Leaderboard

The Yellow Fin Whiting season is fast approaching. As the seasons and weather conditions change we have to think about and adapt to the changing behaviours of the Yellow Fin Whiting. The most important thing for successful YFW lure fishing is knowing the fish! It’s physiology. It’s habitats and ecosystems. Also it’s behaviour in all weather conditions and seasons. The next most important thing for successful YFW lure fishing is knowing your spots. The geography and terrain. There is always a right spot, for every weather and tide conditions. When do the fish go to a given s

Headed to Marino Rocks this morning. Water was reasonably clear. Weather was a bit average, wind started to pick up and there a slight drizzle. I had waders on so was able to get out to a nice little rock ledge and start casting around jigs. I used slow sinking jigs, but still snagged a couple of times. Luckily I was able to clear the snag each time. Caught 2 squid over 1.5 hours, not great but better than a doughnut. As the tide dropped I saw a lure wedged in a rock, which turned out to be a 10g Halco twisty. Nice little find. A good way to spend the morning.

sriracha sauce batter flatty nuggets

I've only ever gone a rod length of leader.. Don't like the knot on the spool and possible memory in the leader being wrapped on the spool? Actually surprised to hear you run that much leader Kuerschie..

Free whiting measurers for days

Seacliff is a very good spot to practice. You don't need to be far offshore to catch squid and you can also pick-up other species like snook. It's a very popular spot so there will likely be others around you plus there is the Surf Life Saving Club and yacht club adding to activity and eyes on the water. However, practicing capsize and re-entry can't be over emphasised. Self rescue should be considered your primary method, never assume someone will be there to help, you must be able to save yourself. I'm pretty confident on the water, including multi-day self supported tours circumnavig

With everything else being equal, longer casts boil down to less resistance on the line as it leaves the spool. Essentially the less times the line coming off the spool has to either change directions (long vs standard spool) or less times it is wrapped (spool diameter) the less resistance. Whether these factors are tangible or not is a different story. Personally I enjoy the effortless casting of my 1000 on a UL 7'6 over the same reel in a 2500 on a standard 7'3 - they both cast the comparable distance (noting different blank actions). However, if I could find the same balance on a

Salt Strong looked at reel size. Using identical 7'6" rods, one with a 1000 Diawa Fuego and the other a 3000 Diawa Fuego, both spooled with 10lb Power Pro and using the same weight. They conclude there was a noticeable difference, but it looked pretty negligible to me. They were casting what looks like a 28gm teardrop weight, so different to your use. I suspect the difference would be even less with lighter weights. When I go fishing, if I'm fishing from the shore or with a tub in tow across the flats, I often carry a spare reel in case I have a session ending wind knot, then I can j

There was a special via the Columbia online store and I was able to buy the Tamiami fishing shirts for $29.85 & free shipping. So I grabbed 2 for $59.70. Got the shirt I wanted at heavily discounted price!

Finally my favorite small tannin stream dropped to a decent wading level, the water itself was still a cold 6 degrees & the air temperature wasn't all that much warmer. Still, it was nice to be back in a small stream again and back to peace & tranquility.. cheers Adrian.

As TL explains most long term casters find a happy medium with spinning reels,but after going through hundreds of casts in a day i just found it easier to switch to low profile bait casters.Light weight no wind knots,and having shoulder and upper back issues i switched from RH to LH winding using light weight rods and reels which are pricey.Now depending on species i can cast 3 to 4 casts per minute,just gave me a longer trouble free run in continuing fishing.

Went from a 1000 to a 2000 and noticed I got better distance.. Same line, same rod.. Had a long cast spool and standard with the 1000 reel not much difference.. Might change with heavier lures, but Im like Des and cast 2-7 gram lures.. I have a long cast surf reel, which has a smaller diameter spool and I have a similar reel with a wider spool.. They wider spool seems to cast further with 30gram weights.. Same line. same rod.. Maybe its just me????

What MAH said. Larger longer spool will give slight distance advantage, I feel this is less noticeable as line diameter reduces but smaller reels perform better else where, I'd personally favour comfort over an extra metre or 2 cast distance 99% of the time. The rod & caster do the real work with casting if you want more distance I reckon you'll get much more by getting skinnier slicker braid assuming you're not already at the limit for that.

Giving this one a go..2600Mha lithium battery..84-leds..5000lux..High light 2.5 hours..Mid light 3.5 hours..Low light 5 hours..Waterproof: 164ft(50M)

Amazing how far these flatties (duskies) will track down a lure. Some good lessons too -- fish sand patches in the seagrass at high tide, drainage channels as the tide drops, and weed/structure patches on the sand at low tide. Swap the school mackerel for salmon trout and one could be in nthn Gulf St Vincent!

Sriracha mayo is my go to sauce for all seafood

hi all, long time reader, i'm transitioning from bait over to the dark side of using soft plastics (land based) and an enjoying it. I've caught a few ST's, a few small bream etc but like many,...i'm still yet to hook onto a wiley ol' decent sized bream. my plastics of choice seem to be the popular grubs in motor oil colour, using as light a jig head where possible, while my current lines are 6lb braid, with a 4lb fluro leader, of around a rod length. my questions are; 1) for bream, on lures, what are peoples preferred leader lengths, and why? 2) is ther

I tie a new leader before every trip, so I hardly get memory on my spool from the fluoro leader. Normally I’ll be fishing within 24 hours of tying the leader so it doesn’t coil up. At the end of the day like TL said, it’s perfectly fine to have 1 rod length leader and you will catch fish like many people do. One other option entirely is to go down the route of straight fluorocarbon and getting specific casting fluorocarbon and then no more tying leaders at all. Some pro breamers use them during tournaments when the fish get super picky.

I'm with @Kuerschie my standard is 4lb and 2-3 rod lengths depending on water clarity. Clear = more, dirty = less. I wouldn't over think it thought, heaps of people run a single rod length and brain them. If you run more than a single rod length your leader knot will be on your spool, so suggest learning the FG if you want to go down the path of >1 rod length.

I'm the same, I don't like the leader on the spool. The leader has a tendency to want to "spring" off the spool unlike the braid. I no longer use flurocarbon for leaders and use a good quality monofilament. The price difference between flurocarbon and mono is significant, and I couldn't detect any significant improvement with fluro. I like how mono is more supple and I feel this makes my knots better.

I started at a rod length of 4lb leader with bream and went up to 2 or even 3 lengths in the last 2-3 years. Can’t say for sure if it made catches go up or just better lure technique learned over time. But I will say that it made my confidence go up a little bit and that can only be a good thing. I run 4lb fluoro. Savage Gear, Black Magic, Sunline FC Rock all have done me well. You’re probably not doing much wrong, it’s just that bream can be fickle at times and just need to persist.

It was mentioned earlier about lures tumbling through the air. I think this can have more of an effect on distance than spool diameter. I can ping a 15g tear drop sinker that flies nice an straight noticeably further than a #3.0 squid jig tumbles through the air and moves with the direction of the wind. There is a technique in squid fishing for reducing the tumbling of jigs. You place a bead on your leader, straighten one of the prongs on the bottom crown, then put the straightened prong in the bead, so the jig hands head down with the weight at the end of the line. After you cast, t

Nice one SurfcaztR. I remember going to a salt water fish farm in Ballina and thinking - this is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel - it definitely wasnt. The owner asked me what lb leader i planned to use - I said 8lb - he said - you wont get a touch on lures unless you use 4lb. These fish have seen every lure and presentation imaginable. Of course I had to test the theory - only took 45mins to realise 4lb leaders might be the best choice - it made a big difference. That visit was a bit of an eye opener - at a fish farm where they arent fed live food - their food d

A very good supplier. Freight Free > $125. Express post. Usually get their orders the very next day if Oz Post do the right thing. A good price at $349.50. It is the next larger size MGXTREME 30. A bit heavier at 168 grams. https://anglerswarehouse.com.au/product_detail.asp?productnospaces=abu_revo_mgxtreme_30_spin_reel_18521

Nice one Love the set up I was convinced by an old flounder guru to make a 2 pronged, heavy spear with long spear shafts and no barbs. Its a serious weapon that worked much better than I though it would. He reckoned barbs on the shaft, just slow you down when removing fish and I found that to be true aswell - and the extra weight really helps drive the spear home on those "One inch Punch" style jabs. Especially on boney headed flathead Your set up looks great - just putting up another option for the diy spear.

No one locally had a flounder spear for sale so i knocked one up and adjusted the prongs,plus some night underwater recording

Amazing post Des yfw flats fishing is easily my favourite form of fishing and these days I just don’t have the time like I used to posts like this certainly give me some motivation, thanks mate

Masterfoods seafood cocktail sauce here, harder to quit than cigarettes.

I have been using bungee leashes for a while, they are reasonably tangle free, cheap to make and you make them to suit the item being leashed. eg. the basic leash It's a bowline loop at each end. the carabiner end is a smaller loop usually, and the larger loop is for rods/handles. eg. I've found the bungee holds on to the EVA great if you make the loop snug for your rod, and I don't usually slide it very far down, but you can if the rod butt allows. I did try putting it around the reel stem for super security but it gets in the way. I've never had the

The wife's Emeraldas MX with Pitbull+ PE0.8. I fully admit to aiming for a pretty+light setup for her, though the 68g Murasame rod is still on it's way. Awesome drag on this reel.

Bummer an expensive way to learn, but the best thing to do in the future is leashes (If you don't want to loose it lease it). I have leases on all my rods when out in the yak and as yet (touch wood) have not lost one in the 14 years I have kayaked. Mad mine from old style phone cords so they're light enough to leave on all the time (even casting) Here are some images to give you an idea. If you don't want to make one most kayak shops do have them for sale.

I like to start a session with the knot just above my finger with my preferred amount of line between rod tip and lure, this is purely on personal preference. I do well on lures compared to mates who prefer both longer and shorter leaders generally across most targets plus I always seem to be the one getting interesting bycatch, except on bream & yfw though for some unknown and immensely frustrating reason, bream are like my kryptonite for lure fishing, yfw sit at my feet and laugh when I am wading around with a lure tied on, I feel like they're punishing me for smacking them so hard

@JosephY Can I suggest you look at some easier places to get your experience up; Snowdens beach - it's in the Port River, head south from the boat ramp, lots of salmon trout at times, a few bream, fish the edges and around the structure. Don't go NE towards Torrens Island in a big tide change, it really moves a lot of water past the marina over that way. Garden Island - launch at the boat ramp area. On big tide swings the current screams through the Angas Channel, but if you hug the mangroves you'll be ok. Seacliff - launch in front of the Surf Lifesaving Club, head towards the

How much kayak fishing and ocean kayaking experience do you have? What Kayak? It can be pretty big water out there. You would want to pick your day and be experienced in deep water reentry and surf launching. Coorong is much easier and more sheltered for the yak.

@Wert Yeah it wouldn't be a day on the flats usage, though I do wonder if the ease of casting, when skilled, makes up for the lack of distance. BC reels are on par weight wise, and the spools are lower friction than ever, but certainly not as well sealed as a spin reel. The upside to that is they are quite easy to self service if you're mechanically inclined.

Best way of knowing if you are going the right direction in purchase is to youtube or google the info and decide from that.. Some i got with RH & LH some not used yet.

I really have to look after my wrists these days if I am to enjoy this pastime for many more years. I occasionally have to use a wrist support brace. Also I have had to developed amphidextrous abilities to share the strain across both left and right wrists & arms. The higher gear ratio is essential for YFW surface fishing. So I never use anything under 6:1. However that cannot be taken in isolation. You also need to consider the circumference of the spool. Hence a 2500/3000 reel is so much better than a 1000 reel with the same gear ratio. They provide a greater line retrieval ra

If you want more speed then a higher gear plus getting a compact body shallow reel could be the answer as they have higher retrieve rate due to the larger spool but not much extra weight and sometime none. eg. JDM Luvias retrieve gear weight drag capacity bearings handle LT2500-XH 87 6.2 175 10.0 0.8-200 9 / 1 55 LT3000S-CXH 93 6.2 180 10.0 0.8-200 9 / 1 55 Des, I'm with you, I like high gearing. A higher gear is always slightly harder to to turn though, so often the manufacturer puts a longer handle on them, eg. the 5.

Thanks guys.. Doing some more looking.... Des that Abu reel looks very sexy and a spare spool... Still thinking about it..

The park never lies as long as you are asking a fair question

Heres some stuff Ive heard or tried for long casting with bream gear Lightest line you can possibly get away with FG Knots Filling spool dangerously close to the lip Smooth casting action, so lures dont tumble in the air or just use lures that arent prone to tumbling and are slightly heavier. Having a rod correctly matched to the lures you throw most often Ive been told long rods are the go -but Ive never gone much longer than 7 foot. Long casting surf and carp spinning reels tend to have long, fat spools and I remember the super fat alveys being a great dist

Great write up Des. Fantastic information.

Yeah Chicken wings are phenomenal - its just hard to know when you have had enough

I went through a sweet chilli phase that lasted many years - Id put it on anything including fish - when it caramelizes on the edge of a shallow fried whiting fillet - its a taste sensation. You do need salt to even it out though

Top info Des - a wealth of information for us and future fishos Thank you.

Awesome post Des I got a lot from it.

That was a great video Yes it is very similar terrain to what I fish on the northern Sandflats and similar fish behaviour. I will be back into it next week, after having survived a dreadful winter. Cheers, Des

If you know exactly where in Westlakes they you have a reasonable chance of getting it back. I agree with Soobz, for the price of that gear, try to find someone with Scuba, or even a wetsuit and snorkel if it is not too deep. I just took a handline the first few times I fished from my Yak. Like others have said, I mainly use cheaper gear from the Yak just in case. I've had a good run with the KastKing Sharky reels and run them almost exclusively for my kayak use. They have taken a fair bit of salt spray and get a quick rinse when I get home and are still reasonably smooth. Like mos

100% agree mate. Fresh, bled and skinned snook with the bloodline removed are spot on for eating. On the bbq for a couple of minutes and wacked on fresh buttered bread with salt & pepper or a dash of sweet chilli sauce. Bliss