My first fishing sponsor.

Hi there,

Today I received some new fishing lures, and I got them free, because they are my first ever fishing sponsor!
Yes I am getting sponsored to practice my favourite hobby...
How good is that?!?!

It started a few weeks ago, when one of the Australian agent of the Ofmer lures contacted me through the FFF internet forum. He then basically asked me if I wanted to try some of his lures in the Top End Barra Series, in which I am a participant.
Guess what I said?
Yes of course!

And today I went to the post office and picked up a parcel with my new lures in it.
So no more waiting game, if you have been hooked by the words, here are the images.

First the X-Minnow 110F, a 110mm long floating lure of 10.7g. It dives to a depth of 80 cm (2.6246719 feet).

Ofmer X-Minnow110F

The Jerker 80F, a 80mm long floating lure of 8.1g. It dives to a depth of 1 meter (3.2808399 feet).

Ofmer Jerker 80F

The Shaker 60SR, a 60mm long floating lure of 12g. It dives to a depth of 1.5 meter (4.9212598 feet).

Ofmer Shaker 60SR

The Shady 75F, a 75 mm long floating lure of 9.9g. It dives to a depth of 1.5 to 2 meters (4.9212598 to 6.5616798 feet).

Ofmer Shady 75F

And now two surface lures, which is great because surface fishing is one of my favourite.

There is very few things that I enjoy as much as seeing a nice fish smashing a lure on the surface.

The MJ-Pop 75F, a 75mm long floating lure of 10g. It is a surface popper, so it does not get down, it pop and splash on the water surface.

Ofmer MJ-POP 75F

And the Doggy 100SL, a 100mm long floating lure of 12.3g. Once again a surface lure this one just slid along the water surface in a walk the dog motion.

Ofmer Doggy 100SL

Yes they are all shinny and very well finished and I can't wait to use them.

I even think that I will have to give them a test run before the next round of the Top End Barra Series, which will come in May.

So I will have to wait a few days to test them.

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.

My smallest Barramundi ever

Hi there,


Yes I was invited by my friend Carl to go on his boat to fish for some Barra at Shoal Bay.
He called me and said, I need to test my old boat and motor, not really sure if every thing still work, so will go and spend a day at Shoal Bay to test it... Dave would follow us in his good boat in case we run into some trouble. Do you want to come?
I said yes, and started to think about all the things that could go wrong...


But every thing went very well, mostly...


We were soon on the water, launched at Buffalo Creek and off to some rivers of Shoal Bay.
And when I say some rivers it is not because I want to keep the secret spot a secret, but because I honestly do not know the names of the places where we went to. Apart that it was part of the Shoal Bay system.

One of the rivers of Shoal Bay.

The only little worry we had on the way, was that the fuel stopped to get to the engine, so he had to change the little piece that connect the petrol tank to the tube that go to the engine, the thing with a ball bearing in it, and off we went again.
(Do you start to get some clues on my mechanic lack of expertise?)

Then we stopped at a little creek on the big river, where they wanted to catch some live bait.
I had my new cast net with me, the one with a ring on it, ant it worked very well: I too was able to catch some mullet!
But the annoying thing that we saw on the bank there was a gill net half hidden in the bush, (I had never seen one before).
That got my two fishing mates pretty upset.


Then we moved to another spot to try our luck, and in the drink went a few littles livies.
With not too much action happening, I started to cast some lures around.
Shallow lures, till 5+meters lures, but to no avail either.


There we saw the water police, two of them on a tinny, they came towards us and asked us a few questions. We told them about the gill net that we saw earlier and they asked where it was, as they wanted to go and investigated the thing.
It doesn't look like a bad beat for a policeman to go and hang out on the river on a nice and sunny day.
I guess that some of them deserve that once in a while.
And no, they didn't have any fishing rods with them, we asked.


So My skipper said lets go to this spot where I always catches fishes.
We went there, and caught nothing again...
But I got two hit on the lure, one of them just at the boat as I was taking the lure out of the water.

Landscape on the river.

So we went to explore a bit more of the rivers and went upstream.
We stopped at another junction and tried to fish it for a few minutes, and no action at all one more time...
So Dave went a bit further upstream, and we decided to go after him and see what was up there.
He came back and said to us: "it's not worth it, to much rocks over there".
So Carl said "lets go and have a look"
And this is when we went for gold...
Or at least plated gold, as it was no big fish, but a lot of them little ones.


Has we arrived Carl told me, "The current is really strong, but I am sure that all these rocks are good Barra country, you should try a few cast with your lures"
Not wanting to loose a good (read expensive) hard body lure on the rocks, I started to cast a soft plastic in the stream.
And second or third cast, I was on! But lost it before the boat.
Seeing that Carl quickly tied the boat to a tree and put a lure on his line, and we started to cast and got two fish in no times.
Both too small to be keepers, but we finally had some action, and they were using the force of the current at their advantage, so it was real fun.
Then Dave arrives and said: "You guys are wasting your time there, lets go back somewhere else".
To which Carl responded by saying that we just had two little fish in no time at all, so we were not moving, and that he Dave should anchor below us and start to get into it too!
Which he did reluctantly, but was on so quickly that he started to smile. 
And for about one hour, the last hour of fishing of the day, between all of us we finally boated between 15 to 20 little Barramundis. 
Not a single one big enough to take home, but great excitement nonetheless!
And all on lure after trying with live bait for most of the day...


As soon has I saw that this little stream was full of fish, I changed my one hooked soft plastic for a Junior B52's with two treble.
This increased my catch rate dramatically, but as they were all small fish, I decided to try to go for a B52's and put back the Junior in the tackle box. 
And this is when I got... The smallest Barra of all times caught on a lure...
What went trough his mind when he attacked the lure, must have been a very determined: I Am The Alfa Fish!  
So as a lot of people brags about their biggest Barramundi, I present you my smallest one ever:

A greedy little fish.

The only good fish hooked during this short session was by Carl, but as the fish was just a few meters behind the boat still fighting hard, something big came a just boofed it under our eyes! And we weren't sure of what it was, but we all agreed that it was not the time to fall in the water...


But it was really fun and exciting to catch all these little Barras in such a short time, all in the same spot.
It was like if two team of kids were pitted against each other. As this is what we must have looked like, screaming and cheering as we were on them, kids Barra, and sometimes with double hook up. The three of us casting in the same direction, all hoping for the big one that didn't came.


After that we went back, and got stuck on the mud a few times, but finally made it to the boat ramp in the dark.

On the river at dusk.

So it was basically the first time that I hooked  and boated so many Barramundi, but I could not bring back a single one home, as none were of legal size.


All in all, there was no fish to eat in the evening, but that was still a great day on the water.


So once again, I came back home without a feed.


But hey, it could be worse.
Have a good day,
Me

Another crocodile at my fishing spot.

Hi there,

Yes today I saw another crocodile at my favourite fishing spot.
And I also believe that this the first time that I may have been stalked by a croc, and that I was aware of it. I say may because maybe it was just curiosity from his part, but it freaked me out all the same...

So this is how the story goes.
I went to East Point one of my all times favourite land based fishing spot.
It was a bit late in the morning, but it was good to be on the water edge, and to do a bit of fast spinning, with light gears and some 40 gr. chrome slices.
When I saw what seemed to be a rather large crocodile swimming a few hundreds meters away. I try to get a photo of it, but by the time I got the camera ready, he had dived and I could not see it any more.
Being on the rocks, I told myself that every things was ok because he was way too far to be dangerous...
So I continue to cast my little chrome slice in the sea in front of me, when just 4 or 5 minutes latter this big croc surface just a few meters from me. He was looking straight at me, close enough for me to see his eyes.
It seemed to me like if the distance between us was less than his size.
And I honestly got frankly scared and used some expletives that I would not write on this blog.
I very quickly walked backward on the rocks, keeping eye contact with it and trying to get my camera out of my belt bag at the same time.
He then turned away still on the surface, dived and swam away.

So I did not get a good shot of him, but decided to go home any way, didn't feel like staying there.
This crocodile was definitively not shy.

So here come the photos, not very good I know, but have you ever tried to take a photo has you walk backward on some rocks?  The first one as he just had turned his head away, yes I was not fast enough to get the camera ready, sorry about that...
And the second he's underwater by then, but it gives you an idea of how close of the rocks he had been.

He's just turned away.

To get a bit of perspective...

On the bottom right corner of the last photo, you can see a bit of the rock where I was standing not long before.

So yes I went fishing and came back without a fish.

But hey, it could have been worse.

Have a good day,

Me.

Some fishing photographs

Hi there,

Just a few fishing photographs.
With the rain still sticking around, and my push bike yet to be fixed, I start to show some serious signs of cabin fever...
As I miss being on the water edge fishing under a big sky, I decided to have a look at some of the fishing photos that I have made over the years.
Here are just a few, which I still likes after all this time, as the newest one must be around 6 or 7 year old.
All these ones date from my time in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The spectator.

Rods in the way.

He's on!

The catch.

So yes, looking at the photos is not exactly like actually doing it...

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.

Dolly got a fish!!!

Hi there,

After my very relaxing but unfruitful fishing outing of last Saturday, on Sunday I took my 4 year old Dolly fishing.
She loves it, and has a very pink fishing rod, her favourite colour.
We went to the Fishermen's Wharf in Darwin.

And she did a lot better than I did the previous day, and caught her own lunch.

Dolly's catch.

And as soon as we were home, Mum cooked it. That was a very fresh and good lunch.

And Dolly made the photo of her lunch, because as she says: "I can do photo!"

Cooked by Mummy, Photographed by Dolly.

So it was a nice little outing for a Sunday morning, and I do believe that it is alway good to show kids where their food comes from.

Also, I don't know better fishing buddies than my own child...

So I was once again out-fished by a 4 year old...

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.

Is this a nudist beach?

Hi there,

And no, no needs to scroll down to the photo too fast, there is no pictures of naked person in this post.
Yet, you will understand what I mean...
Patience is the fisherman best friend...

So it started on a calm Saturday morning, when I was slowly getting ready to get my breakfast, and take the family to the lifestyle show at the convention centre.
When my phone rang and it was Sheeby: Hey mate do you want to go fishing? I just spoke to Seano, he can't come but said that you would be keen.
Me: When?
Him: In twenty minutes.
Me: just let me check... Yes!

Got all the gears ready in a record time, forgot about breakfast, and just as I came out of my home, there he is arriving in front of it.

First stop, the Stoke Hill Wharf, trying for some queenies, but to no avail. So very quickly we made the decision to go the Deck Chair Cinema.
Not too much action there either...
Saw one guy on our right land a good fish and this is it...
So we moved again and decided to hit Lameroo Beach, just under the Esplanade in the city.
Sheeby had never fished the spot.

So we walk down the rainforest path, and turn right. There is already two people fishing, so we decided to try our luck on the left side of the beach.
As soon as we arrive, Sheeby do a first cast and he is on!
To a "Huuuuge" Giant Herring (Elops machnata). But that was his first ever cast on Lameroo Beach, and the first time that he got a Giant Herring. So he was happy, it is always nice to ad a new specie to your personal list. 

Sheeby's "Huuuge" Giant Herring.

We continue to move to the left and cast for a while, soft plastic and hard bodies.
Sheeby continue more on the left and I stay there casting away, enjoying the peace of the place, the big sky and the water edge, thinking how lucky we are to have spots like this one just in the city.

When I heard some people coming from my right. 
I look over my shoulder, and a couple arrive and the woman turn her back to me, lift her dress and proceed to relieve herself on the beach doing her morning wee-wee... I quickly turn my head the other way, after all this is not my business...
Then not long after I heard a splash, what was that quick I look again over my shoulder.
And there she is having her morning swim. Then get out of the water and naked start to dry herself.
Once again, I do not want to be confused with a pervert, so I look the other way, and even walk a bit further away on the left of the beach...

Where not long after, I catch up with Sheeby and ask him if we shouldn't try the right hand side of the beach, now that the tide is receding. He agreed and we start to head for it.
We are in the middle of the beach, in full view of every one, when I told him: Is that guy over there going in the water naked?
He looked and immediately answer back to me: I don't know, you saw him first, but maybe we should stay here for a little more before continuing in his direction!

Now, this guy had nothing to do with the first naked woman I saw, he was part of another couple.
And in fact he wasn't going for a swim, but just to un-snag a fishing line....
Yet that was the second person naked on the beach in a relatively short amount of time.
And this is why later on Sheeby asked me if this was a naturist beach...


Any way back to our little fishes.
So we finally arrived on the right hand side and start to fish in earnest again.
Not getting much action on my line, I thought to myself: My boy, stuff all this softy things and get back to your chrome slices...
I start to cast for not very long when I have a very good hit on the line, but no hook-up. It was close to midday and I still didn't had any breakfast in me, so was starting to fatigue a bit, but the jolt of the hit made me fully aware again.
I continue to cast in more or less the same direction for a short time, when rewinding as fast as I could with my lure maybe 5 meters from the shore, in shallow water, I saw a big and very fast flash of silver... And my line was cut just like that...
Must have been a Mac.
Got even more jolted and go to sat on a rock to put a new ladder and try my luck again.


Has I was getting my line ready, a bloke came by and said: You guys are too late. I fish this place only from 7 to 9 in the morning. It's the only time that you can catch fishes here, other wise the water is too hot and the fish don't bite any more...
I decided to not give him to much attention and to continue to get my line ready and left Sheeby to deal with our expert...
And not long after this guy left, Shebby was on to a mother in law fish.
So yes we did a quick photo and the fish was released.

The Mother In Law Fish.

Then Sheeby told me that he just had a follow up by a little Barra.
Yeah yeah sure...
He cast again a couple of time and sure enough he is one and land a nice and feisty little Barra.
So we had a good laugh about the guy who had just very kindly told us that we were wasting our time.
As just before he arrived I got cut off and as soon as he left Sheeby landed two fishes.

After that we stayed a little bit, and went back home.
All together, it was a very relaxing morning, I think I should do that more often you know, going fishing...


Thanks Sheeby for the call and the lift.


And yes I did miss the Life Style Show and didn't land any fish...


But hey, it could be worse.
Have a good day,
Me.

The Advertising fishing lures

Hi there,

Here are some of my Advertising  fishing lures.
I sometimes fish with some of them. Albeit not the ones presented in this post, and even if I don't really believe that fishes can read, fishing lures with advertising on their sides do catch fishes.
The reason I do not fish with the ones presented here, is because all these ones are either old ones that are not produced anymore, or brand new in perfect condition still in the boxes.
The ones I use are either some that I found pre-used at the second hand shop, or some that I was able to obtain in double. So one can stay safe in the collection while the other go for a swim.
But if I find just one in it's box, it will stay in the box...

So without further ado, here they are, all from the brand Reidy's:

First the Reidy's AquaRat made for Incitec.

Side view.

View from the top, with the old Reidy's logo.

This AquaRat was made for Smorgon Steel.

Two side views at different angles.

A Taipan made for Top End Fishing Supplies, what a better present from a tackle shop.

View from the belly.

With the old logo from above.

These were the old ones for which production has stopped.

Now come the boxed ones.

A Little Lucifer for Travel NT. NT stand for Northern Territory, and it is a great place in Australia. 

A colour that would pleased the Dutch.

The Judge, made for Komat'su.

I am sure that fishes would love this colour.

The Judge made for AFANT, The Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory. (Australia)

Green is a very good colour for our rivers.

A B52's for RCR

The B52's is one of my favourite Barra lure.

And now as a special bonus another lure that I found at a second hand shop, but for which I do not have any clues as to what it is...

There is absolutely no branding on it, so I do not know who made it.

If by any chance you know, you are more than welcome to tell me about it.

Nice orange on the back.

And shiny on the sides.

So do you know what it is?

And just so you know, I am not spending all my hard earned cash on my lures, to give you a concrete example for all the lure presented in this post it costed me a grand total of around AU$17...

Not bad hey... 

Still I have to confess that it is true that I spend a reasonable amount of time looking at or playing with them... Which might be why some people are starting to know me as the guy's who likes fishing lures...

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.

The X100 photographic competition

Hi there,

Since it has been announced I have been looking at all the specs of the new Fujifilm X100 camera with envy.
It is a very nice and light camera, rangefinder style.
And most of the reviews about it are saying some very good things about it.

So when a photographer in America started to run a worldwide contest that has this very camera as the first prize, I got really interested in it.
And being some kind of passionate about fishing I wanted to enter a fishing  photo...

Here is my entry:

Port Melbourne, Australia, 2002.

The rules to this contest are very simple and there is no entries fees.

The only thing that the organiser ask is that you link to his website from your own site.

So here is the link to his site:

http://www.ottoschulzephotographers.com/blog/?p=5442

You should check it out, and maybe enter...

So yes I know, with just one old image in black and white, in a world wide contest, my chances are pretty slimes.

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.