Softy

Took 2 casts to pass the micro perch test. Then 2 more to pass it again.……..
 
on the down side the trebs don’t like rough treatment and I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the brisk arse first sink on the pause. 
 
I haven’t used sinking bibbed minnows before. Is the arse first sink pretty standard?

just coloured in the t-track in with a grey lead pencil - then transferred it onto a bit of paper - to save me some mucking around when choosing fittings

Got a hot tip from Mazman that I could be utilising the "T-Track" on the Rhino racks.

Bash the ends of some metal pipe flat with a hammer and its almost done - just have to driil some holes and buy some bolts, lock nuts and washers.

Nice work mate.. I'm still bloody yet to catch one of them

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Season started 5 days early this year

Last flick on the rock wall before heading back to Melbourne
 
 

New species on the wall tonight every thing I hooked had nasty dentures tonight

And I just found out if you left your lure sink to the bottom - there’s little pinks there aswell
 
the shrimp weren’t as thick tonight

Hanging out with these Warrnambool killers has changed my perspective on things
Figured I might take a few home to feed to the Jewies. 

Although size is increasing slightly. I’m beginning to think this bay might be too shallow for anything but runts. It’s probably why all the mullet stack so tight against the shore line. 
 
im getting tempted to grab a few as livies and chuck them out into some deeper water

I’m down in Warrnambool for a bit so I’ve been bouncing around like a blue arsed fly, trying to find after work spots worth hitting twice. 
 
found one last night. A little bay jam packed with 2 inch bait. Little eps and bream were whacking them in the darkness at low tide. Hopefully their bigger bros show up when the water isn’t ankle deep

Yeah it’s been a long time since I’ve hooked a Trev. They’ve definitely earned their rep as a fighter 
I was chasing salmon at the time and I was glad I had 10lb leader on when he started head butting the rock wall. 

Those Trevor's would put up a good fight

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If you are going to use zipties as the weak link - just make sure they are a "Weak Link"😉

I originally went with the thicker red one in the middle - that was the one holding on passed 30kg - the short red ones are the ones that break at around 10kg - Id be scared to think what it would take to break the black one

Heres the white one swimming bait fish style
 
 

The new fake Zman sand worms arrived - very impressed with strength, flexibility and best of all, the tail wiggle on the pause
 
 

Impressive...

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Dammit - just found a seller that does 50, 8cm, tpe worms for about $6.35 delivered

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...8daM514WE&mp=1

I'm out here now. Nuff said
 

Yeah although the soy sauce bottle lure worked - it wasnt because it was a good idea😉 

Basically had to burn it through schools of ravenous redfin and hope one didnt look at it too long before deciding to strike😉

So those lids were begging to be repurposed

 
 

Ive always used the pro cure bloody tuna. Seems to have made a difference for me. I'm sure there are better/worse ones out there.

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If any of you fine people are over here in the lower EP send me a message. Always looking for deckies for a fish. My local mates are pretty elderly so don't handle offshore to well with bad backs etc. It is not a charter so you don't have to pay for fuel. Just mates going for a fish.

Last night I was fishing at Glenelg; when I was leaving, I saw a few decent schools of YFW cruising the shallows. I hadn't seen them schooled up in such numbers this summer.
The other thing that caught my eye was an enormous flatty stalking the schools of YFW. I've never seen such a big flatty in the metro waters. If I wasn't on my way to catch the last tram of the night, I would have stopped and thrown a couple of lures at it.

No gut bruises off this guy tonight😉. He was hanging out with a bunch of perch 

A lot of tools you swing have a fat bit at the end - so do my rods 
I originally used fat bits of cork because my guts would get bruised during Jewie season. (I used to fish for them regularly with heavy live bait gear)
Jabbing the rod butt into your guts on the strike and holding it there during the fight can leave a mark with skinny,/poorly shaped or metal butt caps. 
 
I always fish around structure so you have to hit them hard and fight them hard when using heavy-ish bait gear. In one spot I have to strike, then run 30m up the bank, to change the line angle, so I had a chance at getting them out. It was a clumsy affair with lots of adrenaline based gut jabbing. So by the end of the season it was hard to find a spot that isn’t bruised, to rest the rod on. 
 
that’s when I started thinking about comfortable butt caps
The added bonus I hadn’t considered was the ergonomics of having a fatter butt while casting. My rods had slight tapers before I shortened them. But making the butt fatter means you don’t grip as hard. 
 
it not a huge deal but it is noticeable- and it was a pleasant surprise the first time I used one - even my bream rods have them now