500 up to 50lb and the 10500 60lb. If you want to fish these with max drags off the rocks tie yourself down if you hooked up something BIG...would be a hoot though.

Just from the technique perspective lookup the old Ron Calcutts Fishermans World on Youtube. Especially Spinning for Spaniards. Made in the seventies these guys were masters at casting lures a long way on overheads. The gear has advanced a huge amount since then but the techniques used could still have merit. Cheers Rob

I've read that pulling a jewie in from more than 14 metres of water causes fatal barotrauma in most cases. If the fish is bought up very slowly, and given time to gas off, then they can be released with a high recovery rate. Otherwise release into an esky, if legal, and go fish for something else. Cheers Rob

You could also consider Penn Fathoms or Squalls. Fathoms are full metal while Squalls are graphite and under the budget you have. Or just under for the Fathom. Cheers Rob