Homebrew2

Thanks to all for the replies. Most have told me the fishing there is good all year round and it more than likely is. I'm definatley looking more towards picking the right time for weather as it can get rather windy and nasty there at the wrong times. I think late October is looking good so far. If the snapper are not big, I'm not to worried. Sure they are nicer to catch, but a small bag of ruggers will keep me just as satisfied. In the 3 years I've had my boat I must have caught over 200 snapper at Wirrina, but all around 26cm, so you can understand my frustration. If I can catch just 1 that is finally a keeper to throw in a hot pan of garlic butter then I'll think I've hit the jackpot. If I can pick up a small mixed bag of snapper,whitting, squid and tommies I'll consider the trip was well worth it.I'm taking a 5.5 meter boat/inboard. Hopefully that will do the trick. I'm not sure that I'm too keen on seeing white pointers up close and personal. As I've never fished there, I'll be playing with a lot of caution the first time around until I learn a little more about the area. Looks like just me and 1 mate going, powered tent site, 5 days, small bar fridge and small bar freezer, and a bit of camping gear. Hopefully some good weather, some good fishing, a few brews around the camp site at night and two boys talking a bit of bullshit and come home with some pics to post.Thanks all again for replies.

Thinking of planning a small trip 4-7 days, over to Port Victoria next year but can't decide what time of the year. Weather averages for over there look better for wind around April, but then temperatures and rain fair better around September/October. It's around either one of these two times I was thinking of planning a small trip.As I would be taking a boat, weather plays a big part in trip planning. I know there are some "Ball Slappa" whitting over that way. Apparently some nice snapper and Squid as well, and I just love my tommies. Not looking for huge fish, just a small mixed bag would be nice. Besides, we would be staying at a powered tent site at the C/Park and certainly won't have the ability to keep many anyway. Just looking for a fun few days without being stuck in the tent or the pub becasue of weather. I've been there only once about 7 years ago, for 3 days with a mate without a boat. We spent the whole 3 days in the pub becasue the Westerlys and rain just didn't stop.I don't want anyones secret spots, I have a few to explore over there in that time frame anyway. I more interested in what time of the year would be considered more productive with boat fishing vs weather rather than spots. Cheers.

Hi all,Looking for some info on small auxiliaries.I have an 18 foot stern drive boat that I want a spare O/B for.I bought a good second hand 6HP Merc a few months back that runs perfect, but turned out not quite what I'm looking for. I don't want the aux mounted permanently. I want to set up easy mount points in the transom. Then I want the Aux and mount bracket stowed in the cab out of the way. If shit turns to shit, drop the mount bracket on the transom bolts/clips/or what ever I set up, drop the engine on the bracket, kick it in the guts and lets go.The problem with this is the aux weight. It really needs to be quite light. The 6hp Merc is around 35kg. Easy and light weight to lift out the car and plonk on a tinnie or have permanent mounted as an aux, but still a bit too heavy to be swinging over the back of the boat at sea.It doesn't have to be big HP. It just needs to be realiable if I need it. I'm looking at possibly the Parson or Tohatsu range "new" in the 3 to 4hp range. 3 to 4hp may only be small, but will still work better than trying to row if your a few clicks off shore. (Anybody ever really tried to row the average size trailer boat if your by yourself? I'm telling you right now, it's impossible no matter how you try it. Most will never try. They only carry oars becasue the law says you have to. I've found oars work better for smacking big fish with).The Parson/Tohatsu donks in the 3 to 4hp range are probably more what I'm looking for with weight around 16 to 20kg range, but I know nothing about them. Are they any good?I don't want to have a chinese donk up in the cabin to find its a failure right when I need it the most,(should I ever need it) but these engines are the better ones for weight comparison.Any help and info would be greatly appreciated from those that know or own them.Thanks all.

Bread is great for teasing as burley to get them worked up but is hard to keep on the hook as they tap is ever so gentle and it falls off.Rub the bread bwteen your hands to reduce it to crumbs. Dry bread for better crumbs and powder and the in a bit of fish oil or cockle juice prefered.3 long shank whitting hooks on a paternoster trace with no sinker at all.Throw out a handfull of the bread mix and drop you trace about 2 to 4 meters below the water line in the burley trail. They go into a fenzy in the burley trail. Pilchard pieces for bait. The heads and tails work best.DO NOT strike like you would with any other fish bite. You will miss every time. Don't be surprised if you come up with bare hooks without feeling anything at all. They don't bite, they just touch it up a little. "IF" you feel the very small nibble just raise and lower your rod about an inch up a down slowly. The nibble "IF" you feel it changes to an absolute grab and run like F*#ck and from there just hang on. They fight hard. I go and search a few out once in a while about 500 to 1000 meters of the Normanville jetty when nothing else is bitting for the day just for a bit of fun.They stink! No good for the table but have heard ok if smoked. Good luck.

Hello everyone! I've been having a go at catching some Silver Drummers lately but have found it to be very tough! I know there is some BIIIIIIIIIIG fish swimming around my local spot' date=' was just wondering if anyone else has caught any big Drummer in their time or has any stories or tips?My missus hooked onto one today on bread only to find the drag not set and the fish being lost within seconds They seem like they are very cautious, but at times they were splashing and eating the bread off the surface which was something I had never seen before and a very spectacular sight in itself! Veeeery big splash, thought it was a seal or something at first! :woohoo:[/quote']

Uh hu.....Silver Drummer....Fox of the sea, cunning and stealth like if you ask me. For boaties, Silver Drummer will be those elusive schools you've seen under your boat from time to time that just won't bite. Schooling close to the surface, around 1.5 to 2kg particulary on real calm hot days in summer. They will linger right under your boat at around 1 to 4 meters below you. They will swim right up to your bait, but never take it. The best you may feel is the slightest weak nibble, but that's it.I was straight out off the end of the Normanville Jetty last summer about 1k out. It was hot and the water very still nearing a dodge. In shallower water I commonly through out a handfull of burley, very bread based with pellets, old pizza and anything else similar that has been in the freezer to long to eat. I blend it all up in an old blender to very fine consistency, add old chopped pillys, old cockles, any crushed up shell fish and fish oil. I threw out my traditional handful scattered and before I could get a bait in the water they were there, right under the boat. The school was that great, I had to turn the fish alarm off on my sounder becasue it was driving me insane. I fished for about an hour trying anything I could to catch one of these things for the first time ever to finally see what they were. I was eating lunch and threw out a piece of bread and they hit the surface fighting over it. I tried the bread and was getting nibbles, but so faint that a strike would miss every time. After testing just about all the baits I had, I finally used chuncks of Pilchard and was getting much more regular attention now, but still only nibbles. I soon learned that you can't strike at the nibbles. You will miss every time. You also can't use any weight at all. These bugga's just come up to your bait for a suck and taste session. To make them take it you have to begin teasing them. With the slighest nibbling just begin to lift your rod slightly and back down again and I do mean slightly. 1 inch up, 1/2 inch down, 1 inch up, 1/2 inch down so that the action is raising up further and further, 1/2 inch at a time. On this day I had been fishing for whitting earlier and remained with the same rig, with long shanked whitting hooks, no sinker at all and the pilchard pieces. Throw out a handfull of burly and follow it down with your baits. Use the raise\lower method from above and just get ready to hang the F*#k on. They go from little girly nibbles to hitting like a freight train. There's no real bite. They just take it and run. Even with this method, don't be surprised if you wind up with no bait left without even feeling a nibble. Like I said, they are the fox of the sea. The whitting hooks are a little flimsy for these fish and bend the shaft of the hook badly. Once you've got one in you can throw that hook away cos it'll be bent like a banana. Stronger hooks would be the go, but I couldn't be bothered changing that day. Only one other warning. They have a habit of Shi*ting as soon as you get them in the boat and I can tell you first hand, it stinks. In fact it's absoulely putrid. They are really only weed eaters. That's why they are so hard to catch on baits. I landed about a dozen of them in quick succession after this once I got the whole method right.Use the method above and you can have some great fun with these puppies on light gear. I'm sure the same method would work around jetty pilons and structure land based. Have a go. Good luck.