Fishing reports, tackle specials and angling politics from Downrigger Shop, Monday 23rd May 2016

Early winter and the big news locally is the run of deepwater monsters around the continental shelf. Up until a couple of seasons ago a pro fisherman targeted blue eye trevalla at the Browns Mountain seamount, off Sydney. Commercial droplining extremely effective on this species. A friend who went out with the bloke on his Steber witnessed nearly 200 fish caught in just one day out there. Not sure why he’s gone over the last couple of years but the reduced pressure has meant a bonanza for rec fishers able to range the 21nm east. Matt Cassar sent through pics of a beaut day he had out wide recently. That’s our Tanacom 1000 combo in the pic:

Here’s Kayden Dhyon at Browns on Saturday 7th. That’s what you want:

Slade Langley, back from Browns. The Botany cleaning table in the background, caged to prevent attracting seagulls near the airport:

Chris Colvin out wide over the weekend of 14/15 May. That’s a solid trevalla:

One more monster from the deep. Good job Tanacom 1000, and thanks to John Neylon:

Beautiful. There are millions of these fish around southern Australia. With the reduction in commercial pressure they’re more available than ever to rec fishermen:

Strict bag limits, tough enforcement, and most of all rough winter weather out wide keep the annual take low. If you haven’t tried it, get yourself a deep drop combo and try a drop or two when you’re next out there:

The Tanacom 750 combo is no longer stocked.

The Tanacom 1000 combo is no longer stocked.

Because if you haven’t tried fresh blue eye on the barbecue you don’t know what you’re missing J Needless to say lots of other impressive reports have arrived. This time of year so hot, for anything from freshwater to salt. Paul Johnston sends these killer kingie pics. Well done bloke and thanks so much for writing:

So good! Craig Marsay nearby, on the mid-north coast Friday 20th May:

Top job, Craig. Night fishing offshore can mean some special challenges. Action machine and adventure addict Ed Aspden finding success with his new boat. That’s a fantastic first:

Murray and family making the most of a charter at the Rocks. Good king! Thanks Muzz, very grateful indeed:

Brendon loving his Top End micro jigging. Good stuff:

Excellent. If you’re needing an old tired bald tackle sales guy to carry your bags, you know who to call. That's fantastic, Nick Chee! Really interesting. Just like with carp we’ve got to make the most of a problem introduced species:

Things are great mate and even better with your interesting news. Dan Anderson at the Peak last week. How are those conditions! He scored a nice teraglin too:

It’s been a bit tide sensitive, cobber! I took new guy Dan out for a run to that spot too. Plan being to see if we could find his first offshore kingfish. Sounded around and located some promising mark:

Down went the jigs, and Dan very pleased with this 87cm:

Westerly dropping away nicely as the day warmed up, so it was on to Browns. I rigged the port side Tanacom with twin droppers and bonito strip baits. Starboard side, a 420 gram lumo jig with a small bonito cube on the assist hook. After a few teething (baa haaa) difficulties, Dan brought two gemfish aboard:

Dan Abadir sent a video of us jigging offshore. Didn’t realise the camera was running! Didn’t realise I talk so much, either:

Jigging the Peak

Met old friend Ron Camp while giving a talk at St George Anglers:

He was telling me how hot fishing at The Peak was, back in the 70s.

‘I’d drop down a jig and it would go thump thump thump ten times, before I hooked up.’ Me: ‘what do you mean, thump thump thump?’ Ron: ‘bouncing off the kingies’ backs on the way down!’

Now that’s a bit hard to believe! But I gotta believe this pic:

To tackle, and a reader writes:

The snapper combo better for casting. Having said that, some very nice fish caught on the light jigging combo lately. Here’s feedback from 702 snapper rod owner Seth Wright late last month. Both good outfits, it just depends on what your primary fishing style will be. The other option is, use the same reel for both. The second rod would only be $70 and you’d be covered for casting and jigging, including offshore. No extra postage for the second rod, which is good. Your call, Andrew

Too kind of you, Seth! That’s a credit to the lad’s fishing skills. Not a tackle item but I’m going to mention it because it’s great for fishing and towing and it deserves a good home. We’re selling our 1998 Holden Suburban:

Click the link below if you want to know more but I should explain about its biggest benefit. This Suburban has been blue slipped with a ninth seat installed, meaning it is FBT free. For any small businessman thinking of a purchase keep in mind the huge saving this represents? We have saved tens of thousands of dollars in tax on the car, over the fifteen years we have owned it.

The car is fitted with a Hayman Reese towing system and UHF CB radio and HID daymaker driving lights. Super comfortable for long range touring or towing. The car has a new transmission installed April 2016. That cost $4500, over half the sale price. When the middle seats are laid flat and the back seats are removed there is nearly 8 feet x 4 feet of clear space. You can even sleep in there. For carrying bulky items like carpet rolls, skis, fishing tackle you could hardly find a better vehicle. And because it’s a station wagon rather than a twin cab you don’t get dust or condensation on your load. Reason for sale: we’ve bought another Suburban! Price $9200, for readers. You could leave it hooked up to your boat trailer at that price and get a smaller car for everything else. Here's more:

Holden Suburban

Downer of a story but it’s gotta be told. Geoff Wilson:

That’s just sad, but I guess it’s been happening for a zillion years. Killer pic from Sam Hunter. Mac tuna have so much power:

Craig Wilson after them in the Top End:

Jamie Illistom back from PNG with one hell of a tale to tell. Glad you scored some good ones cobber:

To politics, and Phil Cole sends a timely story on the dangers of crossing the Macleay bar.

Timely, because the NSW government is just about to unleash another blitzkrieg on fishos and boaties, with more marine park declarations. Also timely, because a friend of Maritime Minister Duncan Gay has sent me copies of correspondence between the two on what a disappointment this government has been for our interests. Let’s not forget that while Maritime are hassling boaties over paper charts and ropes on fire buckets, genuine threats to life and limb like these widow maker bars are ignored. While at the same time, BS artists like Gay rabbit on about how they’re going to focus on ‘rural & regional NSW.’ If you want to bring jobs to South West Rocks – and from what I hear, the place is desperate for them – why not fix the launching facilities?

If that was done holiday visitors wouldn’t be lost, like they have been here:

Club baulks at deadly Macleay River entrance

John Smart sends a stunning pic taken from Providence Portal Lodge, looking down to the Eucumbene River.

Would you believe the parkies are now planning to close off 4WD access to the river? John writes:

Kosciuszko National Park is full of wild pigs, foxes, feral cats, deer, brumbies, blackberry, and (the horrible invasive plant) St John’s Wort. It’s regularly swept by wildfires that turn thousands of hectares to an ashtray, thanks to little or no hazard reduction burning.

Wilderness declarations made in the 1980s have utterly failed to increase numbers of any endangered species. But what do the parkies worry about? A few 4WDs, on a track that’s a century old. How pathetic, and how typical. Epic fails at doing their job, but extra good at bullying the public. Let’s stay vigilant because where one fisho is threatened, all are threatened. Until the next report and as I always say, deep thanks to those generous types who send in the reports we all enjoy. I just assemble them into an email, it’s you blokes doing all the work. Cheers
Andrew Hestelow

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