Lower Harbour 23/02/20

[Ryder 202]

Hi Raiders

After wild weather I finally got out to put the newly acquired Butterworth through it's paces. While the upper harbour is still off colour the lower reaches are clearing up after the big fresh and the Blackfish are hungry.

 

I met up with Trevor at the spot before sunrise, only to find it occupied by another group of fishos there so we made our way around to a second spot hoping it might produce. In the pre dawn light it was hard to judge the depth to fish. It was a matter of trial and error, looking at the way the float was sitting and adjusting the float stopper.

Trevor got the first down but pulled the hook, only just feeling weight. I got a few downs before I pulled up tight on a good fish. The new rod performed beautifully, with a great parabolic action and a softness which makes you really feel the fight. We were into a school and the fishing was pretty consistent as the tide was nearing high. One fish reefed me in the kelp, I couldn't pull him out so I free spooled, dropped all tension, and after a couple of minutes my float surfaced and I was still on and soon he was safely in the net.

 

At the the top of the tide the bite slowed down, we looked back at our first spot and the other guys were gone so we move in. Fish came on from the first drift, and we kept adding to the bag. Quite a few throwbacks,  but most fish were in the 30 to mid 30 range. Trevor got wrapped around a pylon by a very good fish, he tried everything to get him out, but had to bust him off and we watched his homemade Aussie red cedar float drift away.

I bagged out with my 10 and the bite really slowed down so we called it a day. I pulled up the keeper net and 2 fish dropped out the bottom onto the deck and a third with his head half out the hole. The net obviously got torn on the oysters.  5 fish had made their escape so we ended up with 13. Good day thanks mate.

 

 

 

 

[Blackfish 346]

Great stuff @Ryder , a bag of Luderick, Avon Reel, Butterworth Rod ...... if only had more time i'd go back to the Dark Art.

[Smobaby 10]

Very nice considering the conditions we have experienced where they on weed or cabbage water must be full of debris 

[61 crusher 316]

Good report & photos, bummer about the hole in the net still a good bag all the same, the rod looks like it’s got a great action with still some power left in the bottom end 👍

[Burger 14]

Sounds like a great session Ryder, shame you lost a few to a holey net.

[big Neil 731]

Bit of a tonic reading your report Ryder. Having been fortunate to experience the finer art of Blackfishing with yours truly, I can FEEL the inner excitement of your report. Even finding the net torn and some fish escaped, would only be a slight hiccup in the days excitement. Thanks for sharing it mate. bn

[Yowie 730]

Another good bag of blackfish.

[Mr Squidy 47]

Top stuff Ryder, love the old rods but I'd recommend sticking to new keeper nets in future haha. Still a great haul even with a few escapees.

 

Rich