Surfingant

Nice report, cheers. 

Nice report, cheers. 

Nice report, cheers. 

Nice report, cheers. 

Nice report, cheers. 

Maybe you should take up pottery instead, fishing doesn't seem to be your thing. Then again maybe pottery isn't either as you need patience for both.

What a trip!
Not exactly the one I wanted but there are stories none the less. To explain briefly without going into to much personal detail 1.5 days into the triup and my dad got extrmely sick forcing me to leave and take him back to Kimbe for care. Gutted. I was happy to write it off as I have enjoyed the experience before. I was devastated for him as he was having such a good time. He managed one small black bass for his efforts. Thus I am left with not a lot to report except images. I am sure @John would be happy to fill in many details.
Points of interest were the bass were challenging to target due to an early arrival of white bait but some creative use of soft plastics enticed many to bite.
As far as hard bodies go trends moved back to my first trip experience with FCL Labo lures killing.
I do not have heaps of time to write paragraphs so will add some pictures now and more text later or reply to questions as they come.
Visit to the village:

Black  Bass (Have so many more but how many can you see?):


 
Other Lutjanus species for the trip:

Trevally:



 
Questions? I have so many more pictures of bass, cod, randoms, jacks... just trying to choose highlights.

Hi Guys,

Paul and I drove down the Coast after dinner. We walked down the beach just past Sea World and saw a crowd of fishos on the beach. As the tailor are hitting the Gold Coast beaches, we decided to try Narrowneck. The gutters are not as deep but we can fish away from the crowds.

It was a cold 9 degree night with a light Westerly. The sweep was quite strong and the breakers made wading in the water to cast out quite a challenge. We fished the rising tide for two hours and ended up with 6 nice tailor. The best tailor went 56, 53 & 52cm. A yummy meal of tailor fillets tonight.

Cheers... Joe.

Looks like a bit like a Belgian Shepherd??
Beautiful pup anyway

Don't know why, but that last image reminds me of Freddie Mercury. So I'm guessing the breed is Queen/Poof ?

If it were me I'd spend my money elsewhere. For around that price you could get something from Samaki, Pflueger, Daiwa or the likes and have a really good rod that when the time comes to upgrade you'll still be able to get some $$ back on. There may be absolutely nothing wrong with them, but why risk it when there are plenty of rack rods that are more than capable?

Weather is nice and warm and the pest fish are on the chew.
It might not be the most glamorous type of fishing but a quick flick at the local creek and getting a few pests out can't be a bad thing.
Use this thread as a resource for locations and throw up your own spots and techniques as well.
I'll start with Stable Swamp Creek at Coopers Plains.
/>https://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&ll=-27.550207,153.016865&spn=0.002081,0.002411&t=h&z=19
There are thouosands of small tilapia in there and all you need is a bit of bread under a float to catch them one after another.



There are also plenty of carp in there but they are smarter and if they see you while cruising around will disappear quick. If they are feeding, you stand half a chance.
Next spot is Rochedale.
/>https://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&ll=-27.602618,153.148071&spn=0.00208,0.002411&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=-27.602618,153.148071&panoid=6R28J1QZmU1uYXXoFw839g&cbp=12,32.33,,0,0
Lots of big Tilapia in there and council has gone to the trouble of building fishing platforms for you.



Low light or finesse fishing is best for catching good ones here.
Oxley Flats next to Ipswich motorway
/>https://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&ll=-27.564075,152.988541&spn=0.00209,0.002411&t=h&z=19
Some monster carp in here.

Crazy Ted, some of your northside spots? I don't want to hog the whole thread

A brief review of my new yak. I was out of the yak game for ages and hesitated greatly on what to get. Ironically it was a kayak upgrade that ended my kayaking career. My very first kayak was a cool little espri (RRP about $900) which I really did like. However, the eyes are bigger than the stomach nature in me led me to upgrade to a much larger heavier and apparently "better" kayak. In short my skinny water yakking was over and the effort to just get it out there (especially solo) increases.

My plan getting back into the yak world was to never again bother with a massive, offshore worthy kayak. If I want to fish the bay Ill use a boat! After much looking around it was actually Davor from Freak Sports contacting re sponsoring the site that led me to find the perfect yak. I have been a bit skimped saving for business projects lately so when everything was included for $525 I could not say no. More than happy to support a new sponsor as well.

Product: Freak Sports "Fishing Assassin" Kayak
Colour Range: A few camo variations. Mine is "Desert Cam".
Handling: Like a dream. Cruises along faster than expected (although speed was not my concern with skinny water fishing) and easy to lift onto car. Can actually carry it by one of the handles one handed.
Quality: Seat, rod holders and paddles exceptional quality. Hull is a typical plastic mould and cannot fault it yet!
Value: For $525 for everything just try and beat it.



One of my favorite little features. So simple yet so useful and still leaves the front hatch available for a gear bag.



Standard features:


Kayak Lenght: 2.83m, Length: 0.83m, Height: 0.36m, Weight: 20kg
High quality Exonn Mobil Rotational Moulding Resin
UV8 stabilised LLDPE which complies with AS.4766
4x Flush Mounted Rod Holders
1x Adjustable centre mounted Rod Holder
2x 6” Twist Lock Storage Compartments
1x 6″ Tackle tray for handy reach of lures, hooks, sinkers, etc
Rear Compartment with Bungee Straps for Tackle Box
Front and Side Carry Handles with bungee strap for paddle

Online store but based here in Brisbane so easy to pick up:

/>http://www.freaksports.com.au/product-category/kayaks-and-canoes/freak-assassin-fishing/

Alright, Im going to have a go at this but reviews are not my strong point, you've been warned!

Product: Shimano Stradic FJ 1000

Type: Spinning reel

Colour: Pearl white finish

Price: Around $200

Quality: Very good

Experience: I have been using my two Stradics for some time now and am very impressed. These reels have spent a lot of time hanging off the side of the kayak getting dunkings (fresh and salt), I have used them just about every week for the last couple of years, I've caught many many fish on them- including some absolute brutes and they're still hanging in there doing the job for me. As a quality reel on a reasonable budget you'd be hard pressed to find better.

Pros: Good line capacity, smooth drag, maintenance port, Xship, wind-in handle (my favourite part).

Cons: Drag clicker spring loses tension over time, bearings can become quite noisy.

Mods: These are a pretty fun little reel to play with if you are so inclined, I have upgraded the single drag washer to a carbontex one and have also replaced the 2 bushings in the handle with bearings which makes it a little smoother with the added advantage of metal in place of plastic. I have also taken measurements of all the internal bearings and will upgrade them over time and will also add an extra one to replace another plastic bushing, this will bring the bearing count on par with a Sustain.

Alright, Im going to have a go at this but reviews are not my strong point, you've been warned!

Product: Shimano Stradic FJ 1000

Type: Spinning reel

Colour: Pearl white finish

Price: Around $200

Quality: Very good

Experience: I have been using my two Stradics for some time now and am very impressed. These reels have spent a lot of time hanging off the side of the kayak getting dunkings (fresh and salt), I have used them just about every week for the last couple of years, I've caught many many fish on them- including some absolute brutes and they're still hanging in there doing the job for me. As a quality reel on a reasonable budget you'd be hard pressed to find better.

Pros: Good line capacity, smooth drag, maintenance port, Xship, wind-in handle (my favourite part).

Cons: Drag clicker spring loses tension over time, bearings can become quite noisy.

Mods: These are a pretty fun little reel to play with if you are so inclined, I have upgraded the single drag washer to a carbontex one and have also replaced the 2 bushings in the handle with bearings which makes it a little smoother with the added advantage of metal in place of plastic. I have also taken measurements of all the internal bearings and will upgrade them over time and will also add an extra one to replace another plastic bushing, this will bring the bearing count on par with a Sustain.

Alright, Im going to have a go at this but reviews are not my strong point, you've been warned!

Product: Shimano Stradic FJ 1000

Type: Spinning reel

Colour: Pearl white finish

Price: Around $200

Quality: Very good

Experience: I have been using my two Stradics for some time now and am very impressed. These reels have spent a lot of time hanging off the side of the kayak getting dunkings (fresh and salt), I have used them just about every week for the last couple of years, I've caught many many fish on them- including some absolute brutes and they're still hanging in there doing the job for me. As a quality reel on a reasonable budget you'd be hard pressed to find better.

Pros: Good line capacity, smooth drag, maintenance port, Xship, wind-in handle (my favourite part).

Cons: Drag clicker spring loses tension over time, bearings can become quite noisy.

Mods: These are a pretty fun little reel to play with if you are so inclined, I have upgraded the single drag washer to a carbontex one and have also replaced the 2 bushings in the handle with bearings which makes it a little smoother with the added advantage of metal in place of plastic. I have also taken measurements of all the internal bearings and will upgrade them over time and will also add an extra one to replace another plastic bushing, this will bring the bearing count on par with a Sustain.

Alright, Im going to have a go at this but reviews are not my strong point, you've been warned!

Product: Shimano Stradic FJ 1000

Type: Spinning reel

Colour: Pearl white finish

Price: Around $200

Quality: Very good

Experience: I have been using my two Stradics for some time now and am very impressed. These reels have spent a lot of time hanging off the side of the kayak getting dunkings (fresh and salt), I have used them just about every week for the last couple of years, I've caught many many fish on them- including some absolute brutes and they're still hanging in there doing the job for me. As a quality reel on a reasonable budget you'd be hard pressed to find better.

Pros: Good line capacity, smooth drag, maintenance port, Xship, wind-in handle (my favourite part).

Cons: Drag clicker spring loses tension over time, bearings can become quite noisy.

Mods: These are a pretty fun little reel to play with if you are so inclined, I have upgraded the single drag washer to a carbontex one and have also replaced the 2 bushings in the handle with bearings which makes it a little smoother with the added advantage of metal in place of plastic. I have also taken measurements of all the internal bearings and will upgrade them over time and will also add an extra one to replace another plastic bushing, this will bring the bearing count on par with a Sustain.

Not new gear by any means, but I have a couple of must haves in my tray when going fishing. This is my second in line and has accounted for a few jacks, bream, bass, trevally, tarpon and many more species.

Product: Megabass Anthrax
Type: Hardbody
Preferred Colour Thus Far: Natural colours, however they all work really. I've found action and technique to be more of a deciding factor than colour.
Price: ~$40 but can be had for cheaper in bulk online purchases.
Quality: Paint job has improved with the 2nd generation.
Action: Top water and sub surface.

The Anthrax is a pretty unique lure in that it's intentionally retrieved upside down to mimic an injured bait fish. This leads to some spectacular and very aggressive hits, especially from even small bass which are not shy in hitting such a large lure. Jacks have also made a mess of some of my hooks.

The small one I have is actually an older model with a fixed anal fin (which sits out of the water), the paint job on these older models are good but don't last long with continued punishment and will wear over time with ultra sharp hooks. The newer versions have a more durable paint job and hinged fin which rocks side to side which I noted to give the lure a wider action.

Top water and sub surface action can be influenced by either retrieving with a high or low rod tip respectively. I've found it to be most effective very slow rolled to allow the audible inner ball bearing to rock from side to side with pauses to mix it up. The lure can also be twitched erratically jerk bait style.

The beauty of the these lures and the Dog-X series, is that I have found the lure will actually rest tail heavy. The importance of this is that when you fire in a cast into a snag (or throw in a pause) the lure will actually 'reverse' about 10 mm or so which technically allows you to cover more ground and may entice the fish for a quick strike. Since many fish hit most lures (whether plastics or hardbodies) on the pause.

One thing I have noticed is this lure begins it's intended action from the very first crank of the handle, other imitations I've used require a bit of momentum (i.e. 5-10 cm) before doing so. This is crucial especially if you are fishing tight snags or have a very small strike zone and you want that lure action working straight away.

Pros: Versatile lure that is good for a beginner to get into surface fishing but also has scope for an advanced angler, ultra sharp hooks as standard make for excellent hook penetration, well balanced, can be worked very slow and well designed.

Cons: Expensive, good paint design but poor durability in older versions, thin hooks don't last long with jacks. Like with most surface lures the hook up rate can be relatively low, but I find that is due to short striking than the lure itself.

Alright, Im going to have a go at this but reviews are not my strong point, you've been warned!

Product: Shimano Stradic FJ 1000

Type: Spinning reel

Colour: Pearl white finish

Price: Around $200

Quality: Very good

Experience: I have been using my two Stradics for some time now and am very impressed. These reels have spent a lot of time hanging off the side of the kayak getting dunkings (fresh and salt), I have used them just about every week for the last couple of years, I've caught many many fish on them- including some absolute brutes and they're still hanging in there doing the job for me. As a quality reel on a reasonable budget you'd be hard pressed to find better.

Pros: Good line capacity, smooth drag, maintenance port, Xship, wind-in handle (my favourite part).

Cons: Drag clicker spring loses tension over time, bearings can become quite noisy.

Mods: These are a pretty fun little reel to play with if you are so inclined, I have upgraded the single drag washer to a carbontex one and have also replaced the 2 bushings in the handle with bearings which makes it a little smoother with the added advantage of metal in place of plastic. I have also taken measurements of all the internal bearings and will upgrade them over time and will also add an extra one to replace another plastic bushing, this will bring the bearing count on par with a Sustain.

Alright, Im going to have a go at this but reviews are not my strong point, you've been warned!

Product: Shimano Stradic FJ 1000

Type: Spinning reel

Colour: Pearl white finish

Price: Around $200

Quality: Very good

Experience: I have been using my two Stradics for some time now and am very impressed. These reels have spent a lot of time hanging off the side of the kayak getting dunkings (fresh and salt), I have used them just about every week for the last couple of years, I've caught many many fish on them- including some absolute brutes and they're still hanging in there doing the job for me. As a quality reel on a reasonable budget you'd be hard pressed to find better.

Pros: Good line capacity, smooth drag, maintenance port, Xship, wind-in handle (my favourite part).

Cons: Drag clicker spring loses tension over time, bearings can become quite noisy.

Mods: These are a pretty fun little reel to play with if you are so inclined, I have upgraded the single drag washer to a carbontex one and have also replaced the 2 bushings in the handle with bearings which makes it a little smoother with the added advantage of metal in place of plastic. I have also taken measurements of all the internal bearings and will upgrade them over time and will also add an extra one to replace another plastic bushing, this will bring the bearing count on par with a Sustain.

Product: Damiki Monstermiki 2.5" 4.5" and 6"
Type: Plastic, shrimp scent
Colour Range: 6, plenty of solid colours to choose from
Preferred Colour Thus Far: white
Quality: strong scent, soft with heaps of movement
Action: best when lightly weighted and wafted down the water column
Experience: the downside is that they are a pain to cast when lightly weighted. Better suited to dropping over the side or with the 2.5 inch I like to present them to bream and bass with a intermediate line on a 6wt flyrod.

Has produced the goods skinny water bassing and chasing bay snapper. Throwing a 6 inch one onto a 2oz nitro jighead and drift through pearlie terrain and it outfishes bait every time I have been out on a baitfisho's boat.

Guys I like the way this is shaping up already and may offer diversions on those rainy days

I have just added to disclaimer to the first post which I think makes sense in an effort to keep it true and honest.

Sponsored/Afililated Anglers: In an effort to keep it real sponsored afilliated anglers are discouraged from reviewing their own goods but may review whatever else. For example, I will never review a Nordic Stage rod, but may review an Eco Gear lure or whatever.

As previously stated if there is a product that receives several reivews a front page review may be built from it using input from several points of view. This would be a fairly unique and benefical tool for this community.

Angus

Okay, I will have a crack;

Product: Daiwa Steez 100HA Casting Reel
Type: Baitcaster
Colour Range: Smoke metal finish.
Price: $649.00 (Motackle)
Quality: Amazing
Action: 4kg drag.
Experience: I bought this reel whilst I was overseas last year, as I was earning a bit more coin. It is a freshwater reel only, due to it's construction. Thus far, I have caught Bass, Golden Perch, Silver Perch, Murray and Mary River Cod. It is an amazing reel, and is incredibly smooth whilst under load and on the retrieve. It casts light lures (3/16oz) pretty well, but really comes into its own when throwing 1/4 to 1/2oz baits. It is super fast, yet holds a good bit of grunt when tackling those bigger fish. The biggest load so far has been 14kg of Mary Cod, and it handled this with ease. I usually have it paired up with a Samurai Reaction B351 (10-17lb), which is super light with a very fast action. Together, this combo is one of the lightest you can get, and casting all day is a dream. I have a crowbar which I usually pair on cod trips, and again, it works like a dream. I currently have it spooled with 20lb, and it fits approximately 70m. This is more than adequate for the sweetwater I have found, and the thicker diameter moves through the reel with ease. Overall, I rate this reel very highly, and wish I had a job which would allow me to get gear of this quality more often

Oh, and one other thing, I am not associated with Daiwa, I think it might be a skill thing :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

deckies should read this one too

/>http://www.australianfishing.com.au/forum/general-boating/433845-advice-to-prospective-deckies#436411

the puppy is now 12 onths old