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HB tragic

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  1. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from Meppstas in Winter bream   
    Thought I could start the ball rolling for this section by showing my latest lure aquisition to entice the local bream population. Enjoy. regards, HBt.

  2. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from Softy in Winter bream   
    Afraid not. Ben from BK Custom Tackle in Tasmania. He does a great job as these are other colours that were overpainted rather than  clean blanks. Regards, HBt.
  3. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from Softy in Winter bream   
    Thought I could start the ball rolling for this section by showing my latest lure aquisition to entice the local bream population. Enjoy. regards, HBt.

  4. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Territory Lad in Winter bream   
    Hopefully you can jag a few bluenoses on them👌
  5. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from Territory Lad in Winter bream   
    Thought I could start the ball rolling for this section by showing my latest lure aquisition to entice the local bream population. Enjoy. regards, HBt.

  6. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from doobie in Winter bream   
    Thought I could start the ball rolling for this section by showing my latest lure aquisition to entice the local bream population. Enjoy. regards, HBt.

  7. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from bjorn2fish in Winter bream   
    Thought I could start the ball rolling for this section by showing my latest lure aquisition to entice the local bream population. Enjoy. regards, HBt.

  8. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from Des in VISION versus VIBES   
    Nicely done. Great writeup and catch. Regards, HBt.
  9. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Des in VISION versus VIBES   
    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?
    .
    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) .
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    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.
    .
    Cheers and Tight lines, Des



     
     
  10. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Soobz in Left hand (not handed) winding   
    Been meaning to discuss this for a while.
    I'm right handed, meaning I cast with my right hand, and like most righties I did wind with my right hand too. When I got the yak I got the irrits that the steering is my left hand, so after I've cast, every time I needed to adjust the steering I had to swap the rod to my right hand, adjust steering, then swap it back to left, repeat ad nauseum.
    It got me thinking, why do righties wind right handed? Makes no sense when you consider pretty much every reel we use is geared, so it's not about more cranking powers, and you want your strong/accurate hand on the rod. It's just inefficient doing cast, swap hands, crank, when you can simply cast, crank.
    So I changed the handle to left hand wind, and it took me all of an hour of fishing to be completely comfortable with it.
    There's been a few interesting things that followed from it.
    - almost all brand new reels out of the box with handle already fitted are left hand wind, at least the ones I've picked up in the last year or 2
    - fly fishing was easier to pick up because hand swapping is risky with takes often as the fly lands.
    - there's a lot less LH wind baitcasters, which isn't a huge issue as I can use RH, I just don't want to anymore , but I expect most lefties buy RH wind baitcasters 🤣
    - it's amusing immediately swapping the handle on a reel when the salesperson hands it to you as they always seem to swap it back when you're done testing
    I feel like a goofball it took me 40 years to work out it's better for me and was so easy to change. YMMV
  11. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Des in JOIN A FOOD CHAIN - Habitats and Food   
    JOIN A FOOD CHAIN
    No, No! … Don’t get a job at “Maccas” … but find the Yellow Fin Whiting’s favourite “Maccas” ! Their food chain.
     
    Recently I have been getting consistent results when targeting Large Yellow Fin Whiting.
    It was after I studied the YFW diet, by regularly inspecting the gut contents of fish caught in different locations. Developing an understanding of their food preferences, movements, behaviour and the habitat in each location. Subsequently I have been fishing these habitats with the food preferences for that location. Fish in their “Macca’s” !
     
    Large YFW’s Morphology and Diet
    Larger YFW are built differently, behave differently and feed differently, to their smaller mates.
    The morphology of the bigger YFW enable them to predate on a number of alternative food sources.
    Bigger means stronger, faster, and most importantly they have a bigger mouth to swallow their prey.
    Prey that is much, much larger than the worms they were weaned on. Not that they will pass up an available worm!
    The bigger YFW are aggressive predators. No longer the docile benthic grazer of worms, nippers and cockles, that it was when it was smaller. They can now chase down prey. They can grasp it, rip it, immobilise it, and swallow it whole.
     
    The different sizes/ages of YFW practice what biologist refer to as Resource (food) partitioning.
    Which means the big ones don’t steal the young one’s food. They don’t all compete for the same food resources.
    Larger YFW move on to aggressively feed on a lot of Crabs, Prawns, and Minnows.
    Regularly inspecting and recording their gut contents and the areas they were caught in, provides a great insight into their diets.
    And a good indication of the likely habitats in which to find the larger YFW. And more importantly what lures to use where.
    There is also a degree of “Habitat partioning” with the YFW.
    In summer I find, a lot more of the larger YFW remain in the upper gulfs. It holds their preferred food.
    Whilst most of the smaller ones move on to southern gulf areas that hold more worms and small cockles.
     
    The Habitats & Food Chain
    Through out the upper regions of the two gulfs, the samphire beds are the start of a series of very productive areas to find large YFW
    Haswell’s Mud Crab (Helograpsus haswellianus) are abundant here. They feed on the film of diatoms and algal slime which coats the surface of the mud flats. Through the warmer months the crabs spawn. Their abundant zoea are then fed on by the juvenile Prawns.
    In that warmer half of the year, Juvenile prawns thrive in the, food rich, high salinity and higher water temperatures of the upper gulfs . Post-larval and juvenile prawns settle into the shallow environments of the upper gulfs for the warmer months. Before eventually moving on to deeper waters as they mature. The juvenile Prawn and Haswell’s Crab populations are the primary reason why the upper gulfs hold more large YFW.
     
    So often I find the large YFW with their stomachs bursting full of small mud crabs, along with juvenile prawns.
    And these YFW are often taken in low water in the outgoing tide. On the higher tides, the Prawns will move in to feed on the crab spawn and larvae. The big YFW are not far behind, hunting down prawns. But they also hang back in the very shallow water of the littoral zone, as the tide drops. Waiting for the small mud crabs to emerge from their mud holes, that are under and around the samphire beds. Then the YFW feast. The big YFW are unbelievably aggressive in the shallow out flowing water, during these frenzied feeding periods. Water flowing out, off the Samphire beds, often through mangrove creeks, will hold large YFW that have spent the high tide feasting on prawns and crabs.

       - Haswells Crabs in the YFW guts
     

       - Prawns upto 100mm found in YFW guts.
     
    I have managed a couple of YFW with the Cranka Crab. But no luck using the soft plastic crabs. But the stand out success in this area, has to be the stickbait surface lures that mimics the movement of fleeing prawns in this habitat. Sugapen 95 is the most successful for me.

       - A few YFW taken on Sugapen 95 Col# MB16
     
    The next promising area, are the sandflats. Which lie adjacent to the mangroves and samphire beds. The organic rich tidal flows, coming off the samphire beds provides the food source for many detritivores living in the sand flats. Large YFW particularly love lingering over the sand flats that hold Clickers. The smaller tides when water covers the area for a longer period, is a particularly good time to find them feeding here. Big YFW love big Clickers. The Ecogear ZX 43, a sub surface lure, on retrieval, has an action that mimics the movement of a fleeing Clicker or prawn, across the sandy bottom. It is irresistible to a large YFW when presented in these sand flat areas. Again SP imitations of clickers have had disappointing results for me.

       - A few YFW taken on the Ecogear ZX43 Col#402 (UV)
     
    The sand flats finally meet the weed line. The ribbon weed beds hold and offer protection for a number of the YFW prey. Prawns will retreat with the tide and shelter in the weed beds. Likewise, it provides a safe haven for Minnows that shelter from predators here. Along with Flathead laying in ambush, big YFW are always patrolling the weed line looking for prey, should they stray out of their shelter. The Stick-bait surface lures, worked along the surface areas of the weed line, provides the top water action here.
    And Soft plastic Minnows worked along the bottom of the sand flats - weed line edges, will also find you catching the larger YFW along with a few big Flathead.

       - A Few YFW along with some Flathead taken on Gulp Soft Plastic Minnows and Shads
     
    To find big YFW, find the habitat that holds their preferred food.
    To catch Big YFW on lures, use the lures that imitate their preferred food.
    “Match the Hatch” and Increase your catch!
     

       - When you crack the Food Chain, catches of 10 or more 40cm plus YFW are a regular possibility in your bag.
     

       -  A Few sessions with 7 to 10 40cm Plus YFW in the bag
     
    Tight Lines!
    Cheers, Des
     
  12. Like
    HB tragic reacted to yellow door 1 in LURE OBSESSIVE   
    Awesome article mate - very informative👍
     
  13. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Des in LURE OBSESSIVE   
    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
  14. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Territory Lad in Wind Knots   
    That's bizarre and frustrating @Des. I assume you have spoke to the shop / person that serviced your reel? 
    Will be interested to see how you finish up.
  15. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Hunter69 in Sunline Siglon PEx8 - ADV   
    Back in the day you had two options. Spider wire. Or fire line 😅
  16. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Territory Lad in Sunline Siglon PEx8 - ADV   
    Completely agree @Des I have always used the Siglon x8 on the flats for YFW, but am slowly shifting over to Siglon ADV as re-spools are required. Only thing I don't like (and it's real 1st world problem stuff) is the lack of a hi-vis colour in the line up. 
    It's smooth, casts well and is good for tying knots.
     
     
  17. Like
    HB tragic got a reaction from Des in Sunline Siglon PEx8 - ADV   
    Thank you for the write up Des. Am just about to replace some Sunline(the original bright green stuff - those were the days) on some reels and have been procrastinating about the ADV. Always helps to read about positive experiences. Regards, HBt.
  18. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Kelvin in GLISS fishing line   
    Follow up on Gliss. I've still got it on 1 reel. Abrasion resistance got really bad over time to the point of constant breakages.
     
    It looks like most people have found the same and it is going really cheap.
    WFT Gliss Hybrid Line 150m Yellow Bulk - DINGA Online — DINGA Fishing
    At $3 a spool I am still giving it a miss.
     
  19. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Wert in Sunline Siglon PEx8 - ADV   
    Hands down the best braid I've used, moved onto the ADV a while back, does actually seem even better, will definitely be ending up on all my gear eventually once the old stuff wears out.
  20. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Des in Sunline Siglon PEx8 - ADV   
    I have been using Sunline Siglon PEx8 for a number of years now.
     

    The thinness and cast-ability has been great. However a criticism of it would be that it frayed a little easily and subsequently prone to breaking easily if under pressure.
    I would adjust the drag accordingly. Sometimes too much for a good set of the lure hooks on a strike. You learnt to adjust the drag after the strike.

     
    Today I tried the PEx8 - ADV version for the first time ,,,. Brilliant !!!
    Smooth, abrasion resistant. I totally agree with their claim;
     "deep resin technology. Increasing abrasion resistance 4 times, slickness and knot strength. It also repels water to improve casting distance cast after cast."
     And available for a very similar price.  Highly recommend it.
    Cheers, Des.
  21. Like
    HB tragic reacted to MAH in What would you do to get back your fishing gear?   
    Monday night I decided to head out for a fish, so I packed my squid outfit and a soft plastics outfit for some tommies. I packed it into my bicycle bags and headed off to Glenelg jetty. Got to Glenelg about 7pm and fished for squid till last light, then switched over to soft plastics for tommies. No joy with the squid but plenty of tommies about for a feed and to stock up on bait for crab nets.
    The jetty was pretty empty with only two other people, which was surprising because the conditions were excellent. Then about 10.30pm the wind started to pick up with increasingly strong gusts. Just after 11pm a really big gust came through and I turned to see my bicycle being blown over. All my gear was secure in the bike bags, except my box of squid jigs, which went over the edge of the jetty. There was no moon, so quite dark but with a torch I could see the box of jigs partially floating and heading out to see. Well, 10 quality jigs and the lure box sinking to the bottom was not something I was happy about, and I quickly said to myself "F*** it!", stripped off to my boxer shorts, climbed the railing and took the plunge into the inky brine. One of the other fishos shone a torch on the lure box and I swam out to get it, then back along the jetty and underneath to the opposite side to climb the ladder.
    By this stage my heart my heart was pounding pretty hard, not from jumping in (I was a regular jetty jumper as a kid), not from the swim, but from the thoughts racing through my head. With no moon, it was bloody dark down in the water and the fear of the unknown lurking below certainly put me on edge as I swam back to the ladder.
    Would I do it again? F*** yeah! I'm not letting $150+ of jigs and lure box get away that easy.
  22. Like
    HB tragic reacted to vogon in What can be done?!?   
    Maybe a Rec fishing "permit" could help with that 🤔
     
  23. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Territory Lad in Braid: Strength vs Diameter vs PE   
    Personally I use Sunline Siglon PE8 and couldn't be happier. I recall seeing some tests done by Steve Morgan on Braid breaking strains and pretty sure Siglon came put closest to it's ladled breaking strain.
     
  24. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Wert in Braid: Strength vs Diameter vs PE   
    Braid breaking strains and diameters I'm pretty sure are allocated via a random number generator. Through much trial and error I've found siglon PE8 seems to have the most accurate stated breaking strains and is way thinner and smoother than any others rated the same so I use it because I know what I'm getting.
    I suspect the only true answer to this braid conundrum is do your own legwork and hopefully you find what you like.
    This is why I will pay a little more and shop at brick and mortar tackle shops most of the time, being able to physically touch, feel and compare before you buy is just so worth the small premium.
  25. Like
    HB tragic reacted to Soobz in Braid: Strength vs Diameter vs PE   
    That's the thing, the knot strength is usually way less than the braid strength. FWIW, I've broken 20lb FC rock at the clinch knot before I broke the alberto braid/FC knot with 0.128mm braid, but that's a tiny sample size. The thing is that's trying to un-snag, I look forward to a fish that I can do that with :).
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