bjorn2fish

Since getting a tinny, I’ve gone and beefed up my tackle in the hope of one day hooking up on a decent kingfish. Darren at Sportsfishing Scene recommended I learn how to tie the FG knot. While I’ve only tied it a few times now, I’m already finding it much easier to do.  I even tied it whilst bobbing around in the swell the other week 😀
 
This is the video I found easiest to follow.
 
 

When I was up the river on the weekend I got one of the guys tie a FG on one of my rods while I watched. Being able to see it first hand makes a difference. Just tried it myself and it actually bloody worked first go. Probably not perfect but I'll see how it goes! 15lb braid I think to 20lb mono.
 


Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 

If you tie a little knot in the braid - and put that behind your teeth - it takes far less jaw pressure to hold the line in your mouth

Heres a vid of how I do the wraps - you can tie 4 with very little fatigue compared to some other methods I've tried
 
 

Many things to consider
Species,rod,reel,line,rod guides,heavy/light line on what rod,distance,wind,alcohol consumed.

For heavier fish FG,for small fry double uni

Hey all,
So what leader knots are you using? I thought mine was an Improved Albright but after some reading into it, it is the Alberto Knot. While i've not really had any issues with knot strength, having the leader tag end pointing forwards thru the guides really chits me.
So what are you using?
Quick pic of one I just tied. 8lb fluro to 15lb braid.
 

Cheers all. Got some big plans and ideas running through my mind so we'll see how i go...
Tried something different tonight.... Every Lure painter seems to sign there baits with there signature, but i have fat fingers and its hard to sign on small lures so saw another idea on Youtube and decided to give it a go.... Looks really good in my opinion. just adds that special touch...


 
I printed on some waterslide transfer paper and then slide it onto the bait... then cleared over the top of it.... I like it as mentioned adds an special touch to a custom job.... Can only do Black fonts at the moment but once i upgrade will be doing other colours to contrast the lure i am painting.... Got something special planned with this water transfer paper, just waiting on my blanks to come!

The first go was not as good as I made some spacers that didn't allow enough airflow into the back of the fan. But my good mate solved that when he jammed the lid down and broke the fan. So then I could use the old fan housing as a spacer and put some holes into it to allow better flow. The fan is just a simple Jaycar one with the most CFM you can buy. 12 volt I just clip it onto the batteries powering the fridge, the only draw 300 milli amps from memory. Even at 40 deg I can put 8 litres of water in there in the afternoon/night after fishing and the whole lot is frozen solid by morning.
This was really important when catching heaps of fish to cool them down quick for freezing and having ice for the next day. Keeps the quality of the fish when frozen quickly. 
 

With some of my longer trips in WA and NT camping for anything from 2 - 5 weeks keeping ice for esky's on the boat was a pain. Think 40 deg in WA. I was using a 60 litre fridge and a 40 litre engle as a freezer for ice in plastic bottles and to store bait. But if going out on consecutive days the ice would never be frozen. So I had an idea to make a semi-almost blast freezer out of an old Waeco 60 litre that I didn't trust anymore, that coincidentally hasn't let me down now for about 9 years. To get the cold air circulating I thought a small computer fan on the lid would do the job. And it does in spades. It strips away the warm air from the warm stuff you put in there so it can contact the cooling elements. I did a bit of an unscientific trial and it freezes a tray of ice 5 times faster than my fridge. I also cut up a camping closed cell foam mattress for extra insulation to put between the fridge and the bag. The bag is buggered but I tape it together.
 

Just thought i'd put a thread up of some of the other lures i have painted up at the moment. Originally my main goal was to mainly paint the topwater Lures for YFW and sell them just as an hobby sort of thing. However after watching countless hours of Youtube and reading forums I now know there is alot more i can paint/create and not to pump them out quantity wise. Instead getting creative and painting for Quality and doing it more for myself.
Unfortunately I have painted up most of the blanks I originally had. I have a few hundred dollars worth of blanks, films, stencils and bits and pieces i have purchased being held as  the coronavirus hit most of the areas I purchase my gear from. So am waiting for freight companies to resume there services so i can start painting up new lures..
My main blanks I am planning to paint will be for the upcoming season. So will mainly be Trout, Redfin and Salmon lures. I have a range of Stickbaits, and metals for the Salmon. The Trout and Redfin will be a range of minnows perfect for both dams/lakes and creeks and streams.   I will keep you all up to date with the processes and what I create.  In the mean time here are a couple I have painted over the last month or so ....
 





 

Also rigged up some sliding ones
 
 

Also twisted up some berley cages this arvo

Can also use the scissors as hook puller and clear tube over dowel for tightening sticks

 

Some arrived this morning

Hi all.. Used the "banger" lure today.. Still works. Got my for dinner.. Im happy.. Plenty small ones interested in it.. 

Just come across this on FB.. Nothing new to me but might have some tips in there for others.
 

Had the chance to run a couple of these in my last two session and below are some early thoughts. I'll also continue to post back in here as the summer goes on.
To start with, im coming from a view where the Sugarpen is the gold standard in my eyes. The Pen casts like a bullet, skips across the water beautifully, is quite a flexible lure in terms or its applications and has a success rate that is widely accepted as high. So every commen / view I have on sBT's stick bait will be relative to the Pen.
That being said.
1st impressions:

On the RHS are the 4 "Bangas" as I have affectionately named them. On the LHS are the same 4, mixed in with 4 Pens to give you an idea.
- the blank is almost exactly the same. Same length, same profile/shape. The only differences I can ascertain are (1) a small "scale" finish as opposed to the Pen's lateral dots, and (2) the casting weight is marginally further back in the Pen.
- the blank has a rattle, where as the 70mm Pen doesn't. This appears to be due to the blank having the casting weight in the "chamber" as oppsoed to right at the tail end of the lure like the Pen does.
- the assist hooks they come with look good. Size wise they are maybe a #6 equivalent, possibly even a #4. The braid / assist robe used actually glows bright orange under black light/UV
On the water:

- the blank sits differently in the water at a stand still. Where as the Pen sits almost 45 degrees (head up, tail down), the blank sits realtively flat with no discernable difference in buoyancy between any end of the lure. One of the blanks sat upside down at rest - maybe it was just a dud - but the others seem to be fine.
- casts well, much like the Pen does. To be honest cant tell the differece in that regard.
- seems to swim fine. Ever so slightly different action to the Pen, but this could also be due to the lack of belly trebel on the blank. Might pull the trebel off one of Pens then compare like for like.
Importantly - Results:
The plan I have used is - find the fish with my normal toys, then throw the "Bangas" in and see if they bite.
Trip 1 was pretty tough, nothing in my kit bag really got the job done. However the blank did seduce a couple of roughly 24 models.
Trip 2 was also tough, the wind was up and I wasn't confident the blank would create the water disturbance I needed. Normally in these conditions I would be throwing the larger 95 Pen. However I persisted and nailed an early to mid 30s!
RHS is Trip 1 (~24cm), LHS is Trip 2 (30+cm)
Note - I have cut the dangly bits off. I found they looked like weed and once I removed them I got more engagement for the fish.

@southie THE BANGA overall a good blank and very comparable to the Pen.
More feedback / photos to come over the remainder of summer.
Cheers
TL

Hi all..
Recieved some lures in the post.. Nicely done and with assist hooks as well.. Couldnt ask for more.. Top bloke.
I had to go and see how they worked. I went this morning ( see my other write up).
They work well.. As good as the sugarpens do, basically the same action etc.
I only had the one on me.. Red head, green stripe underneath, some sparkles and stripes..
There were only small ones around today wanting lures..  This lure got the fish of the morning @24cm... They were smashing this, But being a lot of small ones about.. Was hard to get the bigger ones.
I used it for a bit and it held up well to the abuse..
Done well my friend. Im happy..
ALL CATCH AND RELEASED
Mike
 

@nicksfishin666
Squidgy flick baits are only available in the Bio-tough range unless someone is holding stock of the old model, they have been discontinued in the other ranges so a lot of favourites are now gone
Cheers
Yorky 

Just a quick update. 
Been trying my best to pump a few out over the last week... 
Works been a pain in the arse. Will pump a few more out before i start to give a couple out.... but heres some I've done so far..

Hey All.... I haven't forgotten about this..... Been in bed Since Saturday crook as a dog so haven't been able to do much....
On the plus side My Blanks arrived today and my new range of paints came in aswell and....... I have the weekend off 👌 
With the weather being crap aswell i'll pump out some lures over the weekend.... 
Stay tuned!!!

November and so far into December has been the worst weather we've seen it here since we moved to Tassie back in March 2000...
At the moment (11:48 am) it's 10.2 degrees here in Sheffield, wind chill factor makes it feel like 2.3 degrees... can only imagine how cold it is in the Highland Lakes area.. wind chill would have to be in the minus temps for sure.. Snowing up there again today..
cheers
Adrian..