Des

Thanks Man I knew you would find some Yes I do go wading at night on a few occasions. I always see them skipping along on the surface. However they are the smaller juveniles.

@yellow door 1 finds all sorts of YouTube videos. See if you can find one of fleeing prawns I have looked and can't seem to find any

Thanks for sharing those observations. It confirms everything else I am hearing and seeing. We need a good spell of 30+C. To shift that cold thermal lag and sustain the water temperatures at a higher temperature plateau. It is a sustained period of higher water temperatures that provides the environmental parameters for the "summer season".

It has been one of the slowest starts to the Yellow Fin Whiting lure fishing season here in S.A. Adelaide finally got it’s first 30c degree day in 7 months, this November. It has been a disappointing weather pattern. As soon as we have a warm day, it is followed immediately by a cool change and several days with temperatures in the teens. A sustained warm spell is needed to put some deep set warmth into the water. At present water temps, still hover around the teens. Well short of the 20+C that makes those big Yellow Fin Whiting rabid hunters. The hotter the better. My favourite YFW

Some just rewards for the effort. But every trip teaches you a bit more or offers something new What is the new line Mike? Any better than Kastking? Would love to see a video of that prawn moving. I have searched for some in the past with no success. Should any one find one, please post it up here. Cheers, Des

Good work Mike. I love exploring new spots. Sometimes it gets me into trouble and deep water But the rewards are worth it. They are still a little shy in my spots. Only a couple on lures last couple of trips. I have tested the waters with bait and there are plenty around. This season has had a slow start. And looking ahead at the weather it will be that way for a while. Just have to keep searching for those warm pockets of water and the right conditions. Cheers, Des

Hah! ... I would be looking for something a bit stronger ! Hard work, but satisfying I bet. Thanks for the video.

Everyone has their own particular preferences. And sometimes you can come across a few uncommon lures that will work very well in your area. This is my run down on lures:

A nice couple of beauties to start the season with Mike. Great to see you seize the small window of opportunity that there was. It really has been poor weather and late start to the season, this year. And it has since turned to crap again. I have managed to get quite a few with bait in August this year but have not yet had a surface lure session. Hopefully this Thursday.

Judging from the response to your FB post you will have to go into production to meet demand

After a very cold start to spring, it looks like a cracker October long weekend ahead. The water temperatures in the upper gulfs have hit 16C. That is like throwing the switch on, for the Flathead and YFW. A Happy long weekend of fishing to all. Cheers Des PS. ..... and some favourable dodge tide conditions

DODGE TIDES … YOU BEAUTY! Many Yellow Fin Whiting fishers complain about Dodge tides. They find it difficult to catch fish during a dodge. I feel the dodge tides present an opportunity to easily catch fish. Dodge tides are small and always with a higher water height at low tide. They do not spread the fish out far and wide across the sand flats. The fish are held in a concentrated area for a prolonged spell. Most often the fish will be congregate on the lower food rich sand flats. On nipper and worm rich flats nearer to the weed lines. The experienced YFW fisher wh

Hi Mike @MIKECATTS Curious to know what you settled on ? Cheers, Des

Give Rob Wilson at South Oz Rods a call 08 8261 5455 . A very approachable and helpful guy. He will give you the right advice. Worst case, post him your reels. He will have it sorted and posted back. Lots n lots of experience with that guy and an exceptional reputation. Hope it all works out for you.

I really have to look after my wrists these days if I am to enjoy this pastime for many more years. I occasionally have to use a wrist support brace. Also I have had to developed amphidextrous abilities to share the strain across both left and right wrists & arms. The higher gear ratio is essential for YFW surface fishing. So I never use anything under 6:1. However that cannot be taken in isolation. You also need to consider the circumference of the spool. Hence a 2500/3000 reel is so much better than a 1000 reel with the same gear ratio. They provide a greater line retrieval ra

Found the dimensions for the Vanford Spool Basically 2mm longer. I find with lure casting no discernable difference.

Yes ... Rod, Line, Lure, leader Knots introduce a whole lot of different factors for the cast distance of lures. My preference is to use a 7' 6" rod for mainly 4 to 9 gram lures. However I am focussing only on the variables with the reels/spools here.

What are some of the factors that effect cast distance in Spinning Reels? My main application is casting light weight surface lures. A larger spool diameter I find provides me with a longer cast. Hence I prefer using 2500 size reels over 1000 size. Spool length I am unsure of. I have a Vanford 2500 which has a longer spool to it's predecessor the Stradic 2500 Ci4+ but not a wider spool. I don't feel a noticeable difference in the length of cast with the longer spool. Are they any other factors to consider in a reel to improve your casting? Cheers, Des P.S. At

Yes the big evening tides bring in the deeper warmer water and few whiting. Alternatively pick the warmest day and fish the low tide in the arvo.

A very good supplier. Freight Free > $125. Express post. Usually get their orders the very next day if Oz Post do the right thing. A good price at $349.50. It is the next larger size MGXTREME 30. A bit heavier at 168 grams. https://anglerswarehouse.com.au/product_detail.asp?productnospaces=abu_revo_mgxtreme_30_spin_reel_18521

Everyone will have their own preferences as to what factor in a reel is most important to them. For me, as I frequently will fish 6 to 7 hours straight casting lures for YFW & Flathead, I find the reel weight is critical. Especially given that I am developing arthritic conditions in my wrists and finger joints. Fortunately the lighter reels also come with the better componentry and specs. For waterproofing (as much as that may be possible) I heavily apply Lannox both internally and externally before a session. I do drop my reels into the drink more frequently than I would l

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 s

That was a great video Yes it is very similar terrain to what I fish on the northern Sandflats and similar fish behaviour. I will be back into it next week, after having survived a dreadful winter. Cheers, Des

Damn! Thats a great combo too

These must be the easiest of lures to work. They also cast a mile with ease ... Into the wind too! Keep it simple. A constant rolling retrieve across the bottom of a sand flat, will have the Yellow Fin Whiting chasing and hitting it. Never pause with YFW. Keep retrieving even when they strike lightly. They will only chase and hit it harder. If there is a little structure around, and a possible Flathead around, then I add in a few smooth rod lifts and drops. This also applies for KGW when fishing the blueline weed edges. I very rarely fish Bream areas but I have read they