Pickles

Hit the water on Saturday to chase Kingies (- love those big string pulling brutes). The weather wasn’t ideal and there were very few boats in the car park - very different to last Lo weekend, but it is winter. it amazing that Kingies are still around in good number, especially given the water temp varied from 15 - 20 degrees, here’s praying they hang around all winter. yakkas were a little hard to find and most were caught on fresh cut baits (yellowtail) and not the livies. John, Chantelle and James had a ball with a Tripp.e hookup at one stage. We got busted up several times as the kings became more wary as each fish got caught and we were going lighter and lighter (6lb on light spinning gear made for good fun). The girls won the day with Chantelle bagging a 68cm dusky showing very good angling skills.

I’d be interested in folks rod suggestions (what is currently available) for Ludderick. I’ve gots a Sportex 662 and Butterworth- both blanks I built over 40 years ago and need something for boat use (9-11’) thanks in anticipation

Dollies on both days about an hour after sunup - 7.30am

Went out early on Monday chasing late season Dollies after getting half a dozen a few days before. U fortunately they had moved on, but there were Kingies around, but just not interested I love baits or jigs. As wind and storms were predicted mid morning we headed back inside and the Kingies were going nuts again and we bagged 3 in a few minutes, but as a low pressure bought storms, strong winds and rain hit, the kings just disappeared - completely shut down. This supports a long held belief that air pressure effects fish behaviour. On the way back to the ramp, stopped of for a quick bait session and the sun came out, kings came back and a school of red bigeyes came our way.

All fish legal (don’t keep anything that isn’t - ever). pretty sure the bream were black bream - pretty u usual at the mouth of the Hawkesbury. there are some stonier tailor cruising around Barrenjoey at present

Toss up between chasing Kings in the harbour again or trying the Hawkesbury for snapper. Tne Hawkesbury won and the weather and sea was brilliant. After getting a swag of livies at West Head we headed for flint and steel - the results were a mixed bag of 40 fish including 12 snapper 8 black bream, a dozen tailor, 2 squid and a 1 50 cm hammerhead on a soft plastic and 2 Kingies.

Decided to give my shoulders a rest and see if any Dollies still around. Yep here still there and the bigger legal ones keen to take big Yakkas (couldn’t get any little ones). After a weekend when squid were easy and Kingies finicky, yesterday (Monday), the squid were really hard and kings still around. Following g screen shot is in north harbour. Yakkas were also extra big, so not the best Kingies baits, but a few went off, but most were boated on cut baits - weren’t interested in squid today.

I got a few Kingies, no keepers - all rats🙁, inside the harbour, but they are usually a deep water off shore species and an occasional capture, unlike Kingies.

Kingies were really slow today (Sunday). A brilliant day on the harbour though and still plenty of bait around, but Yakkas very finicky. red big eyes were around in numbers, we bagged 13 in total - a beautiful eating fish if skinned and filleted.

Yeah, got a feed, but usually only keep one, only my wife and I at home and catching 5 is excessive

Nice report prawn. Is the church at Manly inside (North harbour side) or on the ocean side toward Blue fish? I fish the area a lot and haven’t noticed a church on the headland? Very frustrating to lose the big ones - do you fish llight and lose fish, or gear up for the big boys and discourage the smaller kings- hard choice to make.

Yep, I like a heavy sinker above swivel if using a live bait. This allows 2 live baits out at once (either side of the boat). If they are really finicky (have been lately), I’ll drop down hook and line size and even to 10lb with a running sinker just above hook.

Answer to questions. 1. If only one hookup, then second fisho can flick behind hooked fish - often results in catching another from the school - don’t be too quick to bring the fish in as others will hang around. 2. I do t think you said where you were fishing, so “spots outside” - outside where? 3. If your up the north coast, you can troll at 10knots for Wahoo and 4 knots for spotties, but if your around Sydney, kings, tailor etc, 2-3knots is where I usually sit, with swell pushing you to o. Assignable 4 knots, hope this helps

Nice report and great picks, thanks Saltrix

Went out with Evan Reelcrazy early in the week. . Kings are still around in the harbour, but starting to slow down a bit. We went on Monday and tried a downrig from Nth Head to Blues point without any luck at all so headed inside the Heads. Monday was a great tide, but solunar tables suggested a poor day for fishing (beats mowing the lawns). It wasn’t too cold and wind had dropped compared to the previous week. The air pressure was 1023 hp and water temp 21, which was really great and there were plenty of squid around off the kelp beds. The squid are getting bigger as winter approaches and quite a few cuttlies mixed in with them, although we didn’t get any on Monday. They were really finicky and We ended up “catching” 11, but boating 7. The first few were on live Yakkas ( also getting finicky) and 7/0 hooks, but they wised up quickly and were even turning their noses up at the squid. We ended up getting them on no 6 hooks and 10lb (hence many were not boated), all released. Sorry only pics. Are of the sounder showing heaps of Kingies under the boat at 12-20m depth. Hope info might be helpful to those thinking of hanging up the rods for winter (don’t as this is when the big boys come out to play)