archerfish

A ballsy effort, doobie

The Plan: Start at 10am at Southport and hit most southern beaches through to Sellicks and return finishing aback at Southport.
 
Did it succeed: Nope.
 
OK, so decided to hit Southport at 10am leading to the low tide at 11.30am and to lure for Salmon all day.
Was not expecting to catch anything at Southport, as have not yet done so, plus the low tide was not going to help any.
 
The only thing happening or moving at Southport were the walkers along the beach.
(now I'm not talking walkers from "The Walking Dead" from the series for those who have watched it).
 

 

 

 
So after about an hour luring it was off to Maslins and still only half expecting anything to take a lure at this stage of the day.
 
But, some excitement for me....a green floating ball.
 

 

 
But that was enough excitement for me, and as not takers for my lure it was off to Pt Willunga.
 
Arrived at the carpark and had a bite to eat whilst surveying the area - looked good.
 
Then.....something caught my eye......another bloody ball.  Thought for a moment it got here from Maslins before I did, but a different colour, but at least it smiled
 

 
So back to luring at yet again something took my eye....
 

 
Then it all appeared.....a shark?
 

 
Nope....a friendly.
 

 

 
There was probably about a dozen dolphins swimming around about only 50m out and with some chasing something out there. 
 
So I replaced my Halco 40g lure to a Halco 55g lure for a little extra distance thinking they might be scaring some Salmon closer to shore.
 
Just purchased these Halco's so was hoping for results.
 
Third cast and twang, the Halco 55g travelled very well and sunk to the ocean floor
​
So here is a tip for all: Always make sure your reel latch is open before casting
 
The dolphins headed North - the way I was going anyway and then one dolphin leaped out of the water with wave - looked fantastic - I gave it a 10
 
They were then gone.
 
Maybe they scared some Salmon in close as this was the result near the Northern end.
 

 
So I was happy that, to get something was a relief, but then.........it happens again
 
Yep, another   ball.
 

 
What is it with balls today I have no idea, but they are following me
 
The few Salmon were then also gone and was thinking now to go to Sellicks, but this was in the distance
​

 
Now I was thinking I was not prepared for that much rain and seeing I had hooked a few at PW, why not stick to a good thing.
 
Got a little bored with no takers so I etched this into the sand.
 

 
If you can't make it out, it says 'Strike Hook.com'
 
So ended up staying at PW without going back to Maslins or Southport due to time (about 4pm now).
 
But a great day of weather and entertainment plus a bonus Salmon and ST.
 
 
 
 

I bought one of the small poppers when they arrived at work about two months ago. They work quite well as a top water lure for salmon and I'd imagine yellowfin in summertime would have a go as well. I originally bought it for micro popping rat kingfish but will have to wait until summer for that. The smaller minnows looks great as well but I haven't bought one yet

GDay Archerfsh,
 
basically fill a bucket of water until it snaps then weigh the bucket. If it breaks at the knot at 6kg then the line strength is at least 6kg.
Good for comparing knot strength. In practice I actually filled the bucket to 2kg then marked it, then 3kg etc  Cheers

Coincidentally I just found a 1000m spool of 12lb maxima "ultragreen"  in the back of a cupboard that would be nearly 20 yrs old and it seems like new. It's in a little white cardboard box, haven't seen them in a while. I quickly tested it and it broke at 5.5- 6kg [at the knot].  Took a pic but gave up trying to attach it. I also have a big spool of maxima 50lb which would be about the same age and that seems fine too. Used to put it on the old Penn 6/0 HSS but ahven't used that since I sold my boat 15yr ago. Now I've been using  it on hand lines with squid jags. Have no easy way to test that. Cheers

From what I know mono has a definite shelf life even kept out of the elements. Of course the elements shortens its life quite a bit.
 
Braid can last ages provided it doesn't start wearing or fraying, even UV just makes it fade without damaging to much from what I know. Not sure if it really has a 'shelf life'.
 
Not too much experience with it though, my line tends to get used/replaced/upgraded before I've noticed any degradation from age. Just going by what charter guides I chat to say and what I read/watch online.

Hi doobie
 
Your "barracuda" isn't a barracuda. I think you will find it's a Southern Frostfish (Lepidopus caudatus).
Here is a link found after just a quick search:
 
http://fishingmag.co.nz/2014/11/10/frostfish-lepidopus-caudatus/
 
Interesting find, nonetheless...
 
Cheers
af

Here is a link to a distribution map of where they have been found in Australia:
 
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:12e4d55f-aab2-4416-85fa-0e5c2060a358
 
Cheers
af

I have been wondering lately, especially over the last week, to whether the salmon have actually disappeared.
Many of us have had dreadful times in trying to find them and to even catch the bugga's.
 
Lately I have been heading down to Maslin Beach because it is only 5minutes from my house - so it is convenience more than anything.
 
I've walked up and down that beach luring only and expecting something due to some good catches about 3 - 4 weeks ago.
 
But on the last 6 or so occasions of going there morning and afternoon I came home with nothing....again !
 
So I checked the tides for today and wondered about going to waits with a north/east and high tide about 2pm. 
 
But first at 7pm, I left home and head to Maslin's first for the out going tide for one more shot.
 
Slight ripple on the water and quite brisk.
 
The sun coming up and shining on the cliffs and about to pock its head onto the beach.
 

 

 
But this had been washed up ....a barracuda, about 1.2mtrs long !!  I thought a first it was a big snook but those large upper teeth gave it away.
 

 

 
But no touches as usual, so off the Port Willunga and nothing either except for a couple of other fishermen - and they didn't stay long.
 
Ok, now to Waits and Parson and will be there about 2 hours before high tide and went to Parsons first.
 
Looked beautiful from the top but not many gutters showing up, some seem to have 'gone'.
 

 
I was disappointed nothing attacked my lure for the walk to the end, so pondered about attempting from the rocks...snags, losing lures, slippery, getting washed out to sea etc.
 
But thought don't be pathetic and give it a go.
 

 


 
Picking the right spot to cast and bang, a solid hit and with a wave coming in I could see another 4 trying to attack the lure.
 
Maneuvered the salmon around the rocks best I could but it was fighting hard.  Got the salmon (about 1kg) to the rocks about 1m below me but heavy to lift up and as doing so it dropped
 
The next half hour of luring for them and they had disappeared.
 
So walked backed to head off to Waits (and cursing most of the way).
 
(btw, the steps to the sand at Waits have been closed off - you know, the steps with the big jump from the last step. Need to walk to left to get down - working sorting it out).
 
So now high tide was nearly in, so do I go right or left ...... left it was.... and decided to go where a chap had bagged out on our August S&H Salmon day.
 
Walking to this point there were other fishers using baits but had not caught anything.  A few of them mentioned they were losing baits to crabs, so must have been a few around.
 
Got to the spot and first cast this happens. (And mind you it was a little tricky holding rod and taking a photo by yourself).
 
 
 
And this was result- just touching 50cm.
 

 
I had been using a 40g Stinger with a single hook leading up to here, but changed to the chrome 3 hook (incidentally, the lure was from The Fishing Guru, so everyone should get his lures...they work)

 
Most casts were getting hit and mostly by ST's .
 
Before to long, another good fight from another Salmon - about 40cm.
 
Another 40cm hit and was at my feet and dropped off only for a wave to come in and it was gone
 
And no joke, as one of those pacific gulls was watching and waiting, it gave out its 'voice' and it really sounded like it was laughing at me - so told it to  off, but it didn't.
 
So not a bad ending to the day, a nice catch - kept a few ST's to do some patties  â€‹
 

 
 
Hope you enjoyed the (loooong) read.

Lots of stuff online about preserving worms in metho...this is probably one of the better sources of information I've seen:
 
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.250969621717185.1073741838.192348597579288&type=3
 
I have previously bought "metho" worms from a reputable Adelaide tackle shop and they seemed to be a decent fall-back option when fresh ones weren't available.
 
Cheers
af
 
P.S. Anyone want to throw references to WD40 into this thread?

My money is on the Sebile Crankster to get the first decent hit....
 
Cheers
af

Err...not just at the moment, Oldmate. I think I've got a sock drawer to re-arrange or something...

Saw this on the "Fishing World" website today...ouch!
 
http://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/3-ways-to-remove-a-hook
 
Cheers
af

G"day Aquatic research1,I have used the line for redfin ,carp and salmon trout ,and have to say this as my honest assesment.
Its very good line,doesnt wind knot,casts well ,fishes nice but.....it doesnt really seem to have any advantages over a good quality braid,not for one second does it have any  characteristics of mono,although it  is one fibre as opposed to braids several fibres fused together,it behaves just like a braid.
Its good  for sure, but not revolutionary.
Cheers

So I’ve heard many stories of people finding rat kings within a couple of hours from metro in the last six months and never had any thought of chasing them due to not owning the correct gear. However, one close fisho friend of mine gave me some sound info a fortnight ago and gave me motivation to have a go at a landbased king. Not having ever seen one in the wild (plenty in aquaculture) and never having caught one, I went out chasing.
 
Day began at 5am, left home early and drove up to an area that had frequent sightings of rat sized kings. Armed with a few combos and a couple of not-so-fresh baits, I was hopeful. I began by sending out a freezer squid under a float and let it drift way out off where I was fishing. Whilst that was out the back, I began tossing a squidgy flickbait around on my 1-3kg Samaki Zing and my newly acquired Daiwa Caldia 2004 hoping to nab a few salmon or maybe a snook. After a long while and no hits on plastic, I swapped to a simple paternoster rig hoping to at least catch a fish. Managed to catch typical reef/rock fish such as sweep, zebrafish, wrasse and heaps of leatherjackets in the small size range. I kept periodically checking my whole squid throughout the day but it remained untouched. I swapped out the squid and put on half a garfish just to see how it went. After midday I swapped back to plastics and was rewarded with a solid hookup and strong run. The Caldia was singing loudly and I was losing heaps of line fast. The fish hadn’t jumped so I knew this was no salmon, the Kingies were finally here!! I fought this legal sized fish for five to ten minutes but without a crab net to lift and having completely the wrong gear it was hopeless. The king went for a short run and busted me off on the last pylon. I couldn’t entice another strike from anything until around 4pm when I began to bring in my last half a garfish bait under the float. As I retrieved the float, it began to bloop and pop the garfish across the surface. To my surprise two/three kings came from nowhere and smashed the gar on the surface and things came tight. Against strong drag from the Stradic 5000, it still managed to take line and felt like the harder I pulled, the harder it tried to run away. Eventually I got it close and was able to deadlift it on 40lb leader. Success!!!
 

 

 

 
My first ever kingie at 70cm. Great fight to it and to do it by myself was awesome. Now I just have to wait until late spring to hopefully go and find some more. Would love to land one on plastics as well, so that’s my first summer goal for next season.
 

Interesting story from the "NT News":
 
http://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/fishing/happy-snap-turns-to-terror-as-sea-lion-strikes/story-fnkchy3h-1227337705016
 
Cheers
af

Interesting story from the "NT News":
 
http://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/fishing/happy-snap-turns-to-terror-as-sea-lion-strikes/story-fnkchy3h-1227337705016
 
Cheers
af

Interesting story from the "NT News":
 
http://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/fishing/happy-snap-turns-to-terror-as-sea-lion-strikes/story-fnkchy3h-1227337705016
 
Cheers
af

G'day
If you want to go trawling for snook, you'll need a setup like this 
If however you want to go trolling for snook, follow the advice above 
Cheers
Rod
 

An interesting story...
 
http://csironewsblog.com/2015/04/26/reunited-after-twenty-years-tagged-tuna-tell-us-tales-of-the-sea/
 
Cheers
af

An interesting story...
 
http://csironewsblog.com/2015/04/26/reunited-after-twenty-years-tagged-tuna-tell-us-tales-of-the-sea/
 
Cheers
af

An interesting story...
 
http://csironewsblog.com/2015/04/26/reunited-after-twenty-years-tagged-tuna-tell-us-tales-of-the-sea/
 
Cheers
af

An interesting story...
 
http://csironewsblog.com/2015/04/26/reunited-after-twenty-years-tagged-tuna-tell-us-tales-of-the-sea/
 
Cheers
af