FISH & BOAT, April 2019- P33 Tackle Rat Replacement Fish and Boat lights- could save you a fine or worse. with ‘T’ RAT Double sided tackle tray. Flash as a rat with a gold hat! A very clever design. A couple of very gled up. The trays come in a variety of sizes for most lure types.handy items for In late February, cyclone Oma had just disappeared. Noth-will ever save the day when it comes to motors. The crab potsThe boat trailer received a good once-over during the big blowevery tackle box. ing came of it, but some strong winds, heavy seas and somewere retrieved, and that “QUICK FIX” lasted a lot longer than as well, something we all should do on a regular basis. I noticed higher than normal tides. Townsville is well and truly intowe all expected. To my knowledge, the part was never replaced,a couple of shackles had come loose which could have turned recovery mode after its’ brush with a tropical low that justand the outboard is still going. As part of the clean-up proces,nasty if not tightened. I also replaced a set of LED lights on the did not want to move on. I’m sure most coastal fishermen inI also had to organise some lures. There are now quite a few trailer that had failed from saltwater ingression. Anyway, that’s Queensland have felt the frustration of not participating inbrands of double-sided tackle trays on the market. I purchased a it for me this month, and I suggest if you have some downtime their favourite pastime because of an eternity of strong winds.few different types, and they have proven to be excellent for stor-you may run your eye over the trailer and see if it needs some Personally, the last three months have seen my boat gatheringing all types of lures. The beauty with these trays is you can storeattention. You never know, it might just save you some heartache more dust than ever. lures without them rubbing together or getting hooks all tan-when these winds finally stop blowing. A good mate of mine bought himself a 44ft Maritimo in November, with the intention of spending his annual holidays fishing. He only managed a couple of trips out in some average conditions. He was that disappointed that he sold the boat in February. He may just go down in history as the first man toP8 Braid make money selling a boat, making a tidy $80 000 profit. ™ Anyway, the silver lining of all this bad weather has been that all my fishing gear has been serviced, stowed and tidied up. The fishing room has never been so organised. While cleaning up, I also reflected on a couple of invaluable items that I keep in my tackle box. Firstly, the dental pick. This thing is fantastic for knots in braid. If you have ever had one of those hell wind knots, then you may consider carrying one of these in your kit. The tiny sharp pointy hook on the end is perfect for digging into those tight knots and loosening them up. I’ve saved a fair bit of braid over the years using one of these, and they can be found for as little as $2 in your local cheap shop. The second item, and probably the most useful thing in my tackle box, is a container of Selleys Quik Fix Supa Glue. Unlike other “Super Glues” this stuff comes with a little brush similar to nail polish. The brush set-up keeps it usable for years and makes the application much more accurate, unlike the tube type glues. My main use for this stuff is attaching plastics to jig heads, and if you use a plastic like the 10X tough Zman, then they can stay on for days. I have caught dozens of snapper on just the one plastic and jig head utilising this method. Selleys Quik Fix has dozens of more uses when gear inevitably breaks. One memorable moment was on Fraser Island crabbing withthe boys in Wathumba Creek on the western side. The crabSUPER STRONG & pots were deployed that afternoon, and the tinnie was put backSLICK AUSTRALIAN on the Ute. The outboard was literally thrown in the back of the Ute, and I heard a little snap/crack noise that sounded a lit- tle ominous. It wasn’t my outboard, so I didn’t pay much atten-MADE 8 CARRIER tion to it at the time. The next day, we turned up at Wathumba Creek for the day to fish, retrieve the crab pots and drink a few beers.I wasn’t surprised to find the outboard wouldn’t start because BRAIIIIIIIIID the plastic fuel intake pipe had snapped off. That was the noise I heard the afternoon before. Let’s just say I’m probably not the most engine savvy guy when it comes to repairing motors, so I just sat back and drank a few beers while the boys hovered around the outboard. Once they diagnosed the problem and declared it f#$&ed, I moved in for a quick look. All of a sudden the MacGyver cogs ticked over in my head, and I got to work. With the aid of a section of Bic pen, Quik fix and a couple of rums I had that thing running again. I revelled in the glory that day, and it was quite possibly the only time I ADVANTAGES OF PLATYPUS P8 BRAID • 8 carrier Braid • Actual unknotted breaking strain on label Regular maintenance will • Super Slick keep you on the road. • Not weakened by sunlight • Phenomenal sensitivity from near zero stretch • 100% Australian made, owned and operated Platypus P8 Braid™ is available in 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 and 80 lb in 150 or 300 yard spools.