Berleyguts

I’ll second that on the poddy mullet traps. Big clear juice bottles are the way to go. Cut a cross in one side (which will become the top) and fold the triangles in. 😉

Do you have a boat? Or are you land based? A boat makes it easier because you can move around to find fish more easily. But if you’re land based, don’t let that stop you. You can walk and wade sand flats. You can move from gutter to gutter along a beach and you can vary locations along a rock platform. A lot of people these days are going straight into lure fishing but there is a lot to be gained by learning the ropes in bait fishing. Learn how to catch your own bait and you will be off to a good start. For instance, when pumping yabbies, you will spot poddy mullet, small whiting, sting rays, flathead lies etc. Watch what happens as the tide changes. Where does the flow take the silt you’ve pumped out? Where does the “food” flow to? Think like a fish. If you were a fish, where would you like to sit to catch food with a minimum effort? Fish the tide changes. Fish around dawn/sunrise and sunset/dusk, ideally when they coincide with tide changes. Keep records of your sessions. What was the moon phase? Does a particular moon phase seem more successful? What was the tidal variation? The spring tides have a wider variation than the neap tides, which mean a stronger tidal flow. Which seems to be the most productive? How does the water flow in your location on the run in? On the run out? Some spots fish better on the run in, some better on the run out. It depends on the tidal flow over/around structure and the resultant eddies. Use live bait wherever possible. If not live, then fresh. If using lures, think how a live bait would move. Move you lure like that. Work with the tide. Lots of things to consider, eh? It’s all part of the art of learning fishing! It’s a lifetime learning process. Enjoy your lifetime!

I’ll check my receipts tonight for my last services and give you some prices. I have no problem having my motor serviced at an “authorised service centre”. This should ensure that mechanic is correctly trained and accredited in serving the motor you have. I’ve had a few Volkswagens - I wouldn’t take them to a mechanic who only ever worked on Holdens, Fords or rice burners!

There’s a reason I like the spot lick on the Minn Kota! 😂 I very rarely anchor. If I have someone else on board, I might - because they can pull it in! But I have 4.5m of chain (length of my boat) and... I’m actually not sure how many metres of rope... at least 100m (whatever it came in) plus another 100m coil that I can add to it, if needed. I don’t fish at anchor in any great depth. I have 2 small drogues. I fished of Fremantle WA in a howling easterly in an 11m boat - the skipper used a large drogue at least 1m in diameter and it held us side on at all times on the drift.

Nah, Rick’s right. He definitely said he fishes for bream and flatties. Nothing about lures though. You added that. Let’s play nice though. Give constructive suggestions. A 4.6m - 4.9m console tinny may suit his purposes. It may not suit yours. My 449 Outlaw is the ducks nuts for me! Sure, a 469 or a 489 would have been nice but I went with what I could afford at the time and I am happy. It suits the ramps around here. Would I head out real wide? No, but the FAD is doable on the right day. The Car Park is somewhat further and I’d probably look to tag along in someone else’s boat for that. I could buy a bigger boat but then I’d have more troubles on my steep curved driveway, would need a big 4wd and would be restricted in ramp choice, which means a longer run to the heads and more fuel. It’s horses for courses.

You’d assume that, wouldn’t you?! I guess if they use genuine parts, are trained in the models and have the appropriate computer software, then it should be OK. However, I had an experience with my Nissan XTrail which I bought used from a local Holden (and other makes) dealer. It came with an extended warranty (Harrier service program). They did an injector service and it never ran right afterwards - the engine would idle at 1700-1900 rpm and I was chewing through petrol! Took it back twice and still no fix. Rang my mate who is the service manager for a local Nissan dealer (and other makes). I took it in to him and it was rectified at no charge - he said they would have had generic software or had not updated. I assume he billed the original dealer for the job. My mate was a great help when I bought the car. He test drove it and said the clutch was on its way out. The dealer told me there was nothing wrong with it. He rang the other service manager and told him exactly what was wrong with it and they replaced the whole clutch before I picked it up. Having said that, I just had a 200,000km service done at a local repairer in the Bay. He used genuine parts and had the latest software - no problems and heaps cheaper than a dealer. I also would have to drive an hour to get to a dealer!

Can you clarify that? In my mind, all prawns are edible! 😂 When I go to Woolies, there is a sign on imported prawns “must not be used as bait”, or words to that effect. There is no such sign on Australian king or banana prawns, so I assumed they’re OK for bait. I never buy imported seafood of any kind.

I rarely buy bait these days. I try to catch my own. Bonito, slimy mackerel, yellowtail - these all go into vacuum seal bags in manageable sizes/quantities, cryovacced and into a large upright freezer in the garage. I call it the bait freezer but with 40kg of dog food delivered a month, there is less room for bait! The missus even wants to put food in there! The sacrilege! 😳😂 Next step for me is to start salting my bonito...

Punching back into westerlies can be difficult. Winter means westerlies - I don’t go wide in winter. I’m just thinking back to the late 70s and early 80s... the ANSA guys would fish offshore in 14ft Clarks, Dehavillands and Quintrex Fishabouts.... when conditions were right. We crossed the Narooma bar... we’d be dragged from the Island to the shelf by huge yellowfin. The boats these days are a lot better. 😉

And try and get out fishing in as many different boats as you can, so you can figure out what YOU want in a boat. 😉 Me? I always wanted a 15ft console tinny from when I was a young fella and I used to read about Malcolm Florence and watch him on TV fishing out of a Dehavilland Viking centre console. That’s all I need in a boat for what I do and with my tow vehicle. If I go too much bigger, I’ll need to spend $40 or $50k on a new vehicle! You will get 100+ opinions on here. Take them all on board - there are no right or wrong answers (within reason) - and choose what is right for you. In my case, I wanted a brand new boat and motor package, having had some troubles with a used one before, so I found something that suited in my price range - new gave me piece of mind and I haven’t looked back. 👍🏼

Thanks, Rick. Just trying to figure which is best... fish south of structure (like The Sisters) and flick plastics back towards it and work back to the boat, or fish north of it and float baits back towards the structure. As it is, I don’t think I can get to Broughton tomorrow anyway - gotta take the mother-in-law to a medical appointment in Maitland at 2:30. Maybe I can squeeze in a quick session at Boondelbah or Little Island. Need to get out soon - the freezer is running low... only 1 bag of Huon kingfish fillets left and a couple of bags of flathead fillets... need to restock! Thursday is a possibility for Broughton, though, and possibly less wind. 😎

Yes, I don’t need to go out too far at Port Stephens but I know my boat can handle it if I did - but, yes, you do need to pick your days! I still love a console boat! Having said that, I do dream of an 18-21ft centre walk around cabin! 😎

Yep, being an open boat it gets a bit cold sometimes and punching back into weather, like into a howling westerly, even coming back up the Bay, I can cop a hiding from the spray that makes me long for a windscreen sometimes... but I’m positive the boat can handle it better than me! You grits your teeth and gets wet! 😂😂😂 Hard to beat an open boat for fishability! 😎

Still a nice feed, Rick! 😎 Which direction was that current pushing? I’m thinking of heading out tomorrow - it’s been too long between trips and it looks like I’m almost finally over the virus that’s had me laid up for 8 weeks! At least I think the missus said I could go! 🤔😂

I once scooped up a heap of whitebait in Sydney Harbour with a bucket. There was a huge school herded up by salmon, tailor, bonito and kings. It would have been the size of a football field. We just leaned over the side and scooped them up. Used some for bait but I made a whitebait fritter. Yum! Gotta be yakkas there somewhere... and there’s always poddy mullet. I honeymooned in Port Macquarie 28 years ago and caught a few in a creek near where we stayed. Koolonbong Creek, I think it’s called.