saltrix

Decided to give fishing a go despite wet weather forecasted so started with our wet weather gear on. Started with a troll around Grotto and Washawayand my mate got a just legal tailor and another whooper. Then headed across the harbour in a bit of choppy sea. Then tried a troll around North Head where I caught a good sized bonito. Headed out to Dee Why Wide where we got a few couple of pan size snapper, a morwong, and a few flathead. I even kept a couple of larger spikeys. We managed to avoid the rain but out a bit further it was raining. The westerly eased about 10am and it was more comfortable fishing but we gave it away. The bonito, tailor and movie were all a good size and make the flathead look small but all the marbled were well over legal size and the spikeys do not have a legal size but are mature at a small size.

We left Tunks ramp a bit late and the sun was up in the fog as we headed out. Got a nice tailor off Washaway beach on the way out. m At the 50m off DY we picked a nice mix of blue spot and marbled flathead, all were a good size the only throw backs were the spikeys. We had some nice pilchards but most fish were caught on a cut up deep sea squid which was bought at a fish shop. The light NE wind did not arrive but the southerly got a up a bit so we headed home about 11am.

Good catch and interesting report. Like you I find the fish are in patches and it pays to go over that area again.

Pickles I usually run 1/0 hook at the top of a 3 dropper rig, 3 of 4/0 on the lower drop , and a single 3/0 in the middle. That way I can often pick up a mackerel, yellowtail or other smaller legals, also some good fish.

As we had not been out for a good while we were a bit late starting, launching at 6am at Tunks tried a troll off washaway and north Head but no takers Dead calm once clear of Manly and we were worried we might not have enough drift, but once in 55m off DW we got enough drift and a few good flathead came in between lots of spikeys, u/s reds, sargeant baker. Once the breeze lpicked up about 1130we headed home. Just cooked some flathead for tea,delicious.

The fish looks like a stargazer.

Nice fish and a good photo

We saw a few boats on the move but I couldn’t say for sure I saw you. I have seen the most whales while fishing between the heads and Long Reef ,then they seem to go out wider. This one was curious and played around my boat for a while before coming up for a look and I had my camera ready .

Launched at Parsley Bay about dawn and had a good run out past Lion Island. Then it got rougher and windier with a brisk SW making it hard to hold bottom by the time we got to 60m, even with a sea anchor. We thought of returning but the forecast was for easing a bit later in the morning and we did not fancy battling the sea on the way in. The flathead were a good size, the largest being 53cm and the smallest 36cm, which would have gone back if not an early catch.' They were all caught on pilchards or spikey fillets in 55 to 60m. The SW eased right off by about 11am and we headed in to find a moderate W wind as we got closer making a bumpy ride again.

Nice fish, keep at it and you will get some good results as you are in a top location.

As we were getting desperate for some fish and as the forecast for the rest of the week was crook we took a chance that the monday would not be too crowded and went out today. At Tunks there was quite a few parking spaces left and the ramp was vacant. While preparaing to launch heard a loud bang and saw a launcher drop his new looking quintrex halfway down the ramp. We tried to help him as he attempted to drag it to the water, but that couldnt be done. I suggested he try to winch it back on the trailer but we left him to work it out as he said some mates were coming. I did not make any comments but I have seen boats fall of before when the launch of an unsecured from a brake at the water goes wrong. There was a lot of surface activity around Dobroyd point, but trolling small minnows and throwing light lures did not work so we tried a troll around Nth Head for no takers. Might have been better if there was a bit of swell. However heading out to DY there was lots of swell and fairly large confused waves. Got a nice flathead at first drop then things quitened down. Finished up getting acouple of Bluespots, a couple of Marbled, a couple of Trevally and a couple of spikies which I did not put in the photo for fear of criticism for keeping them but they were a reasonable size and are good eating. The southerly eased for a while then came up again to make a bumpy ride home.

Great photos and a good report. Red Rock cod have to handled dry carefully, I also handled them for years without getting stung but one time my mate got stung and was intense pain for quite a while. Since then I treat them with more respect.

We don’t normally fish during holiday periods and try to avoid weekends, but the wind has been pretty fierce and we thought we would give it a go today. It was crowded at the Tunks ramp and only parking left right up the hill but we got away in about 40 minutes. The harbour was choppy from the traffic and the bounce back from the confused swell but once out wide it was pretty good. There were a lot of spikeys and they were a good size and would have made a feed, but there was an occasional good sized marble and bluespot so we didn’t keep the spikeys. The morwong were a good size but I am about to cook some for tea, and if they aren’t nice I won’t keep them again. I bleed, fillet, keep them in an ice slurry, and skin them and mostly they are good but sometimes they have a taste. The ramp on the return was very crowded and it took 45 minutes to get out.

We were fishing in 50-55m, but keeping an eye on the sounder and avoiding the reefs and going back over the area that produced fish.

I have been out of action but have a new hip now.

Did not manage to beat the sun but managed a 5.45am launch at Tunks Park. Just a light westerly wind but a decent southerly swell once around North Head, and quite a bit of jiggle until we were well away from the cliffs. We. did not bother trolling as it has been quiet for a while and there were no working birds. Took a while to sort out out the drift as there was northerly current and a westerly wind. Managed to get a few nice flathead and a couple of reef fish when we strayed onto the reef area. When the westerly came up about 11am we headed for home. Sorry I didn’t have a rule to put on but the red was 33cm and the smallest flathead 37cm. There was a mix of bluespot and marbled flathead with some of them being very solid.

Thanks for the interesting report. I have often caught the red spot whiting in 50 to 60 metres, and fisheries say they are caught up to 160 metres. The catch size limit per year is 788 tonnes so there must be a few around. They are also known as the Eastern School Whiting and are a common catch in Morton Bay Qld.

Nice report, I am glad to see someone is getting out and at least you got a fish.

The little ones you are catching are probably spikey flathead, and if a reasonable size there is no legal length and they are good eating. Just stick to the species bag limit of 10 flathead. To increase your chances of good blue spots or marbled try to keep the drift reasonably fast and the baits whole pilchards or reasonably large. The spikeys make good baits. You need to brush up your species to identify the different species. If you are catching more than you like try moving location, as the spikeys can be very thick.

We did not get an early start and the sun was nearly up as we left the river. Tried a few spots in 40m before going out a bit deeper to around 50m before finding them. Picked up a few before the westerly dropped and our drift slowed, then the dreaded jackets struck, biting off hooks, sinkers and even eating my lure which I run on the top of my 3 drop rigs sometimes. It was a plastic prawn and they ate it all but a small piece of the body. We have found this before, if there is enough current or wind to keep moving the jackets do not find you as easily but once the drift stops they are a menace. With the breeze dropped we had a good run home..

great pictures but the seas look a bit big for me. Getting the action shots of the whales was excellent.

Nice snapper

Thanks for that tip, we have tried closer in a few times but not done good, but will give it another go in winter. On the south side it is sometimes good for bluespots about 2km south and out in about 40-50 metres. Red spot whiting are often there too.

In reply to your questions After trolling North Head and some of the harbour for zero we headed out to DY wide and fished the bottom in about 50 m in our usual grounds where we often bag out on the flathead, but they were very quite and the spikeys were quick to hook up, even on spikey bait. There was only a very slight current as even with the westerly blowing the gps showed us moving at about 1 knot, and less when it eased. That might have been the problem as it seems a bit of movement improves the catch of the bigger fish.

As we had not been out for a while we took the good weather forecasty as a chance to catch some fish. There was a bit of a westerlyearly on but it soon eased. The fishing was a bit slow, there was a whale which surfaced too close to our boat and gave us a suprise but I was not quick enough to get a picture, but the albertross were around as the giant cuttle are dying and at this time the albertross hang around waiting to feed on them as they float to the surface dead after laying there eggs. y This was our combined catch apart from Sergeant Baker, 2 shovel nose sharks, and numerous spikey flathead and us snapper which were returned. The reds were only just over the legal size but the flathead were good ones.