The Spit

[PNG1M]

Finally made it for a late afternoon fish today (Thurs).

Didn't make it to the beach until around 5pm and it was already getting dark, so I didn't have time to pick & choose spots. I just parked across the road from Seaworld & hit the beach from there for an hour and a half. Very windy, blustery, choppy, cold and with a cross-current but worth a try.

My Daiwa Sensor Surf 10' was an absolute weapon for casting and lightness.
It had a really good feel about it and got a big time thumbs up.

The Tica Dolpin felt quite robust and easy to manage. Did some good casts with it and overall the reel was very solid. Early days yet but it gets the thumbs up too.

The 30lb Samurai braid....? Hmmm, I am still reserving my opinion on that as a couple of times during the cast it somehow got caught up in the guides half way up the rod. So the cast went 5 metres instead of 75.

I think the 16lb Daiwa Steez I used for leader might have had something to do with it. When I took it out of the box it kind of leapt off the spool as if it were alive. Its strange stuff and I haven't figured out yet if its suitable for a leader or not. I have it long enough for a few winds around the spool as well as the rod length.

I tied a very patient, slim albright and even put a thin sheen of super glur on it to make the knot streamlined. BUT it still seemed to catch a few times when casting so some of the casts could've/should've been longer.

I'm going to change from Steez to a more regular mono leader to see if it makes a difference. If necessary I'll wind the Samurai back onto an empty spool and put good quality mono on the reel instead. I love braid on baitcast/overhead outfits but I haven't been convinced yet for spinning reels.

Nope, didn't catch any fish but did manage to lose a few pillies - I suspect to pickers! There were two blokes fishing a bit further up the beach but they didn't pull in anything either.

[hooknose]

Bad luck png, I think any braid would do the old"runner wrap" trick in this wind, did you find a decent gutter or were you just shootin blind?

[NIZ180]

Have you got a double tied for your albright?? I have found the double bimini + albright to be a crap knot if you want to have a wind on leader. Maybe try the FG/mid knot as it looks allot more stream lined & no double.

[deepfried]

Hey mate
If your main line is 30lb i wouldnt bother running a casting leader onto the spool. Its not needed as you wont brake it during casts. It is also thick enough not to cut your finger during casts. I would either

A) tie a bimini of about 2 - 3' and then a leader short enough that it doesnt come into the guides during casting

B) go the easy way and use a 2 - 3 ' leader as above with a double uni or albright, again short enough so the knot doesnt wind into the guides.

I use A most of the time as i can tie a bimini quickly and the double gives me some protection on the guides that have the most pressure on them when using 20lb main line. The mid knot is not reliable enough on lighter braking strains ie under 40lb and take a while to perfect, leave them to heavier applications. Trust me you wont bust off 30lb mainline during casts, forget the leader onto the spool its not needed.

[bondy99]

No tailor on the sand pu,ping jetty last night (Tjursday night). I was there from 2.00pm to 11.00pm.

Gusting SE winds. Winter whiting and Silver bream was the only things being caught.

Peter

[PNG1M]

I'll try deepfried's methods and will also ditch the superglue on knots as it might tend to stiffen the knot & make it hard instead of flexible.

I'll also ditch the steeze flurocarbon in favour of mono, so at least I know the leader will be subtle.

I can tie biminis no worries but I've never been a fan of them as the joining knot to the leader ends up too bulky, unless you use a wind-on/cats paw arrangement.

I like the sinker (sitting on the swivel) to be no more than 18 inches or so below the rod tip for the cast.

Hey Deepfried, if I use mainline braid for the cast and a short leader that doesn't wind onto the guides, doesn't that mean the leader would be only 18 inches long? That sounds a bit short.

I'd be worried that the sinker might roll back up onto the braid mainline while its rolling around in the surf & maybe damage it.

OR, alternatively I could make the leader length like I do with my baitcast set-ups and have it stop just as it gets to the reel.

On Thurs arv it was light enough for me to find a gutter. It looked like a good spot as there was a shallowish spit that ran out a bit right beside it so I could walk further out for the cast then circle back to the gutter.

[tailorboi99]

At least you had a go mate, it's always good to be on the water. I believe I'm heading up that way tomorrow, will let you know how I go.

Thanks Tom

[PNG1M]

Yeh, I plan to give it another burl tomorrow arv from 4pm-ish.

I'll be somewhere along the beach between the SP jetty & Seaworld.

[deepfried]

I was thinking you were throwing metals mate. Didnt think about a sinker. Yeh if i use bait i normaly have a short length of mono before the swivel for the sinker to run on now. I rarely use bait for tailor though. If they are around you will do better on lures until dark. You could also try the swivel attached to the top hook and have a short leader for the sinker to run on ?. The more guides the knot has to go through the higher the chance of the braid getting caught on the guides. Thats why i run short leaders with a bimini ( also increases casting distance ) and try to make sure i have no bulky knots running through the guides but like i said most of my fishing is with lures.

If conditions improve down here i will let you know and see if you can make a trip down.

[hooknose]

png, I checked the beach out at low tide this arv and there are better gutters further south than where you plan to fish tomorrow, just south of the surf club at Main beach is ok and there are gutters either side of the Sheraton hotel at the bottom of the spit, there is a gutter at phillip park (opposite Seaworld carpark)but it doesnt look as good as the others, Narrowneck is also average.
The water is rough and getting rougher, the wind is still up(careful with the braid) and it will be low tide when you are going to fish so I wish you luck, hopefully the swell doesnt get to 4 metres like they reckon or it will be back to square one again, Cheers !!

[bondy99]

Last I heard it was going to be a 5 metre swell but that might be offshore.

I won't be down this weekend, last three trips for SFA has drained the wallet.

Will be going down on Monday arvo

Peter

[crazy charlie]

Only visited your state once before and fished the jetty using a floating pilly drifting it to the spit and nailed a jew about 7 / 8 kg.

First cast ever in Qld

Pretty chuffed, some nice lookin water u blokes got down that way

[PNG1M]

Didn't end up making it down to the beach yesterday arv. Had some folks roll up for a balcony bbq so fired up the Coleman's Road Trip instead, supplemented by a few coldies.

Today (Sun) the conditions seemed to have calmed down a lot. The winds has dropped off heaps (not sure about the size of the swell tho).

So I'll try & give the beach a burl this arv at one of those gutters hooknose suggested.

A mate from Bris is popping down so I'll let him use my Daiwa Sensor rigged for pillies.

I will use my 8' 6" St Croix casting rod with the CV-Z 253. I'll chuck lures while my bait tries bait.

This time I'll be connecting the braid to a short (30cm max) 25lb leader with a non-slip loop knot on the end with a small swivel & split ring in the loop.

I'll connect the lure to the split ring. It'll be easy to change metals using split ring pliers (no clips!).

The leader will be short enough not to need the knot entering the guides.

[PNG1M]

Fished a nice looking gutter opp seaworld for three afternoons (out of four) from around 4pm to 6.30pm and caught jack shi__

Did loads of metals casting with the St Croix and am managing some good distance. Its a great rod to cast but I'm still waiting to feel it under the pressure of a decent fish.

My mate used my Daiwa Sensor with ganged hooks & pillies & also caught nought.

Had a morning session on Friday from 6.30am - 9.00am and just cast metals with the St Croix & my 253 at the same spot. No evidence of tailor even though there was a bit of bird activity further out.

BUT I did catch a flathead of all things with a 60g halco twisty. Caught it at around 8.30am and by 9.30am it was sizzling whole in my electric frypan at home....yaaaay!

Anyway, off to Hervey Bay tmrw followed by Fraser next day so I'll be able to rouse up those tailor who've been waiting for me.

[bondy99]

G'day PNG1M,

Hervey Bay and Fraser would be the go. I think the gold coast is off until next year. All the best, let me know how you went.

Peter