Yorky

Hi all...
I went out for a cast.. First for the season.
Walked the outgoing and incoming left as the wind came in.. Got cold.
Went to a spot I know.. Found where they were.. Only fired up when the sun came out.. as the clouds builded they stopped.. I kept moving/exploring.. about 7ks
They were there in small numbers but very sluggish, wouldnt really commit, all nice sizes which is usual first start of the season. Managed to get 2, 39/36.. nice and golden, fat and heavy.. Beautiful fish.
Lost 3 due to floating weed/stuffing around setting drag, lost a very nice and heavy one. Got it close though.. It was big... Drag was too tight and got all tangled up in the only bit of floating cork weed about, pulled the hooks and was the first fish too! Wasnt happy..
Took everything I new to get them.. They would follow but not commit.. Was frustrating but I know they are starting to fire up.. need some HOT days...Were very active before lunch as the sun was shinning and it was warm.. died off when it cooled down.
Lots of salmon trout, Mullet were every were, bloody pain.. Seen heaps of gar in the shallows as well... Only seen 1 keeper crab but lots of small ones.. Water wasnt too warm.. but getting there.. not much floating weed.. Was a nice way to start the season..
Oh! lost 2 lures.. Bloody wind knots.. It was and old trusty and the other was a new funny one, it worked very well got 2 fish! Always happens with new lures and when I spool new line.. Oh well.. excuse to buy more.. Took 3 spare spools and used 2.. Happy with the new line.. Casted well after it settled down.
Mike

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 who has previously worked the same spots, having previously followed normal tides out and back in, will know the terrain and exactly where to go at their regular spots.
 
At times on a dodge the YFW may seem lethargic and uninterested in your offering. YFW are stimulated to feed by water movement. And normally there is little movement on a dodge tide. However the movement and stimulation can be provided by a variety of other small factors.
 
In the SA Gulfs the tide is amplified the further north you go. So a small tide movement is a bit larger if you chose a location further north in the gulf. The lay of the land, channels, weed beds, etc can accentuate what little movement there is. So fish those spots of slightly greater water flow. Like a sand flat near the opening of a channel that will experience any small water movement from that channel draining or filling.
 
Wind always stimulates feeding in YFW. And even more so on a dodge. Check the forecasts and fish a time when the wind picks up. Late afternoons are good. A strong sea breeze creates a wind tide, with enough movement to stimulate feeding on these otherwise listless “Dodgy days”.  In cooler weather periods, it is the smaller water body of a dodge tide that will warm up quicker. So dodge tides actually present some opportunities.
 
I had a good recent session on a dodge tide. One of frequent good dodge tide sessions. On this day, I started fishing at the bottom of the tide, early in the afternoon. The low tide was at the higher level of 1.00mt. The next high was small and about 12 hours away. There was going to be very little natural tidal movement. However the wind was predicted to turn SW and pick up on this arvo. Given that the opening to our Gulfs face SW,  SW winds in or gulfs always produce a higher tide. And do produce a wind tide. At the bottom of the tide, I was positioned to benefit from any movement. I worked an area of sand flats adjacent the weed line which had a number of channel openings in it.

Any water movement was going to be felt here. Fish were lingering around the area from the start. Lazily cruising around in the extra pools of low tide water that the dodge holds. They took some coaxing at first. But as the wind picked up, they certainly got a lot more aggressive. The water movement was noticeable even if a bit slow, if compared to a regular tide.

There was no need for small lures and timid fishing, with the stiffening breeze. The Sugapen 95 did most of the damage on this day.

Late in the session it got a bit too choppy. A switch to sub surface with the Ecogear ZX caught the last few fish. There were some very solid fish at around 40cm in the catch.
 

It finished up being a very satisfying day going to plan.
 
Cheers, Des

Unfortunately those Dolphins are in serious trouble. Not because of fisherman but most likely pollution.

Finally my favorite small tannin stream dropped to a decent wading level, the water itself was still a cold 6 degrees & the air temperature wasn't all that much warmer.
Still, it was nice to be back in a small stream again and back to peace & tranquility..🙂
cheers  Adrian.
 

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

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! 
 
 

Well the 2022/23 trout season has finally arrived and I managed to get my first trip of the season done. High water levels due to recent heavy rains delayed my start, the river level finally dropped enough for me to have a three hour spin session. The Mepps Aglia-e Brite inline spinner did the job on the trout this trip, more rain today which is going to bring the river levels up again. Thanks for watching..
cheers
Adrian (meppstas)
 
 

it is all about looking after fish is you are eating them

This article will hopefully be of some help to those of you who chase trout in the rivers & streams there in South Aust, the tactics I use here in Tasmania are the same that I taught myself when I started trout fishing there in the Finness, Light, Torrens, Okanparinga & Sturt Rivers as well as Sixth Creek plus a few other small streams. The only difference to back then when I first started trout fishing (mid1960's) is the tackle is way better now days..
cheers
Adrian
Adrian's Trout Kit plus...
I was asked sometime ago if I could run through my trout kit from head to toe, such as specific clothing, waders, boots, glasses, camera, drinks, snacks, rod, reel, tackle and whatever else I have for trout fishing the rivers here in Tasmania. I was also asked about some memorable moments plus a few other things that may be of interest, it's something I've never thought about really, probably something I've just taken for granted. So let's start off with the waders & boots etc...
* The Wading gear: Seeing as I only fish rivers/streams & creeks for trout my first pair of waders were the Hornes waist waders with the Blundstone boots. They were a tough long lasting set of waders, but they were very heavy, the boots had no grip on the slippery, rocky river bottoms, after six trout seasons of using them it was time for a change. A friend told me to go for a pair of breathable waders and wading boots, so that's what I did. My first pair was a cheap ($120-00) unbranded set that I bought online, they came from China, that pair didn't get me through the first season, the neoprene foot leaked as did the welded seams. I needed a pair that would last a lot longer than that because I average 90 trips a year during the nine months of each trout season, each trip varies from 3 to 5 hours of wading a river. After quite a lot of researching some of the more expensive brands I went for the Redington, Compass & Bassdash breathable waders with the neoprene stocking feet, the reason I went for those waders was because they're all quality lightweight waders that I knew would get me through many trout seasons. They did and ten years on I'm still using those waders, actually I am now on my third pair. A friend of mine gave me a brand new pair of the cheap unbranded waders which I now use in the small streams & creeks, I do this to save the wear and tear on the more expensive waders.

Remember, always safety first when fishing a river, even more so when it's a fast water.
** The wading boots, I went for were the Korkers with the interchangeable soles, sticky rubber, felt & studded felt. The soles I use on the majority of my river trips are the studded felt soles, they have excellent grip in the larger rivers that are very rocky and slippery. The plain rubber & felt soles are ideal from small streams & creeks that have small gravelly bottoms with the odd rocky sections in them, so that's my wading set up. When buying a pair of wading boots you must order them one size larger than your normal shoe size to allow for the thickness of the neoprene stocking foot, eg: your shoe size 10, wading boot size 11. The main reason I went for a quality wading boot with an interchangeable sole is because of the amount of kilometres I walk to get to & from a river which can be 2 kms to 6 kms a trip, that's not counting the distance spent in a river fishing for trout.
** Clothing: I'm a believer of wearing clothing that blends in with the surroundings one's fishing in. Most of the rivers/streams & creeks I fish have fairly dense foliage on both sides of them, so the majority of my clothing is dark green & khaki coloured items. If I'm heading to the more open larger rivers and the grass covered river banks have dried off then I'll wear a beige coloured outfit. When chasing trout in clear waters on sunny days a dark colour will stand out in an open river, that will spook a trout in no time at all. If possible stay as close to the side of the river that has dense foliage on it. I have seen a trout sitting in clear open water and a small wagtail had flown over, the small shadow of that small bird was enough to spook it. Actually I prefer fishing in dull heavy overcast humid weather conditions with very light drizzle, one can wear the dark or lighter colours in these conditions. 

Spin fishing the Mersey River in full wading gear.
** Fishing vests: I have a few of these, both in green/khaki, camouflage and light brown/beige, all have plenty of pockets for the many small lure boxes I carry. They are short vests as well, there's nothing worse than wearing a long vest and getting them wet when fishing in waist deep water. Not only that, the pockets that hold the lure boxes in a long vest fill up with water, this I found out from experience.
** Rods: The rods I use are Okuma Celilo Finesse ULS 1-3 kg, 6', 6'6'' & 7' lengths, these are a beautiful light weight well balanced spin rods, perfect for what I require when chasing trout in the rivers and streams. I can fish for 4 to 5 hours covering anything from 1.5 kms to 3 kms without getting tired in the shoulders which is a real benefit when spin fishing rivers, how many casts and retrieves I would have over that time & distance would be in the high hundreds I would imagine.

Okuma Celilo Finnese 6'6'' ULS 1-3kg trout rod, Okuma Helios HSX-20 spinning reel, a well balanced set up.

One of the rewards of small stream fishing.
** Reels: All reels used are Okuma spinning reels, the models are as follows: Okuma ITX-1000, Okuma Inspira ISX-20B, Okuma Helios HSX-20, Epixor EXPT-20 & Okuma Ceymar C-10 spinning reels, these spinning reels are nice lightweight spinning reels that are well suited to the Okuma Celilo Finesse ULS 1-3kg (2-6lb) spin rods.
** Fishing lines: There's only one brand I use and have done so for many years, it's the Australian made & owned Platypus line which has come a long way since I first used it back in the 60's. The Super 100 UHT & Pulse Mono 4lb/6lb monofilament are the main ones I use in the clear & brown colour. The other Platypus line used is the Pretest Premium Grade 4lb monofilament, the 6lb leader is the Platypus Stealth FC 100% fluorocarbon line.
 

A nice mix of lures used for the larger rivers.
** Lures: It's Mepps, Mepps & more Mepps inline spinners that I have in my small lures boxes, they range from the smallest & lightest starting with the #00 (0.9gms) Steamepps (black, gold, silver blades) #00 (1.5gm) Black Fury (black, gold, copper blades), Aglia ( Plain, Mouche Noire, Aglia Mouche Rouge in black, gold, copper blades), Bug spinners (Stone Fly, March Brown, White Miller & Cherry), Comet (silver, gold blades). These small lightweight spinners are ideal for shallow small streams/rivers as well as some of the larger rivers I fish. Next are the size #0 (2.5gm) & #1 (3.5gm) inline spinners same models & blade colours as above but with a few different models included such as the Aglia Fluo tiger, rainbo, brown & phospho colours, Aglia Furia, Aglia TW & TW Streamer. So as you can see I do carry a large variety of Mepps inline spinners, all of which I have caught trout on. I also carry several small hard body lures that get used on the trout when they are not in the mood to take the Mepps inline spinners which isn't all that often because 98% of my trout are caught on the Mepps spinners. The hard body lures are mostly in the 30mm to 60mm size, floating & suspending models, Pontoon 21, Daiwa, Atomic Hardz, Goldy minnow, & Rapala lure are just some of hard bodies I have on hand. I also carry a few Ghost & Switchblade lures as well, there's nothing better than having a good mix of lures when trout fishing rivers & streams.

A good mix of lures etc that I use in the rivers/streams.
** Other items that I have with me when trout fishing the rivers: One of the main items is a landing net, the ones I used are all wooden framed with a soft plastic mesh that doesn't damage the fish. The good thing about using a wooden landing net is that it floats and I have mine attached to my vest with a two meter alligator strap. That way if I drop it while fast water fishing it floats and I just pull it back in with the strap. Other items I carry in the vest are: Small plastic containers with snap swivels, anti-kinks in it in case for some reason the main line breaks, you'll need them for replacement of the lost anti-kink set up. Small sharpening stone to keep the lure hooks sharps at all times, a small pair of pointed nose pliers that are used to pull a treble hook from a finger or hand, accidents do happen when handling a fish, it's quite easy to have the lure fly from the fish and lob in the finger or hand when it tosses the spinner/lure. Also one can get a hook in the hand when trying to take hold of a fish that's playing up in the net, the pliers are ideal for when you need to remove the hook. The pliers are also used for setting the treble hooks off center, I'm not a fan of straight trebles.

My fishing vest set up.
 
Digital scales are essential if you wish to weigh your catch as I do, I weigh the fish in the net then deduct the weight of the net from the total weight which gives you the fish weight. That way one's not handling, damaging or stressing the fish, if you are keeping the fish then it doesn't matter. A set of forceps is a must for removing hooks from the mouth or throat of the fish, it's much easier and less damaging to the fish than using bulky pliers. Another item that you should carry is a good fold up pocket knife, handy for gutting a fish if you intend on keeping it. A Boomerang duo zinger that has a line cutter attached to it for cutting fishing line. Another item I carry is a small first aid kit, it's compact and only carries a dozen or so small to large band aids, hay fever tablets and a dozen Panamax- Panadol tablets in case of headache or some other pain that may occur. A pair of polarised sunglasses is a must when fishing, they take the glare off the water and one can see the river bottom as well as the fish. My snacks I carry in my waders pocket are usually three Cadbury's chocolate Freddo frogs or a couple of small Mars bars, my drink is a can of Pepsi Max that I have once back at the car. My fishing camera is a Canon SX620HS compact camera a small reliable quality camera that takes a great photo & video, it's a must have when fishing to take a photo of what maybe your catch of a lifetime.

The Canon SX620IS camera, it's small & packed with plenty of punch.
 
** As for some of my most memorable moments, well this has really got me thinking as there's been quite a few over my 56 years of trout fishing, hopefully I can remember most of them. There's two that always come to mind, the first time I went trout fishing to the Finniss River at Yundi in my home State of South Australia back in 1966. My rod was a 6' solid fibreglass one, the spinning reel I can't remember what brand it was, the lure was a brand new Mepps #1 silver Black Fury that I bought from Adelaide Fishing Tackle, silver was the only colour available back then. On that first trip trout fishing in the Finniss River I caught my first trout on the Mepps Black Fury, a trout that weighed 3 lbs, from that day on I was hooked on trout fishing. Another memorable moment was when I used to do a lot of salt water fishing in South Australia when I caught a 36 lb snapper (gutted weight) during a night time fishing trip in my boat back in 1973. I have a lot of very good memorable moments of my fishing adventures when I lived in South Australia, too many to mention in this article.
Here's a few memorable moments since we made the move to Tasmania back in March 2000. I remember the first trip I had on opening day was to the Dasher River and being keen to get an early start I was at the river just as the sun rose. It was a very frosty morning, in fact it was so cold as I retrieved the spinner the water that came off the line onto the rod eyelets froze up and made it impossible to retrieve the spinner, I have never fished at first light in August since that day. From there I went down to Lake Barrington where I caught my first trout of the 2000-01 trout season on a Mepps gold #1 Black Fury spinner, it was a 1.5kg brown trout.
On the last day of the 2017/18 trout season I caught a PB brown trout in a river, it went 3.85 kgs (8lbs 8ozs) and was caught in the River Leven at Gunns Plains. On the 3rd November 2019 I caught my 10,000th Tasmanian trout, something I never thought of achieving. Another winner on the Leven River was back in 2009 when I won the World Grasshopper Championship in the Carnival of the Grasshopper, I captained the two man team that day, I also won the Lord of the River for most trout caught as well as the heaviest fish. It was back in 2006 when I joined the Ulverstone Angling Club and to my surprise the first season with them I won the Vic Whitehouse Memorial Trophy for most trout caught in rivers and streams with 437 trout being caught. Since that time I have gone on to hold the Vic Whitehouse Memorial Trophy for the past 16 years (2006-2022) in a row. So there you have it, these are just a few of many memorable moments I've had over many years of fishing. Hopefully before it comes to a time when I have to call it a day, I can add a few more memorable moments to it.

My PB wild brown trout, 8lb 8ozs, it was released back into the river as are all of the trout I catch.
One other thing and this isn't a most memorable moment, it's just a little something extra for you to take in if you're just starting to fish the rivers. The more often you fish a river you'll get learn a lot more about it, like pockets of flat water behind rocks in the river, narrow flat waters close to the river banks, they are all fish holding areas, so you won't bypass them like you may have done to start with, you will flick a lure into them. You'll also get to know where it's safe enough to wade, where it's safe to cross the river, most of all, remember safety must come first, it must be a priority when fishing any river. No fish is worth drowning for, so please do not take any risks while fishing in any river, stay safe & tight lines. If and when you do catch a trout, remember to always wet your hands before handling the fish that way you don't remove it's protective slimy coating. I know a lot will keep a trout for a feed and that's fine, if you're not keeping it and just want to take a photo of yourself and the fish, be careful how you hold it. Don't take a vice like grip behind it's gills because that's where the heart & liver are and you will damage them, the fish will swim off, but it will more than likely die soon after it's release. Handle the fish as short a time as possible, even more so in hot weather when river trout are under stress due to warmer water temps. If you really don't need a selfie holding a fish, take a photo of it in the landing net and release it ASAP.

The anti kink set ups I use when spin fishing for trout with Mepps inline spinners.

A beautifully coloured Mersey River wild rainbow trout.
cheers
Adrian

This is one of my early trips of the 2021/22 trout season back in November, it was in one of my favorite small streams that I love to fish. Hope you enjoy the video & thanks for watching..
Only 20 days to go now before the 2022/23 trout season opens..
cheers
Adrian (meppstas)
 

Just as the title reads, this is a video I put together on the rewards one can get from fishing small streams and it doesn't have to be in Tasmania either. 
As most of you know it was in South Australia where I first started out chasing trout in small streams back in the late 60's. I hope you enjoy the video..👍
cheers
Adrian
 

They once were a commercial item, don’t know if their still available 

They once were a commercial item, don’t know if their still available 

They once were a commercial item, don’t know if their still available 

I'm usually using the FG knot, If I need the knot to go through the guides it's always the FG knot if it doesn't need to go through the guides I will sometimes use the double uni. 
I'm using braid pretty much for all my fishing these days & when I'm fishing from the beach/surf & hefting out lures or big baits I tie a leader long enough to go onto the spool that way it's mono on the finger & not braid when casting, this requires the FG knot as it has to go past the bail roller
Yorky

@Rybak That is the same way I tie mine, quick, easy & haven't had a failure 👍👍
 
Cheers
Yorky

IMG_3214-compressed.MOV

I love squid fishing and mainly fish land based, but also get out in the kayak.
As others have mentioned, structure is the key for squid (and basically all fish). If there is a sandy bottom, there is little chance of squid. Wert is spot on, seagrass, reefy bottom, rocky shoreline are the places to fish. For metro spots, you can certainly catch squid at OH. Most people fish the channel/northern side of the OH rockwall, but if fishing the southern side for something like garfish, it's always worth having a jig on hand as you get squid cruising along rockwall face (just not as many).
For metro jetties, Brighton is the most prolific, but also it gets packed (I personally don't like to fish Brighton jetty). Glenelg jetty also produces good catches of squid, just head to end, there is plenty of seagrass to attract squid. This is my local and in the warmer months I regularly have good catches.
I personally believe a good long rod is a key part of success when land based fishing. Most of the metro spots are heavily fished, so if you have a nice long rod and can cast a bit further than the blokes standing next to you, not only can you cover more territory each cast/retrieve, but you will be potentially dropping your jig in front of a squid that others haven't been able to reach. I use an 8'9" Daiwa Emeraldas.
Another thing to consider is the sink rate of your jigs. Squid mainly take a jig on the drop, and close to the bottom. I find I often need to add some extra weight (chin sinker) when fishing Glenelg as the tidal movement can make it hard to get the jig down deep enough. If fishing shallow areas like Marino Rocks, Point Riley or Tickera, it's worth packing some shallow sinking jigs, to give you a bit more time on the drop.
I've posted before on the topic of land based squid fishing, with info on My Squid Rig, and a couple of reports on Glenelg catches, Inkfest and Inkfest 2

VISON versus VIBES
I was fishing the Northern Sandflats yesterday.
The whiting fishing was a bit slow, so I quickly shifted my attention to Flathead.
There was something on my mind. I was curious to know. Which sensory stimulus was most likely to attract a Flathead strike?
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I lean to vision being the most important sense that a Flathead employs in hunting prey. As all my successful Flathead fishing has relied on placing my offering in a highly visible “Strike Zone” above their eyes …  unconventionally under a float.
Yes I have taken the occasional Flathead, on a bloodworm intended for whiting, while trolling and dragging it along the bottom in sand. And I have caught a few Flathead, bouncing blades and vibe lures, across the sand. Again while targeting whiting. But these have always been incidental catches. Nonetheless, Vibes and movement along the bottom has produced the occasional result.
I have tried fishing the bottom for Flathead with a lot of intent and effort. Using blades as well as an array of soft plastics. Working, bouncing and retrieving my offering across the sand in front of Flathead. Success has been minimal when relying on vibrations and bottom movement. Where as capitalising on their sharp vision by keeping my presentation, above their eyes under a float has been enormously successful.
.
I was keen to explore this further.
I was starting to assume that bounces, shakes and vibrations, meant little and it was all about vision. Flathead had a dysfunctional lateral line. Very little feel for vibrations, jiggles or bounces.
I asked the S. A. Flathead Guru and “Doctor of Yellow Fin Whiting” Bill Goh from Adeliade Uni. His reply:
.
“ the flathead’s lateral line is very pronounced (even hard to get the scales off), and it is orientated closer to the top (dorsal). So when a flathead digs itself in, the lateral line is more exposed.“  https://www.facebook.com/groups/970345633507487/permalink/1095174604357922/
Maybe I had underestimated the effect of vibrations with Flathead. Now there was no option but to have a head to head comparison for the two senses in the one session, using the two different techniques. Floating a soft Plastic below a float (VISION) versus Bouncing, jigging and vibrating a paddle tail plastic along the bottom (VIBES) .
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THE TEST
Berkley Jerkshad 120mm was in the “VISION” corner, Versus Squidgies Bio Tough Paddle Tail 100mm in the “VIBE” corner.

 
Overcast skies yesterday, I felt would be putting the “Visual” presentation at a disadvantage. From the Flathead’s view looking up, there would not be as strong and contrasting a silhouette against dark clouds.
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The test did not need to be conducted too long. The slender fish like Jerkshad suspended under a float got all the fish! I am sure the most important sense for a Flathead is Vision. Make your offer most visual and obvious for the best results. I chose to use a float to do this.

TERRAIN
Is it all about the Habitat and Terrain?
On the Northern Sand Flats of the upper S.A. Gulfs, the terrain plays a most important role. With the bigger tide movements of the upper Gulfs, I find most Flathead in the faster tidal flow areas. Usually in weed filled channels, broken weed beds with sand patches, and along weed lines. Occasionally slightly reefy patches. But always in a high tidal flow area. The Southern Bluespotted Flathead, (Platycephalus Speculator) seems to love sitting in or around some structure, rather than being buried in an open sandy area, which occasionally happens.
I prefer fishing the run off tide. With the draining run off tide, baitfish get concentrated into these areas of structure. The easiest and most trouble free, snag free, way of covering this terrain, with the best visibility … is under a float.
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This terrain and heavy weed growth restricts the Flathead’s vision to a mainly upward line of sight. Making its hunting heavily reliant on its vision, in this habitat. The terrain and heavy weed growth would also somewhat dampen any of the other stimulating senses.
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Yesterday I managed 2 Flathead at 61cm and another 3 in the mid 40s. Along with half a dozen whiting in the low 30s.

 
It was a great day. It could have been brilliant if I had not lost a further 2 good fish today. Both bust offs. They get very angry in shallow water! I am still using my ultra light and well worn whiting lure gear and line. Time to step up and gear up seriously to target these guys over Autumn.
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Cheers and Tight lines, Des



 
 

This is just a short video of the second best trout that I've caught in a river this season. I took a gamble filming it with my Canon camera while holding the trout rod in my left hand, thankfully the trout made it into the net. It certainly tested out the fine (0.15mm diameter) Platypus Pulse ultra thin 4lb premium mono line too.
Thanks for watching.. This video is HD  make sure you change setting to suit..
cheers Adrian.
 
 

BYCATCH to MAIN CATCH … Season’s Change to FLATHEAD
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I have picked up a Flathead on each of my last 4 Yellow Fin Whiting lure sessions.
There are still plenty of YFW about for the whiting bait angler, however they have slowed up for the whiting lure fisherman.
The water is cooling a bit for YFW on lures. But is also the reason for the increasing presence of the Flathead.
The cooler Autumn water temperatures now have the ambient conditions to hold a larger number of baitfish in the shallows.
And along with the baitfish arrive a lot more Flathead, in these cooler waters of Autumn.
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UNCONVENTIONAL TACTICS
I have always taken a skeptical view, of some assertions made by some fishing experts.
It’s best to do your own trials and testing and arrive at what works for you … for the areas that you fish.
There are claims of many must do techniques. Most based, I feel on false assumptions. And in the main anglers have quietly and benignly accepted them.
With Yellow Fin Whiting there was even an ‘expert” that asserted a surface lure mimicked a fleeing Benthic (bottom) dwelling Clicker on the surface !!!  All fishing techniques have to consider the target species, their morphology, behavioural traits, their prey and the habitat in which it has all evolved. So when it comes to some “expert” techniques, it must measure up against these factors. When Flathead fishing with soft plastics, people have often claimed; “Always bounce the soft plastic in the sand to create a puff of sand to attract a Flathead”
… Nah! Nah! Nah! Never !!!! This has a detrimental affect, when I fish wading the shallow sandflats.
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I employ some unconventional tactics for catching Flathead  … I float fish them.
Do not bother bouncing lures along the sand. I have FLIP-SIDED the whole concept and suspend Soft Plastics and Bait under a Float. Always presenting them above the Flathead’s eyes !!  It is where they can see it the easiest and react the most. Their Strike zone. Their area of Binocular vision.
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Having viewed underwater footage of FH taking soft plastics. I noticed they were repetitively taken at the top of the lift when the SP was bounced. Always well above and out in front of their eyes. In their “Binocular Vision Strike Zone”. So I decided I may as well put my Soft Plastics there in the first place. Drawing it past them … under a float.  I do not use any jig-heads.
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Some more alert experts are now agreeing, that in fact disturbing the sand in front of Flathead is counter productive.
Karl Attenborough of the “Sand Flat Fishing Australia”  YouTube channel says:  “Touching the sand with your lure in shallow water spooks the fish.”
Refer: 9.35min in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NHJ02NUoiQ
Or in this Doc Lures Podcast : https://doclures.com/nsw-mid-north-coast-flathead-attenborough/  … Refer ~ 17min 10sec onwards.
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As fisher-people we are always trying to present, a favourite food in the most irresistible and obvious manner, to our target species.
I have been floating Baits, Gulp Minnows and Jerk Shads under a small split turnip float for a long time. With great success.
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MORPHOLOGY
Prey usually have eyes on the sides of their head so they have a large field of view, from which to avoid predators. Predators usually have eyes in front of their head so they have better depth perception.  Benthic predators, like Flathead have eyes arranged so they have a binocular view of what is above them as they lie on the bottom. Their field of vision is strongly biased to a bait or lure being presented out front and above them. Rather than it bouncing in the sand ahead of them.
These great videos clearly illustrate the Flathead eye placement and function:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC7Ig4NJmtE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrCjZJWGFHI
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HABITAT
The other most important factor for using floating baits and lures is the sandflat Habitat in which the Flathead hold.
In the upper gulf sandflats that I fish, Flathead are most often found on;  broken weedy ground, in and alongside weed filled channels, or alongside mangrove edges full of aerial roots. Here they lay and wait to ambush any prey that passes above. It is very hard to get a weed free, snag free retrieve over this terrain. So the most effective method is to present and draw a bait or lure over them, suspended under a float. There are some suitable floating lures, but their trebles foul easily on the floating ribbon weed.
 
Flathead most commonly lie on the leeward side of a weed hump or structure in a strong run off. I rarely come across them on clear open sand flats. They have a preference for the bigger and faster run off tides. I find the best strategy is an overhead bait/lure presentation, suspended by a float, drawn across their likely lies behind structure.
 
The weed line or “blue line” which can also channel a stronger flow of water, will also hold them. The irregular weed line will frequently obstruct and hide your lure if you are working the bottom. Under a float, your offering can easily work, over, across, in and out of the weed line, with out fouling. Weedless rigs worked lower are never as effective for me.
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RIGS & LURES
Today the very successful floating Glide baits and swim bait lures, do exactly that, swim above the eyes of the Flathead. Stay out of the weed and never touch the sand. I have yet to given them a try.
My favourite lure is Rapala Shadow Rap a floating lure with a small bib and a shallow dive.
It is interesting to note how many Flathead have been taken on a floating Squid jig.
But I have taken the most Flathead (along with X Large YFW) on Soft Plastic Minnows or Jerkshads simply fed onto a #4 long shank hook that I have been using for YFW.  under a float.



Tight Lines.
Cheers, Des

This information is based on the Honours thesis undertaken by Jason Earl in 2007, through Flinders University. All credit goes Jason for this knowledge.
The information is based upon samples of southern sea garfish that were collected at two locations in Gulf St. Vincent between March and July 2007. Most sampling was conducted at Port Parham, while fewer samples were also taken from Bay of Shoals, Kangaroo Island. Garfish were sampled for this study in two ways: they were purchased from commercial fishers after haul-net capture; and captured at night using dab nets. Hook and line were not used to capture the fish, as the use of foreign dietary items such as burley and bait would have disrupted the analysis of dietary composition. A total of 20 sampling events were undertaken.
The study found that the size of the mouth’s gape, the length of the beak and gut length were all proportional to fish size and these proportions are consistent over time, which does not suggest a major change in the feeding biology from juvenile stages through to adulthood.
The primary dietary components identified were seagrasses of the family Zosteraceae and planktonic amphipods.
Seagrasses were consumed in much greater volume than any other dietary item, followed by amphipods that were also consumed in high volumes. The high volumes of seagrass, may be due to the low nutritional value of seagrass and the inefficient digestion. To compensate for this, southern sea garfish may have to continually consume seagrass to maintain adequate nutrient absorption. Examining the gut contents showed the green, heavily macerated condition of the seagrass was consistently fresh throughout the entire study suggesting that rather than consuming floating detached seagrass fronds, as previously documented , the species may be grazing on live fronds. This assumption is supported by the observations of a commercial fisherman of Port Parham who regularly observed the species actively swimming through live fronds of the zosteraceaen seagrass beds in the area. If this is actually occurring it suggests that the fish are actively biting off seagrass fronds.
Other invertebrates such as polychaetes, insects and other crustaceans were a regular part of the diet, but only in smaller volumes.
Southern sea garfish appear to be selectively choosing their main dietary components, of zosteracean seagrass and amphipods.
Given the diversity of algae and different species of seagrasses distributed throughout the inter- and subtidal areas of the northern Gulf St. Vincent, the garfish that were sampled had exclusively consumed Zosteraceaen seagrasses.
Similarly, plankton tows that were done in the main sampling area at Port Parham revealed many types of hyperbenthic invertebrates available for consumption, yet the consistent consumption of large volumes of amphipods suggests that they were selected by the fish over other food.
The feeding patterns of southern sea garfish followed a strong diurnal cycle; consuming seagrass fronds during the day, to predation of hyperbenthic planktonic invertebrates during the night. The shift from seagrass, which is an unlimited, highly accessible resource, to the nocturnal consumption of invertebrates, coincided with significantly higher abundances of invertebrates in the water column during the night. Hyperbenthic invertebrate species occupy seagrass beds or the sediment during the day to avoid predation and then migrate vertically up into the water column during the night, to facilitate feeding and reproduction.
The study was conducted over autumn and winter and throughout both seasons the diets were dominated by seagrass during the day, before shifting to planktonic invertebrates during the night. Amphipods were the main invertebrates consumed during the night in both seasons while ostracods, cumaceans and nereidid polychaetes were also consumed at various stages. The most significant difference in dietary composition between seasons was the consumption of cirratulid polychaete worms during the early hours of the morning during winter. This species of worm was not apparent in the guts during autumn, but during winter was a very important component of the diet. It is not known whether the worms were excavated by the fish from the substrate or had migrated into the water column.
The feeding habits of the South Australian population of garfish are consistent with the findings for the Victorian population, however comparison between the diets of fish from Port Parham and Kangaroo Island provided some indication for regional variation. While nocturnal predation of amphipods was evident at midnight in fish captured from Port Parham, samples obtained from The Bay of Shoals, Kangaroo Island at the same time of the night contained large volumes of zosteracean seagrass and indicates the results from one area are not directly applicable to other areas where the availability of dietary components may differ.

A common principle of fishing is to try and match the hatch, or in other words, use bait that is the same or similar to the target fish diet; but considering the primary dietary components of southern garfish are seagrasses of the family Zosteraceae and planktonic amphipods, it's not really possible.
Instead, generations of fishos have used substitute baits for southern garfish including;
maggots bread chicken slivers of garfish Which bait to use seems to be a personal preference (I stick with maggots and chicken).
Maggots
Maggots are probably the most common bait used for southern garfish. Apart from the "yuk" factor at the thought of maggots, they are a great bait to have on hand, they don't, smell, they last for months in the fridge and you get a tub of approx 350 maggots for $6-$8. When fishing maggots, they also stay on the hook well and it takes quite a few bites before you need to re-bait.
Bread
Cheap! Readily available. Can be used both as bait and soaked in water for burley. If you have non-fishing partner, they will not complain about bread in the house (as opposed to a tub of maggots). Downside to bread is you need to re-bait more regularly.
Chicken
It was an old timer on Largs Pier that taught me about chicken for garfish (he also fished off the bottom, not under a float). He used chicken breast, so I have always used chicken breast. Once you have bought the chicken, put into the freezer. When you want to go fishing take it out before, let it partially defrost, so it makes easier to cut even thin slices. I like to take these slices and pat dry with paper towel, to remove as much moisture as possible (the more moisture you remove, the firm it will be and it will stay on the hook better). Next, take the slices and cut them into small slithers ready for your hooks, then put in a container with some breadcrumbs (the breadcrumbs absorb more water and add to the burley trail when fishing). Sometimes I will put some tuna oil on the slithers before adding to breadcrumbs. This is a great bait to have on hand, it's cheap, readily available, you can keep it in the freezer and not yuk out anyone else in the house.
Slivers of Garfish
I've never tried this, but I've heard good reports of taking a few slivers off the first garfish you catch and using this as bait. This is suggested as a way to mix up your bait if the garfish are being timid.

LURE OBSESSIVE
Okay! I am a little crazy about lure fishing Yellow Fin Whiting.
I need to have at least a couple, if not more, wading & casting sessions a week.
But the obsession does not stop when I am out of the water.
I have rarely, in recent years, fished a single lure straight out of the box.
Every lure needs to be tinkered with and modified.
  
I and a few others are starting to think, tinkering, modifications, and multiple lure options are starting to be a necessity to ensure ongoing success when lure fishing YFW.
There is some anecdotal evidence that fish learn and are conditioned by their experiences.
They will soon avoid those dangerous items (lures) that have caused distress and have taken away some of their school mates.  Especially in the heavily fished locations.
Lure fishing may well cull all the risk taking aggressive fish. Or those with a higher metabolic rate. Leaving behind in the gene pool only the fish with the “timid cautious genes.”
You will continually have to change things up, present new options, to keep fooling them.
Little wonder there is always a new wave of super successful lure, shape, UV finish, Colour finish, material, etc, etc.
  
Well respected fishing writer and fishing product designer Steve Starling “Starlo” wrote back in March 2015, in the “Fishing Monthly Magazine” an article titled “Sticking it to Whiting on Top”
He wrote:  “In the places where I fish, bigger whiting (which are quite old fish) have now seen a lot of poppers, and I find they can be rather suspicious of them. Stick baits are more subtle and sneaky and seem able to go on catching these more ‘educated’ whiting season after season.”
  http://www.fishingmonthly.com.au/Articles/Display/17914-Sticking-it-to-whiting-on-top
We have seen the waning of the “Popper” lure’s effectiveness and the rise of “Stickbait” lures over the last 7 years.
Now how educated are those bigger older fish to Stick baits, after 7 years of experience? Will they avoid Stickbaits soon?
Blades and Vibes have since arrived on the YFW scene and they have been amazingly successful on YFW.
The Stick baits have now got bigger and bigger. And the bigger lures I find are proving to be more successful.
I recently got some Daiwa Slippery Dogs in their new larger 97cm size. For me, this has been Daiwa’s best lure yet for YFW.
How will lure designs for YFW progress? What are the adaptions we need to make to our lures?
How do we keep our offering new and fresh? We will always be trying to out smart these ever smarter YFW.

   - A Variety used in these sessions.
 
Here is a run down of some lures types I use and some lure modifications I make  ..... 
 POPPERS
A floating lure. They have a big cupped mouth, which when retrieved makes a big splash. They are a “look at me! LOOK AT MOI !!!” noisy lure that I still find successful in choppier windy conditions. When your lure has to compete with the chop on the water to catch their attention. The fish are less visually discerning with their obscured view in these windy conditions.
These lures need to be worked, with a higher rod position and a constant retrieve to maintain a continuous bloop and splash.
I use Atomic Hardz, Shimano Bresnious Rise, Bassday Backfire, mainly.

  
STICKBAITS
Also floating lures, known for their “Walk the Dog Action” or Zig Zag Glide actions across the surface of the water. Dependent on the vigour of your retrieve. These are my most effective lures.
There are usually in a pencil like shape. They may be a more bellied shape on some. On retrieval they move in a zig zagging fashion across the water surface.
These lures are very easy to work. Especially if you have the right ultra light, sensitive tipped, fast action rod. It’s automatic!
Some, as is the case with the Sugapen and Daiwa Slippery Dog, have a very small cup face that provides a slight forward splash.
I use Bassday Sugapen mostly, but also Zipbaits Fakie Dogs, Daiwa Slippery Dogs, occasionally Fish Candy Skinny Dog and Berkley Scum Dog. A kennel of lures !!!!
  
   - My Favourite Stickbait Sugapen95 Col# MB16
 
HYBRIDS
Again floating lures. Basically the longer Stickbait pencil body with a larger cupped popper mouth. They are very versatile in variety of conditions, but never seem dominant in any situation. Due to their larger cupped face they provide enough splash to be effective in choppy conditions as well as “Walk the Dog” in calmer conditions. On their day they can work when fish are turning up their nose at the Stickbaits. Again a very easy lure to work. I use Zipbaits Skinny Pop, MMD Splash Prawn, occasionally a Berkley Pop Dog
  
   - Zipbaits Skinny Pop at work
 
SIZE MATTERS
As a general rule I find the bigger lures catch bigger fish. Especially in windier conditions. In very calm conditions I use smaller lures, like a Jackson Ebi Panic, Sugapen 70, or Berkley Pop Dog. I avoid calm conditions if I can help it. I much prefer the windier days with long down wind casts working over more water.
The larger Daiwa Slippery Dogs in the 97cm size, is proving to be Daiwa’s most successful YFW lure for me.
Zipbaits Skinny Pop 90 way out fish the smaller Skinny Pop Jr 70mm. Their Fakie Dog 70mm is also way better than the 50mm
I use the various sizes of the Sugapen to suit a variety of wind conditions. My favourite is the 95mm size as it suits the most frequent wind conditions in which I fish. The Sugapen70mm for glassy and light winds (0-5 knots). 95mm in moderate winds (5-15 knots). 120mm in stronger winds with heavy chop (15+ knots)
  
   - A size range and suitable wind conditions. 
 
BLADES and SUBSURFACE LURES
These don’t float! There are a few subsurface lures for YFW. Like StrikePro Blades, Zipbaits Zoea, but IMO none are better than the Ecogear ZX Blades. They flutter, vibrate and hop along the sand beds much in the way a Clicker or prawn would flee. They are so easy to work. Use a constant rolling retrieve. Feel the vibes of the lure. No vibes means there is some weed attached on it.
A hop or two adds excitement. A pause can often find a Flathead latching on.
They are made from metal and lead. Can cast long distances and into the wind easily. This is the lure I give to the lure fishing newbies. Their only drawback is bouncing along the bottom they can easily pick up weed. if you get a clear run they are very effective.
In deeper channels and cooler water conditions, when fish are too lethargic to come to the surface, these will see them out fish all the surface lures. Ecogear ZX, in the biggest 43mm size is my go too. TT and StrikePro blades, I have not given as much time in the water, but I have taken a couple of YFW and Flathead on them.
  
ASSIST HOOKS
Never use Trebles. I immediately remove all the trebles from a lure. They catch too much weed. And too many fingers as well.
The standard size trebles fitted on the lures are always an overkill for the small mouthed YFW anyway. If you want to retain the trebles you should downsize them. My favourite treble for this class of lure is the Daichi Death Trap #10.
Sharpness is a key factor for consistent hook ups. The fine gauge of the smaller assists provide penetrating needle sharpness.
On all the slightly larger lures it is possible to mount assist hooks both in the middle and on the rear.
The Ecogear ZX assist hooks, sitting in the middle of a stickbait lure I feel provides a good resemblance to a bunch of dangling prawn legs. The rubber “legs” dangling around your hooks also act as a weed guard deflecting weed off your hook. The YFW hit these middle assists with surprising frequency. I think aiming to disable their prey prior to feeding. My preferred size is the “Small” size Ecogear ZX Assist. There is now an increasing number of options available. Some of the better ones I have tried are Oceans Legacy and Shinto.
On the rear mount of the lure I most often use the Atomic Trick Bitz in size 8 attached with a few extra split rings.
There are less lures “thrown” by the fish when using assists. The flexible joint/connection with multiple split rings, does not provide the fish any leverage, to throw the hook. On Blades try a double set of assists. A combination of Trick Bitz and ZX, on blades and vibes ensure you get an inescapable, multi hook - hook up.
  
   - Extra Assist hooks added to the Ecogear ZX43 blades
 

   -  A Few Assist hook options and placement on lures.
SPLIT RINGS
It may seem an innocuous little item of no importance, yet it has had a major impact on my catch rate.
Initially I experienced a lot of chasers, swoops, swipes, strikes and slurps at the back of the lure from YFW.
I kept a record of how many follows and strikes I had, versus the hook ups. It was a disappointing rate of hook ups.
It always felt like the hooks were frustratingly just that little bit too far away, out of reach, from the fish’s mouth.
So I used the extra split rings to allow the assist hooks to hang back a bit further and weigh down slightly lower towards the rising fish.
There was also extra swing behind the zig zagging “walk the dog” lure in a whiplashing fashion.
It has made a huge difference in my hook up rate. I use the Owner fine wire size #2 split rings.
“ It don’t mean a TING if ain’t got that swing” … Doo aah, doo aah, doo aah !!!!
  
   - The results of a few extra Split Rings.
 
WEIGHTS - Stick on
Add stick on weights to some of those smaller lures to add to their casting weight. It will give your small lures a longer cast.
On the open sand flats the longer retrieve from a longer cast will always catch you a lot more fish.
They can be used to favourably adjust the balance of the lure and how it sits in the water.
  

   - Lures modified with weights. 
PAINTS - COLOUR
I am a very poor artist. But the YFW are not discerning art critics. Don’t be afraid of adding some of your own colour to a lure. I use paint markers. Readily available in various colours and thicknesses.
You can remove it with a bit of methylated spirits and change colours at will.
It has worked for me. Bringing success with an otherwise dud lure colour.
There are lure blanks available to do your own customised paint work.
The most successful lure colours for me have a fair amount of translucency and some orange to red toning.
UV enhanced colours and materials have proved to be more successful in low light conditions.

    - My primitive adaption ... IT WORKED!
  
ADDED ATTRACTANTS
UV sprays have proved to be effective on overcast days. It has brought a quiet session to life for me.
No worries if you don’t have UV lures on you. A Spray on UV coating can convert your standard lure to a UV lure.
Scents? … I think they work? At least they have not put any fish off! I have used them without any definitive results.
It probably is more effective with a slower moving and pausing lure when Bream and Flathead fishing.
Those fish get more of a chance to have a sniff of the lure. I have noticed better results when using slow retrieved blades with added S Factor scent.
Scents have less impact with the faster, continuous moving surface lures for YFW. Yet I continue to use it now and again. No harm.
  
 
      - Added Extras
 
LEADERS and SNAPS
Floating or sinking leader line? I think this is only a factor with the smaller floating lures.
Using bigger lures most of the time, it does not affect me as much. I use both, with no noticeable difference.
Always remove the standard connecting split ring on the nose of a lure. A Direct stiffer connection to your lure is best for the most responsive lure action that you want for YFW.
I hate wasting time in the water, repetitively tying on lures so I use a lure clip for lure changes. Over time I have used a variety of lure clips. To date, the Decoy Spiral Snap is the lightest, fastest and easiest to use. Most secure, and most responsive for lure action.

    - A Few of many snaps tried. Decoy Spiral Snap works best for me.
  
LURE STORAGE
The reversible lure storage boxes which provide an individual storage recess for each lure is a must.
With all those dangling assist hooks any combined storage of lures end up into a fused tangled mass.

   -  Double sided lure boxes for a session  ... Too many choices !
  
TOOLS
All this fiddly lure tinkering is going to drive you mad or blind, if you don’t have the right tools.
The best split ring pliers are the ones with the skinniest, pointiest nose on them. You will need to poke them into some very small split rings.
Along side that a standard type narrow long nose pliers for holding those tiny rings. Think … jewellery workshop tools.
The Mustad long nose, split ring pliers have served me well. And should it really get fiddly out come the Pincet/Tweezers for micro split rings. These days there are a few options for micro split ring tools by Daiwa, Halco and Samaki as well.

    -  The obsession out of the water !
 
Hope this is helpful in fast tracking you towards the pleasures of lure fishing YFW
 
Tight Lines!
Cheers, Des

Steadily retrieving some of my previous old FB posts. 
You will probably see a couple of my YFW related posts going up every week.
Cheers, Des