Plectropomus

the TiG rod end is sharpened to a hollow point, and the hole is drilled only into one side of the handle. Then line up the hole in the spike with the hole in the handle, poke the rod the in until it bites. Cut it with a cut-off disc or hacksaw to leave about 10mm length sticking out of the handle. Pull the little pin out, add some 24hr araldite to the little hole, then hammer the pin through the hole in the spike and into the handle on the other side...not so much that it emerges, though. Then grind off the pin flush with handle. That way everything is nice and tight. Pin is like a n

see reply to gregtech. I will PM you the same images next to a ruler and you can decide on custom order if you wish?

OK will do. Those two sold already, but I have some more (longer) ones in stock and can easily turn up some shorter ones next week. I will send pics of the ones I have next to a ruler, and you can decide what dimensions you are after. $20 plus postage

I've been turning these up to raise money for the local Men's Shed. Trying to market them in Tassie for the tuna chasers down there who often just jam a flexible filleting knife into the head. Not good. All made from cherry guava -- an invasive tree taking over the rainforest in patches. Heavy, dense, tall straight trunks. Great for "fish dongers". Turns green like a dream and does not crack as it dries. I drill a hole in the blunt end of the stainless spike to pin it in the handle through the side with some 316 Stainless TiG rod

oh hell!! That is way worse than the 40 boats on the mackerel spot I fish!! What if a snapper runs around someone's anchor rope or someone else's line? They look closer than the run a big snapper can make in 4 metre of water!!

incredible!

are those reels Saltigas????!!!! There are 17 of them!! Saltigas are over a grand each!!!

Bill Sawynok from InfoFish sent me this extract from their 2018-19 Annual Report. He is going to analyse the snapper tagging data and send some plots too. Thorough gentleman! West Australian Dhufish For the last 10 years from 2009-2010 to 2018-19 there were 708 West Australian Dhufish tagged. Figure 54 shows the numbers tagged each year, average length and the size range of fish tagged over the past 10 years. The largest Dhufish tagged was a fish of 1,260mm in 2002/03. Figure 54: West Australian Dhufish tagged, average length and size range (bars) Depth of cap

90% mortality sounds extreme. I am doing more digging, and found this article on Fishing World: https://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/fish-facts-snapper-barotrauma1 Maybe that is one of David_C's release weights in the cover picture on the article One might imagine "Fishing World" is pro-angling, but it is surprising different studies (even on the same species) give such different mortality rates. I have contacted Bill Sawynok (from InfoFish) to ask about the fate of tagged fish released after venting. InfoFish were heavily involved in the "Release of Line-caught fish"

Could I get hold of that video from Fishing Guru somehow? is it on YouTube?

Good on you!!! From the point on these I assume you are puncturing the lower jaw to get them in? I tried longer, blunt, hook section to avoid this by slipping it under the gill cover and out the mouth....but (as you say) solo operation means they sometimes slip off before you can get them back in the water. It just needs care and attention. Great to see these being made. I have not seen any in North Queensland tackle stores. Is SA having any media campaign to help anglers release snapper with barotrauma? It would be good to see your product (and its use) highlighted with a video cli

Trouble is the undersized bycatch. I use 10/0 circle hooks to try and avoid small fish, but I still catch undersized coral trout and non-target "flowerpots". I'm out there for a feed in deeper water, not catch and release sportfishing...but still have to catch and release. It will be the same with SA folk having to release all snapper. Red emperor have massive head and rib skeletal framework, and their swimbladder bursts out just behind the vent where the skin is thin. You can see this in clear water as a cloud of bubbles accompanies the fish on the way up. Same with "slatey bream". The worst

Fishing reefs up north we get a wide variety of small "bycatch" species, as well as undersized "targets" like coral trout and red emperor. Many are "blown", and few can "self-vent" (red emperor are notable for this ability). Much research has been done, with venting trials and cameras in cages, but not a huge amount of campaigning for public awareness exists in Qld at least. The NT Fisheries has posted a video showing hollow-gutted, feeble, golden snapper (in a cage) on the seabed after venting at the surface using a hollow needle. Their policy discourages catch and release of golden snap

I bet you can make an "auto-sorter" ramp and funnel using your observations of the maggot behaviour in relation to heat and light. Black Soldier Fly (BFS) larvae are grown and traded around the world as chook food and for pet stores. If you Google "BFS harvesting bins" you will come up with many images and videos. The goal is to concentrate clean larvae in collection bins. Like this one: https://imgur.com/gallery/iQZgzDO

you have Indian mynah birds down there too??!!

I met a bloke supplying SA bait shops a long, long time ago. He used to wrap (fly-blown) fish frames in multiple layers of newspaper, then hang these packages in a tree over a bucket of bran. High enough to avoid cats and dogs. Enough newspaper to stop liquid dripping into the bucket. He reckoned the gents (maggots) would burrow their way out between the wrappings when ready to pupate and drop into the bucket of bran. They would "purge" there and he would sort and refrigerate. Looks like you are producing bumper crops.

Thanks to AA Batteries for a top-knotch sponsorship. I deemed myself ineligible for the prize, as I think my tropical opportunities were unfair compared to an SA winter, so I let the judges pick another winner. I just love fishing, reading about fishing, talking about fishing, and writing about fishing!! Strike and Hook teaches me a lot Over to you admin.

Well I would have to rate my DIY Jig a "FAIL". It does tie a very nice FG Knot...but the braid slips under the increasing pressure between my rubber washer "bobbins" and buries in the screw threads. I then have to dismantle them to get my knot out!!! I tied 3 knots on various outfits with leader from 40-80 pound, and was absolutely delighted the way they slip unimpeded through the micro-guides on modern rods. Now I can use wind-on leaders. Caught a barra on one, too, and did not slip.......but ordered an FG Wizz online when I got home ($44). I see now he is using adjustable bobb

There were'nt no "hop hop" about it with an Alvey 650C5 and 13 foot Butterworth blank!!! Hop hop" was not in our rule books. It was flat out for as long as you could stand it for me!!. I remember retrieving flat out off the cliffs at Troubridge Point for salmon and seeing them idle up and then casually peel off...despite me busting a boiler and going as fast I could to overcome the marvellous 1:1 gear ratio!! I spun up a few salmon on the Alvey but never even looked like getting a mulloway, and firmly believed they only took Baltic bobber "gardies"!! Mind you, if someone said bream (or ev

"Bernie Shzot's Baltic series were, the Flash and Minnow which were the through line models, the Bobber which had the fixed double and the Gardie." See http://www.lurelovers.com/forum/paw-paw-and-more_topic1773.html Being of a certain age myself, I remember when lure choice was easy in SA. The lure rack ws dominated by heavy metals: there were only Halco slices (with a red tag if you were flash), "Wonder Wobblers", "Wonder Pilchards", "Stingsildas", "WK Arrows" and "Baltic Bobbers/Gardies". Occasionally stocked were "Rebel Killers" (entire Minnows department), and "Flopys" (sole occupant

"Baltic Bobbers" http://www.jmgillies.com.au/product/bobber/ Long versions, or long copies thereof, used to be THE gun mulloway lures in the surf at the Murray Mouth (Coorong) in the 1970's !!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!!

Parasitologist Dr Kate Hutson replied to my email and sent some interesting papers and a photo. Here is her reply: ".... . About two years ago some fishers were seeing this quite a bit in SA on mulloway and some photos were sent to me (among others). It was confirmed as the skin fluke, Benedenia sciaenae by some folks based in SA who got to sample some fish. See attached paper by my PhD supervisor Ian Whittington (now deceased). This is a monogenean ectoparasite that feeds on skin cells and mucous. Fish tend to get irritated and (presumably in an attempt to dislodge them) will rub

Yes, there is plenty on EUS {epizootic ulcerative syndrome - or "Red Spot"} but those ulcers are caused by a fungus (Aphanomyces) that is not a problem until the fish get stressed by sudden changes in temperature, salinity, or acidity (in the case of northern NSW flooding of acid sulphate soils}. Common on mullet and bream in NSW estuaries, and very nasty. The fish get stressed, the fungus blooms in minor abrasions, and bacteria move in too to form a horrible ulcer. These surf mulloway with rashes/bruises are coming from pristine, remote, surf beaches. Hard to imagine better water quality

Beautiful photo, and another explanation.!!