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Nice catch as usual Yowie. I heard today that the water police are going to base a boat at the fisheries / darook park. It’s long overdue. The hacking is being loved to death. Weekend fishing is impossible with boat traffic now and that’s all I can do. Even up on the sand flat on my kayak I have jet skis come scooting over just to sticky beak on me. Not sure what the answer is but the traffic has increased a lot since 2019

I take my kids snorkelling in the shallower waters of the lower port hacking. We often find occys. They make a nest in the sandy bottom, which is basically a hole and you see their eyes peering out watching you. Funny thing is that they decorate their nest with shells, which makes them pretty easy to find. Maybe it’s a mating thing? if you want to find someone who hates occys it’s lobster fisherman. They are smart enough to get in the traps and they love eating the crays.

That’s the thing. In quite a few places the hacking navigation channels narrow to within 30m width. There are kayaks (including novices from the bundeena hire place), stand up paddle boards, lots of boats, jets skis, even an electric surf board getting around. Plus the big boats are getting bigger and jet ski numbers have doubled in the last year. Then you get people anchoring mid channel to fish. There are legitimate safety issues here.

These guys are out most days. On Saturday morning, they were out before daylight. But so we’re waterways - they pulled them up with flashing lights and all and made them wait until sunup. It’s still a bit shit though. There is another boat that comes out in the afternoon and does the same route, but at least most people have gone home by then. I don’t fish the hacking on weekends or public holidays from my boat anymore. It’s just to hectic. Too many times I have anchored up out of the channel but still have boats or JetSkis smash right through my burley trail. I fish outside or take my kayak and get right up in shallow water. That’s what I did on Sunday and scored two thumping whiting off the sand flats (out of 10 nippers). Both were released as I’m going away tomorrow.

I anchored and burleyed and i I drifted. Made little difference

I fished bate bay today, up near the kernel lighthouse. Water is more brown than green. Lots of boats out. I didn’t see anyone catch anything. Lots of bait in the water but nothing decent. Best fish for me was a 35cm sweep, which went back to grow bigger. Fantastic weather though. Plenty of boats out in the hacking as you would expect. I had a mullet jumping in front of me at the mouth of burraneer bay in between tons of boats.

Yesterday (Saturday) the water in burraneer bay was still chocolate brown but there was schools busting up all day. I saw a few boats catching fish from the bust ups (tailor I think) all day. today the water has cleared up so you can see bottom to about 1m. It shows the sand bank has shifted well into the channel in the mouth of burraneer bay. The channel markers are a guide but not that accurate now. Be careful if you have a big boat or it’s low tide

Two updates, I thought I would go for a quick run Wed night. I launched after 5pm from Wallys thinking it would be quiet by then. It was still bedlam with many boats launching/retrieving. I had to park in one of the side streets up past the shops. Unfortunately, while parking my car and with my boat tied up at the wharf, another boat hit mine and I now have fibreglass damage (about 3 inches long) that needs repair. 😩😩😩 I have the rego number of the other boat and they were apologetic but even still...... So this morning i tried first thing and it was pretty good. Dead calm, few boats and pichards busting the surface in burraneer bay. Even when boats drove by. I couldn’t stay long as I had to work but mornings seem the go.

Fab, I live down the end of burraneer. Today was like peak hour all day. Many jet skis, tons of boats (many too big for the hacking). The no wash zone was a washing machine all day. It would have been impossible to fish in the hacking today.

I saw two kings caught near the mouth at burraneer bay on Sunday morning. Not sure what they were using for bait but they were drifting the deep water with the run in tide. Neither king looked legal to me but neither were released either. Anyway, they are there

Nice catch, your consistency is amazing Yowie

He loves being on the boat and comes almost every time

Nice arvo for a fish. I bookended the low tide and fished the edge of the flats, mainly with nippers. Two legal bream (the biggest was 31 cms) and a 30cm trevally were the pick. Also had a small blue swimmer and whiting for fun. All fish released. Photos of the bigger bream and Trevor attached may the forth be with you

I caught three whiting (all 27-28cm) on the flats on Saturday afternoon (all released). I took photos of all of them, but they look the same anyway so attached just one. There was a few undersize tharwine in between them. I fished the run in tide with nippers, the bite went cold towards the last 90 mins of the run in (maybe the fish are spread too much by then) The boat traffic has been crazy this summer. Even on the weekend some of the wake from the big cruisers in the channel was causing waves to break on the flats

I tried the AR today with soft plastics. Got stripped by jackets a few times before giving up. Tried middle ground afterwards for nothing. Came home when the ne was puffing, probably came home too early in hindsight,turned out to be a cracker of a day. Water was 15 degrees and green

Ha ha, I could tell by the photo it was a different fishing trip for you Yowie. Nice catch. I tried bate bay over Easter (the port was Chaos with boat traffic). Found big schools of bait but all I could get under em was Sargent bakers. Btw, someone has caught and released a 3.3m fish at LILLI PILLI over Easter, I was swimming nearby with my family the day after.? https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/boy-catches-3-28-metre-bull-shark-in-popular-sydney-swimming-spot-20180404-p4z7nj.html

Interesting idea once through the tail, I’ll give it a go. The nippers will have plenty of go in them. Not much fishing this weekend. With the great weather most of the weekend was on the boat with the family, I did sneak a quick fish in early this Morning in SWA. A 20cm snapper was the best. Hordes of small jackets around. Would come up to the surface following my bait and I could hear them snapping their teeth. I gave up at the top of high tide, boat traffic was already heavy (someone decided to go between me and the shore, even though I was only about 10m of the bank?) and the family wee calling

Yep I am striking, I then get them to under the kayak before they spit the hook. I am fishing middle of the day so maybe I should try earlier or later

Been trying soft plastics in the hacking for no success at all so last two trips have tried nippers. Plenty of little ones on the rising tide on the flats but nothing of size. Although it does seem like the bigger ones spit the hook when they see the kayak. Any suggestions as to how to get next size up if fish?

Great snapper and great story Yowie.

Buks, it isnt that simple. It comes down to the Weather on the day and the apps aren't 100% accurate. I suggest planning on staying inside for the first few trips and then testing what it's like near the heads In which ever system your in. Remember, safety first. There is always another weekend to go fishing.

The biggest issue is how close the swells are. Big swell isn't so much an issue as the boat will go up and over. When the swell as close, the nose is still going down when the next swell hits you and so it's a bit hairy. I've been out in 20 knot southerlies but it's been ugly. I have also been out in 60'k it westerlies. In both cases I trimmed up to get home with no issues. But the key is to take it easy, learn your boat and work up to the worst weather. Also, imo having fished he harbour, Botany Bay, port hacking, is that there is plenty of good fishing "inside" so I don't stress if it's rough outside the heads.

Heh mate. I have a searay 175. I head outside the heads but the weather needs to be good, have been up to cape Bailey and down to coal cliff (both from port hacking). The nose of the searay bowrider is low so it will take a wave over the nose when the waves are short. It's happened or me a few times so pick your day to go outside. In the harbours/bays no problems at all.