kingfish101

2022 was my best year ever for catching big Hawkesbury jewfish. 2023 thus far has been the slowest. There were still some big fish around until May but I had lost my mojo and 4 hookups in succession ended in tears. On 3 occasions the fish got into rough ground and the line parted and on the 4th I locked up the drag to stop the run and had the ignominy of a capsize. During the past month or so I have caught some just legal models on (small) mullet in Berowra Waters but the serious fish in the river have eluded me with no adrenaline pumping runs for several months. For this outing I loaded up with 5 big rod caught mullet in the live bait tank and headed for the river. Fished the usual likely places for 3 hours to no avail and just as I was contemplating the long paddle back to the ramp I got the hit. The fish dropped the mullet initially but I left the bait down and he came back for another bite of the cherry. The gusty Southerly working against the ebb made for difficult conditions and it was hard going to get the fish off the bottom. After my previous experience I was reluctant to apply too much hurt and risk another swim. I subsequently found that the leading hook hadn't taken and the trailing hook was deeply embedded below the gills which gave the fish some leeway to manoeuvre. That also made the gaff shot difficult and I stuffed it up so many times I didn't deserve to catch the fish. After 20 minutes of excitement the fish was finally in the hatch. Stopped off on the way back at the Twin Beaches to commemorate the catch with a photo and met 2 lovely couples who kindly took several pictures. This fat 18 kg jewfish was caught with the ebb in full swing on a 30 cm live mullet on a double 9/0 hook rig. Water depth was around 7 meters.

Hi Noelm and Bessell, Mrs. kingfish101 says that the seafood pie recipe is taken from the taste.com.au website. She also said that she adds some secret ingredients to her pie but like fishing spots she cannot divulge them! Yes, I always use live mullet for bait. They remain lively all day in the bait tank with a Frabilll aerator provided you change the water every hour or two. Hope that helps

I've had several fishing trips during the past month both in the kayak and the boat without much success. During the big tides at the end of October it took me 5 hours to catch a single mullet, and from the boat I've only managed one flathead from 9 hours on the water. Set off from Berowra Waters boat ramp at first light to give myself time to catch some big mullet for live bait and paddle to the river in time for the low water tide change. The air temperature down to 9 degrees at the ramp and the weather forecast for a fresh Southerly later in the day meant that I had the waterway pretty much to myself. I find the falling tide more productive than the flood for catching mullet and I had 4 big specimens in the tank together with 4 smaller models from my trap in less than an hour. The Southerly began kicking in early and with the wind and current behind me I got to the Hawkesbury in record time. I usually drift fish with the current from the kayak but the gusty Southerly made that difficult and I eventually resorted to turning into the wind which was far and away the dominant force. After 3 hours with no action the sky was turning an ominous grey and the first rumblings of thunder made me think I had overstayed my welcome. As I was about to turn for home the big mullet on the end of my line went into panic mode. I was fishing above the drop off in 4 meters of water and just a few meters off a rocky shore. The impression I had was that the jewfish had come out of cover in the rocks for the hit and he just kept on going, away from the land into deep water. That first charge was very exhilarating for 100 meters or so and then he began to run out of steam. The hit was 2 hours into a weak flood and the fight lasted around 15 minutes. The mullet bait he took was a good 30cm long on a double hook rig and for the first time in my experience the jewfish appeared to attack the live bait tail first. The trailing hook was deep inside the jewfish and the leading hook hadn't taken at all. I usually stop for a rest at Bar Island or the Twin Beaches during my home run but with the Southerly continuing to freshen, the temperature dropping and the rain coming down hard it was prudent to get some distance behind me. Eventually with the speed down to a snails pace I had to take shelter in the small bay opposite Bujwa and wait for the storm to pass. The second picture is my wife fish pie.

Launched the kayak from Berowra Waters boat ramp at first light and followed the tried and tested plan. One and a half hours to catch 5 big mullet on a light float rig in Joe Crafts Bay followed by the long paddle to the Hawkesbury River for the tail end of the ebb and the slack to try and convert the mullet into something bigger. There was more commercial fishing activity on the water than usual with 2 prawn trawlers working from Bar Island to Coba Point and 3 smaller work boats setting and retrieving traps in Berowra Creek. The water was still a milk chocolate colour with run off from the recent rains both in the creek and in the main river. Fished a new location in the Hawkesbury which I'd identified on a previous outing as a likely spot. Good current and (lots) of rocks running down and into the water some of which were exposed and awash at the bottom of the tide. For 2 hours the only action was the loss of 3 sets of terminal tackle and 3 prime mullet baits on underwater snags. I fish with the butt of my rod under my right knee and over my left leg which places the rod more or less at right angles to the kayak and keeps my hands free to use the paddle. Just when I was beginning to conclude the area was a folly the end of the rod bent over into the water and under the kayak. The first run went wide and was really hard and fast. Then a change of heart and back to the rocks and all those line cutting snags. This was a fish that didn't know when he was beat and the fight lasted for the best part of 30 minutes much of which was in water of less than 5 meters. I was very lucky not to get cut off. A good quality razor sharp gaff is a must for these big fish and the point went home in the corner of the mouth first attempt. This fish was hooked right on low water slack, in less than 5 meters of water, with a double 9/0 hook rig, a 30LB mono trace one meter long and a 60 gram running bean sinker. A 5 meter long 30LB mono leader and 40 LB braid main line. The jewfish weighed 19KG's after it was gutted and bled. There has been a lot of very big jewfish caught in the Hawkesbury River this year and the Victorian Fisheries Authority Newsletter(No.4) may give an insight. Different area but the same logic where following a study they equate feeding and growth rate to high fresh water flows in a river system.

Hi LuckyFil, I do not put any holes in the side of the trap for the mullet to swim in. I have experimented with a side entry but much of the bread drifted out and gave the mullet a free meal. The turned down edge or lip is to make it more difficult for the mullet to swim out. I make the lip from a small Tupperware container cut to size with a hacksaw. I use this as a pattern to mark the lid of the trap and then cut the hole in the lid of the trap with a Stanley knife. Finally I use a soldering iron to melt the plastic and fuse the lip and the lid of the trap together. Depth to place the trap - 20cm or so of water is a good starting point. The bays with mangroves in seem to be the most productive and some of them hold mullet year round. I bait the trap with a couple of rounds of Wonder White squashed to a pulp and Coles own brand bread crumbs - for some reason they seem to work best. Only some body who has been retired for many years and with time on their hands would go to so much trouble to refine catching poddy mullet! Good Luck!

Hi Larkin, With regard to your questions I have reached a few conclusions, none earth shattering and all documented over the years. The location. All important there must be some current and some cover for the fish nearby. The bait. Mullet feature on the menu of all the predators in the estuary. The jewfish's lateral line is likely the most potent weapon in its arsenal and a big mullet double hooked would put out some very good vibrations with 360 degree coverage. Target. If you are chasing big fish 'forsake all others' and be prepared to go home empty handed from most outings. Tide. I've been most successful on the ebb, particularly the early ebb. Depth. For years I have been fixated with fishing deep holes but I have now concluded depth is not so important. Stealth. I always fish during the week when most people are working and the waterways are less busy and I find somewhere quiet, away from other fishermen and traffic. Even in the kayak I avoid knocking the hull. "What about the Hawkesbury bridges" I hear you ask. Maybe the fish become accustomed to the noise and traffic there? Pressure. A year ago I would have been very sceptical but now I am not so sure as I have usually had most luck with a falling barometer. Coincidence? Time and patience. Stating the obvious there aren't any quick fixes. It's necessary to put in the hours on the water. Easy for a retiree to say. Hope the above helps. Good luck.

For the past 5 weeks I have been fishing some new areas both upriver and down river from the bridges with only some enjoyable days on the water and an 80cm jewfish to show for around 50 hours of paddling. Set off from Berowra Waters boat ramp just after sunrise to take advantage of the longer daylight hours. The heavens opened while I was catching mullet for live bait in Joe Crafts Bay and I was grateful I'd invested in some good quality waterproof kayaking gear. It makes the difference between a pleasant and an uncomfortable day on the water. Bully mullet are around in good numbers in both the Hawkesbury River and its tributaries at the moment and it took less than an hour to catch 5 prime specimens. For catching mullet I've found that a (very) gentle strike immediately the float dips under is most successful. I use 6LB mono, a lightly weighted quill float and a size 12 fine wire hook 30cm below the float baited with a small ball of Wonder White. Catching mullet can be quite frustrating but it's (almost) as much fun as the end game. It's very much all or nothing using big mullet for bait with very little scope for by catch such as flathead. If you want to hedge your bets smaller mullet are a better option. I use a Tupperware container for catching small mullet, weighted with a handful of sand, baited with Wonder White and bread crumbs and placed in shallow water on a sand flat. That's a MK13 in the picture which gives an idea of how many prototypes I've experimented with. Got to the fishing grounds in the Hawkesbury River by mid morning and fished the last 2 hours of the flood and the slack for no return. The bite came when I was drifting in 6 meters of water as the ebb was getting underway. He was a fat jewfish and put up a very spirited fight, staying close to the bottom and towing the kayak away from the rocks into deep water. Took around 20 minutes from the hit to getting the fish in the hatch. Stopped off at the Twin Beaches on the way back to the ramp where a very pleasant family interrupted their picnic lunch to take some photographs for me.

Hi Larkin, I rig the mullet on a double hook set up. The leading hook under the chin and vertically up through the nose. The trailing hook also vertical and behind the dorsal fin. The leading hook snelled and the trailing hook with an improved half blood knot. I have been using Mustad Big Game hooks with no offset in size 8/0. They are a bit small for the really big baits and I am planning to buy some 10/0. Hope that helps

Hi LuckyFil, I don't strike until the fish is running and that is mainly because the interval between the initial bite and the beginning of the run is very short. Hope that helps.

Hi Larkin, I was using (very) large rod caught mullet around 30 cm long. Interestingly when I gutted the fish I found another mullet in the stomach even bigger that my bait!

The modus operandi for the day was unchanged from that which has served well in previous weeks. Early start from Berowra Waters boat ramp, catch some mullet for live bait on route and then press on into the Hawkesbury River and try to convert the mullet into something bigger. Got to the river late morning. I'd already missed high water slack, the ebb was running full bore and there were more boat out than usual. Most of the places where I'd had success in the past were already occupied. Eventually ended up at a rockfall where I had a big hit 2 weeks ago but lost the fish during the fight. Fished close to the shore and further out for a couple of hours without any action. The bite came during a drift close to the rocks as the current was beginning to taper off. There was very little preamble, the rod bent double, the heavy set drag made that beautiful screaming noise and the long fight began. I felt like Santiago in Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. The fish towed the kayak into the current close in, then out wide and all the time I was trying to gain some line and get him off the bottom. It was 30 minutes before I could see the leader and by then the kayak was in safe water 100 meters from the shore and a good 200 meters from where the fight began. By then the runs were short and (both) of us were very tired. The gaff went home first shot but when I tried to lift the fish into the kayak I nearly went for a swim and didn't have the strength to bring him onboard. Eventually had to paddle one armed ashore with the other arm holding the gaffed fish. Even then it was a tight fit to get the fish into the hatch. Took the photo's, gutted the catch and got myself organised at the Twin Beaches. Back at the ramp thoroughly exhausted just on dark with 28.5 km travelled on my GPS watch. The jewfish weighed 27 kg (without the entrails).

Hi Isaac When the jewfish attack the mullet they usually feel as though they are grabbing hold of it and shaking it around. It translates to bang, bang, bang on the rod and then when they realise there is a problem they are off like a rocket on the first strong run. During the runs there are usually more 'angry' head shakes as though they are trying to shake out the hook.

Early start from Berowra Waters boat ramp and for the first time in a long while no early morning fog to contend with. In fact it was a picture perfect morning with not a breath of wind on the water and a pleasure just to be out on the kayak with very few boats around. On days like this any fish at all are just a bonus. Spent a couple of hours catching 6 big mullet for live bait and then headed for the Hawkesbury River at my cruising speed of 8 km/hour. Fished the high water slack and the early ebb in the river without a bite. Started my last drift of the day at 2.30 pm with a fresh mullet and got a hit almost immediately. After a spirited 10 minute fight gaffed this 93cm jewfish. Made the return run by way of the Twin Beaches for a quick photograph and to gut and bleed the fish. Back at the ramp just after sunset and spent some time chewing the fat and exchanging lies with the fisherman who produces the "Freemans Speech" videos on YouTube. Those videos are well worth watching if you haven't already discovered them and don't mind the colourful language.

Four weeks since I last wetted a line and withdrawal symptoms were beginning to set in. Launched the kayak from Berowra Waters boat ramp before sunrise and for the first couple of hours the fog was dense and it was very cold. There were no mullet jumping in Berowra Waters and I thought catching live bait would be a struggle but it transpired they were there in force just not doing their usual surface antics. Maybe they don't like the fresh water which tends to sit on top of the more dense salt water? Burleyed up and caught 5 mullet in less than an hour. 2 were a perfect size but the other 3 were on steroids and only just fitted into my live bait tank. By 11.30 I was in the Hawkesbury which gave me a 3 hour window for fishing and enough time to paddle back to the ramp before dark. The 84cm consolation prize fell to one of the smaller mullet close to the shore in 8 meters of water while drifting with the ebb. I knew I couldn't keep a second fish but having paddled so far and after such a long fishing hiatus I changed location and put down one of the steroid mullet. The 8/0 double hook rig wasn't really big enough for the job but it was the largest I had. Spent a relaxing hour or so drifting with the current enjoying the sun and the scenery and barely had time to register the mullet getting especially lively before the rod buckled over. I got towed around 150 meters and never did get the fish off the bottom.The line suddenly went slack and that was the end of the story. The line and all the terminal tackle had help up but I guessed I had pulled the hooks trying to get the fish off the bottom. It would have been nice to at least get a sighting but the fish made all the running and I didn't even get close to having control. It's good to find there are still some fish around after the big wet. The water in the river was a good colour but still some big logs drifting down with the current.