Top tips for priming fishing gear before barra season
How you can fix and keep rods, reels in good nick for just a few dollars plus weekend fishing weather, tides
Mackay
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There's plenty to do while you wait for the skies to clear and barramundi season to open if heavy rain isn't your ideal fishing weather.
Tackle World Mackay salesman Nathan Edwards suggested starting with your rods and reels.
"Check there's nothing damaged or broken," Mr Edwards said.
"Check your runners and the inserts.
"They can be replaced with just a bit of patience."
He said fixing new runners with binding and epoxy glue would keep your rod in good repair and work out much cheaper than buying a new one.
"With reels, you want to check and make sure they're in workable using order, that it's free to wind and that your braid or mono's in good nick," Mr Edwards said.
"You can wash them down with some warm soapy water and give them a light brush down. "
He said seized bearings could be ordered and replaced.
"But if you're not up to fully pulling your reel apart, just a bit of reel oil on the moving parts, on your bearings, on the parts you can reach, like on your oil roller.
"Reel oil is a couple of dollars."
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Now is also a good time to work out your rigs in time for barramundi season opening on February 1.
"Make sure your treble hooks are up to standard or sharp enough," Mr Edwards advised.
"They can be replaced quite easily."
He said anyone looking to try a new set up were welcome to go down to the shop at 318 Shakespeare St, Mackay for advice.
Mr Edwards said the team could also help out with replacing parts on rods and reels.
Central Coast and Whitsundays Forecast:
Friday: Cloudy. Very high (95%) chance of showers. A thunderstorm likely, with heavy falls possible about the coast and ranges, depending on the development and movement of the coastal trough. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to the low to mid 20Cs with daytime temperatures reaching around 30C.
Saturday: Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Heavy falls possible about the coast and ranges, depending on the development and movement of a coastal trough. Winds east to south-easterly 25 to 35 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to the low to mid 20s with daytime temperatures reaching the mid to high 20Cs.
Sunday: Cloudy. Medium (60%) chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Moderate to heavy falls possible about the coast and ranges north of Sarina, depending on the development and movement of a coastal trough. Winds east to south-easterly 25 to 35 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to the low 20Cs with daytime temperatures reaching the mid to high 20Cs.
And your BOM coastal waters forecast for Mackay from Bowen to St Lawrence:
Friday:
Winds: East to north-easterly 10 to 15 knots shifting east to south-easterly 15 to 20 knots early in the morning and increasing to 20 to 25 knots by midday. Winds reaching up to 30 knots south of Mackay in the evening.
Seas: 1 to 1.5m, increasing to 2 to 3m during the morning.
Swell: Easterly below 1m.
Saturday:
Winds: East to south-easterly 20 to 25 knots, reaching 25 to 30 knots from late morning.
Seas: 1.5 to 2.5m.
Swell: Easterly around 1m offshore.
Sunday:
Winds: Southeasterly 20 to 25 knots, reaching up to 30 knots at times.
Seas: 1.5 to 2.5m.
Swell: Easterly below 1m inshore, increasing to 1 to 1.5m offshore.
Mackay's tide times:
Friday: Low tide of 1.09m at 12.23am, high tide of 4.97m at 5.68am, low tide of 1.64m at 1.08pm, high tide of 4.8m at 6.57pm.
Saturday: Low tide of 0.9m at 1.24am, high tide of 5.38m at 7.50am, low tide of 1.38m at 2.17pm and high tide of 4.79m at 8pm.
Sunday: Low tide of 0.74m at 2.20am, high tide of 5.74m at 8.45am, low tide of 1.14m at 3.18pm and high tide of 4.79m at 8.59pm.
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BOM's coastal waters forecast for the Whitsundays from Cardwell to Bowen:
Friday:
Winds: Variable about 10 knots becoming north-easterly 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon.
Seas: Below 1m.
Swell: Easterly below 1m.
Saturday:
Winds: East to south-easterly 10 to 15 knots, increasing to 15 to 20 knots east of Cape Bowling Green. Offshore winds tending east to north-easterly 10 to 15 knots.
Seas: Around 1m.
Swell: Easterly below 1m.
Sunday:
Winds: East to south-easterly 10 to 15 knots, increasing to 15 to 20 knots southeast of Cape Bowling Green and reaching up to 30 knots at times in the afternoon and evening. Inshore afternoon sea breezes east to north-easterly 10 to 15 knots.
Seas: 1 to 1.5m, increasing to 1 to 2m during the afternoon.
Swell: Easterly below 1m, increasing to 1 to 1.5m outside the reef.
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Finally, the Whitsundays' all-important tide times:
Friday: Low tide of 0.61m at 12.15am, high tide of 3.26m at 6.56am, low tide of 1.19m at 12.58pm and high tide of 3.05m at 6.49pm.
Saturday: Low tide of 0.48m at 1.08pm, high tide of 3.6m at 7.54am, high tide of 1.03m at 2.09pm and high tide of 2.99m at 7.51pm.
Sunday: Low tide of 0.38m at 1.58am, high tide of 3.87m at 8.45am, low tide of 0.89m at 3.06pm and high tide of 2.93m at 8.47pm.
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