2013…. What?

Well, where did a whole year go? Insert comments about creeks and paddles here…
2013 brings new hope a new boat a new plan and a leaner meaner Ordinary Angler.
It really is a time for change, Hopefully better and with more fish.
I will try to keep this up to date.

Time, where did you go?

Where did all my time go, No idea. So much going on, some good some bad. We’ve managed some good fishing time, with trips into Keppel Bay, up Cooraman Creek and even a wet and windy day at Port Alma. With some bad news that as well as the D.I.S.H. I’ve also been diagnosed with Lumbar and Thoracic Osteoarthritis. Which means I’ve been declared officially disabled and that’s been difficult to accept both as an active man and as a financial situation. Down but not out, so to speak. I’m stepping up my website designing to try to earn some extra dollars. I’m also going to move this SevenFishes blog to a personal domain and will be launching the Ordinary Angler concept in the coming months.

The blank fishing shirts arrived this week and we’ve been putting the design together for a couple of days, the first photo’s will be ready to go up tomorrow I hope, I’m very happy with the results. It’s always great when a hair-brained idea comes together.

We attended the Rockhampton Home Show last month, had a great day came away with a new 10kg Shimano Boat Rod for C.K. and almost $50.00 worth of free gear including Soft Plastics, Jig Heads and apparel, not to mention some really great tips and advise from the experts.

Father’s Day rolled around again and landed me with a brand new Tangle Free Landing Net from  BarraJacks in Rockhampton with love from C.K. and a moving book from my youngest Monika.

This week also marks my truly amazing Wife’s Birthday, hope you have a great day Debs and I thank GW every minute of every day for bringing you to me. You make my Life so much better in so many ways, and cookies!

Out ‘n About on Central Queensalnd’s Capricorn Coast.

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A Window Appears

Yes, A fishing widow appears. Weather reports says there is a 5/10 knt window on Saturday afternoon. This is only the second such weekend lull in around 8 weeks, the first was a fortnight back and we all had the flu. Preparing for a mad dash down to the coast, esky, rods, boat, gear, fuel… what an I forgetting? Toothbrush… no got that, ocean lures, trace… all here, god what am I forgetting? Oh well, the paper says Spainards, Trout(coral), Cod and Nanigai all present in the bay but the light westerlies may slow them down.

Still sure I’ve missed somthing, hmm. Pick up the side kick from uni at 4pm, have to stop and grab some soft plastics to try, so I’ll have to get going in about 20 mins max. Check the air in the trailer tyres top up the tanks. What the F@#K am I missing? Sunscreen, got it. Dog and Cat food out, done. This weeks Gouda is stashed in the cheese cave, washing is done. Nope no idea, hate that.

Well I’m all set to head out, spend a few nights with my Mum while Dad’s away, I’ll be have cheese and wine overlooking the Islands in a couple of hours, can’t say I’m sad about that. We’ve had a couple of hard weeks and the missus needs a break….THE MISSUS.. AWWWWW SHIIIIIIIII…………

Right I have to go NOW………….

~FishOn

Grandfather’s Rapala

Thursday, forecast for the weekend, not good. So, what to do? In a vague search for inspiration I decide to sort through some of the old tackle we fisherfolk invariably keep stashed about the house.

It was during this seemingly futile search, as is often the case, I stumbled upon a plastic and cardboard Time Machine. Three and a half inches of the past.
My Grandfather passed several years ago now, he’d live a full life, a grazier, a bushman, a sailor and an angler. Proud and aloof, a patriarchal figure for a growing boy and a young man to look up to.

Finnish Minnow

Even in my earliest angling memories, he is there, obscure, half recalled but there. Now in a bag of old tackle, at the back of the wardrobe I find some of his gear my mother had saved for me. At the time it was too much, and I’d put it aside for a later date. I guess, eventually, I forgot all about it. Until now…

An Original Rapala Wobbler, The “Original Finnish Minnow”

Minnows Unboxed

Now I’m not sure how old this is, in fact it’s probably not anything special. But it’s wood and ‘individually tested’. I’ve not seen anything like it.

My Grandfather’s Rapala still in the cardboard box. Made in Finland, with the instruction sheet and all. So many images of the old guy flash through my mind as I look at this thing.

Should I keep it, as a memento, a reminder of the man who never got use it? Or do I take it out and bag some fish as a tribute? I’m not sure what I’d even target with it.

Grandfather's Rapala

Trolling ~ Not Just For The Interwebs.

Trolling ~ Not Just For The Interwebs.
Back on the 6th July I posted about Trolling Techniques for Spanish Mackerel and linked to an in-depth(pun intended) guide on the Fishing Townsville site. Now I’m happy to announce the second part. These pearls of piscatorial wisdom cover issues from:

Macks don’t have eyelids so they generally go deep during the brightest times of the day

And

…steer clear of straight mono, heat-bonded wire and multi-strand wire, I exclusively use single strand copper coloured wire. Mono works very well but you will lose lures/baits. I feel sorry for any Mack that has to swim with a lure sticking from its gob…

To tips on wire tying, trolling speed for lures and baits and even the best time of day. To a rank amateur like myself these are the little things that make the difference between getting fish and going home with wet pants and an empty cooler.

Also this valuable insight:

One word of caution, never use bright swivels or anything silver on your terminal tackle, always use black swivels or your lure/bait loss will be much higher. The flash of swivels definitely attracts macks and often Macks are found in numbers, competing for food…and your bright flashy swivel. Check your lure/bait after every hit, obviously you’ll require a new bait each time but you may require new wire. If in doubt, change it.

Trolling for Spanish Mackerel Part 2 Check it out, you know you want to.

Oh, and you HAVE to see this CRAZY Kiwi jump out of a HELICOPTER!!

Sunday On The Coast

Well, this week I’ve only had time for a quick jaunt down to the Rosslyn Bay Marina at Yeppoon for a few throws around the moorings. Again no fish, this is a disturbing trend and I don’t like it, perhaps the fish are camera shy. I heard an unconfirmed rumour that the pro’s are putting nets right across the mouth of the Narrows and wiping out all the blue salmon coming through the entire system. They wonder why people sneak down there are cut their nets…. duh.

On a brighter note I’ve made some good progress on the AnglerGang website, Monstar visual design wp experiment and polished C.K.Palmes.com  writers community site.

Anyway here are the best of the pictures taken on this latest outing.

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Grass Is Always Greener ~ Or Is It?

Often find myself thinking how pretty the rivers and streams I see on fishing shows and documentaries look. Indeed I regularly make disparaging remarks about our local river in relation to the sheer spectacle of all these pristine waterways. The ‘poor’ old Fitzroy River, we drive our cars across his bridges daily, traverse his muddy banks endlessly, all without giving him a second thought. Dismissed as ugly and inconsequential, he meanders on around us.

Until, on a fishing trip with C. K., I decided to take a closer look, from another angle so to speak. ‘Poor’ old Fitzroy, you sly dog…

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Trolling Techniques ~ Spaniard

Just found this most educational series of posts over on Fishing Townsville.

As Spaniards are one of the top target species on our list, I’ll be keeping a very close eye on this thread. We may even stumble across that purest of fishing treasure ~ accurate useful information. What’s more Townsville is only 8 hours up the road so it’s practically the same bunch of fish ~ or should I say ‘school’ yes school is what fish come in and where we learn stuff ~ the same School of Fish(ing)/Thought.

There is a lot of debate about techniques on trolling for Macks; understandably this can be confusing for people new to trolling for this prime sportfish. Should you troll dead baits or lures? What speeds? How many baits/lures? Where should you start trolling? Should you use wire or mono? What type of wire? What length of wire? What rigs? What colour lures? What depths should you troll? The aim of this article is to demystify trolling techniques and explain techniques that work.

Firstly, each person you ask about trolling for Macks will give you their preferred technique, usually this is the first technique that yielded results for them, and they’ve stuck with it since. Some people seem to shroud their Macks techniques in mystery making it appear to be much more difficult than it actually is. ~ Nicko

Hit the link, it is well worth a read if you are into your Trolling for Spanish Mackerel(Part 1 of 4) even half as much as I am.

~FishOn

Windy Week

Well June goes out with a blow, these chill southerly gusts blast through my house and makes my bones ache. I’m guessing the cold has finally shut the Barra and Muddies down. Hopefully, if the damned wind ever stops, the Bream, Grunter(javelin fish) and Blue Salmon will pick up in the river. I’m not sure what happens in winter out on the bay, but I heard the Squid come on out around the islands. mmmm calamari!

The car, boat and trailer registration bills are all coming in together, of course, which will put a damper on our activities for the next few weeks, although a river trip or two should still be on the cards.The up side of this downtime has to be the chance to service all our reels, rods and gear.

Another plus is I have some time to research techniques for the target species and share my findings here on the blog. Other news I learned the Slim Beauty knot, although mine isn’t all that slim nor particularly pleasing to the eye. In fact it brings to mind an image of Rex Hunt in a tutu ….. sorry Rex.

No fish, nice pics.