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yellow door 1

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  1. Haha
    yellow door 1 reacted to doobie in Innovative Ideas Man   
    Honey 🤮
  2. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to Des in WEATHER or NOT ???   
    The Yellow Fin Whiting season is fast approaching. As the seasons and weather conditions change we have to think about and adapt to the changing behaviours of the Yellow Fin Whiting.
    The most important thing for successful YFW lure fishing is knowing the fish!
    It’s physiology. It’s habitats and ecosystems. Also it’s behaviour in all weather conditions and seasons.
    The next most important thing for successful YFW lure fishing is knowing your spots. The geography and terrain.
    There is always a right spot, for every weather and tide conditions. When do the fish go to a given spot? In what weather? On which tide? And what food is available there in these conditions?
    The least important thing for successful YFW lure fishing is … lures !!!
    Find the fish first. Before worrying about finding the right lure and technique.
     
    Your chances of success will depend on assessing the weather and tide conditions on a given day and then understanding the behaviour of YFW in those conditions. YFW will be found in different locations, in different weather and tide conditions.
    There is nearly always a good fishing spot available. Almost regardless of the weather conditions.
    We are lucky to have the two gulfs and the Yorke Peninsula. It provides us with a variety of options regardless of the weather and which way the wind blows.
    These are some weather and location factors that I consider, before I go lure fishing for YFW
     
    TEMPERATURE
    Early in the season air and water temperatures are critical for lure fishing. With the rising temperature their metabolism, muscle functions and locomotion increases.
    At the start of Spring, I usually pick a day at the end of a series of warmer days. The water would have warmed up a little by then. It takes a while for the water temperatures to change due to thermal lag. And even then I prefer fishing the warmer afternoon on these sunnier warmer days. A smaller tide on these days is a bonus. Less water to warm up in the shallows. Bigger tides can bring in cooler deeper water into the warm shallows. However this dynamic is ever changing and does go into reverse in the hottest months. Stay alert to the different water temperatures at different water depths at different times of the year.
    By November, water temperatures are now consistently over 20c. Low water temperatures and a low metabolism in the YFW is, no longer a factor. A chilly morning in summer may just dull the fish’s appetite. But by mid day as they gather in the deeper areas after the morning run off they will be back to their aggressive best.
    Yes the water temperature can get too hot after a hot spell. Then the obvious thing is to fish the cooler mornings.
    Also pick deeper water locations during hot weather spells. Where the fish can find some relief from the hotter surface water temperatures of the shallows. If fishing the afternoon incoming tide, you will need to fish back deeper in the tide. Where the water is cooler on those very hot days.

    …… Early in the season blades work better, as fish stay deeper and are less likely to rise for a surface lure.
     
    WIND
    Given that water temperatures are good, wind is the next most important factor for stimulating YFW surface feeding.
    The perfect wind for lure fishing YFW on an open sand flat, is in the 6 to 12 knots range. Perfect to stimulate YFW feeding as they feel a lot safer under the cover of a heavy ripple or light chop on the surface of the water. The chop sufficiently obscures their vision, so they are not too discerning with lures in these conditions. Although too windy and too choppy, will stir up the sand and dirty the water. Fish will move to more protected and cleaner water.
    Strong winds are okay. In fact can be brilliant for concentrating fish in certain spots.Your spot selection in these conditions becomes critical. The geography of the Yorke Peninsula and gulfs gives us a myriad of options regardless of which direction the wind is blowing. With the gulfs and peninsula, you will always have a section of coast with an offshore wind.
    In strong winds, a lot more fish are gathered on the leeward coast, as they move away from the open rougher waters.
    Less floating weed and accumulated weed wracks on the leeward side is also a bonus. So strong winds are great for concentrating fish in certain areas.
    ….  A video of the ideal wind when lure fishing YFW
     
     
    ….  Both fish and their predators can be found sheltering from the wind in mangrove areas.
     
    HABITATS
    The varied marine habitats and terrain also provides a few options for windy days. There are habitats that provide sheltered areas regardless of onshore strong winds. A spot behind a mangrove forrest wall will have less chop and cleaner water. This area attracts and holds a lot more fish as they shelter from the rougher conditions outside. Often these strong on shore winds will produce a bigger tide, due to a storm surge. The fish take advantage of this as it provides access to fresh feeding areas around samphire beds behind the mangrove wall.
     
    Flooded in shore lagoons on a high tide are calmer and protected from the heavy churning chop. They will hold more fish in windier conditions. There are plenty of sandy bays and coves on the Peninsula that exist because they are sheltered, always in the leeward side of the prevailing strong winds. The water here is always cleaner and clearer, with fish more abundant in this location during windy conditions. Persistent strong winds are good. Don’t curse them, use them to your advantage.
    You may need to travel to the other side of a gulf to do this. Or even a trip down to the beautiful calm and sheltered waters of Hardwicke Bay, Point Souttar and Corny Point.

    …  An area sheltered by mangrove walls, that will hold more fish in stronger onshore winds.
     

    …. These fish were taken at the entrance of some mangrove areas
    TERRAIN
    Windy days on the open sand flats, will find fish sheltering in the deeper channels that will offer protection from the wind chop in the shallows. You will also find the leeward protected side of weed banks will hold more fish. Conversely should the winds be very light the windward side of a weed bank will have more food stirred up and hold more fish. What ever the wind does, there is a suitable spot to be.
    A windy day bonus - long casts downwind, always catch more fish. I avoid fishing on calm days if I can help it.

    … Channels and weed banks provide some shelter
     
    TIDE
    Any water movement provides a feeding stimulus for YFW. The tides are the most common cause of movement and will always influence fish behaviour.
    However even on a dead dodge tide, SW wind surges, afternoon seabreezes, or changes in atmospheric pressure can create enough stimulating water movement, regardless of the poor tide predictions. A small stimulus on an otherwise listless day often produces a disproportionate stimulatory reaction from the fish.
    Given that the main opening to the Gulfs face SW most tides will be boosted by a SW wind. Low atmospheric pressure will also draw in a larger tide. Factor these in to the published tide predictions, as there always is always a great deal of variation in tide heights on the sandflats.

    …  An old tide book explaining the factors that can effect tide height.
     
    The small dodge tides can be taken advantage of. The small tide holds and concentrate fish in larger numbers in a smaller area, rather than a big tide dispersing them over a large area. At times fishing these conditions can be more like “shooting fish in a barrel”.
    Big tides provide fish accessibility to new feeding habitats. Big YFW love the small Haswell crabs that live in the Samphire beds, behind the mangrove forests. This food becomes accessible to the YFW during the big tides that cover the Samphire beds. The YFW are a much easier target when they make their way in and out of the samphire beds, in a dropping big tide.
    Wether it be a Dodge tide or a big Spring tide, or light winds or strong winds, you will always be presented with a few different fishing opportunities, with the different conditions.

    …. Some of the largest YFW are taken on the biggest tides when they were chasing Haswell crabs in the Samphire beds

    …. Crabs in the gut contents of YFW
    CURRENTS
    Some locations with deeper major channels, that drain the sandflats have increased water flows. The localised currents, can stimulate fish feeding. It is a good location in a dodge tide when these channels can amplify water little water movement there is in the tide.
    These channels will usually bring in water of a temperature that offsets the existing shallow water temperatures. The deeper water also provides a refuge in either temperature extreme. In ambient temperature conditions they are also the tidal highways for fish.
     
    There are also major ocean currents that come into play. In winter the major Leeuwin current flows across from WA and effects the lower Spencers Gulf water temperatures. Boston Bay in Pt. Lincoln is well known for winter YFW.
    I have caught bags of YFW in the middle of winter on southern Yorkes when the locals tell me you won’t see them till October.
    A Northerly wind with a following Westerly change will flick in the warm water flows of the Leeuwin current and bring with it schools of YFW.  Maintain a fishing log. They are a great reference.

    …. The Leeuwin current brings warm water temperatures to the southern Spencers Gulf in winter
     
    SUNSHINE !!!
    On sunny days you catch more fish! It probably is the extra warmth and the better visibility of the lures. But it does not matter if you don’t catch fish theses beautiful days !

    … It is always good fishing in the sunshine
     
    So you either you pick the best weather days for your regular spot, or you pick a new spot to suit the weather and tides on the day.
    One way or another you should be able to catch a good feed of YFW on lures. Regardless of the weather.
     
    Tight Lines,
    Cheers, Des
  3. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from jackmac in Whole snook $20kg!   
    Yeah I reckon you're right. Taste is personal and Im a marginally better chef these days - so I reckon I'll revisit some of these species I'd written off in the past

    Ive written off a few fish because they didnt compare well, when eaten side by side with others cooked in the exact same way. My expectations of how fish should taste and their texture is based of the ones Ive eaten most often in the past.

    Goat fish are another one that some people rave about, that I release.

    Snook and Goat dont make up a huge percentage of our overall catch, so its easy enough to just chuck em back and go for the ones I know how to cook.

    We used to do alot of catch and release, and fish much more often than now - getting a feed of pinkies was a matter of heading out to the shallow reefs for an hour or 2 and it was exceedingly rare not to get a few.

    Any day of the year, the pinkies just used to be stacked up and waiting for your lures. I had to instate a rule that I couldnt take fresh fish, if I still had some in the freezer. So there were alot of weekends where catch and release was the only option. And it was under those circumstances that I made some of my choices of what was worth keeping.

    My mind set was  - if im going to kill a fish - I better really enjoy eating it - and ones that werent as good as Pinkies and flathead got a free pass. There were enough of the ones I liked, to not take ones I didnt like quite as much.

    But those days are long gone  - so the next goat or snook I get has a right to be very nervous 😉
  4. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Plectropomus in Innovative Ideas Man   
    sriracha sauce batter flatty nuggets


  5. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to Plectropomus in VISION versus VIBES   
    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! 
     
     
  6. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to SurfcaztR in Gigging lights   
    Giving this one a go..2600Mha lithium battery..84-leds..5000lux..High light 2.5 hours..Mid light 3.5 hours..Low light 5 hours..Waterproof: 164ft(50M)
     



  7. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from doobie in Innovative Ideas Man   
    sriracha sauce batter flatty nuggets


  8. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Wert in Innovative Ideas Man   
    sriracha sauce batter flatty nuggets


  9. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to Kelvin in Innovative Ideas Man   
    Sriracha mayo is my go to sauce for all seafood
  10. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Kelvin in Innovative Ideas Man   
    sriracha sauce batter flatty nuggets


  11. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Softy in Innovative Ideas Man   
    sriracha sauce batter flatty nuggets


  12. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Rybak in Gigging lights   
    Yeah torches and batteries have come so far over recent years - if I looked at the specs on my 6 year old flounder light, theres no way I would buy it again today.

    While its still effective, its only 250 lumens, which isnt a bright light. But i imagine the low lumens, is what gives it its 5 hour run time and you have to keep that in mind for a flounder light

    As long as you can find a dive light with enough flood in it - and one that could maintain peak performance for a few hours on one set of batteries - a dive or waterproof torch would be a very solid option.

    With the $75 I paid for my yellow flounder light - I could buy a much more powerful dive torch and just strap that to a broom handle or bit of pvc pipe

    Sofirn is a brand at the lower end of the price bracket, that has a grudging respect of guys who buy torches for 5 to ten times the price. And the guys Ive spoken to say the water proof seals are excellent.

    Mine sofirns have survived dunk tests with no issues and mine arent rated for diving - so Imagine their dive torches are even better

    For $50 you get a rechargeable torch and battery - that will run 8.5 hours on 320 lumens - with the option flick a switch and get 1000 lumens for 2.5 hours or 3000 lumens for 1.5 hours.


  13. Haha
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Des in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    When you're built like me - Breathability is a big factor😉



     

  14. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from SurfcaztR in Gigging lights   
    originally I just bent some pvc pipe and strapped a cheap dive torch to it - but things got out of hand pretty quick after that - I put a bend in the shaft so I could hook it over my shoulder when I needed 2 hands to removed fish from my spear

  15. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from SurfcaztR in Gigging lights   
    Light weight and hydrodynamic is much more important than I thought it would be when putting this monstrosity together😉

    I ended up buying the one these skinny yellow battery operated ones the guys use in the video but lost interest in it and never used it -

    I just turned it on then and the batteries still worked so it has very little drain over the years
     
     



  16. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to MAH in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    There was a special via the Columbia online store and I was able to buy the Tamiami fishing shirts for $29.85 & free shipping. So I grabbed 2 for $59.70.
    Got the shirt I wanted at heavily discounted price!
  17. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from MIKECATTS in Innovative Ideas Man   
    Yeah Ive got full confidence in the 4 strand after a few years of using it - it really suits the way I fish. My experiences have basically been trouble free or as trouble free as things can get with braid😉

    - Theres no "break in" period like my old line "Berkley Fireline"
    - no fluffing
    - it performs great straight after spooling up.
    - limp enough to detect little bites on free falling unweighted lures
    - Consistent breaking strains with no unexpected breaks (Actually there was 1 spool of 6lb I bought early on, that broke at around 4lb)
    But the spools I bought before and the 10 spools Ive bought since, have been great. Ive now got it on all my reels

    This stuff is right up there with the best Ive used and costs a fraction of the price

    I just wish I never had issues with that 1 spool of 6lb - coz everything else Ive bought from the Official Kast King Store has performed well and truly, above the price tag. 

     
  18. Haha
    yellow door 1 reacted to Des in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    You always go that extra yard !  🤣
  19. Haha
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Des in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    Yeah you cant get a better endorsement than that👍 -

    There really is some magic going on with those shirts

    I was a bit Skeptical when Buying my new fishing shirt - It didnt make sense these new shirts could be cooler than cotton.

    I wouldnt have even bought it if I didnt have a voucher, I didnt know what to buy with.

    I was always told cotton was the best  - and for a long time it probably was - but the breathability claims of cotton now have some serious competition. The newer polyester shirts are well worth checking out. 

    I just went outside and blew air through the 2 sorts of shirt - Forcing air through the Polyester was about 3 times easier than cotton

     


  20. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from SurfcaztR in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    Yeah you cant get a better endorsement than that👍 -

    There really is some magic going on with those shirts

    I was a bit Skeptical when Buying my new fishing shirt - It didnt make sense these new shirts could be cooler than cotton.

    I wouldnt have even bought it if I didnt have a voucher, I didnt know what to buy with.

    I was always told cotton was the best  - and for a long time it probably was - but the breathability claims of cotton now have some serious competition. The newer polyester shirts are well worth checking out. 

    I just went outside and blew air through the 2 sorts of shirt - Forcing air through the Polyester was about 3 times easier than cotton

     


  21. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to SurfcaztR in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    40 years ago when starting  a lawn mowing service we only had the choice of wearing a shirt,polo shirt or T shirt,20 years on the polyester shirts came out as pictured above and they made a huge difference.Working at 8-10 homes a day in 30+ deg heat and walking an average of 10ks a day during summer anything that made a difference was a benefit and todays franchise mowing contractors wear those micro vented shirts in there daily jobs because it's cooler.
  22. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to SurfcaztR in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    Vented like this

  23. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from doobie in Innovative Ideas Man   
  24. Like
    yellow door 1 got a reaction from Meppstas in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    Ive moved away from the $2 cotton op-shop business shirt.

    Mainly because I had a BCF voucher burning a hole in my pocket and I was intrigued by the claims of the new materials

    Theres definitely some truth to those new polyester shirts keeping you cool - it doesnt make sense that they could be cooler than cotton but there is some weird science going on once you start to sweat.

    If its super hot and Ive got no shade for hours out on the boat - I go with the new tech polyester and huge brim hats - in white
     


  25. Like
    yellow door 1 reacted to Meppstas in Sun Shirt Recommendations   
    I bought a couple of these for trout fishing, they 100% cotton and wear really well.. I think they were around $37-95 ea.back when I bought them three months ago on Ebay plus it was free postage as well. There's also long sleeve permanent press shirts that are a few dollars cheaper too with free postage.


     These are the colours I use for trout fishing.
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