GregN70

I think this day n age I’d be happy with even a legal sized Barra. 130 would be a mega fish.

I have a bunch of time in October and was thinking of hitting the road & heading north for for a couple weeks chasing jacks, cod, but mainly Salty Barramundi. My initial thinking was to go to Hinchinbrook area staying at Cardwell, but a few people have suggested the creeks just north of Townsville like Bohle River, or even the areas south of Cairns. Any thoughts?

Yeah Threadfin hardy put up a fight at times

Yeah you have to go that far to find any water depth over 40m and thus the bigger fish like trout, emperors, tuskfish & mackerel. Inshore is very shallow under 17m past the islands and 5 - 8 inside, and shallow doesn’t attract or hold many bigger fish. work wise, the company I work for has big projects coming up around both areas, so I can just move to either, plus I can usually work from home most of the times anyway.

I’ve done 2 charters here. The only difference is they go out 120kms directly east where the most I’ve been out is 60-80km. as for inshore charters there’s a couple blokes that do that. All they do is live bait Barra in the Fitzroy. Meh not my cup of tea. I’d rather a feed of bread n butter fish in the estuary or a few reefies or even a Mack or 2 off shore. but any way, I’m still looking at moving. Mainly to find a better fishing area. Thus far I have 2 options, Coffs or Townsville. I’m kinda leaning towards Coffs as I think that’s going to be better overall fishing.

Yeah all through there, up into Horton’s Creek just upstream in the south, also on the other side of K.Sands around the mouth of Pumkin Creek, and off long beach to the south. Honestly there is nowhere I havn’t tried in that whole area. And I’ve tried with every tackle n technique, at every stage of the tide. Always the same results, no fish!

I’ve been fishing the beaches around emu park and up Farnborough lately with live yabbies, live beach worms on 4lb fluorocarbon n #2 Kahle hooks with light lead looking for whiting etc but only found toadfish these last couple months

Everywhere I look I find only positive reviews. I also have friends and family in the tackle industry and asked them if they’ve got any negative feedback or any returns as they’ve sold a lot of these, and they reported none. They’re going to probe their own Diawa reps for their thoughts. Will report back.

So by increasing the size of the gears and a one piece metal frame they’ve made it weaker? I have 2 new saltigas and think they are the best thing I’ve used. Admittedly I’ve caught Buggar all on them as I live and fish around Yeppoon in central Queensland which if completely fished out and is among the worst fishing spots I’ve ever had the displeasure of fishing.

Awesome reel, it will go great. But kinda interesting how you bought it first then, sought info as to whether it be any good for intended purposes. Can we call it Post Purchase Evaluation. Good luck

The fish looks in good condition, and I reckon it would enjoy watching the passing traffic daily.

I might have to go back & try, I find it very crowded there at 1770. I stopped going there as it’s very expensive to stay there & it takes 3hrs to launch your boat amongst the crowd. And we caught stuff all, lol. But what’s new.

Never seen that type of cod before, we certainly don't seem to get these around Yeppoon. Might be a deeper water species as its easier to get to deeper water off cairns than it is Yeppoon.

Year perhaps, this is something I can do, but certainly never ever want to. I grew up with Alveys, but gave them the flick years ago, never looked back.

In my opinion give the Alvey a miss, it's not 1920 anymore and Catgut is no longer a line.

Saw this, with using a home made silicone washer. I might give this a try, looks like it might be good.

Slaying the catfish there Hamish. The new catfish whisperer.

I got one last week from ebay. I have a Wilson pump (as I try to avoid anything Alvey), and it's got the hopeless foam puck style washer which looks like its made from an old surfboard thong and lasts about 2 trips. I got the Alvey multi washer kit, and it can be adapted to fit the wilson pretty easy. Havnt tested it yet but seems to develop good suction. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/162914878186?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkcid=2&itemid=162914878186&targetid=1281061180965&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=1000404&poi=&campaignid=12500143888&mkgroupid=124347829082&rlsatarget=pla-1281061180965&abcId=9300512&merchantid=114161112&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs675pbyg8QIVEldgCh39ygqLEAQYASABEgIGCPD_BwE

Well that varies depending on what bait or lure im using. On the Rigged Garfish I run a short length of 59lb Mason single strand wire of about 200mm before a black swivel, then onto my 60lb fluro-carbon topshot. Trolled at about 4kts or so. On the trolled hardbody minnows i just run the 60lb fluro-carbon strait to the clip and lure. Trolled a bit faster 6-8 kts On the floating pilly rigs that was on a lighter spin rod (37lb braid) with about a 10 foot top shot of 50lb fluro carbon through a small ball sinker to a gang of 4 x Mustard 7766 5/0 Tarpon hooks. Removed sinker when conditions suited. Used the above with just the flasher/lure/Jig dropped to the bottom and cranked up around shows of fish on the sounder. As for the live yakkas, i just had a very short piece of that 59lb single strand about 100mm long above a live bait hook in the back, suspend at various depths, or just free swimming around likely areas as i drift across them.

Had a good crack on Saturday just gone, high tide at 10/11am, got out to Barren Island about sun up. Not much on the sounder, say one mackerel free jump. So deployed 2 large gar i had rigged on weighted gang, and pink squid over the front. Water looked good & clean, but no takers, tried a few other spots with similar techniques, floated pillies about for a while, found some bait, high speed jigged that for a while, caught a few livies, put some out mid water, others under floats down to 5-7 m. Left at high tide, nothing to show for that day.

No Line twist at all..

I was using squidgy bugs on 1/12 oz jig head, and a savage gear crab imitation on a slightly bigger head, usure of weight. I put the braid on using a length of all-thread bar held by my vice, on it I have a lock nut, cones and wing nut for tension. I reel it straight off the top. Similar to these pics i found here, but just a bar held in the vice, (not my pics, but for illustration purposes)

Its a Diawa Luvias 2000, with 6lb J-Braid/

I put it on, via a bit of threaded rod in the vice and a couple wing nuts and wooded cones to locate & create tension on the spool of braid, usually works a treat, gets tension on well most times. I thought perhaps the length of the cast tension being effected as I was reasonably light lures and soft plastics for a while before this started to happen.

What can be done to stop prevent wind knots, I got a whole bunch yesterday on a new reel. Was really frustrating. I'd cast and half way through the cast, 3 strands would come flying off n get twisted up.