# Qld Scarby 22 Apr… Good and Bad Guys in Stinkies!



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

First up&#8230; Only just arrived at my parking spot when Liam pulls up beside me&#8230; this is good for me, 'cos if Liam had got there just before I did, he would have nabbed my favourite parking spot!

It's his favoured spot too&#8230; (good Karma for me, eh?). I didn't recognise him, possibly due to him sporting a very heavy growth (possibly called a beard). :lol:

We hit the water almost simultaneously, but I tarried a trifle to take a piccie of Liam about to embark&#8230; turned out not too bad.

Our paths almost crossed some hours later, but we never had another chance to chin-wag, and that was the last I saw of him (except in the distance), so don't know how he fared fish-wise for the morning. He had an afternoon shift, so couldn't fish for too long.

Trev took his time hitting the water, then took off paddling up to Garnett Rock, which is situated out from Suttons Beach at Margate.

Some hours later, he hove into sight, doing a close-in troll towards the Jetty area past Flag Reef. We spoke on the radio a few times, and not long after, I picked up my best snapper for the day, at 65cm. I'd trolled up a legal one within a few minutes of hitting the water, then nothing for a couple of hours.

Another came a little later, followed by a nice 50cm tailor that Trev took home following five minutes of pleading me not to let it go. The poor chap hadn't hooked anything after around six hours trolling  , and finally, tears rolling down my cheeks at Trev's hard-luck tale, I handed it over to him.

Tells a good story, does our Trev. :lol: :lol:

I didn't take a snap of the tailor... the other line was snagged, and I had to attend to that, then forgot to take the photo.

Back-tracking a little&#8230; when I'd trolled to my favoured area, I found that it was occupied by a fellow in a tinnie. I noticed that he was fishing more lines than he should in a yellow zone. He had at least five rods, and also at least one hand-line.

We exchanged morning greetings and then I asked him was he aware he was fishing in a yellow zone&#8230; he asked me what that was&#8230; I explained about the two lines rule, which didn't impress him at all.

Some time later, I paddled past him and asked him if he'd had any luck&#8230; he answered in the negative, then gave me quite a burst complete with plenty of swearing, and it all boiled down to me being told in no uncertain terms to piss off (that was putting it quite mildly, of course).

He told me that he came out here to get away from pricks like me&#8230; (what did I bloody do?).

I tried to calm him down and to reason with him, but he kept up the profanity, so I left, giving him a little of the same as I did so&#8230; couldn't help myself.

I then elected to do a jewie troll, and as I passed about 200 metres from another stinkie, I heard my name called. I looked up, and this fellow was motioning me to come over to him&#8230; funny thing&#8230; he was playing a fish as he did this.

I realised when I came closer, that I'd spoken with this fellow on Scarby beach some time back when he had a kayak, and then in the North Pine when he got rid of the yak and bought this tinnie. Rob is his name, and he reminded me that when we first met, I recommended fishing with soft plastics, and gave him some advice on how to use them etc. He still follows my advice to the letter, and scores well with snapper.

Rob actually invited me to fish beside him, telling me that he'd just caught three snapper out of a schooled up bunch that he noticed on his sounder as he came through&#8230; plenty here for both of us, he reckoned.

As luck would have it, neither of us pulled another fish from that school, and a little while later, we both went our own ways.

Compare this fellow to the one with whom I'd just had words&#8230; chalk and cheese, eh?

Rob told me that to date, his best snapper was a brute of 91cm, caught in the recent bad weather near the Queens Beach area, but lost lots of big fish until he realised what he was doing wrong. He used to anchor up, and when he hooked big fish, they would tear line off and cut him off in amongst the rocks. He realised that he should follow the fish, so purchased a buoy, attached it to the anchor rope, and fashioned a quick release that he could pull when hooked to a fish, and then he could follow the fish.

That got him into some lovely big snapper at last.

However&#8230; he then showed me his latest acquisition&#8230; an electric motor that had an "anchor mode" which, operated by GPS, switched on when he drifted out of the area, and automatically took him back to his spot.

He then demonstrated how it worked&#8230; this little motor switched on, then took him back to where he'd been fishing. What a fabulous invention, eh?

Effectively anchored to the designated spot, then when a fish hits, knock it out of that mode, and chase the fish! Fantastic!! I think he said it was a MinKota or something like that.

Apart from the encounter with the tinnie/yellow-zone skirmish, it was a good day for me on the water&#8230; the first snapper was caught on the Storm mid-thunder Grey Ghost, and all the rest were caught on the flat-tail Z-mans&#8230; either the elechick colour of the black&#8230;

Lilechick only registered bites, but no hook-ups&#8230; really unusual! This lure generally out-fishes the Zmans by heaps.

Trev called out to me that he was snagged, then quite excitedly called for me to come look at this... his snag turned out to be a complete rod, line, sinker and hook!  The braid looked to be about 150lb... this fellow had been fishing for bear!!! Trev came out with 4 rods and went home with 5! Trev, the tackle magnet!!!

Even so, he did manage to lose a Koolie lure, but he's not sure just how he did it. :?

The worst thing that occurred for me was&#8230; when I exchanged a black Z-man for an electric chicken colour, I forgot to replace the packet to my vest pocket&#8230; hours later, after losing one to a snag, when I reached into the vest pocket, bloody hell! Only one packet&#8230; should be two! Of course, into the briny it had gone!

Good-bye to about 5 flat-tail Z-man complete with super-glued jig-heads, and one bloody great 9inch Z-man lure with super-glued jig-head with huge hook. Not happy, Jan!

Can't win 'em all, eh?

Cheers all, Jimbo


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## Buck (Jan 4, 2012)

A very entertaining read Beekeeper. Great to see that not all guys in boats are idiots. 
I'll need some of that soft plastic advice in the near future. 
Great to see some people go out and find tackle. Shame it didn't have a fish attached as well.


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## Bretto (May 23, 2010)

Great report Jim. Nice snaps.

Geeze, Trev's kayak looks cluttered. There's got to be 20 leashes on that yak. :lol:


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Bretto said:


> Geeze, Trev's kayak looks cluttered. There's got to be 20 leashes on that yak. :lol:


Nah, there's heaps more than that.


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## Funchy (Dec 3, 2011)

spent yesterday arvo making home made rod leashes as I was sick of all the rope hanging off my yak. Just wound whipper snipper cord around the handle of a screwdriver and dipped in boiling water then run under cold water and bobs your uncle!! Yak looks much better and it is way safer !!


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Beekeeper said:


> He told me that he came out here to get away from pricks like me&#8230; (what did I bloody do?).


You were the cause of his lack of fish, you and your smart arse mates who catch fish from kayaks and who know about things like yellow zones and stuff....smart arses the lot of you!


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

cjbfisher said:


> Thanks for the report Jimbo. A couple of nice fish there. Pity about the dickhead in the stinky.
> Oh, why is Trev wearing a green inner tube around his guts? :lol: :lol:


You can talk fatso! :lol: (Thought there might be a sudden cold snap.)



BIGKEV said:


> Bretto said:
> 
> 
> > Geeze, Trev's kayak looks cluttered. There's got to be 20 leashes on that yak. :lol:
> ...


Rope Galore had a special on 4 mm bungy.

Yep. Went out with four rods, and came home with five.  That rod is a 15 - 24 kg, and the reel still turns. It had 150 lb braid on it, but only a tiny hook....go figure. 
Do Bunnings still sell 'Barnacle Remover'?


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Beekeeper said:


> Compare this fellow to the one with whom I'd just had words&#8230; chalk and cheese, eh?


Maybe being an ex-yakker meant a little more appreciation of the other users on the water

Trev,
Do you leash your leashes? You know, in case the leash falls in?
Redundancy man, it's the new catchphrase


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

anselmo said:


> Trev,
> Do you leash your leashes? You know, in case the leash falls in?
> Redundancy man, it's the new catchphrase


No, but I do leash everything...

Knife
Rods X 4
Lipgrips X 2
Pliers
Gaff
Net
Mirage drive
Paddle
Ikejimi

How many is that? The maths is doing my head in.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

kayakone said:


> anselmo said:
> 
> 
> > Trev,
> ...


2
well, that is to say _too_ many
13, lucky for some

In the words of a friend of mine - you need to bring less sh*t

Why do you leash your mirage drive? Am I missing something here? Surely your mirage drive can't fall through its slut, I mean slot


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Jimbo one of your trip reports is like 5 regular ones in terms of things going wrong and then right and then wrong again, devils and angels, the occasional rescue and with enough fish for 5 anglers. Then you throw Trev in who always brings a memorable twist with him, this time hooking Davey Jone's jigging outfit out of his Locker. Obviously Davey doesn't have enough leashes on his leashes ;-)

The thing that's doing my head in the most though is what is a "lilechick"???


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

anselmo said:


> 2
> well, that is to say _too_ many
> 13, lucky for some
> 
> ...


Well Nick...they're $ 700, and anything not leashed sinks. Right?

Ask Grinner. Sorry Pete.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

kayakone said:


> anselmo said:
> 
> 
> > 2
> ...


It only sinks if you drop it overboard
Why would you pull your mirage drive out and drop it overboard?
Seriously, am I missing something here

I'll search for Grinner + mirage


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Ok I give up
Grinz?


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Wrassemagnet said:


> Jimbo one of your trip reports is like 5 regular ones in terms of things going wrong and then right and then wrong again, devils and angels, the occasional rescue and with enough fish for 5 anglers. Then you throw Trev in who always brings a memorable twist with him, this time hooking Davey Jone's jigging outfit out of his Locker. Obviously Davey doesn't have enough leashes on his leashes ;-)
> 
> The thing that's doing my head in the most though is what is a "lilechick"???


Jim... in the almost obsolete snap-back soft plastics range, there were two sizes of Finesse Jerk-bait in the electric chicken colour... the large one at about 5inches long and pretty thick, and the 4inch version, a much slimmer and more flexy model. I was introduced to the large one by Chris Howell who was a brilliant fisherman, but when they were a bit scarce on the shelves, I noticed the smaller version. I gave it a try and found that I caught heaps of fish with it.

To save my poor typing fingers, I shortened the words "little electric chicken" to "lilechick." So there's your answer.

Cheers, Jim... Jimbo


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Lazybugger said:


> Gee Jim, thats a couple of recent reports you've been having a bit of a blue out on the water. Bit of a cranky bugger in your old age aren't ya :lol: :twisted:


Ain't it the truth LB! Jimbo



Barrabundy said:


> Beekeeper said:
> 
> 
> > He told me that he came out here to get away from pricks like me&#8230; (what did I bloody do?).
> ...


 :lol: :lol: :lol: Good one BB



Funchy said:


> spent yesterday arvo making home made rod leashes as I was sick of all the rope hanging off my yak. Just wound whipper snipper cord around the handle of a screwdriver and dipped in boiling water then run under cold water and bobs your uncle!! Yak looks much better and it is way safer !!


Funchy... if ever one of your whipper-snipper leashes fails, drop me a line please. Jimbo


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## Funchy (Dec 3, 2011)

Hey Jim, do you know something I don't about whipper snipper leashes failing??


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Funchy said:


> Hey Jim, do you know something I don't about whipper snipper leashes failing??


No Funchy... not at all. However, since I had one of those you-beaut curly-plastic leashes with the velcrose end fail (snap) three times, my mind mis-trusts any form of curled plastic leash.

Good fishing buddy Gary (Sweed), was just telling me yesterday that his had broken in three places, and wanted to know the details of how my paddle leash worked. I copied the version that was recommended by the instructor (another Gary) at one of the Scarborough kayaking safety days organised by K1. It is simple and effective... just a length of strong bungy-cord with about a 1 1/2 inch hard rubber ball on the end, and a loop in the cord that hooks over both the paddle and the ball... quick both to apply and disconnect. A small tag is needed on the loop to aid release... sometimes bungy cord is hard to grip easily.

I don't know if you've ever had a paddle-leash fail, but it's quite disconcerting... I've had a paddle that I thought was safely held by a leash bought at a kayak shop come undone and float off... left me in a very dangerous predicament with a North-Easterly wind blowing me swiftly at a reef with 2-foot waves helping, and the paddle tearing away in the opposite direction with the current.

One lost paddle! So then I bought the "you-beaut curly-plastic leashes with the velcrose end", and thought I was safe as houses... wrong!

I've been using the bungy cord one now for probably a year and a half, and happy as a pig in poop with it.

Funchy... you might have devised the duck's guts leash... simple and effective... I hope you have... lots of kayakers will copy it, I'm sure.

I leash all my rods and anything else that I don't want to lose... pliers, scissors, glasses etc... little leashes everywhere...

I want your leashes to work!

Jimbo


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## Funchy (Dec 3, 2011)

Beekeeper said:


> Funchy said:
> 
> 
> > Hey Jim, do you know something I don't about whipper snipper leashes failing??
> ...


Well Jimbo, that sux about the leash failures mate, not something you would expect would happen too easily without noticeable wear and tear/aging!!!!

Will let you know if these fail, early days yet obviously. I am pretty sure I got the idea from An online forum (may even be AKFF) so can't take the credit mate. Must admit, makes the yak easier to manage that's for sure

Cheers
Funchy


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Funchy said:


> Spent yesterday arvo making home made rod leashes as I was sick of all the rope hanging off my yak. Just wound whipper snipper cord around the handle of a screwdriver and dipped in boiling water then run under cold water and bobs your uncle!! Yak looks much better and it is way safer !!





Funchy said:


> Well Jimbo, that sux about the leash failures mate, not something you would expect would happen too easily without noticeable wear and tear/aging!!!!
> 
> Will let you know if these fail, early days yet obviously. I am pretty sure I got the idea from An online forum (may even be AKFF) so can't take the credit mate. Must admit, makes the yak easier to manage that's for sure
> 
> ...


Funchy you probably did get the idea from here...I'm sure I've seen a couple of threads on this. I can see where you're coming from, because I use only bungy, and it does leave long lengths loose which require housework. Even so there are inevitably some tangles, plus, as you point out in your first post, it is way safer. The trade off is loss of gear or safety. I balance this by, in the case of a capsize. having two safety knives on my PFD.

While DIY is great (saving money, thinking, ingenuity, manual skills), the end product ought to to be strong enough for the real world. Jim refers to paddle leashes as an example for something that should not break. Gary (the instructor at the Safety Day) pointed out that many commercially made paddle leashes fail in the real world - either the leash itself, or the attachment point to the kayak, at way less than the forces it might reasonably be subjected to. Gary said, "If you lose your paddle, how are you going to get home?" 

A good point. As Jim testifies, this is _not_ good. Even worse maybe, if you lose it when paddling outside of rocks, you may lose more than your paddle.  A paddle leash should take the force of:

1. wind and waves trying to wrench the paddle from you

2. you hanging on to the paddle (you're in the water) while wind and waves try to take your kayak from you. This is the greater force that will really test the leash.

You can test your paddle leash without getting wet, by donning protective gear (eyes etc) and putting the sort of forces on the leash that you might expect in 2 above. I haven't tested that in surf but expect it would easily exceed 20 kgs. If you do this repeatedly, and it doesn't break, you have a winner! It should do all this with a considerable safety margin.

In regard to your home-made rod leashes, how much force could you expect a rod leash to take? Worst case scenario?... Locked up drag, rod dropped and in the water with a feisty fish? Say it was a decent jewie or mackeral, or a mangove jack, and you get pulled overboard. Now the leash is a body and rod leash. Test them accordingly. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=56086

Obviously other leashes need not be as strong. Good luck with that, and keep us updated.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

kayakone said:


> Funchy said:
> 
> 
> > Spent yesterday arvo making home made rod leashes as I was sick of all the rope hanging off my yak. Just wound whipper snipper cord around the handle of a screwdriver and dipped in boiling water then run under cold water and bobs your uncle!! Yak looks much better and it is way safer !!
> ...


Trev

My homemade leashes are coiled heavy mono (using the above method) inside gutted Paracord . The paracord BS is ~220lb, the mono is really only there to provide the coiling action. I'll be making a batch soon, and will post some pics if you remind me.


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## wayneedden (May 19, 2012)

great fish mate,a good day out.
pity bout the guy in the boat, good on you for saying something mate.
hopefully c ya out there
wayne


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

anselmo said:


> My homemade leashes are coiled heavy mono (using the above method) inside gutted Paracord . The paracord BS is ~220lb, the mono is really only there to provide the coiling action. I'll be making a batch soon, and will post some pics if you remind me.


Like to see that Nick. If you could please describe the method in detail. You may well have the 'ultimate' answer there, provided Paracord is readily available and doesn't cost the earth. Where do you buy it?


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

I'd be keen to see your leashes too Nick.

And Jimbo my thanks for sharing about the lilechicks


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

salticrak said:


> Wonderful report Jimbo, your stinker agro may be caused by post traumatic stress disorder after the ''straddie incident.''
> Bloody Trevs A.I. looks like a Pterodactyls nest with just as much shit all over the place, clean up yer act you old bastard, you are giving us yak fisherman a bad name.Speak to safa for a more flambouyant outfit too. Bunch of old bastards...


You had to bring up the Straddie Incident again, Salti... but the PTSD doesn't really affect me... really affect me... really affect me...

Maybe a bunch of old bastards, but noice ones, hey?!

Jimbo


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Wednesday last week saw an even worse guy in a BIG stinker...a trawler! It was well on the wrong side of the fishing boundary with nets deployed, and was not far to sea from my position. I took some photos and called the Illegal Fisheries Hotline.

Here is my account of the incident (which actually turned quite nasty....more on that later), via email to Fisheries:

"I was kayak fishing this afternoon (24 April 2013) approximately 700 metres eastwards from Scarborough beach, when I noticed a trawler with nets deployed in the water travelling north and quite close to me.

I thought this was unusual, then thought it illegal, as the fishing boundary (FB) runs from the Blinker NE of Castlereagh Point to Garnet Rock (SE of Redcliffe Point). In almost three years of fishing here regularly I have never seen a trawler to be closer than about 500 metres further E of my position, i.e, outside of the FB. I estimated it's position to have been 900 metres east of Scarborough Beach.

I pedaled my Hobie kayak towards the trawler (about 90 metres from my position) and removed my camera to take some photos. My position was now about 50 metres from the trawler, which appeared to have held it's course. After taking some photos the trawler suddenly did a ninety degree right turn eastwards....."

Then followed a nasty reaction from the trawler. Fisheries, and possibly maritime safety, are investigating the 'dual' incident, being the illegal trawling and the actions following.

As Paulo said recently, keep Fishwatch Hotline 1800 017 116 (report illegal fishing) on your phone.

Did a bit of searching here....we have had quite a few reports of illegal fishing activities.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=44158

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=52633&p=540439

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=55010&p=567309

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=56060

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=58675&p=612730

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=12479&p=134535

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=60207&p=632730

Should we have a thread dedicated to illegal fishing (a Sticky)?

Keep you posted.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

kayakone said:


> anselmo said:
> 
> 
> > My homemade leashes are coiled heavy mono (using the above method) inside gutted Paracord . The paracord BS is ~220lb, the mono is really only there to provide the coiling action. I'll be making a batch soon, and will post some pics if you remind me.
> ...


It's pretty basic

Cut the paracord to length, pull the inner cords (ie gut it) insert the heavy mono and do what Funchy describes

Then all you need to do is work out your attachment options at either end.

Paracord is easily available on ebay, online or in most surplus stores


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks Nick. Will look into, so the leash police don't bag my set-up again. :lol:


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