Softy

Plastic drinking straw Hot glue end caps with a swivel shoved in Red heat shrink indicator

Heres some footage of gars gnawing on weed - I wonder if they are stripping it for little bugs and snails etc or whether they just like salad.

That pointy beak and up turned mouth suggests they do a fair bit of hunting aswell. Lots of guys swear by lures to catch them but I have found it no where near as effective as bait and burley. (I did give up pretty quick on the lures though)
 
 

I like a burley float with a short dropper to keep them around the hook

Afraid not. Ben from BK Custom Tackle in Tasmania. He does a great job as these are other colours that were overpainted rather than  clean blanks. Regards, HBt.

They will still make & will make shit loads of money. Most if not all exported to Sydney markets & or overseas for maximum profit. Unless longlining is stopped along with trawling, netting etc including the crab baron, then recs in SA will just get shafted. 
Recs produce Billions of dollars in revenue as compared to Pros who only make a small contribution but with maximum devastation by raping & pillaging SA waters. PIRSA here are just pathetic to say the least & thats being polite. Politicians appointed here to manage fisheries have absolutely no idea about what is happening & what has happened for decades. They are brainwashed by PIRSA & go along with the flow. No one is prepared to rock the boat.    

Thought I could start the ball rolling for this section by showing my latest lure aquisition to entice the local bream population. Enjoy. regards, HBt.

Catching plenty legal ones as a bycatch when chasing whiting. All have to be put back. Snapper starts early next year but probably with a severe rec limit. Almost not worth while chasing at all - while the Pros quota increases. Bloody idiots here in SA.

Apart from Rex Hunt getting rid of the scallop cage dredgers way back in the day - here some updates on what the Vic authorities are doing for Port Phillip

 
Removing nets from Port Phillip Bay
In 2014, the Victorian Government announced a commitment to grow recreational fishing in Victoria through a number of measures, including the phasing-out of all commercial netting in Port Phillip Bay by 2022. The Government is on track to deliver on this important commitment.
What's new?
Consultation has concluded on the final management arranagements to end netting in Port Phillip Bay, and the establishment of a limited hook and line snapper fishery in the bay.
After 1 April 2022, 35 of the original 43 net fishers will have exited the bay, leaving 8 commercial operators supplying fresh snapper to consumers. These fishers will no longer use nets. The gear will be limited and catch will be carefully managed.
The key characteristics of the commercial fishery post 1 April 2022 are largely set out in the fisheries legislation and include:
Nets will no longer be authorised in Western Port or Port Phillip Bay. A snapper quota fishery will be established in Western Port/Port Phillip Bay. Regulations to prohibit nets will come into effect. The final Western Port/Port Phillip Bay net licence will be cancelled, and compensation paid. The Minister will allocate quota units to each of the remaining 8 eligible holders of a Western Port/Port Phillip Bay Fishery Access Licence equivalent to 11 tonnes of snapper. The adjustment package of $205,000 will be paid to those eligible licence holders who have not yet received their compensation. Quota will be able to be traded and leased between licence holders. Quota will be set at 88 tonnes and will not exceed this amount, recognising the recreational significance of the species in the Bay. Licences will remain transferable and may be sold. Recent finalisation of a Fisheries Notice has specified catch limits for other species.  These include annual limits of up to 1 tonne of shark per licence and up to 2 tonne of other species, excluding King George whiting, calamari, King fish and mulloway. The final notices, including the Initial Quota order, the Further Quota Order to allocate snapper quota, and the Fisheries Notice to set catch limits, may be viewed here.

Yeah we drove over a school of monster gars with whiting underneath, 30m from the ramp. I was heavily hinting that I though we should drop anchor and burley.

But it wasnt my boat and they were heading out to a mark they had done well on.

After 3 drops of the anchor, following local internet guru tips and only wrasse to show for it - I was bighting my tongue. But then the locals kicked it old school and went searching for prominent weed beds with long patches of sand leading up to them.

With a fair bit of polaroiding - a couple of half hearted - "Should we drop here's" they finally found a weed edge neither of them could argue about. And then it was on - good times😉

Nice haul! 

Never seen that page before but thanks it could come in handy!

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

I don't know if those of you who fish the smaller rivers etc have this site set on your computer, I thought it may be of some use to those who fish the freshwater rivers/streams.
It will give you the rivers heights that may be helpful, it's the same one I use for the rivers here in Tasmania.. Take note height etc of the day you fish one of these rivers, it will come
in handy to know when the level is most suited for fishing  and may save a long drive after a heavy dose of rain, or even better a worthy drive if the water level is at the ideal height for fishing.
cheers
Adrian..
http://www.bom.gov.au/sa/flood/rain_river.shtml

Nah -no good -  the double loop didn’t do much
 
got to 5.2 kg or around 11.5lb, before cutting the 30lb mono. 
 
The wire is too thin even when you double it

80lb brown stainless makes a more subdued package and should hold on the bigger hook

ok so thats the last batch for the foreseeable future - just some big boys with swivels - 18.1 g is as big as they got

Looks like you have had a busy day! Could be onto something with that speed clam idea....

and the way I usually tie them gives a more laid back presentation  - good for long distance casting or shallow presentations

Here they are side by side

Sacrificial 4lb leaders so I don’t lose the whole rig if they get snagged

As a kid at Port Vic we would use potatoes on squid jags if we couldn't get any tommies. This type of jag. Works a treat.
 

The “Expendables”. 
 
drop shot sinkers 
6mm steel round bar
30lb mono loop
Wrapped in braid and locked on with a few strategic dabs of super glue. 
Average size around 7gram
Biggest one 10grams

haven't had that problem before mate, try watching Briggsy Fishing's video on the FG knot. That's how i learnt it and it works for lines from 5lb - 100lb+. 

I'll have to try the Rizzuto it annoys me when the tag end sometimes undoes a hitch and flaps about. never had the knot slip though.

Honestly the FG knot isn't that hard to tie once you get the hang of it.. 

Honestly the FG knot isn't that hard to tie once you get the hang of it..