Pickles

Great be able to get out Gordo. Those pike make great bait for Kingies and Jewies, I reckon they’d be OK for snapper too. Look forward to you’re next report with pic of a giant (Scratchie sized) snapper. keep those lines wet mate.

Jon, I’d love to get out or get your daughter to take me on a charter when this “silly season” is over. (Love to get one of those South coast monster Kingies)

I asked “Charlie” my granddaughter what she would like to do for her birthday on Monday. “Go fishing with you grandad, with my pink rod” she said (My kinda gal). Don’t know if she’ll want to do this in 8 years when she’s 16, so strike while the iron’s hot. Because of the howling wind, we went float fishing in our top dam near the house for silver perch using corn and bread. We caught 11 fish in less than 1/2 an hour, before she lost interest and went off to chase lambs around the paddock and dip-netting for tadpoles with Grandma (Mrs Pickles) A great day to spend an 8th birthday.

Planned to go fishing down at Wisemans on Tuesday, as it was this time last year I landed a beaut Jewie a bit further down from Wisemans toward Spencer - it went 89cm (pic below), but wind put a damper on that, so shot out today to catch the slack water at the turn of tide for Jewies. last few trips have resulted in lots of soapies around 35-50cm mark, so Not a keeper for home. However today was different and I got a good hard run on a decent fish that was dropped after a few minutes on th hand line, then a good fish of about 80cm on a pilchard on a rod (still use a rod as well as the hand line). It peeled off about 50 m of line in its initial run and about the same on second run, but kept head shaking all the way till I could see it. It threw the hook (4/0 circle) right at the side of the boat - didn’t have time to get the net under it😞😞. The fist Jewie was on a prawn and second (one seen, but not measured as wasn’t landed) on a pilchard. No pics as the fish wasn’t landed - caught3 legal duskies, so not a great day, but weather was very pleasant and only other boat on the water was a fisheries boat who came aboard to inspect - from Ourimbah base (central coast), so a fair run up the river for them. They said we were the only boat on the water. Very pleasant blokes, being Koori and not needing a fishing licence, I think they felt sorry and dished out some measure mats, crab rulers, booklets and said “have a good day”.

Family Fishing Fun - Well done young fella, good to share the joy with your sister, keep those reports coming, we love it

Hey Muzza - How did you go fishing - would love a report.

I reckon you can only claim a fish as “landed” when it is in the net or in the boat / wharf / rocks I.e. at your feet. If it gets off or “flicks” itself back in, you’ve still landed it. As Derek says ALWAYS have a net with you. The only exception for me is when baitfishi g for Yakkas (I always use a net for squid and slimies). Experience has taught me to always use a net. (I have 2 on my boat - 1 small for squid and slimies and a bigger one for Kingies, Flatties, snapper etc)

Hi Peter, My standard setup for Kingies on live squid is either a single mustard Hoodlum Iive bait 7/0 (on 80lb - I don’t muck around) through the end (tail) of the hood OR a 2 hook snelled rig with the second hook through hood just in front of the head (but not through the head) as camper advised. This second (snelled) hook I use is a 5/0 circle hook. My suggestion is “try different set ups”, I’m always experimenting with different ways to catch Kingies and had a lot of success to a no6 circle hook (NOT a 6/0) on 20lb line on a 2-4kg graphite “flick stick’. I would not suggest this unless the Kingies are very finicky and ignoring heavier gear. You need to be in very deep water. When I use this setup, I lose way more fish than I land, but at least I hook them when others aren’t. I have landed a 95cm kingie on this setup this year, but took 20mins and I had to lead it out to deep water with the Min Kota.

Way to go Tyrone

Hugh, I’m told that when Bass are in the saltwater they taste much better - not sure if it’s true (never eaten a freshwater fish except Redfin and they were “OK”). Good to try the species you’re targeting - at least you know now and young bloke has an opinion. Nothing better than spending time with your son (or dad) - days you never forget.

Amen Neil.

I am not in favour of releasing carp, they are a feral, nuisance and “rats of the waterway”, however, contrary to popular belief, it is not illegal to release them under section 261 of the Fisheries Management Act. - Extract below is copied from DPI website. RELEASING CARP “is not currently illegal to immediately return captured carp to the waters from which they were taken (defence under section 216 of the Fisheries Management Act). However, NSW DPI encourages recreational fishers to retain and utilise any captured carp rather than returning them live to the water.”

Great report Neil, good to hear you’re getting out and having success on the BC (Bloody Carp). Have you tried using Gluten instead of bread - works a treat and I can guarantee it won’t wash/ melt off (health food stores sell it and costs about the same as flour) Also “Hoods” is not correct, the DPI legislation states you are allowed to release carp back into the waterway in which they were caught (but not in another waterway). Not that you would want to release them as they are a feral introduced species, but so are rainbow and brown trout. The extract below is from DPI. Is it illegal to return carp to the water? It is not currently illegal to immediately return captured carp to the waters from which they were taken (defence under section 216 of the Fisheries Management Act). However, NSW DPI encourages recreational fishers to retain and utilise any captured carp rather than returning them live to the water.

That’s a really nice Bass in the top pick Dave - well done mate.

Hey Megladon, the Saragossa is a solid robust reel, well up to the job, heavy and slow retrieve, so you’ll be tired by the end of the day. If you are splurging on new gear the Penn Slammer 111 is superseded by the newer IV and they are going very cheaply at present. Also a heavy and robust reel, but I have an 8500 HG and the high gear has much faster retrieve (less effort for jigging and high speed spinning) and an insane drag that will pull up just about any (Sydney) kingfish. As for rods, I have 2 Daiwa demon blood 65CJ rods and they have caught well over 1000 Kingies in the past 3 years and quite a few over the magic meter mark, they are a mid price rod, but beautiful action and the 6’6 is can be applied as a jigging and live bait rod. if your chasing Kingies, don’t underestimate their ability to pull string. I’ve had big blokes - newbies on my boat, on their knees because they can’t believe the fight they have and were afraid they were going to be pulled over the side. I usually use a minimum 65lb braid and 80lb fluro leader.