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I want to catch bonitos! please help


LittleNipper

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Hi guys. I've had my boat now for exactly one year (my first boat) its a Stacer Wild rider 499 with a 90HP Yamaha. I have been out almost every week i would say. everyone usually says the honey moon period will wear off but it sure hasn't!! :) 

I usually launch at Parsley Bay and enter the Hawksbury, usually fish inside the hawksbury around danger island, Juno point and mainly around patonga area. Last weekend i finally got the courage to take a trip out to lion island cause the weather was AMAZING! looked really promising out there but still not confident with my boating abilities and my boat size.  I would love to catch something other than bream and flathead and am interested in some Bonito!!

Anyone have any idea or tips on how to catch them, areas to fish, bait, lures...anything hahaha

Cheers 

P.s. if you see a black bow rider in the hawksbury say hello :)

Cheers

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I heard that there were a few bonies knocking about of the beaches at Umina. You'd have have to go slight open water, depending on the swell, but they were taking small metals. Cast them in to the bait and let them sink. If you use bigger metals, the tailor underneath  were biting.

I'm going to head offshore on Saturday if you want to follow along. I'm chasing offshore flathead. I'll be in a white boat with Stress Free (profile pic) written on the side. Offshore, you need a bit of extra kit, Radio, V-SHeet, flares, water etc. If the water beside Lion Island is above 1 1/2 metres then that counts as Open water.

 

Feel free to PM me if you want

 

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@antonywardle  Really appreciate the offer man!  Im not 100% confident in offshore just yet, last week to lion island was my furthest trip out :( im going to try and head there again this Saturday and fish the south side of the island. I will be there pretty early if its calm, give us a wave if you go bye. I might take you up on the offer in the future if you're still keen 

Thanks for the tips, i might sus it out and launch from ettalong if its a little closer to Umina than parsley bay

Salmon were busting up all over Patonga last week and the week before , plenty of boats casting lures into them but didnt see anyone land any unfortunately. I've stocked up on some metals and rapalas so if there is bonito or salmon about ill be prepared (slightly an understatement as i have never caught anything on a soft plastic or lure before 😅

 

Cheers

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If you are launching from somewhere on the central coast then Lions Park is a pretty good ramp

Gosford could be better but is ok, and Koolewong is new and is  ok, although last time I was there, they were redoing the the northern end of the car park.  I can't recommend Patonga at all. very hard work by yourself and the swell always seems to be the wrong way and you don't have anywhere to tie up.

I'll look out for you on Saturday, how long will you be out for?

Edited by antonywardle
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29 minutes ago, LittleNipper said:

@antonywardle  Really appreciate the offer man!  Im not 100% confident in offshore just yet, last week to lion island was my furthest trip out :( im going to try and head there again this Saturday and fish the south side of the island. I will be there pretty early if its calm, give us a wave if you go bye. I might take you up on the offer in the future if you're still keen 

Thanks for the tips, i might sus it out and launch from ettalong if its a little closer to Umina than parsley bay

Salmon were busting up all over Patonga last week and the week before , plenty of boats casting lures into them but didnt see anyone land any unfortunately. I've stocked up on some metals and rapalas so if there is bonito or salmon about ill be prepared (slightly an understatement as i have never caught anything on a soft plastic or lure before 😅

 

Cheers

If you troll around Lion Island at about 5.5 - 6 knots, keeping about 50 metres out, you should pick up some bonito. I like the Rapala XRap Magnum 15 in ghost white but the old red head and Xmas tree lures work too. I used to always pick them up out the front of the island, just watch the waves. Basically, when you see the bait on your sounder, count to 10 and expect a hookup. 😉 Trolling from Barrenjoey headland down to Whale Beach or Avoca always got me a few, too. 😉 Good luck.

There used to be a very good article on this type of sportfishing in the forums somewhere. I can’t remember who wrote it but it helped me greatly.

Edited by Berleyguts
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51 minutes ago, antonywardle said:

I'm going to head offshore on Saturday if you want to follow along. I'm chasing offshore flathead. I'll be in a white boat with Stress Free (profile pic) written on the side. Offshore, you need a bit of extra kit, Radio, V-SHeet, flares, water etc. If the water beside Lion Island is above 1 1/2 metres then that counts as Open water.

Sounds like a great offer @LittleNipper, if the weather/sea are good it would be a missed opportunity imo.

Not sure if you have a VHF radio to keep in contact but if not take a couple of UHF's along so you can communicate. 

There's only one way to get the confidence up & that's by doing it & if you have company well that's going to make it even easier :thumbup:

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2 hours ago, LittleNipper said:

Hi guys. I've had my boat now for exactly one year (my first boat) its a Stacer Wild rider 499 with a 90HP Yamaha. I have been out almost every week i would say. everyone usually says the honey moon period will wear off but it sure hasn't!! 🙂

I usually launch at Parsley Bay and enter the Hawksbury, usually fish inside the hawksbury around danger island, Juno point and mainly around patonga area. Last weekend i finally got the courage to take a trip out to lion island cause the weather was AMAZING! looked really promising out there but still not confident with my boating abilities and my boat size.  I would love to catch something other than bream and flathead and am interested in some Bonito!!

Anyone have any idea or tips on how to catch them, areas to fish, bait, lures...anything hahaha

Cheers 

P.s. if you see a black bow rider in the hawksbury say hello 🙂

Cheers

If you feel like a drive up to tea gardens  in the next few weeks would be more than happy to take you out on our boat, bonito a guarantee and hopefully others 🤞. Will be heading out for the next few weekends if you are keen send me a Pm 👍

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2 hours ago, LittleNipper said:

@antonywardle  Really appreciate the offer man!  Im not 100% confident in offshore just yet, last week to lion island was my furthest trip out :( im going to try and head there again this Saturday and fish the south side of the island. I will be there pretty early if its calm, give us a wave if you go bye. I might take you up on the offer in the future if you're still keen 

Thanks for the tips, i might sus it out and launch from ettalong if its a little closer to Umina than parsley bay

Salmon were busting up all over Patonga last week and the week before , plenty of boats casting lures into them but didnt see anyone land any unfortunately. I've stocked up on some metals and rapalas so if there is bonito or salmon about ill be prepared (slightly an understatement as i have never caught anything on a soft plastic or lure before 😅

 

Cheers

RE: metals, have an assortment from 5g upwards - I've caught more bonito on 5g /8g than all other weights . 

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12 hours ago, anthman said:

RE: metals, have an assortment from 5g upwards - I've caught more bonito on 5g /8g than all other weights . 

The Bonito & other species also love the Xmas tree/feather trolling lures.

Worth a try when your on the move.

Edited by kingie chaser
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Most of the Bonnies I've seen in the last couple weeks are being caught around the headlands and so far only the metals have been successful. Minnows, poppers, stickbaits have rarely been hit. Also this is landbased, so on the boat you should have a wider range of areas you can try.

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You can catch them now but probably not in big numbers. Water too brown. Never know though if you find some good water this weekend you could get lucky. If you’re fishing the mouth of the Hawkesbury then the better water will be the leeward side of the ocean current. IE if its uphill then south. 

When it clears up ill be targeting them. Suggest trying a slow troll a metal close in to the rocks, be careful though. When you hit a patch anchor up and cast for them. When they’re on you can bag out pretty quickly.

Awesome sashimi next day if left in an ice slurry as soon as you capture them. Don’t worry about bleeding them.

They’re a species that vary greatly year to year. They might show up in plague proportions this December, or almost none at all until March 2021. Sometimes they’ll be pretty small one year then monsters the next. 

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10gm halco twisty does it for me also it means using lighter gear and the bonnies go hard. In pittwater I have caught them in the channel between west head and palm beach. Birds are a good indicator or just a hundred casts arround any headland.

 

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Been getting plenty down here on the south coast. Pulling white red head lures tend to be the most productive, halco's in the medium size that don't dive to deep. Dont set the drag to hard as they tend to pull hooks far easier than kings, which by the way are often with the bonies. 

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