Tag Archives: Learn More | Tips & Tackle
Custom Boat Pros and Cons
Late last year we ordered a custom built boat from BMENQ in Cairns. We sold the good old barra boat when I retired from charters because we needed something a little more chop friendly. In between we bought and sold a 5.6 m Bonito as a stop gap. Mostly so we could do some filming…
What sounder should I buy?
Over all our social media channels, email and messages, we probably get asked, “What sounder should I buy?” about 10-15 times a day. MYTH BUSTER… Funnily enough, that question in itself is not that helpful when looking for a new sounder/fish finder. Ask instead, “What transducer will suit me best?” I am amazed at the…
Storms at sea in small boats – real life stories
Last week on our return to Cairns from holidays, we were caught unawares by an electrical storm at sea. One minute it was just wind and rain, and we felt pretty safe in our Black Watch 40, Mood Swings. Nek Minit – lightning flashed all around. To make it worse, the clear zipper ripped and we…
Offshore fishing for sailfish
Sailfish are a stunning fish and one of the world’s most highly regarded sportsfish. They are super fast, can attain speeds of up to 70 km/hr and they grow big, to around 100 kg! They are spectacular due to the large dorsal fin or “sail” they use to herd bait. The “sail” is full…
Fishing Reel cleaning and maintenance
Today I’m going to cover an often overlooked aspect to your fishing, namely rod and reel cleaning and maintenance. As a charter boat skipper for 30 years, I used to go through a ton of gear and over time it costs a lot of money. So the best bet is to look after it. It’ll…
GARMIN ECHOMAP Ultra review
In this fish finder review, we take a look at the GARMIN echoMAP Ultra 105 and 125 sonar units. As followers of this blog will know, I’m a huge Garmin fan, although I have used Lowrance, Furuno and Humminbird in the past. It doesn’t really matter what brand you prefer. Far more important than the…
Salt spray on sunglasses is the bane of every small boat angler.
As a professional fishing guide for 30 years, I have had to remove salt spray from sunglasses maybe 30 times a day. Modern fishing shirts and polyester jumpers just seem to smear it. The cleaning cloths provided soon get wet and salty with the end result being more smears. Even towels don’t work unless you…
Choose the right sinker size
You’ll catch more fish if you choose the right sinker size. If you fish too heavy, fish will feel the weight and drop the bait before they’re hooked. Too light and you won’t be on the bottom. It’s critical to choose the right sinker size and get your bait on the bottom when fishing for…
Making timber lures that work
It’s one thing making timber lures, quite another to make ones that catch big fish. No-one knows this better than master lure craftsman Dave Killalea – now operating under the name Old Dog Lures. I have caught over 2000 massive metre plus barra in my time, many on a Dave Killalea lure. When making a…
Deep drop fishing
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but I learned something new deep drop fishing for Flame Tail snapper and other monsters of the deep off Brisbane. Deep drop fishing is fast becoming popular with offshore anglers. And not just Australia but around the world. It’s a little more outside the box…
