Mud Island Thursday evening 1 June.

[charleville]

My Dad once taught me a cute saying about the Arnotts Biscuits logo when I was a little boy. # #You know the one – it has a parrot (some would call it a polly) sitting on a tee stand eating a biscuit. #Have a look here if you want to refresh your memory http://www.arnotts.com.au/corporateprofile.aspx

Anyway, the saying was “On his Tee is the best pol I see.” # Say it fast enough and it becomes “Honesty is the best policy.” # # #

Cute eh? #

What I remember most about the Arnotts logo though is their motto which is usually underneath it, “There is no substitute for quality.” #

I was caused to ponder that very saying tonight at Mud Island after I lost my third tailor because of equipment failure. # > #I mentioned this in my report about last night’s visit to Mud Island and how I had lost some fish over both the past couple of nights to equipment failure. #(http://www.ausfish.com.au/cgi-ausfis...num=1149118344)

Specifically, I am referring to a cheap Chinese manufactured bait-runner reel that I bought at the Tackle and Tinnie show this year. #> I have never owned a bait-runner and when I saw them going dirt cheap at the T&T show, I thought that I would try one. # #Better, I thought, to spend $63 on a cheapie and find that I did not like the bait-runner “gimmick” than a couple of hundred dollars. #

It turns out that I love the bait-runner action. # I have caught heaps of fish on this reel since I bought it just two months ago. # I especially use it for tossing a speculative unweighted pilchard out the back of the boat, sometimes under a balloon, whilst I actively fish for my main target whatever that may be. #In two months, it has caught heaps of tailor, school mackeral and even an estuary cod. #

Well now, after two months, the winding mechanism is failing under pressure when the fish is engaged. # # It is very unnerving to be winding in a fish only to have the handle go loose and no more winding happening. #Damn! #I even started pulling in one tailor by hand tonight but alas as soon as he came alongside the boat he broke off. # It is a damn nuisance when you cannot keep the fish under pressure.

So the poor quality of the reel cost me not only those three lost fish tonight but also all of the time trying to fix the situation out on the boat. #There is truly no substitute for quality. #

So I shall have a look inside the reel over the weekend to see if it can be fixed but I can sense the purchase of a good quality Shimano 6500 bait-runner coming up real soon. #

Not that I should be really complaining, I did alright at Mud Island at sunset tonight as can be seen in the picture below. # There was one other small tailor (just legal) that I cut up for bait, on which were caught one bigger tailor, the fat 30cm bream in the middle of the picture and a few undersized squire.

I also went to a bigger hook tonight. #I said in last night’s report that I thought that the hook size that I was using might not be big enough for the frozen pilchards that I was using. #Several people suggested that such might be a good idea. #So tonight I went from using 1/0 Kirby hooks to 6/0 Mustad Big Gun hooks. #They worked a treat. # #Even the 30cm bream was caught on the 6/0 hook.

I still had the problem that the frozen pilchards remained frozen all night (ie 5.30pm – 7.15pm). # # I mentioned in last night’s report that I suspected that the frozen baits were so hard that when a fish chomped the bait, it was too hard for them to crush the bait to drive the hook home. #So I did a lot of hand warming of the pillies tonight. #I might have to take some lukewarm water next time to thaw out the pillies a bit as I did lose a few fish early in the evening when the pillies were really quite hard. #

Also I applied plenty of hurt when initially hooking up as suggested by a couple of people responding to my previous posts and that seemed to pay off. # I still had great difficulty using a landing net in the dark water when solo but nothing is perfect I guess. #

Anyway, many thanks to those Ausfishers who have given me some advice regarding improving my technique. # I am pretty happy with the feed that I have brought home tonight. #I stopped fishing when the tide turned and I could hear that dolphin arriving. #

Having just spent the past three evenings at Mud, now it is over to you weekend fishos whilst I find that paint brush and the Taubmans again.. # #

Oops! - Seabreeze.com is showing that Saturday is not too good for you guys. #Wouldn’t that tear the fork out of your nightie??!! #This weekday fishing life is really great! #

[Herm]

Hi Charleville

Great report! #I really enjoy reading about your adventures in the Bay #

That is a nice feed tonight and I only hope that when I have my licence and can get out for a fish that I can get onto them the way you and a few of the other wello/mud/green fishos have been lately!

Janine

[Volcano]

Two thumbs up. A great read!
I think the mid week fishing is the way to go... I know I'd rather be fishing than working

[mickstar001]

Nice work charleville. Was out there last night to on the eastern side - similar catches to you however no squire . You werent the tosser who got there at around 5.30-6pm and threw the anchor over the side creating a wave big enough to ride on me surfboard and the chain going clank clank clank clank on the side of the boat was ya. Very annoying. If it was you have a nice rig anyways . Nice catch charleville.

[charleville]

You werent the tosser who got there at around 5.30-6pm and threw the anchor over the side creating a wave big enough to ride on me surfboard and the chain going clank clank clank clank on the side of the boat was ya.

I felt a sudden pang of guilt when I read that but I am pretty sure that I did not do that because I vaguely recall lowering the anchor down quite slowly - or at least that is what I think I recall. #I was there at about 5.30pm or a few minutes before. However, if I did, I am very sorry. #I was at the southern end of the Grazier and well away from most other boats until one anchored on the inside of me and slightly north soon after.

At least that is what I think I recall. #Have been there the past three evenings and one night melts into another.

I mucked around for a few minutes getting bait, knives, tools, rods etc all ready before casting out and got my first squire almost instantly on casting out.

Good point though and reminds me to be gentle with anchoring. Thanks. #

[Tinn]

Well done charleville at least you got a nice feed. Your equipment must to in tip top order all of your equipment. Line and hooks must be top quality or you will end up losing many fish

[solwota]

hey guys what is " the grazier" you keep refering to. i'm assuming your talking about the reef on the eastern side. is that correct?

[mickstar001]

I may have been the chappy to the north of you??? Would be interested where the grazier is aswell. Your doing something right anyways - squire in your first 5mins - well done

[T1]

He He Charleville - where is the Grazier? I though every part of Mud 'Grazes' my lines...

Good catch mate and i think you and Brent (Aquarius) have the right idea - weekdays when there is no boating traffic is the best time to go!

As TINN said, having top gear is a must - i have a mate who seems to think this is not important - and it's not when your biggest fish is a whiting or bream. But i have seen a lot of fish lost, especially beach fishing, to cheap gear - and they just don't get it...

TINN, did u take note of MICK's comments?!?!?! CLANK, CLANK, CLANK......

Take Care T

[mickstar001]

Was that you TINN >

[charleville]

The Grazier is one of 50 places at Mud Island that you can catch fish on. East of Mud where the carpark happens on weekends.

Webby put the GPS coordinates on this site some time ago and was insulted for so doing as if he was giving away a secret that half the boating planet already knows. I shall find the post later today. Gotta do other things right now.

I think that the real secret is the time of day, viz sunset. I have sat on the Grazier plenty of times with no action other than undersized fish. There is not much of the Grazier there - after all - it has been 60+ years since it sank.

Also the Bay is full of tailor at the moment. Float a pilchard on ganged hooks behind your boat somewhere out there and they will come.

[Tinn]

Nah wasnt me I was at home watching big brother

[novice23]

I wonder how many fishos head out towards their 'secret spot' and spend half their trip praying another boat isn't there already.

[charleville]

See this thread to learn about the Grazier...

http://www.ausfish.com.au/cgi-ausfis...m=1139793124/0