Zorgs

Foot step on the back of the Hiace!

I'm always scratching my good sunnies so have been using polarised safety glasses for everyday work etc and for land based fishing. They're good for cheap sunnies that don't mind scratching or losing but the plastic type lense is not as good as a nice clear glass type. Some of the cheaper ones also have distortions on the lense. However the amount of times I bash my head on a tree with the sunnies acting as a helmet I'm resigned to budget stuff haha.

BTW I've successfully stored them in the fridge for weeks (most will tell you don't put them in the fridge and you've got 24-48hrs to use them. )

I'm also skeptical as to whether some are garden worms passed off as sea weed worms.

I've used sea weed worms recently for YFW with really good results.

Yes they do look like gardens worms, I find them a bit more fiddly to setup on the hook. When they're biting though I've found the go to presentation doesn't really matter, I've caught YFW with it looking like a ball of bird shit and most of the hook showing!

I found a couple of tubs I have bought were a bit tight on numbers though.

I used to get this from contacting hydraulic oil and concrete, suspect it was sensitisation after working in both industries and had it for the last 10 years.

Same as you mentioned, you can tell it's coming as hands get a bit drier feeling and tingly with a bit of inflammation. A week or so later you look like a diseased mutant, nothing worse than having to hand over or receive money at the shops!

I've found hitting it hard with QV cream, Alpha Keri or similar relieves it a bit but a barrier cream before would be beneficial. Also found that changing the moisturising creams as my skin would get used to the same cream and it didn't work as well. 

I regularly arrive home with donuts after fishing and highly recommend cooking them in shortening. Stays solid at room temp and doesn't go rancid as quickly as those healthier oils. 

At least those trans fats and donut sugars give me a high after a disappointing session.  

Sounds like you would have taken a lichen to each other.

Is that the Mojiko's or similar? I notice anaconda has the neoprene 1/2 price a couple of times a year but they never have the right size and when I've asked I get told sorry can't order them in they are a run out item....

I think I started a similar thread last winter but never bought anything so this has re kindled my interest....had enough of freezing in the water and shaking, looks a bit dodgy.

I always maintain the first 5 or so games of the season are still preseason games and no indicator of what is to come.

It's also the time at least 4 of what will be the bottom 8 sides will be bashed around as finals contenders and an unexpected loss means wooden spoon material.....

 

1 word of advice if you have a daiwa... Don't spray any aerosol lubes on them!!

Just strips the magnetic grease of them.

In fact any reel!

 

I'd agree with that from experience. I used to lube up after fishing always had ongoing issues, it was like an attractant for grit.

SInce I've been simply cleaning with a strong fine mist of water and reeling on low drag thoroughly haven't had any issues.

 

 

41 in the comp this year.. Should be a good one!   

 

Not for me if round 1 is anything to go by. 4!  

 

Just giving some of the others a chance before bringing it in hard at the end?

Daiwa Aird 2000 with spare 1000 spool is/was another option. 

Cheers Bjorn! Won't be able to miss me fishing now. I'll be taking odds on Hawks for 4 in a row.

I forgot to tip the final pirate, and I'm a hawks supporter! No luck since you took all the worms

I'm land based and enjoy wading out but this time of year is just pushing it going in. Never had any before so no idea if they're all the same or not.

I noticed that guys that go to northern flats use them and if I ever get that way I'll use them for that, otherwise land based beach fishing.

Was in anaconda today picking up a detector and noticed the waders were reduced around 30-40%, not sure if they were decent or not.

Pity, nice people. I always liked to see Graham grumpy cause he was in the shop and not fishing.

I bought a 1-3kg Air Edge and AIRD 2000 (comes with a spare 1500 spool), after posting on here for rod options. Plenty to pick from and I guess you never know till you bite the bullet and give it a run. It's the 3 piece 7'9" from memory, the length gives me casting distance. I find it comfortable and nice and light, would be nice to have a longer butt on it but no one really seems to do that. Good sensitivity but feels like it could easily take a good weight fish without an issue. Shore/wading fished so has copped splashes and the accidental dunk but I wash it out with fine mist while reeling in on light drag and it's been completely fine. 

Got a bit of $ in paypal account, might order some and give it a go.

3 twists would hold a better blood knot for 6lb

I was always under the impression you had to do a minimum of 5-6? Are you saying for a lighter line, less twists?

lol, does come in handy. Feed ya dog

20kg of chicken pellets, about $22-$25 from grain and fodder shops. I like the large pellets like Xtra egg as it is good for cages, cheap and I grind up the rest for throwing berley when wading.

Been having a spate of broken improved blood knots at the hook. Never had the problem with 10/16lb lines but seems to happen a lot on 6lb which I have started using. Both mono and fluoro, though the fluoro seems to be a little better. I lubricate the knot with a bit of spit and do 6+ twists.

This is always my usual knot as it used to work and I never needed an alternative.......

I'm using a Daiichi Long shank size 12, they don't have the welded eye.

Should I be snelling the hook or using a different knot?

Cheers.

Cheers for all the comments guys, and the idea of making my own is definitely on the cards I reckon.

I ended up with a shoulder bag similar to the Alvey, pretty basic thing with 2 pockets, 1 catch area and room for a rule measure. Gets me by for now and seems to work ok. As this is for shore fishing from local beaches I needed something that will put up with swell/waves so the tub probably isn't going to work......but that's on the cards for nice days/flats.

The only problems I see is that it would be nice to have room for some quick tackle changes/rehook and a bloody decent opening on the catch bag! Something like a semi circle hoop. Too many suckers slipped out while trying to balance rod, open bag and get them inside. Of course it was always the big ones too......Then again a little holder for the rod to help with any tying up and de tangles would be nice too.....which I think gets me onto another thread....

I'm no expert but after a couple of seasons of trying all sorts of things and plenty of donuts this is my current go to;

Off the local beaches (not jetty) I've been running a berley cage and single size 12 hook about 30cm from the cage with no weight. Pencils work fine as well, the cage gives me a little more weight for casting if needed. I burley up anyway with crushed chicken pellets (I've got chickens so it's cheap in 25kg bags!). Crusty bread with tuna oil is also great to get them in. The hook is sort of a long shank type Gomakatsu, not long as in the whiting type, but not short. Though I've found shorter is ok too. Size 12, while small seems to get more hookups than going a 10 or 8 as I used to use. The only other thing is a small green ball directly above the hook.......I can't say for sure it works but someone put me onto it that did well so I've kept with the idea.

I've tried multiple hooks but find them an issue with tangles, same with the pencil.....any float that runs the line through seems to be a bit more forgiving.

Lastly I went to 6lb fluoro for all my rigs and it seems to act better in the water and less prone to tangling than the mono I was using, though this could be a brand issue....

I think you need to be adaptive as well. Plenty of times I've watched 50 gar swim around to not touch the bait! One time a certain rig might work well but not the next. Might need to tweak hook depth or burley action. I like the above mentioned (Chris_86) rig idea as well but never tried it, can't hurt to carry a couple different pre-rigged setups and give them a go.

Burley is the key!

I find that I'm wasting too much time going back and forth from wading to the shore to get more bait, rehook or deposit the catch (which lately is not often). This is only local stuff, not flats.

I've searched online and can't find much, but would be nice to have something to wear or strap to your front that can carry some pliers, bits of tackle, bait/burley and a bucket for the catch!!

At Tennyson theres a couple of guys that have a pretty neat setup (going for gar) but these are custom made I reckon. When I've got time I'd like to knock somehting up but in the meantime something to get me by would be great......so anyone got any ideas?

The only thing I could think of was one of those bait belt things from BCF and a small bucket with a rope for the fish.

Cheers.