Knackers

Actually my missus got it for me for Xmas.

I cut the middle man out and just bought a Nirey. Buy once, cry once.

On my Tassie trip I lost 2 lures to 2 bloody big trout. Both knots broke at the lure on the strike. I was tieing uni knots on 6 or 8 lb line. Anybody got a knot that won't break like this. I haven't unpacked my fishing gear yet but it was good quality Japanese stuff. Maybe because of was using 8 lb braid on the main line - no stretch maybe? Drag was backed off appropriately.

As I always tie bimini knots on the main line I use yucatan, aussie, no name and bristol knots. Never had one fail. But I don't fish all that light and always use a swivel. I can see the benefit if tying leader straight to main line using the thinnest knot possible for casting light stuff.

The trick is to always take less food than you need. Eat as you go.

The first go was not as good as I made some spacers that didn't allow enough airflow into the back of the fan. But my good mate solved that when he jammed the lid down and broke the fan. So then I could use the old fan housing as a spacer and put some holes into it to allow better flow. The fan is just a simple Jaycar one with the most CFM you can buy. 12 volt I just clip it onto the batteries powering the fridge, the only draw 300 milli amps from memory. Even at 40 deg I can put 8 litres of water in there in the afternoon/night after fishing and the whole lot is frozen solid by morning.

With some of my longer trips in WA and NT camping for anything from 2 - 5 weeks keeping ice for esky's on the boat was a pain. Think 40 deg in WA. I was using a 60 litre fridge and a 40 litre engle as a freezer for ice in plastic bottles and to store bait. But if going out on consecutive days the ice would never be frozen. So I had an idea to make a semi-almost blast freezer out of an old Waeco 60 litre that I didn't trust anymore, that coincidentally hasn't let me down now for about 9 years. To get the cold air circulating I thought a small computer fan on the lid would do the job. And it doe

Hi Mate. You don't have to use the eye of the hook to snell. You get a much better straight pull on the hook if you don't. Or you can get hooks with an offset eye.

Snopes is good

The banana myth has some historical basis. When bananas were first found by Europeans in the Caribbean they were stocked on ships as provisions. They would cut them at the stem in huge bunches so they didn't over ripen on the voyage. But in the bunches were venomous snakes that would bite and kill sailors. So it started as no bananas on boats and then migrated to fisherman.

I find FG knots too hard/take too long to tie in the boat or land with a bit of wind. I'm a fan of yucatan and no name/aussie knots. Never had one break. Supposedly the strongest leader to braid knot.

I generally crimp anything over 100lb. Knots are too big and they can when not under load unwind. (or I can't tie them that well with thicker line). One of the easiest ways is to get a lure crimping kit like this one. https://www.wellsystackle.com.au/_products//TerminalFishingTackle/RIGGINGToolsMATERIALS(BaitOrLures)/BlackPeteBaitLureTOURNAMENTRIGGINGKIT-667-969-.aspx?gclid=CjwKCAiAjrXxBRAPEiwAiM3DQu0fFRtIDaq5BjbzOZps1L4Xm6bBTS6AUTGyxFyaRQBYQEo0jgUJlBoCrAAQAvD_BwE I bought my own crimps but you can also get the parts kit for less. Here is another cheaper one https://ww

Dude, it ain't rocket science. Whack it in a sealed bag and put it into the freezer.

Just ate some frozen whole crab we caught at Pt Julia in March this year. Some was green and the other was steamed. I'll never boil another crab. The steamed stuff is way better. Flesh really firms up, less gunk in the body. Anyway, frozen was fine, bloody good in fact.

On one trip the swell dropped right off - it was northerly for 3 days and 40 deg+. I had my fins and mask and went for a look. Some of those holes are 20 ft deep just off the beach. It is really deceptive.

I got an 80lb + fish and we landed 4 over 60lb, plus some smaller ones mixed in.

No worries. I remember, even though I had probably had a few sherbets by then. We are leaving here Saturday and departing there the next Sunday.

Thanks for the input. Next question is when do you reckon the big ones start coming inshore? I know spots where schoolies (up to 20lb or so) are in winter but no biggies. November? Maybe linked to water temp? Edit, talking about west of Ceduna.

I would be hesitant to buy any unbranded reel. Factories in China pump them out in the thousands. However, if somebody got a decent sample size to retail here and thoroughly tested it, like flogged it to death, recorded it and was willing to stand by the product I would probably give it a go. But then, if it was cheap, there is no guarantee that QC will be consistent across every reel. And anybody who sells a reel like this needs to be upfront and not claim it was a stella or saltiga equivalent, just an unbranded reel from China that is landed here for $20 and sold for $80 (or whatever).

I've frozen the whole fresh heaps of times. But I won't boil them. Usually make a curry or chilli crab. Flesh is still firm,

Where is Bellamore? Know Tuckamore Beach well.

I reckon we'll be there before the new moon on 27 Nov. Fishing Dog Fence and Yalata. I think, well, guess, that the fish in the port and pat, being estuaries, fish differently to the surf beaches.

I have always been told new moon leading up to full moon, or more specifically three days leading up to full moon. Also mostly fish west/far west coast. Seeing as I just fish when I have the time, but would like to target better in the future, what is the consensus? I know they go nuts when the barometer drops quickly.

I've got the black overhead erito model with a little Calcutta 200B on it. Fantastic rod. Use it for whiting and trolling for salmon. Have heard great things about the spinning versions as well.

Our next door neighbor used to breed gents to sell. He would hang a snapper frame in the shed about 5 feet high. Under the frame he would have a large tray of pollard/bran. After a while when the maggots were at the stage when they want to bury themselves they would drop off the frame and fall into the bran. As the frame wasn't sitting in a bucket it and had air circulating around it the flesh tended to dry out and not stink (as much). Not much fish flesh fell into the bran either and was easily picked off the top.