Getting a freakish one day per week this month calm enough to get out in the tinny. The inshore season at "The Patches" 12km from the ramp seems done for mackerel early and yesterday I had to use all my tricks to get just one school mackerel.
The few schoolies still there seemed shy and I figured some small live baits would be my only chance. So I made a berley bag of old prawn trawl net and put a block of frozen chunks of old fish scraps and guts in there to thaw and stream down slowly. I also made a "bait jig" from home-made saltwater flies and bits of old store-bought bait jigs.
The store-bought ones have flimsy hooks and line, and get smashed up quick, but the little fluoro beads and "hayabusa" fish skin can be saved and tied onto small hooks with some tinsel or other fly-tying flash. Rub them in fish bait for some scent, and add a tiny scrap of fish skin to the hook if needed. 
Every drop was a fish, but mostly brown hussar and "pinkies" -- not the "yakkas" (related to SA chow) I wanted. So the pinkies all went in the livebait basket over the stern (no size limit) and the very few legal hussar went in the eski as their undersized mates swam back down.
Eventually I got a perfect sized "yakka" and rigged it with a "stinger" rig. I have noticed schoolies will chop off the tail of bigger baits, so the treble goes in underneath the tail and the front "keeper" hook in the top jaw. Sure enough, the rod buckled and I got a beaut 70cm schoolie (aka "doggies"....the winter mainstay of Qld bay fishing) hooked on the rear treble.
Then followed 3 hrs with no  bites. The boats around me were just floating out whole pilchards and waiting, but someone famous (I cant remember their name) said "Just keep trying somehting different 'til you get a bite" Well, I ticked off the whole list -- high speed spin on top/down deep, jigging soft plastics, small cut baits and another livie ou the back until it died
Theory has it the macks like the "very top of the tide", but that was 2 hours away and the sea had calmed off enough to speed out to the reef proper. Should I wait? Or should I go? I am impatient and decided to try transporting the live pinkies wide by using an aerator in the bcuket used to carry the mesh cage. Gunned it out to Goudge Bank, about 16 km away. Straight to Spot X  I found by trial and error. It is on a current line, but at the "wrong" end of the Bank...the lee end.
So over went a big pinkie on the stinger rig, and down went the handline. Instant bottom action and some panfish including Moses Perch (see the spot on the side), more undersize hussars and the odd undersized coral trout. It was very enjoyable and very now and then I would toss in some cubes of old fish trimmings.
High tide was at 1:18 pm, and pretty neapy. At precisely 1:19 pm the rod buckled and the reel howled. This was a Biiiig mackerel, and I got to see the knot between the topshot fo braid and the nylon backing. That is 100 metres down in the spool.......It finally turned and planed on the surface and....the hook pulled. DAMN! That rig had a small treble and small tarpon keeepr hook, so the next rig out of the jar had bigger hooks. I thought I'd done my chance at a mackerel. 
Over went a livie and I picked up the handline, not expecting another hit. Just dropped the handline in and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Off it screamed AGAIN. Another live pinkie had gone off, and luckily it was only a few metres of handline to pull in whilst sitting out that screaming first run. This one took a long time to tire out in its circling of the boat and I was convinced it would escape. Sunk the gaff on one circle as it neared the boat. 115cm total length, and 10 kg (22 pound) on my new set of "lie detectors". Stoked!!
Changed the stinger rig in case it had weakened and tossed in another pinkie that crash dived for the bottom. Being a pessimist, I tossed in he handline for the long wait....bad move. That livie went off within a minute, and I left the rod in the holder as I hauled in the handline to clear the decks. This one did not run as far, or as fast. Perhaps because it was jammed packed with berley. It coughed up a heap of berley and the tail half of the pinkie at the boat, and the rest was in the gut in the picture below with more berley. Old mackerel rib bones..
The penny finally dropped there was a bunch of macks down deep in the berley, so the handline got rolled up and I held the rod for the next livie. Bang and I was on to...a bloody grey reef shark. Usually sharks are so big they cream you in minutes, but I actually played this one out to try and get the hooks out. Very ethical move, but risky, even using tools. My high standards were paid off by a busted rod and bent hook remover boatside. The hooks got mangled too (see pic) but that is a small price to pay. That rod is indetincal to one I broke on a mackerel last year. Wilson "Blue Steel" PE3-5. Broke in precisely the same spot too. Luckily I have a few 1983, unbustable rod made for me on butterworth blanks back in the shed. My guru fishing mates laught at these "noodles". The hifalutin' Carbon fibre rods are nice and crisp to use, sure...but they break even when you are'nt high sticking. I think they just cant handle being whacked around the boat as per normal fishing and travelling.
Made a big mistake then. Changed the stinger rig for a new one, but did not check the 40 pound nylon trace for wear. More berley , new livie hanging off my new "short stroker" and I was on immediately for another huge run until...the trace snapped. Shark must have done some damage, or swivel tangled up with wire. Gone, and left gear in a mackie. DAMN. I hate that. 
Re-rig, and all the livies gone so tried to catch livies off the bottom on the handline. The turn of the tide saw all the bottom action dwindle to mere nibbles, but eventually I scored a hussar just as I saw a mackie hoover up some berley. That one went off big time at the top, but I glimpsed sharkiness. Might be a cobia? It fought long and high in the water column, but the little "short stroker" and 50 pound braid had in sight pretty quick. Damn shark. Pessimism was right! Australian blacktip (like a bronzie in colour with inky black tips to tail and all fins except dorsal). Also tried to do the "shark shuffle" on this one, but those things just wont stay still -- unless you get them upside down and lying flat ("hypertonic immobility" they call that). This one would have none of that, busted the leader and left with the hooks.
I had left 2 fishing buddies back at "The Patches" and tried to radio them on Channel 72 to come over for the bite, but only some boat called "Columbus" answered. I found out later that Bernie in his "Horizon" hooked 7 sharks in a row at "The Patches" when the tide peaked, and Danny left in disgust in his polycraft for home after one shark.
So it looks like my new very best plan will be to go to "The Patches" to catch pinkies, load them up in the livebait bin, and berley up at Goudge Bank.
I had given numerous pinkies and a shark-shortened trevally to a distant neighbour in exchange for him teaching me how to kill and clean 6 roosters from another neighbour last week. I recommend not drinking homebrew when plucking and gutting roosters. Those darn roosters had henpecked the layers to the point of no laying and my free egg supply for fish batter  had dried up. Old mate could not bring himself to kill or dump the roosters (rooster dumping is a bad problem here...all the tourist hotspots have numerous roosters in the carparks. Even malanda dump had a 'splendid cock" patrolling the premises). So today I got a nice surprise when Ben rolled up mid-filleting session to give me a bunch of rooster pies and fish pies, and take my frames for fish stock!! Best lunch for ages, and gave him 3 species of mackerel fillets to test for pie suitability.  Looks like he could have a new career in catering for a local cafe!
I am smoking some mackerel soon and reckon that would go soooh well in Ben's fish pies. 
 
 
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I’m just sharing a step by step instructional video I created on the basics of bream fishing . 
In this instance, we are using live scrub worms to catch bream. We guide you through tackle and gear selection, rig setup, bait presentation then me and my kids catch a few bream on the Maribyrnong River. It’s a great video for beginners, or those looking for a few tips or those looking to take their kids fishing, especially during the school holidays.

This same guide can be used for all different types of fish species such as trout, redfin, carp, bream, mullet, bass, perch, whiting and much more. It’s very simple and very effective all you need is a rod, reel, line, ball sinker, swivel, and hook and your all set.

Make sure you sub the channel if you enjoy the video

 

Going up for a fishing trip, the guy who always smoked the Tommy's wont be with us so I went and bought a fish smoker. It comes with 3 burners and 2 racks. I know how it all works just dont know what I need to do in order to cook the tommy right. Do I use all 3 burners, do I have the smoke vent open, how much woodchips and for how long? I know this probably varies but maybe the adept amoung you can shine some light on this topic for me?

Hey Guys.
As many of you are aware, I am really trying to ramp up the videos of late. One of the things that is really bugging me lately is seeing people not necessarily doing the right thing when it comes to size and bag limits so this is our way of trying to promote the correct behaviors throughout the fishing community. I know that obviously most (if not all) of you guys will not necessarily fall into that category but thought I'd upload this one for those that may wish to use it as a how to guide to make some cool little measures up for yourselves
 
 
The measures actually come up really well and look pretty cool too

 
If any of you would like the template to print, you can find it here:
Blue Swimmer Crab Measure Template - THE FISHING GURU.pdf
 
Cheers for your time Hookers.

Hey Guys.
As many of you are aware, I am really trying to ramp up the videos of late. One of the things that is really bugging me lately is seeing people not necessarily doing the right thing when it comes to size and bag limits so this is our way of trying to promote the correct behaviors throughout the fishing community. I know that obviously most (if not all) of you guys will not necessarily fall into that category but thought I'd upload this one for those that may wish to use it as a how to guide to make some cool little measures up for yourselves
 
The measures actually come up really well and look pretty cool too

 
If any of you would like the template to print, you can find it here:
Cockle Measure Template - THE FISHING GURU.pdf
 
Cheers for your time Hookers.