Wednesday 20 June 2012

The New Daiwa Certate Reel

The New Daiwa Certate Reel

By Grant Blair 14/11/2011




Daiwa continues it's philosophy of innovation with the release of the new Certate 3000.
The original Certate, introduced in 2004, introduced new technology and engineering to produce a flawless design that became the flagship for Daiwa. Until now.

Mag Sealed

The latest technological leap is 'Mag Sealed'. The new Certate now utlises the properties of a magnetic fluid. Developed by NASA to magnetically deliver fuel to space ships, this technology has now been adapted to Daiwa’s product development team. Being magnetized this lubrication system avoids any friction and prevents dust intrusion, eliminating oil spray and significantly improving reel life expectancy.
The challenge for Daiwa was to utilise the inherent benefits of magnetic liquid in a reel design. By successfully combining innovative design and new CRBB bearings with a magnetic oil membrane it means that water intrusion a thing of the past. Working in conjunction with Mag Seal the new Air Rotor system improves reel sensitivity and prevents foreign material such as water, salt, sand and dust collecting inside the reel.
That means corrosion should now be a thing of the past. The Certate also boasts a new drag system. Termed the ABS11, the super smooth UTD drag system is Daiwas best yet. Important when you're attached to a trophy, or just dinner!



Article Source: http://www.fishing.net.nz/


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Tuesday 19 June 2012

Shad fishing

Shad fishing


Watercolor of an American shad by Sherman F. Denton, 1904. The swelling between the anal fin and ventral fin identifies this as a pregnant female.
Shad are valued as a sport fish. The male shad is an excellent game fish, showing multiple jumps and an occasional end-over-end; it has been called a "freshwater tarpon". The pregnant female does not fight much, but is often kept for the roe. The current world record is listed by the IGFA as 11 pounds 4 ounces (5.1 kg), set at Holyoke Dam, Massachusetts, on 19 May 1986 by Robert A. Thibodo.[1]
American shad exhibit complex and little-understood feeding behavior while spawning. Unlike salmon, shad retain the ability to digest and assimilate food during the anadromous migration. Like other fish, their feeding instinct can be triggered by a variety of factors such as turbidity and water temperature.

 

 Fishing techniques

Anglers use both spinning and fly fishing tackle to pursue shad. Spin fisherman use a shad dart or a flutter spoon. Typically a downrigger is used to place the artificial lure at the desired depth and location. This is usually in the channel, or deepest part of the river. Much of the shad's migration places them in the lower portion of the water column which makes this the typical depth of choice for fishing.
Except in unusual conditions, shad stay fairly deep, requiring weight on the line or fly. Many fly fishermen use an unusual 1/64 oz. "micro-jig", that resembles a tiny casting bass jig, although it commonly has short nylon feathering to the rear. Shad can be taken either by slow trolling or drift casting, i.e. casting upriver and letting the lure drift with the current. Most fishermen use a Y-shaped "shad rig", consisting of two lures spaced one to two feet apart, with a weight on a swiveled line between them or in front of them. The two lures are either two "shad darts" -- a very small bright jig (as small as 1/64 oz., but usually 1/4 oz. and about one inch long) -- or a shad dart in front and a spoon spinner in back. Sometimes a live grub is threaded onto the dart. The shad stay near the bottom unless the water is unusually high, so the rig is designed to keep the lure a foot off the bed.
During the shad spawning run, multiple species of shad run together. Fishing regulations may vary between species. For example, in some locales, Hickory Shad may be kept while American Shad must be returned. The two species can be difficult to distinguish, so anglers must use caution when shad fishing to be able to make proper identification.

 Shad fishing in the U.S.

In the north, April through June is when shad spawn in coastal rivers and estuaries once water temperatures have reached 58 degrees. Fishing conditions typically improve as water temperatures warm and flow decreases.

 West Coast


Early 19th century shad fishing on the Peedee (Greater Pee Dee) River, South Carolina.[2]
  • California: The Sacramento River provides the best-known shad water in the state, and is ideally suited to spin fishing. The water is large, quite deep and is best accessed via boat. There are smaller, more accessible waters suitable for wading fly anglers along the Sacramento's' tributaries.
  • Oregon: Most of Oregon's coastal rivers have shad runs, but there are some standouts. East of Portland, the Bonneville Dam poses a significant obstacle to the Columbia River's shad run. As a result, the most popular areas are just downstream from the dam, though shore fishing can be dicey depending on water levels.
  • Washington: The Columbia River delineates the border with Oregon, so some of Washington's best shad fishing is to be had in the Bonneville Dam area. There is a small non-Indian commercial gill net fishery several miles downstream from Bonneville Dam. There is also a tribal commercial fishery. The tribal fishery is composed of a dip net/hoop net fishery from platforms primarily in the Bonneville Dam pool and a live trap fishery at The Dalles Dam.

 East Coast


Old map of the east coast spawning grounds
  • Connecticut: Unlike the Delaware, shad on the Connecticut River have to pass a number of dams, each one thinning the numbers that push farther upstream. The river is big to fish without a lead line and a boat, so waders have to look for confluences like that of the Farmington River near Windsor. The Hammonasset River around Clinton has some good fly water.


  • Massachusetts and Vermont: Holyoke Dam — perhaps the state's most famous spot — is where the current world record was set in 1986. Some coastal rivers like the Palmer and the North have less crowded conditions. Shad go all the way up into Vermont as far as Bellows Falls, though the Vernon dam has significantly decreased the run by this point.
  • North Carolina and South Carolina: Try Cape Fear River at the Lock & Dam No.1 and the Tar River upstream of Rocky Mount railway bridge. The Cashie River is wadeable hickory shad territory. The most notable South Carolina runs occur in the Santee and Cooper Rivers. Bank and boat angling opportunities are available below St. Stephen Power House on the Santee Re-diversion canal. Boat, bank, and wade fishing opportunities occur below Lake Marion Dam.
  • Florida: The St. Johns River meanders through swamps and savannas, a completely different shad river from the Delaware’s stony rapids and draws. Some excellent fly water can be accessed from Route 46 between Sanford and Titusville. In times past, the St. Johns held an annual shad tournament in February, and an estimated 1,000 boats could be seen trolling the river north of Sanford. Today, there is a bag limit of 10.

 

Venice Adventure - OFFSHORE & INSHORE action

Fishing tackle

Fishing tackle

Man seated at the side of the water surrounded by fishing rods and tackle.
An angler on the Kennet and Avon Canal, England, surrounded by his tackle
Fishing tackle is a general term that refers to the equipment used by fishermen when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used for fishing can be called fishing tackle. Some examples are hooks, lines, sinkers, floats, rods, reels, baits, lures, spears, nets, gaffs, traps, waders and tackle boxes.
Gear that is attached to the end of a fishing line is called terminal tackle. This includes hooks, leaders, swivels, sinkers, floats, split rings and wire, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners and clevises to attach spinner blades to fishing lures.
Fishing tackle can be contrasted with fishing techniques. Fishing tackle refers to the physical equipment that is used when fishing, whereas fishing techniques refers to the manner in which the tackle is used when fishing.
The term tackle, with the meaning "apparatus for fishing", has been in use from 1398 AD.[1] Fishing tackle is also called fishing gear. However the term fishing gear is more usually used in the context of commercial fishing, whereas fishing tackle is more often used in the context of recreational fishing. For this reason, this article covers equipment used by recreational fishermen.

 

 Hook, line and sinker

Hook, line and sinker is a classic combination of tackle empowering a fisherman to catch fish.

 Hooks

The use of the hook in angling is descended, historically, from what would today be called a "gorge". The word "gorge", in this context, comes from an archaic word meaning "throat". Gorges were used by ancient peoples to capture fish. A gorge was a long, thin piece of bone or stone attached by its midpoint to a thin line. The gorge would be fixed with a bait so that it would rest parallel to the lay of the line. When a fish swallowed the bait, a tug on the line caused the gorge to orient itself at right angles to the line, thereby sticking in the fish's gullet.
A fish hook is a device for catching fish either by impaling them in the mouth or, more rarely, by snagging the body of the fish. Fish hooks have been employed for millennia by fishermen to catch fresh and saltwater fish. Early hooks were made from the upper bills of eagles and from bones, shells, horns and thorns of plants (Parker 2002). In 2005, the fish hook was chosen by Forbes as one of the top twenty tools in the history of man.[2] Fish hooks are normally attached to some form of line or lure device which connects the caught fish to the fisherman. There is an enormous variety of fish hooks. Sizes, designs, shapes, and materials are all variable depending on the intended purpose of the hook. They are manufactured for a range of purposes from general fishing to extremely limited and specialized applications. Fish hooks are designed to hold various types of artificial, processed, dead or live baits (bait fishing); to act as the foundation for artificial representations of fish prey (fly fishing); or to be attached to or integrated into other devices that represent fish prey (lure fishing).

 Lines


Fishing line with hooks attached
A fishing line is a cord used or made for fishing. The earliest fishing lines were made from leaves or plant stalk (Parker 2002). Later lines were constructed from horse hair or silk thread, with catgut leaders. From the 1850s, modern industrial machinery was employed to fashion fishing lines in quantity. Most of these lines were made from linen or silk, and more rarely cotton.[3]
Modern lines are made from artificial substances, including nylon, polyethylene, dacron and dyneema. The most common type is monofilament made of a single strand. Fishermen often use monofilament because of its buoyant characteristics and its ability to stretch under load. Recently, other alternatives to standard nylon monofilament lines have been introduced made of copolymers or fluorocarbon, or a combination of the two materials. There are also braided fishing lines, cofilament and thermally fused lines, also known as 'superlines' for their small diameter, lack of stretch, and great strength relative to standard nylon monofilament lines.
Important parameters of a fishing line are its length, material, and weight (thicker, sturdier lines are more visible to fish). Factors that may determine what line an angler chooses for a given fishing environment include breaking strength, knot strength, UV resistance, castability, limpness, stretch, abrasion resistance, and visibility.
Fishing with a hook and line is called angling. In addition to the use of the hook and line used to catch a fish, a heavy fish may be landed by using a landing net or a hooked pole called a gaff. Trolling is a technique in which a fishing lure on a line is drawn through the water. Snagging is a technique where the object is to hook the fish in the body.

 Sinkers


Three types of small lead sinkers
A sinker or plummet is a weight used when angling to force the lure or bait to sink more rapidly or to increase the distance that it may be cast. The ordinary plain sinker is traditionally made of lead. It can be practically any shape, and is often shaped round like a pipe-stem, with a swelling in the middle. However, the use of smaller lead based fishing sinkers has now been banned in the UK, Canada and some states in the USA,[4] since lead can cause toxic lead poisoning if ingested. There are loops of brass wire on either end of the sinker to attach the line. Weights can range from a quarter of an ounce for trout fishing up to a couple of pounds or more for sea bass and menhaden.
The swivel sinker is similar to the plain one, except that instead of loops, there are swivels on each end to attach the line. This is a decided improvement, as it prevents the line from twisting and tangling. In trolling, swivel sinkers are indispensable. The slide sinker, for bottom fishing, is a leaden tube which allows the line to slip through it, when the fish bites. This is an excellent arrangement, as the fisherman can feel the smallest bite, whereas in the other case the fish must first move the sinker before the fisherman feels him.

 Fishing rods


Fishing with a fishing rod
A fishing rod is an additional tool used with the hook, line and sinker. A length of fishing line is attached to a long, flexible rod or pole: one end terminates with the hook for catching the fish. Early fishing rods are depicted on inscriptions in ancient Egypt, China, Greece and Rome. In Medieval England they were called angles (hence the term angling). As they evolved they were made from materials such as split Tonkin bamboo, Calcutta reed, or ash wood, which were light, tough, and pliable. The butts were frequently made of maple. Handles and grips were made of cork, wood, or wrapped cane. Guides were simple wire loops.
Modern rods are sophisticated casting tools fitted with line guides and a reel for line stowage. They are most commonly made of fibreglass, carbon fibre or, classically, bamboo. Fishing rods vary in action as well as length, and can be found in sizes between 24 inches and 20 feet. The longer the rod, the greater the mechanical advantage in casting. There are many different types of rods, such as fly rods, spin and bait casting rods, spinning rods, ice rods, surf rods, sea rods and trolling rods.
Fishing rods can be contrasted with fishing poles. A fishing pole is a simple pole or stick with a line which is fastened to the tip and suspended with a hooked lure or bait at the other end.

 Fishing reels


A spinning reel
A fishing reel is a device used for the deployment and retrieval of a fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. Fishing reels are traditionally used in angling. They are most often used in conjunction with a fishing rod, though some specialized reels are mounted on crossbows or to boat gunwales or transoms. The earliest known illustration of a fishing reel is from Chinese paintings and records beginning about 1195 A.D. Fishing reels first appeared in England around 1650 A.D., and by the 1760s, London tackle shops were advertising multiplying or gear-retrieved reels. Paris, Kentucky native George Snyder is generally given credit for inventing the first fishing reel in America around 1820, a bait casting design that quickly became popular with American anglers.

 Fishing bait

Natural baits

Green Highlander, an artificial fly used for salmon fishing.

Artificial baits
Many people prefer to fish solely with lures, which are artificial baits designed to entice fish to strike. The artificial bait angler uses a man-made lure that may or may not represent prey. The lure may require a specialised presentation to impart an enticing action as, for example, in fly fishing. Recently, electronic lures have been developed to attract fish. Fishermen have also begun using plastic bait. A common way to fish a soft plastic worm is the Texas rig.

 Bite indicators


Different types of fishing floats.
A bite indicator is a mechanical or electronic device which indicates to an angler that something is happening at the hook end of the fishing line. There are many types of bite indicators. Which ones work best depends on the type of fishing.
Other devices which are widely used as bite indicators are floats which float in the water, and dart about if a fish bites, and quiver tips which are mounted onto the tip of the fishing rod. Bite alarms are electronic devices which bleep when a fish tugs a fishing line. Whereas floats and quiver tips are used as visual bite detectors, bite alarms are audible bite detectors.

 Spears


The Filipino Negritos traditionally used bows and arrows to shoot fish in clear water.[6]

 Nets


Fishing for salmon with a hand net on the Fraser River, Canada

 Traps


Vietnamese traditional fish trap.

 Fly fishing tackle

Typical tackle box with rod and bait bucket.
Typical tackle box with rod and bait bucket
Fly fishing tackle is equipment used by, and often specialised for use by fly anglers. Fly fishing tackle includes fly lines designed for easy casting, specialised fly reels designed to hold a fly line and supply drag if required for landing heavy or fast fish, specialised fly rods designed to cast fly lines and artificial flies, terminal tackle including artificial flies, and other accessories including fly boxes used to store and carry artificial flies.



 

Pangkor Island

Pangkor Island

Fishing Destination

 

Pulau Pangkor is an island off the coast of Perak in north-west peninsular Malaysia, reached by ferry from Lumut (a small coastal town that links to Ipoh, or from Sitiawan). It has a land area of only 8 square kilometers, and a population of approximately 25,000 islanders. It is heavily promoted as a low-key tourist destination by the Malaysian government, but fishing and fish products remain major industries.

 

 History


Dutch Fort on Pangkor

Fu Ling Kong temple

Pathirakaliaman Temple

Dried seafood is a local speciality
Historically, Pangkor was a refuge for local fishermen, merchants and pirates. In the 17th century, the Dutch built a fort in an effort to control the Perak tin trade. In 1874, it was the location of a historic treaty between the British government and a contender for the Perak throne (The Pangkor Treaty), which began the British colonial domination of the Malay Peninsula.
Pangkor is famous for its fine beaches and a mix of low budget to 5 star accommodations. Teluk Nipah and Coral Bay on the north west of the island is extremely popular with travellers from Europe. The quality of sand in the Pasir Bogak Beach is far superior to that elsewhere on the island. The sand is golden brown, quite similar to most leading prime beaches. There are a few resorts in Teluk Nipah or Nipah Bay.
Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Indonesia, Thailand and to a lesser extent the West Coast of Malaysia in December 2004, there have been fewer local tourists visiting Pangkor.
In 2006, a biotechnology centre, a joint venture of Global Hi-Q Malaysia S/B and Hi-Q Bio-Tech International (Taiwan) Ltd began operations with initial investments of RM100million (USD30m). Their operations include fish farming and aquaculture, and the first harvest is expected in 2009.
Just next to island of Pangkor, there is a smaller island called Pangkor Laut Island.

 Tourist attractions

The main attractions in Pangkor Island are the beaches. Other attractions include:
  • Pangkor Town
  • Fishing Villages
  • Fu Lin Kong Temple
  • Kali Amman Temple
  • Batu Bersurat and Tiger Rock
  • Dutch Fort (Kota Belanda)
  • The Tombs
  • Tortoise Hill

 Beaches


Sunset at a beach of Pangkor

 Pantai Pasir Bogak (Pasir Bogak Beach)

 Teluk Nipah (Nipah Bay)

Of all the Pangkor beaches, Teluk Nipah or Nipah Bay is the most popular with foreign travelers, although it is still predominantly Malaysians who frequent this area. This beach is located a few kilometers north Pantai Pasir Bogak. Unlike other beaches, it has corals, sea cucumber and bird lovers can find the hornbill (Burung Enggang) on this beach.
Teluk Nipah has 2 beaches: Nipah Beach and Coral Bay. Nipah Bay has a view of two small uninhabited islands called Pulau Giam and Pulau Mentagor.
As of March 2011, the northern end of Nipah Bay was under heavy construction. A sea-wall was being erected along much of the beach, and a series of concrete shop houses were going up all along the seafront, obstructing the ocean view from the road and greatly reducing the amount of beach front available for recreati
Giam Island is mostly interesting for snorkeling. The waters are shallow. There are lots of corals and fishes to see.

 Transport

Accessibility and convenience of travelling by road and by air to Pangkor was progressively enhanced over the two years 2006–2008, because of the completion of the upgrading workings of Simpang Pulai – Lumut 4-lane dual carriage highway (which is nearing completion), the West Coast Expressway and the introduction of more flights, including AirAsia services. It is now possible to arrive at Lumut within 2–2¼ hours from Kuala Lumpur, and much less if it travelling by air.
Currently Berjaya Air is the only airline that is operating flights to Pangkor Airport (PKG), from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) with its 48-seats Dash 7 turboprop airliner. The aircraft are expected to be replaced by the ATR 72.
Buses from many parts of the country arrive frequently in Lumut at the bus station which is opposite the Lumut Jetty. Tourists are not allowed to bring their cars to the island; however, motorcycles and bicycles can be transported.
Ferry services are frequent (every 30 mins during the day, RM 10 for a return ticket). The ferry takes 40 minutes and stops first in Sungai Pinang Kecil. This has been well accepted as a special feature associated with commuting to and from Pangkor.
There are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland because there exists a policy to control the number of vehicles on the island, partly because of there being no real necessity for them and partly because of space constraints. All these have contributed to the preservation of wildlife in the tropical rain forest where many rare species still exist, including hornbills and monitor lizards.


Monday 18 June 2012

Fishing Giant Goliath Grouper Jewfish! Going To Work! Chew On This Shows...

Effort to help threatened species

Government shuts off water to California farms in controversial effort to help threatened species

Thursday, August 13, 2009

NOAA photo of California drought conditions
A farming town in California claims that it may disappear due to the United States federal government shutting off water pumps, though the government states the actions are necessary to save several marine species.
In July 2009, action by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation to protect threatened fish stopped irrigation pumping to parts of the California Central Valley causing canals leading into Huron, California and the surrounding areas and the farms that rely on them to lose their primary irrigation source. Unemployment has reached 40% in some areas as the farms have dried up.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stated the action is putting the fish "above the needs of millions of Californians."
Highlighting the city's plight, Huron Police Chief Frank Steenport stated, "A year from now, [Huron] may not be here."

Protesters at the interview - Photo by Todd Fitchette
In an interview in Huron on Tuesday, comedian Paul Rodriguez, whose mother owns a farm in the area, criticized the actions of the government and called for President Barack Obama to review the decision. "This used to be an almond orchard. Now all that is left is firewood."
Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors, a nonprofit association of 27 public agencies from across California that purchase water from the government under contract, said "these cuts are crippling on our people and businesses — especially in the Central Valley where farmers are being forced to fallow their land and workers are being laid off. Rather than piecemeal restrictions, we need to balance the needs of the environment and the needs of people with a collective plan for the Delta."

A delta smelt (hypomesus transpacificus)
The National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, states the water pumping inside central California threatens several species, including Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, North American green sturgeon, and Southern Resident killer whales, which rely on Chinook salmon runs for food. In the Huron area, the delta smelt is specifically targeted.
In defense of the actions, Rod McInnis, the southwest regional director for NOAA's Fisheries Service stated, "What is at stake here is not just the survival of species but the health of entire ecosystems and the economies that depend on them. We are ready to work with our federal and state partners, farmers and residents to find solutions that benefit the economy, environment and Central Valley families."


 

 Sources

Wikipedia
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