saltrix

To catch tailor in the Harbour for the next month or so, I anchor up on dusk around the red marker inside South Head, at the sand / rocks out from Old Mans Hat, North of Sow and Pigs, or anywhere else that is a likely spot, but take care to keep out of the shipping lanes and show an all round white anchor light,(make sure you turn off your red/green nav lights when anchored to conform with the rules). Then berley consistently via the berley basher with fish frames, bread, old bait, prawn heads, or even chook pellets soaked in tuna oil. You know you are doing the right thing when you get yellowtail and slimies around. These can be caught for bait with a light line. The berley stays around better with the small tides, and a run in is supposed to be the best but I have caught them in most conditions. A southerly is the worst as there is no where to shelter. Under Oldmans Hat is OK in a Northerly but gets a bit choppy as the easterly comes in. I generally use about 20lb handlines with 80lb nylon ganged hooks, and once they are on the job cut the pillies in half. Use a glowbead and enough lead (pea sized usually) to take the bait down a bit. The reason I dont use a rod is because they usually come on in close to the boat and bite gently then take off vigorously. The handline is sensitive and the heavier line does not cut or tangle. Bream, trevally, squid , kings, and jewfish, I have caught this way, even the odd hairtail but they have not been around for a few years now. The trevs and bream like a light line and small hooks and the tailor bite them off, so it is a bit hard to decide how to fish. Regards Saltrix

After Brickman's warning I am reluctant torecommend anyone handling them, and unless they are over 30cms they do not produce enough meat to take the risk of handling them. Best to return them after carefully dehooking them using pliers. Regards Saltrix

You are absolutely correct. I looked them up to make sure I did not make a mistake as I do not often catch them and after deciding it was a sampson fish I mistakenly called it an amberjack. The difference is the sampson fish is less torpedoe shaped and has a blunter forehead. The amberjack also has a higher fin ray count. Thganks for correcting me. regards Saltrix

The common name is in fact Red Rock Cod or Eastern Red Scorpioncod. I think Scorpioncod is better because it warns handlers to be more careful. Its scientific name is Scorpaena cardinalis. There is another similar Red Rock Cod which is the Southern Red Scorpionfish Scorpiona papillosus, but the noticeable difference is the absence of spots on its lower belly. In any case your warning about the sting should be well noted amongst readers of these pages as I have noticed not all new fisherman know of the hazards of fortescue, catfish, electric rays, stingrays etc. Simlar to you I handled them with little respect for many years until a mate got spiked by one and passed out with the pain driving home from Brooklyn. I then awarded them due respect. Regards saltrix

Launched at Roseville about 4pm with a mate. A few drifts across Middle harbour entrance produced a 42cm flathead and a nice flounder, and several U/s sized flathead, so we trolled around Grotto Point for a stud 50cm tailor. Then over to Balmoral and piked up a few livies which we downrigged around the wave measuring bouy and markers around the bombora but got no takers but there were a lot of fish showing on the sounder wew we anchored and burleyed with a couple of livies out and light lines for Trevs, bream, etc. A good 50 cm amberjack took a liking to the yellowtail and made me realise my heavy reel needs some work as i couldnt tighten the drag enough to get any line back for a while. Also picked up a niced red rock cod. Always handle these with care. I use pliers to take them off and wear leather gloves when filleting, and then carefully discard the frame or bury it deep in the garden. Finsihed the evening inside the red blinker at South Head where we picked up a few tailor and big yellowtail before giving it away at about 8pm. The rule is 50cm. All the tailor ( and the others as well)were bled and iced immediately and I find this really makes a difference to the eating qualities of the fish.

If you are boat based then there are tailor are to be had most nights on a run in tide on dark and just after dark around the red blinker inside south head. This will last until end of April. Avoid anchoring in any shipping channel as it is illegal and dangerous, the charts will show you where they are. See my last post. I was anchored about 50 m NE of the red marker. The trick is to have a good berly trail going. Use old prawn heads , bread, old fish frames, or any thing else fishy. Avoid the biggest tides as the berly travels too fast although sometimes its OK. Its a bit of a problem as sometimes there are trevally and bream in the berly trail which require 4Kg lines and 1/0 hooks and no or minimum sinker, but when the tailor arrive these are promply bitten off, then when you change to tailor rigs they go and you miss out on the trevally as they will only take the light lines. To catch a lot of tailor I use 15kg line and 80lb trace ganged 4/0 hooks. email me if you want details on how to do this or any other info. Regards

Plan A was to try for flathead Dobryd to Balmoral. Small reds stuffed that up Vigourously demolishing all baits. Plan B was to downrig around the markers in middle harbour using fish shop squid. That produced no results. Maybe we should have tried with live yellowtail but as we didnt start until 4.30 time was a problem. Plan C was to berly around the red marker inside south head and try for trevally then tailor. Thamk goodness some plans work. Finished up wqith a fair catch of tailor with a flathead, trevally, and a couple of slimies for outside bait. We were fishing NE of the red marker inside south head out of the shipping channel. Quite a few boats were moored in the shipping channel to the west of us, not a good idea as if there is a late arrival this channel can be used by shipping and the penalties can be quite sever. Anyhow the tailor came on the job and we left them biting about 8.30pm.

I realise that most members will be out on Sunday for the Kingfish social, but I am looking for company for a run out on Monday morning from Roseville about 6am, on Pennant Hills about 5.30am. The plan is to get some live bait and try for squid, then downrig or anchor and burley up some kings in the harbour. If it is quite in the harbour then I might run out to Long Reef for some flathead or morwong if the sea is flat. I have a 5.2m plate boat equipped with sounder, GPS, radio, safety equipment, and 1 downrigger, and am an experianced fisherman and boater. Plan to be back at the ramp by 12noon. If you get seasick please take some tablets as the harbour is sometimes as lumpy as outside. I dont drink while fishing and dont smoke but dont mind an occasional smoker. Email me if interested.

The pretty green is a male version of the Senator Wrasse (ref 478 Sea fishes of Southern Australia) it is not protected and is excellent eating if large enough. The lower is a male version of the Crimson Banded Wrasse (ref 481) . It is also not protected and good eating. The wrasse that is protected is the Elegant Wrasse which is found mostly at Lord Howe Island but is occasionaly found on our coast. One colourful fish that is protected and on the NSW fisheries leaflet is the Bleekers or Eastern Blue Devil fish and all fisherman should have a look at this leaflet, most tackle stores keep copies to give away. There is a new version on the net now to download and it is a brilliant little book. Go to the fisheries site, publications, and 2008 fishing guide, it has colour photos of the protected fish.

Have a look at the Rules & Regulations Summary put out by NSW Fisheries. As flybandit says it is a Cod and protected and is shown on the above pamphlet. It is actually a Black Cod. The two species are very similar but the estuary cod (rockcod) is covered with small reddish brown dots, its stripes also do not extend right across the body, but both species are protected. It is found from Townsville to Victoria. (Quoting from Sea fishes of Southern Australia Hutchins & Swanson). Colour can vary a bit. It is a good idea to know the protected and threatened species as if you are ever caught with them the penalties are pretty tough. That was a good catch of squid, hope you convert them to a good Jewfish.

Glad you caught a Kingfish. You have a nice boat there. Best to buy an esky and bring some ice, and kill, bleed and wash the fish, as the kings will die in the keeper net and it does them no good keeping them in water about 20 degrees, as well as that you sometimes forget to bring it in and it tears off, it snags the line as you handle a big fish, and there is a chance a shark will take the lot. They might be OK for land based luderick fishermen but thats about all, in my opinion. Sometimes kingfish have an internal parasite which turns the fish mushy and has a terrible hot taste when cooked, to avoid this I always keep the fillets seperate and try a small piece before cooking up a meal. For further information on this look on the net for Kudoa thyrsites, or Myxozoan parasites. I have found about 1 in 10 larger kings infected and at first I thought I hadnt kept them cold enough but there is nothing you can do about it except find out which fish is crook and throw it out. Has any other raider had this problem?

Got a good supply of livies and tried downrigging Dobroyd, North Head, the Colours, Shark Island , Rose Bay, lost a couple of livies and some squid but caught nothing, Tried for flathead in the harbour at the end but only got small reddies. One of the slowest days I have had for a long time. Might have done better if the squid or calamari had been a bit more plentiful.

OK I am in a whiteplate boat reg. SCUBAN I will give you a wave if I see you.

Good if you can make it let me know as soon as possible so I can post it so no one else is dissappointed. Regards alan

As the weather is supposed to clear and a fine day with light winds is forecast for Monday I thought I would launch from Roseville ramp about 5am catch some squid under spit bridge, some calamari at Grotto point, some livies at Balmoral, then downrig around inside North Head. Then depending on the fish, the weather, the sea and other things, anchor and fish of Old mans hat, or downrig the colors, or anchor and fish around rose bay marker, or even run up to Long Reef Wide if the sea is calm enough. Hope to be back at the ramp before 12noon. I have some spare heavy gear for kings. I will bring pillies and a few prawns. Please bring or take seasick pills as it is often bumpier in the harbour than outside. I have a 5.2m plate alloy boat, with canopy,radio, sounder, GPS, and 1 downrigger and require company only. I am an experianced fisherman and boatie. I leave Pennant Hills about 4.20am if that is easier. They charge a fee at Roseville. alan Thanks but I have a fellow fisherman now. Thanks for the replies. Alan

I have both dived and fished this wreck over the years. Firstly do not try to fish right on the wreck as it has many snags, and had large fishing nets on it for a long time. If you drop anchor on the wreck it is a good chance you wont get it back, you need a solid sand anchor and chain and experiance in anchoring in 45m. It does hold both Kingfish and Jewfish at times, and usually has schools of yellowtail above it. On the sand out from the wreck on the drift often has good flathead. The way to fish it is to anchor up current and wind so that you finish up with your bait or jig in front of the wreck as that is where the big fis hang out. This is easier said than done. After sighting large schools of Kings there during a dive I returned the following week with live yellowtail, and caught a couple of good Jewfish, no sign of kings. The colours off Mac. light is probably just as good for fish and is far less hazardous to anchor on. Try fishing the drop off at evening into night or first light. Email me if you want the GPS or more info. The GPS given for the wreck are pretty good.

Launched at Roseville about 5.30 am , tried at the spit for squid for 0, picked up a dozen small size yellowtail at Balmoral and down rigged around North Head for 1/2 hour without any takers. Although it was a bit like a washing machine outside we headed for DY wide and spent an hour there without losing a bait, at a spot that has been firing well for me for the past few years. Then headed to Long Reef and tried all the usual grounds for just one good flathead and a sweep. Although it was choppy the drift was only 1kn so I dont know where the fish were. Strange the current seemed faster in the close grounds than out deeper and made burlying up and fishing light difficult. It was pretty sloshy and hard to move around the boat so we gave up the idea of downrigging in close and beat a retreat back to the harbour, where we downrigged the last of the live yellowtail for one 60cm king which we attempted to photograph before returning, but the camera would not turn on (later found I had not put the battery back after recharging). Not a good day for us but I am pleased some fishraiders did OK. I think I will stick to the harbour next time in such sloppy conditions.

Tony answered my offer of a spot on my boat, and had caught a few squid Friday night, but our plans for an early start were stuffed when we were run into as we slowed to turn into the road to the ramp. However there was only minor damage to the car and a bit of a dint in the boat so we eventually got out. As we were a bit late and the sea looked calm we headed out to DY wide and then to Long Reef to finish with 8 flathead plus wrasse, pike, and a few throwback nanigi. Then back in the harbout to downrig the squid without success. Here is my share of the catch. saltrix

I plan to launch from Tunks (or meet me at Pennant Hills) early Saturday morning (before sunrise). Plan is to get some squid, and some livies then troll or downrig outside if calm enough, plan B is to go to Long Reef and bottom bash with pilchards and prawn. If it is too rough outside then harbour kings will be targetted with the downrigger or burlied up on anchor. Any surface activity will be flogged with SP and sounding shows hit with jigs. This will not be a trip for inexperianced fishos, or those who suffer seasickness. I am a non smoker but dont mind an occassional smoker. My boat is a 5m plate boat with GPS, radio, sounder, 1 downrigger and 75hp motor. I have had many years experiance boating and fishing. Please email me if you are interested. Saltrix

Peter, the guide from pittwater recommended size 16, $1.95 from the stationer.

Yes, it is a bit on the small side but the family enjoy eating them. If you dont scale them but fillet and skin them and then cut all the bones out the flesh is white firm and quite nice, but I like to get them a bit bigger. The closer grounds off Long Reef sometimes hold some good sized sweep and I often anchor, burly and target them.

Plans to head south were scrapped as there was a fair sort of chop coming in from the North and I would sooner run home with it than against it so my jigging and downrigging gear again did not get a run. It was hard to move around the boat at all so there it would have been hard to jig or set the downrigger. Picked up a tailor around Grotto Point, but he must have been a loner, as a couple more runs were unsccessful. Then it was off to North Head to cast into the Salmon schools, but they werent having anyof the smallest lures we could throw at them so we bumped our way to Dee Why Wide. The flathead were on the job there and we managed 5, the biggest measuring 64cm, 2 were eastern bluespot and 3 the better eating marbled flathead. Also got a couple of Nannagi which were a really good size. I havent seen them around so big for a long time. The wrasse and pigfish didnt survive the ride up so were kept as well. The ride home wasnt too bad going with it, and we found it too windy in the harbour to drift for flathead, although we did spend 1/2 hour setting up a good berly trail inside north head without any success. The rule is 50cm.

It wont kill you, a few hours of pain is the worst you will get, but yes handle them carefully and use a pair of leather garden gloves if you dont feel confidant to avoid the spines. Another trick is to use a pair of sidecutting pliers to snip the spines off. I sometimes do this with flathead as their spines can give you a painful sting also and a quick snip gets rid of the problem. Alan