Plectropomus

Amazing! I never knew the whiting ate crabs, and had wondered how they accessed them. They used to be named "Helograpsis haswellianus" ( think?). I love your posts with the gut contents and sharp observations. What else do you see at night on the samphire flats?

moon phase maybe??

I live in FNQ, and did go to my local tackle shop. He reckoned he bought some sort of automotive gasket material and uses that! Can't remember what it wass and cannot get it any more.

I read a lot of debate online about the use of drag washer grease (a "wet" drag system). One school of thought was that "wet" washers (greased and then grease squeezed out/wiped off) were the way to go for smoothness and lighter line. Another opinion was that "dry" ungreased washers were better for a heavy drag setting, but sometimes the "take-off" was not so smooth. Then a common opinion was the carbontex dont need grease!!! The comment I liked best was that the old Blue Shakespeare Series spin reels had the smoothest drag out at that time -- and they were made from felt! I wore out

That's one of my questions...how do I find out what thickness is needed for my 2 types of reels? I could measure the existing washers, but they have been fried and perhaps (??) made thinner. There are at least 3 thicknesses on the market -- maybe 4?? I guess I could count the washers, including the metal ones, try and calculate the depth of the housing for the washers and then divide the depth by the number to get possible thicknesses? In a pinch I punched out some washers from the thinnest part of old leather rigging gloves -- but they were too thick.

Hi Folk, I have some old reels that are my workhorses for big fish. Two 1990's Shimano Speedmaster TSS IV spin reels, and an early 1980's Shimano Triton Mag Mark 111. The drag washers need replacing but spares are unavailable. They get overworked on speedsters (spanish mackerel) and sluggers (shark bycatch) I have 2 questions: 1) how does one work out what thickness to buy in Carbontex sheets when the original felt washers are very badly worn (and presumably thinner than original) 2) is there any material anyone can recommend (such as gasket material or the red stuff

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!

Excellent article!! They are very impressive catches. I'm itching to give it a try in the mangrove snags up here in FNQ. How do you work the lure under the float? "Popping cork" rigs are used with soft plastic (or bait) in the USA over seagrass beds, and a few folk up here have made their own to fish ultra-snaggy territory. One fellow in Cairns makes his with little "propellers" available at tackle stores, and various rattling beads from craft stores. Here are some of his catches. He says sometimes the fish hit the cork first!

WOW! A picture tells a thousand words, and those crabs.....!!!!!

Thanks for the advice about shims...but could you be more specific with photos or a diagram of how you shim for different line lay problems? Where does the shim go for, say, line lay too close to the lip? It seems to me "wind knots" are more the norm than the exception in using new loads of light breaking strain braid.

Unreal!! I can just imagine some smart alec trolling up tuna on these or jigging with them and "cleaning up". I wonder if they will "pop" on the surface??? The next "big thing" in lures??

none on the walls???

Your the gadgets man.....how about hanging this under your hull?? It could get the seal of approval from the pinkies? Or seal the fate of future hookups? https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/shark-deterrent-mimcs-orcas/

time to paint "Get Kraken's" hull in Orca colours.

You are both most welcome!! I look forward to seeing some mako fillets from Greg Tech and marinated fur seal from YD. Yep, it is darn heavy wood. Old timers all tell me they made "shangais" out of it as kids, then used it as through-the-spokes brakeing when tipping cane bins