G’day, another not so nice weekend, cold and raining (or so the weather people are telling us at time of writing) so let’s see what we can do.
Last week I wrote about your tackle box and fishing gear and after re-reading it there were a couple of things I left out – make sure your pliers are not rusty and work easily, your line clippers work well and are also sharp and practice your knots so that you can tie them in the dark if required to do so.
There is nothing more frustrating, and I am speaking from experience, when it is dark and cold and you have to drive the boat at the same time as tie a new leader on it seems like it takes forever, so you should pretty much be able to tie all the necessary knots with your eyes closed.
Righto, what else can we do?
Check the trailer
First up check all the lights work, make sure the number plate is attached legally and has a number plate light, jack up the wheels and I know I have said this before but it is very important, spin the wheels. If you can hear a rumbling sound as the wheel spins, the wheel bearings require replacing or repacking.
If you have bearing buddies on and you hear rumbling the bearings need replacing or repacking, if you hear rumbling the damage is already done and if you don’t repair them, there is a chance of being stuck on the side of the road with no wheel and a damaged axle and it is not covered by insurance – it is a maintenance issue.
If you don’t know how to correctly replace wheel bearings do not guess, too tight and you will overheat the bearings causing failure, too loose and you will damage the bearings causing failure.
Check your brakes if the trailer is equipped with brakes, make sure they are adjusted correctly.
If you have a braked trailer and you feel a bang from the trailer when you apply the car brakes, the brakes are out of adjustment.
If you don’t know how to adjust them correctly go to someone who does. Incorrectly adjusting brakes to tight and this can overheat the brakes which can overheat the wheel bearings and cause a failure of both.
Incorrectly adjusting brakes too loose and well they will not work and brakes that do not work, well then they are not brakes, they are nothing.
Also remember that any boat, motor, trailer package that is over 750kg requires brakes, never skimp on your trailer as it’s the only thing keeping your boat off the road.
Make sure your tyres are in good nick, have good tread, are the correct weight rating and the correct pressure.
Check your springs making sure that the shackle bolts and bushes are in good condition, there are no broken springs and that the slippers are not worn through.
If you do all this through the crappy days, the good days you will be able to hook up and head off with peace of mind – therefore endeth the lesson.
Fishing around
Burrinjuck
A couple of undersize cod, a few yellas on soft plastic and no reddies, carp on worms and corn mainly from the bank.
Blowering
A few nice trout on small hard bodies in the shallows, mainly rainbows at the moment but in good condition.
Talbingo
No reports this week.
Tantangara
No reports this week.
Eucumbene
No reports this week.
Jindabyne
Couple of half decent browns flatling tassies on the northern end of the lake.
Hume weir
Some good trout near the wall, a couple of yellas and the odd reddie.
Mulwala
Quite a few large cod getting towards the metre mark trolling hard bodies and a couple of yellas around the bridge.
The river
Few people fishing with no results.
South coast
A couple of tuna out wide and further south towards Eden, some nice snapper around the 6 mile, salmon and tailor from the beach but the estuaries are a bit quiet with only a few small flatties.
Water levels
Eucumbene: 49.6 per cent
Hume Weir: 32.9 per cent
Blowering: 30.4 per cent
Burrinjuck: 47.1 per cent
Jindabyne: 60.5 per cent
Tantangara: 23.7 per cent
Talbingo: 60.5 per cent
Mulwala: 0 per cent
Dartmouth: 72.7 per cent
Pictures to – craig@waggamarine.com.au or 0419 493 313
