Berleyguts

Wow! I saw that on the news last week. That was your boat and car?! Very lucky man. Hope it all gets sorted for you. Baz

I am really going to try and get to this one. Something always seems to come up family-wise. Hopefully, everything syncs this time. Put me down please. Probably just me but I will try and talk my wife or son into joining me. Thanks, Baz

The following information from the DPI was in my club's newsletter this month. I thought I'd reproduce it here for any raider's that are interested. Baz Did you know redfin perch are now noxious in NSW? In December 2010, NSW introduced further changes to the NSW Noxious Fish List Australia. The NSWNoxious Fish List now includes an additional 67 listings that have been agreed nationally as having a high-risk pest potential. In addition, the NSW Government has listed redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis) as a Class 1 noxious fish as it poses a significant threat to native fish species. The noxious listing of redfin perch (redfin)aims to protect native species and to prevent the intentional translocation and stocking of this pest fish outside its known range. The new rules will be enforced from 1 July 2011. What does the redfin noxious listing mean for recreational fishers? There is no size or bag limit for redfin in NSW and anglers may continue to target this species. If you catch a redfin we encourage that you quickly and humanely dispatch it; you may utilise it as food, or you can dispose of it in an appropriate manner. It is not illegal to immediately return live redfin to the water where caught; however, we encourage you to dispatch and utilise redfin wherever possible. It is illegal to be in possession of a live redfin in NSW (e.g. in a bucket, aquaria, keeper net, livewell etc) and you can be fined. Anglers in NSW can only possess dead redfin. If anglers in NSW are retaining caught redfin the catch can only be stored dead (e.g.on ice in an esky). It is illegal to use live or dead redfin as bait in NSW. The noxious listing of redfin applies in NSW, including in Lake Mulwala and the Murray River to the top of its southern bank where NSW fishing rules apply. The listing does not apply in Lake Hume where Victorian fishing rules apply. Possession of live Class 1 noxious fish species is totally banned in NSW. There are heavy penalties for possessing, selling or importing them (up to $5,500 for an individual or $11,000 for a corporation). For more information visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/pests-diseases or contact the DPI Aquatic Biosecurity Unit at aquatic.pests@industry.nsw.gov.au or on (02) 4982 1232.

In your fourth photo, the skid near the wheel guards looks a little low... maybe. Baz

The centre rollers are really a guide more than a support. Contact would normally only be with the rear centre roller as it comes onto the trailer. As it moves along the trailer, the side rollers/skids should kick in and the boat should mostly sit up above the centre rollers and the bulk of the support comes from the side skids/rollers. I can't really speak for drive-on trailers but I have seen too many people damage motors on ramps etc. I'd rather take it easy, get out and winch. I don't even like putting my trailer wheels in the water f I can help it (this depends on the ramp)... but then... I only have a small boat! Good luck! Baz

Hi Sam, If you can't see where it's scraping, is that because you are driving it on? If you try winching it on, do you think you will be able to where it's scraping? Then you should be able to make adjustments. It's easiest done with the boat off the trailer but I did manage to make some height adjustments with my boat (4m Stacer) on the trailer by using a trolley jack under the posts to get them to the height I wanted. It is easier with a 2nd person. I was advised that skids are best for aluminium hulls, due to the better support along it's length and rollers best for fibreglass. Having said that I have a few mates with glass ski boats and carpet covered skids, some drive on. However, I'm not particulalry familiar with drive on trailers. Good luck, Baz

Second body found today, this time 5km upstream from Wisemans Ferry. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/23/3251759.htm?site=sydney Baz

According to the news, the family hired a vessel to search and it was the family that found the body: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8263766/mans-body-found-in-hawkesbury-river Baz

I heard last night that they found one of the bodies in the last few days. The word that came back to me from our caravan park was that it was "down where Baz fishes". My friends know I fish mostly down near the wind sock at Laughtondale, so I guess that's where it was found. I am so glad I didn't find it! I hope they find the other body soon, so the family can have closure. Baz

I'd be interested in advice by PM on good charters in Cairns or Port Douglas. sportfishing oriented rather than bait and reef bashing. My wife and I are hoping to get away for a short break of about 4 or 5 nights at the end of July. No definite dates yet, just browsing Wotif at this stage. We want to spend one day out on the reef and have a snorkel, a day out fishing if possible and the rest just veging. Thanks, Baz

The Humminbird 798CI came with a DVD. Very handy. Baz

I have the 798CI with the side imaging and it is brilliant! I still need to learn how to interpret all it can do but it is easy to use and shows so much. Suggest you talk to Huey (Craig) at Huett Marine for a good price. Baz

Pete, I was at my van the whole weekend and heard all the sirens when the alarm went out. There is speculation that they hit the ferry cables but it is only speculation as far as I am concerned. I heard a report from friends that they were travelling to or from the houseboat in the tinny, below the Wisemans ferries, about near the public boat ramp and jetty. I believe one person was saved and the German Shepherd that was in the boat. As far as I am aware, there are still 2 people missing. If they didn't hit the ferry cables they did have to stop the ferry. The tide was coming in and the cable wheels can drive bodies down deep. As you know, it is very deep in that area. Very sad indeed. They were still searching up and down the river when I left at about 3:30pm yesterday. I didn't even put my boat in the water the whole weekend, partly due to the weather but partly so as not to interfere with the search (couldn't get past the ferries anyway). I thought about seeing if I could help search snags along the bank with the side imaging on the Humminbird but I decided I would probably get in the way and the police and Maritime probably have all that gear anyway. Wear your lifejackets in small boats, people. Baz

I saw it one night from the riverbank at my van park. It was bobbing along, dipping and weaving. Quite mesmerising, really. It was a big log with a thick branch on top that kept rolling over. Baz

YUM!!!!! Baz

Hi Kurt, The season closes today in NSW, I do believe. If caught, bass and estuary perch must be released, which many fishos do all the time anyway. Many prefer not to target them whilst they are spawning. Baz

Pete (Tide n Knots) is the man to talk to and he tends to fish below the ferries. I got a few flathead in front of Del Rio at Easter and I heard a report that one boat caught 42 in the same area on the Thursday before Easter. I also got a couple up the Macdonald River. Hawkesbury prawns, and peeled, seem to be the go. I have managed a few on plastics. There's a few bream about, too. I've been getting some soapies but not keeper jewies like Pete gets... not yet! The catfish and eels can be a pain. Good luck. Baz

Probably by Snyderglas now. Baz

You could try Lilli Pilli baths, Gunnamatta Bay, the wharf next to the boat ramp in Dolans Bay, or places like Deer Park, Bundeena, Bonnie Vale etc. Bundeena and Bonnie Vale are a long way around but you could take the kids on the ferry from Cronulla. Good luck. Baz

Hi Jez, Depends on what you are targeting and the size of the nippers. I find that if you use finer gauge hooks they live longer. For whiting I use a long shank hook like the Mustad 4540 1/2, or you could use a fine gauge sneck or french hook. I haven't tried circle hooks with yabbies but I imagine bending them around a circle hook would not treat them too kindly. Still, you should be able to come in sideways just under the shell and out again a bit further down. Even with the fine gauge long hsank hooks, I try to minimise the amount of hook sitting in the body and just pierce the shell, if I can. If the fish are about and you have live nippers, it's not offten they need to be on the hook for long anyway, as they are often snapped straight up. That's my opinion anyway. Good lick. Baz

Good effort, Pete. It is surprising that the water was so clear. Baz

Thanks Pete, I'll check the tides and work something out. Baz

Pete, What sort of tides at what times would be best to aim for? I plan to get down to the van again for another weekend soon, so I might as well optimise my chances. Then, if anyone else wants to meet up on the water, that can happen, too. Baz

"reckon it would be brilliant for a FR weekend in say may when the jew are really on and the school holidays are over so there are less people on the water, skiing etc, I reckon there would be some good fish caught at that time of year as there are plenty of landbased and boat spots to fish." Now, there's a thought! Pete - can you pick a weekend in May when you reckon the tides would be at the optimum, based on your experience? Maybe we can organise an informal FR weekend to start it off! Not next weekend though...! Cheers, Baz

Good to see the pics, Pete... it's almost as good as seeing the fish in person (fish?), which I did! It was great to catch up with you on the water and meet you in person. Thanks for showing me a few of your hot spots. I will certainly be exploring more areas in the coming months! As you know, I went back to the jewie spot you showed me, on Monday afternoon. I took a friend's 19 y.o. son , Ben, out with me - he is fairly new to fishing, quite keen, but hasn't had much success. I told him, "Well, if we can get past the catfish, we might get a flathead or two." I helped him with his rig set-up and showed him how to tie a locked half-blood knot and also a uni knot. We did not get one catfish but I managed a keeper bream and we caught about 8 undersized jew to about 40cm - he was happy just to catch them - at least they were the right species. I was fishing 3 rods while ben fished one. I was pulling in a small soapie and got Ben to grab one of my other rods to drop it under the line with the fish on it. As he moved it, the Baitrunner went zzzzzzzzzzz and Ben said "Wow!" and I told him, "Take it then. I'll call you a rod-grabber but go for it!" He pulled in a 39cm flathead... another species first for him, so he was happy. Later, I was a bit lazy and only leaned one of the rods against the esky instead of in a holder. while I was pulling in anotehr soapie. Sure enough, a solid hit and the rod took off at light speed into the water. I jokingly asked Ben why he didn't jump in after it?! Another outfit gone, I thought but then I saw the rod and reel floating - I've never had one float before... they usually sink. I gave the anchor rope some slack and motored back to it and recovered it, luckily, however, the fish had dropped the bait after giving it a good munch. I am failry confident that it may have been a decent jew. Oh well, next time. Then you turned up at about 5:30pm as we were heading back to dinner at the van park. Ben was happy with the session and very grateful for the chance to come out. I let him keep both the bream and the flathead, showed him how to fillet them and he cooked them for breakfast on Tuesday. I took him out again on Tuesday for a brief session closer to the park and we managed another couple of undersized soapies and bream. My wife and I didn't fish too hard but we managed half a dozen keeper flathead to 47.5cm (hers) over the weekend and the fillets tasted very nice on the barbie or crumbed and fried, thank you. I look forward to catching up with you out on the water again, sometime soon. Cheers, Baz