LAST week I wrote about the Minn Kota, Humminbird and Cannon information evening with Shaun Clancy at the Boat Club on November 11 at 7pm - I am just reminding you – so don’t forget it.
I did alludethat I was going fishing at Blowering last weekend; unfortunately it didn’t come off but I did sit in the cave and watch Bathurst only to be mildly disappointed by the result – being a Ford man I still have a soft spot for Lowndsy.
What I did do while it looked like Holden were going to romp home was renew all my leaders on pretty much every rod I own and fit new “owner” hooks to all my lures that didn’t already have them, checked all the reel drags and rod runners and just generally tidied up all my gear.
It’s amazing how much gear you require and no matter what anybody says it is ALL necessary, but the old saying did come to mind – do lures catch fish or do lures catch fishermen?
At the moment we are getting a lot of boat motors coming into the shop with perceived water pump problems, pretty much the same complaint – the water pump is not pumping water out of the tell tale. Most customers say it was working fine when put it away for the winter. I should say “bring it in we will service it so it will be sweet for the season”, but that would be just taking advantage even though outboard motors, just like cars, require regular servicing - every 100hrs or every 12 months, but there is a very easy way to check this at home if you have an air compressor.
Put the motor in a big enough bucket so it covers the cavitaion plate, do not use “ear muffs” as this can give you a false reading due to the water pressure being forced into the pickup.
Some motors also have a water pickup under the cavitation plate and if you don’t block this pick up it will suck air and damage the impeller.
Once the cavitation plate is under water, start the motor. If no water comes out of the tell tale, using the compressed air, blow air through the tell tale. After five to eight seconds, if no water is coming out, more than likely the water pump is damaged and you may require an overhaul of the water pump assembly.
If water starts to come out of the tell tale it was a minor blockage of the tell tale, commonly caused by a small wasp or some other type of insect. The best way to stop this from happening is to have the motor serviced PRIOR to putting it away for the winter and putting a small amount of grease or Vaseline over the hole in the tell tale to keep the little critters out or better still, keep using the boat over the winter period.
This preventative maintenance tip proudly bought to you by the fine mechanics at Wagga Marine, namely me. Unashamed plug for Wagga Marine.
Fishing around
Burrinjuck: Fishing pretty good with some nice yellas reported, not many reddies around at the moment and still plenty of carp. There was also a fisherman seen cleaning a cod, at the cleaning table, there really are some not so smart people around. Stupidity and ignorance are not excuses, it is just dumb.
Blowering: Some nice yellas being caught casting baits into the structure especially the spindly type trees in the shallows, trolling the rocky banks which usually works has been proving unsuccessful so if what you are doing isn’t working, try something different. A couple of reddies and the odd trout.
Talbingo: Reddies being caught where fresh water is entering the impoundment throwing small hard bodies and the odd trout still around.
Tantangara: Some good numbers of browns, not huge but big enough to have fun on the troll.
Eucumbene: I did hear of an 11lb brown on the troll, a few others not quite as big on the fly but still fun.
Jindabyne: Afternoon fishing has been giving the best results in most areas of the lake mainly on the fly – warm days weaving the wand, not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Hume Weir: Some nice big yellas on bait, the odd reasonable reddie and a couple of small trout.
Mulwala: No reports.
The river: A few small to medium yellas on bait under willow trees and lots of carp if you want to chase them.
South Coast: Lots of bait around Tuross, a couple of Marlin raised but none caught, shouldn’t be too long for the beakie season to commence, snapper and gummies in a bit closer.
Water levels
Eucumbene 53.3, Hume Weir 45.7, Blowering 48.1, Burrinjuck 70.9, Jindabyne 65.0, Tantangara 17.7, Talbingo 79.8, Mulwala 94.3, Dartmouth 63.6.
