Brodie_S

Yes, was thinking along those lines myself Steve.😂

Yeah, had a cackle at that one too.🤣

Good work Kat. Those are some good flatties.

Yesterday I had to spend the day on the GC as one of the kids had a Birthday Party to attend.  The plan was to fill in time in the morning going Beach Worming - try salting some for later use.  But I couldn't stand the thought of not going for a fish so packed the rods etc in the car.  We knew we might be a bit late for the tide for worms and only managed two before giving up and, to my disgust paying for live bait at the local tackle Shop.
Brett dropped me at Shearwater park while he took the kids to the Birthday party.
I managed to catch a small winter Whiting and decided it might make a good live bait so emptied the little belt bucket and popped it in some water.  I spent a little time trying in vain to catch some more whiting/Bream etc with the worms but no joy.  Brett arrived back with the eldest who wanted to go somewhere with a playground so we headed to Coombabah Creek where I caught another small winter Whiting.  I changed hooks and put one on as live bait, sat back had a smoke and drink and was about to move the bait saying I was bored and there was no action - Brett said you should move the bait 😘.  I started winding in slowly so I could cast it back out toward the sand/mud bank again and then the drag started going.  At first I thought it was a snag, then a stingray, then after a minute or two fight was pleased to bring up the Flattie.  Was careful to keep the rod tip down because I had a feeling it want hooked well.  Drag was very light.  As I dragged it the couple of metres through the mud it spat the hook.  My foot secured it for tea.
I immediately cast the remaining live to the same spot and waited a few minutes the bait was swimming hard and then, although the drag didn't move I had a feeling the bait might have something larger wrapped around it - so I started a careful retrieve and felt some weight and then the drag started again.  I landed the second Flattie and job done.  Fresh Flattie for tea.
Filleted in the dark in a hurry cause was dark and late for kids tea.  Worst filleting job ever - so we got a small portion of some unknown fish out of the freezer to supplement.
All in all a great day - got exercise, sea air, muddy feet and fresh fish.

yeah wiping down reels/rods with a damp cloth after each day is good spraying some silicone spray on the line keeps it in good nic braid mono or leader is fine with silicone spray. spraying some WD40 on a cloth and wiping down reels and rods is a good idea if you've been fishing in heavy saltwater never spray WD40 or anything like that directly on to a reel. Other then that if you have rod and reel covers use them and always make sure you reels are well greased and oiled 

yeah wiping down reels/rods with a damp cloth after each day is good spraying some silicone spray on the line keeps it in good nic braid mono or leader is fine with silicone spray. spraying some WD40 on a cloth and wiping down reels and rods is a good idea if you've been fishing in heavy saltwater never spray WD40 or anything like that directly on to a reel. Other then that if you have rod and reel covers use them and always make sure you reels are well greased and oiled 

yeah wiping down reels/rods with a damp cloth after each day is good spraying some silicone spray on the line keeps it in good nic braid mono or leader is fine with silicone spray. spraying some WD40 on a cloth and wiping down reels and rods is a good idea if you've been fishing in heavy saltwater never spray WD40 or anything like that directly on to a reel. Other then that if you have rod and reel covers use them and always make sure you reels are well greased and oiled 

yeah wiping down reels/rods with a damp cloth after each day is good spraying some silicone spray on the line keeps it in good nic braid mono or leader is fine with silicone spray. spraying some WD40 on a cloth and wiping down reels and rods is a good idea if you've been fishing in heavy saltwater never spray WD40 or anything like that directly on to a reel. Other then that if you have rod and reel covers use them and always make sure you reels are well greased and oiled 

Hey mate,
If you get a small bowl of water you can dunk them in that. I normally don't worry and give them a good clean off when I get back... Most of my reels have short lives however....

If freshwater is in short supply - Probably a tackle guard spray before hand, reel covers when not in use and avoid as much salt spray as you can. 
Quick wipe down with a damp cloth each day is all you can do, with limited water

There are covers for your reels that you can purchase to use when transporting or storing your reels. I don't know what you would do to clean them from usage but they should stop some of the spray damage. 
https://www.anacondastores.com/fishing/fishing-reels/reel-accessories/shimano-spin-reel-cover-black-green/90170936?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-pCVBhCFARIsAGMxhAcTZEtBudfPSOXNUP-ZscHwWOBjnnaWgueejXuM43oXZh2Il2atkVQaAqG7EALw_wcB

So I am wondering what are the steps to take in order to care for rods and reels while out on an extended fishing trip. 
 
I have been steadily upgrading my rods and reels and I’m thinking that it probably isn’t ideal to leave them sitting cover in salt water out in the sun for weeks at a time while on long fishing trips to the reef and the like.
on these trips there is usually a limited supply of fresh water so hosing the reels and rods is not really a viable option.
I have seen products like spray on tackle guard but some manufacturers say that sprays should not be used - this also probably doesn’t reach all the nooks and crannies in the reels. 
 
the rods are usually stored in the rod holders along to roof of the boat and get decent amount of salt water spray while moving spots and trolling around. 
 
what can be done to minimise damage and water ingress / care for them at the end of each day. 

id give it a try considering how cheap it is . Ive tried a few different braids and have always came back to Daiwa J braid x8 or Tasline both of these braids are great but are fairly pricey. The price of Tasline is scary but worth it for bigger setups 

id give it a try considering how cheap it is . Ive tried a few different braids and have always came back to Daiwa J braid x8 or Tasline both of these braids are great but are fairly pricey. The price of Tasline is scary but worth it for bigger setups 

id give it a try considering how cheap it is . Ive tried a few different braids and have always came back to Daiwa J braid x8 or Tasline both of these braids are great but are fairly pricey. The price of Tasline is scary but worth it for bigger setups 

id give it a try considering how cheap it is . Ive tried a few different braids and have always came back to Daiwa J braid x8 or Tasline both of these braids are great but are fairly pricey. The price of Tasline is scary but worth it for bigger setups 

Yep, certainly worth trying at least.

I know people who find Jarvis Walker braid fine for LBG fishing and stuff like that, so I can't see why that would be much different. 

I am a big fan of Aldi stuff generally but not so much of the braid. I still have a couple of spools I bought a few years ago but haven’t used. I just didn’t like the feel of it. But that is just my opinion and as I said, I haven’t tested it out yet. The other Aldi product I wouldn’t recommend is the electric knife sharpener. A bit rough for your better knives but will put an edge on knives you don’t really love.

I've used it for awhile now in 12 and 20lb and have had no issues.

Just pick up a few discounted braid line from aldi for 3.99. the price is incredible but i dont know about their quality. Hope it is not too bad.

No, but like a blue salmon, it isn't a 'true' salmon (i.e. Australian, Chinook, etc). 

I was fishing in a canal with a whole pilchard. It was just after sunset. I did not feel the bite or anything but I pulled up my bait because I was fishing landbased on top of this cage. I pulled up and I felt the weight. It started taking drag not fast but slow and heavy. It never suctioned to the bottom but had lots of weight. I have hooked countless stingrays and I've landed 60cm+ flat head but this felt different. It saw the land and went off the other way. It just kept swimming until it did one massive slow head shake like a bang bang. Then the hook popped out. It was like a 2 minute fight. I'm not sure what it was but left me questioning. Any ideas on what fish.  

After several different types I think that I have finally got it right.
What do you need.
Cable ties - Bunnings or cheaper still on ebay.
Plastic gutter guard 180mm wide Bunnings whites super gutter guard 180mm X 8 m about $7 or cheaper at Masters.
Ideally 25mm begonia pot saucers from K mart $1 each but they havent had any for months.so I use Frisbees from K mart $1 each.



Bundle of

tent pole shock cord $3 from K mart
around 12 gauge gi soft drawn fencing wire. I scrounged some from a farmer mate.
Empty 2l soft drink bottled.
I use soft copper wire for the hooks and attaching the tie rope. You should be able to scrounge some from a sparky or auto electrician


First step is to cut the gutterguard to length. Just mark the edge of the frisbee with a felt pen and place a mark on a length of wood and roll the frisbee Add an inch to allow for an overlap join.
Similarly cut the fencing wire to length.
The fencing wire has to be formed into a circle and the neck of a 9kg gas bottle is ideal for the frisbee size and if you are fortunate to find some 25mm begonia saucers an upturned flower pot is good.
Then cut a hole in the frisbee slightly smaller in diameter than the soft drink bottle.

Next step is to cut the neck off the soft drink bottle ( I find scissors best leave the screw top on the bottle and it is easier to make the initial plunge into the bottle}




Then using a small tipped soldering iron melt 4 holes around the hole in the frisbee and corresponding holes in the drink neck and cable tie the neck to the frisbee,( Do this in well ventilated area because of the burning plastic fumes.) You could drill the holes but it is much faster with the soldering iron.
You will note that I have also made holes around the circumference of the frisbee.You only make the holes on one of the frisbees.

Next step is to join 2 lengths of the gutterguard side by side.



Just tie them together loosely untill the whole lengthy is complete and then flip them out and then tighten up the cable ties.

The co joined gutterguard is then cabletied to the frisbee and the top is pulled in so that the diameter is slightly smalletr then the outher end that is secured to the frisbee and one of bthe fencing wire circles is cable tied to the top

nAnd then the second wire circle is tied in to the centre of the pot



I then insert a short rod into the top of the trap to attact the clop that I tie the rope to.



Clip is made from the copper wire mentioned earlier.

I then place some weight opposite the rope attach point. ( Anything heavy to take the pot to the bottom quickly.( I use old galvanised bolts )

Next step is to burn 3 holes in the other frisby that is going to be the other end of the pot.

No. I am a type of salmon.