FIRST and PB Bully Mullet on a soft plastic!!! With a couple nice flathead mixed in! 1/05/21

[JamoDamo]

G'day Fishraiders!

Another day another fishing session and guess what! I caught my first legitimate mullet on soft plastics! Now I had foul hooked 20cm models and a beast 40cm model but nothing could prepare me for the fight that was to come.

After putting up my recent bream on soft plastics topic up I decided to downsize my leader to 4lb and utilising light jigheads ie 1/16th's and 1/20 hidden weights with grubz and small baitfish profiles. Recently landed my first fish on a hidden weight and of course it had to be a flathead.. Got another very nice flattie on a hidden weight smothered in s factor.. that fish measured in at around 55cm and on 4lb I was worried about how the hell am I going to land the bloody thing as it was thrashing about and making long and powerful runs... luckily I made the smart choice of bring my landing net with me and plop! Flattie in the net, it had been fighting for a while so I put her back in before a photo as I didn't want to have it die on me. Gotta love quick after school/work sessions hey!

Went down to a local spot 5-10 minutes walk from home on a dropping tide to give the 4lb another bash.. couple good bites here and there but no hookups... saw a big mullet swipe my lure before the pb one, was pretty skitzed out seeing that go for a grub! I move to a small mudflat section of the spot and bounce a lure over 40-50cm of water in broad daylight hoping for a flattie to smack my lure on drop. A little nip at the tail and smack! The rod loads up I set the hook and my rod starts going crazy! That wonderful sound of drag starts to shred off my spool. I watch this thing absolutely smoke me on 4lb. I watch the flame green 8lb braid cut through the water as this fish goes for another blistering run up the flat... I finally have some control and start to guide its head towards me moving the rod over to my left and slowly coaxing it in. Flash! I see a huge silver flash arise from the murky water first thought is.. is this a huge bream or baby jew or hell.. what is that?... a mullet?! It starts doing tuna circles and here I am trying my best to keep this fish from cutting me off on the oyster encrusted rocks. I finally get it into a little cove and grab it! What. Just. Happened?! I pull this absolute barrel of a mullet measuring 46cm up and onto the platform and what can I say I was absolutely stoked!

Screaming with joy I hear my voice echo up the river. I couldn't believe just two weeks after a pb whiting at the same spot that I had just landed Bully mullet.. On a plastic?! Hell I remember thinking to myself about catching a mullet on soft plastics on the same day and guess what? I had done it! Unfortunately for me I was having a solo session and had no one to help me take some glory shots.. However I tried my best to get some good photos and the mullet turned into some future mulloway bait. I quick brain spike and it was over. It was out of its misery and I had some fresh jew bait! Ecstatic with excitement I call @SaltyGreek and tell him about the mullet... He was pretty surprised when I told him and I said i've got some fresh jew bait! I got a couple more hits from big mullet but no further hookups but hell i'm stoked! I later cut up some small strips and use them for bait. Caught a tiddler flatty and got a 1.3m longfin eel on a mullet strip.. on 4lb! It snapped off and that concluded my session for the day right at dark!

Heres some photos of my captures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heres a flatty I kept for Grandma:

 

Was around the 43cm mark

 

Also would anyone know of any tackle shops in the Sydney south area that would be hiring? I'm dead keen on a getting a job in the industry would be proper stoked to work in something like that! If so please let me know!

Cheers Raiders!

JamoDamo

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by JamoDamo
Formatting

[Larkin]

Well done mate. Gotta love a good fight on light gear.

 

[JamoDamo]

2 hours ago, Larkin said:

Well done mate. Gotta love a good fight on light gear.

Who doesn't!

[wazatherfisherman]

Excellent fish Jamo well done!

[kingie chaser]

16 hours ago, JamoDamo said:

Also would anyone know of any tackle shops in the Sydney south area that would be hiring? I'm dead keen on a getting a job in the industry would be proper stoked to work in something like that! If so please let me know!

Cheers Raiders!

JamoDamo

Nice report Jamo.

To your question.

I guess when you look at the facets of the fishing industry there are many branches(like aquaculture, charter & commercial fishing etc) , I guess you are looking a the retail side which obviously involves a knowledge base of all things fishing & including the tackle itself.

So essentially people would be looking for someone with sales experience or at least the ability to learn that side of it & an idea of the equipment side of things.

Its a hard thing to get into something without any experience but everyone has to start somewhere right!

Sometimes a way to get into these types of jobs to try doing an internship, but usually you would be studying something, sometimes it through door knocking & sending out a CV or cover letter via email or post. 

 

My suggestion is write yourself up a cover, talk about your current knowledge, what your skills & experience is, being young what your future ambitions are ect so you can email it or even hand over to a store owner.

If you are seen to be super keen you will be noticed!!

 

I know myself having tried to get into other jobs that you have a limited skillset (especially when covid hit & I lost my job) thats its a very hard thing to do BUT you just have to keep plugging away.

 

I was actually in a local a shop store at the start of covid & there was a notice on the counter that they were looking for someone to work in their fishing tackle department, I thought thats something I could do.

In the end I didnt apply as I though nah, they arent going to hire me over someone who has retail store sales experience but I should have tried anyway.

I did apply for jobs in places like Australia post & Bunnings, warehouse companies which again in jobs I am not trained at just to either get no response or got an email saying Im not what they are looking for which can be disheartening but you just have to keep at it & not let it get you down. 

So again, a well written cover letter & start sending it & dropping it off to the major stores & local stores as well & just keep trying & enquiring, being persistent & looking keen.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/write-cover-letter/?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=10827645806&utm_targetid=dsa-1233402314764&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-LOEBhDCARIsABrC0Tm9AOGDxeGzvpQ-t9Hh7I4ZcZwtBBZg3G9kJ4oO2bA6--NFRLaRWKQaAqscEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh & you could also send it to the Australian manufacturers & importers of the tackle, you know who they are 😉

 

Good luck with it. 

 

https://www.seek.com.au/fishing-tackle-jobs

 

https://au.jora.com/Fishing-jobs-in-Australia

 

https://www.seek.com.au/fishing-jobs?page=2

Edited May 2, 2021 by kingie chaser

[masterfisho7]

Well done nice fish

[zmk1962]

Great report and catch JamoDamo! You saw more action on your bank than we did on the shelf 🤣. Good on you for giving it a go. 
KC has given you good advice re job hunting. You may also want to go to a few tackle shops and just have a chat to a store manager about what they look for in an applicant - you’ll be surprised what could come out of that.  
Best of luck with it. 
cheers Zoran 

[Rebel]

Great report and Super photos.

[Smobaby]

Great report persistence paid off. As far a working in the industry goes try a independent tackle shop, offer to volunteer your time to learn the skill required. You can only go forward from there. Be persistent.

[mrsswordfisherman]

Good advice there everyone and thanks @kingie chaser

We have helped many raiders get into fishing jobs. 

The first was a young school boy who loved fishraider. He and a few others joined the socials. He started in a well known tackle company when he left school. He now lives in Finland and is a Vice President in the company. 

There are a few others that are deckies for charter operators. I know of 2 that are Marine Scientists. Lots are Marine Rescue NSW volunteers. Fishraiders are everywhere  

Get some credentials like a Boat Licence. Here is a link to volunteer and you need to be 16. 

https://www.marinerescuensw.com.au/become-a-volunteer/apply-to-become-a-volunteer/ 

[kingie chaser]

2 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said:

Good advice there everyone and thanks @kingie chaser

We have helped many raiders get into fishing jobs. 

The first was a young school boy who loved fishraider. He and a few others joined the socials. He started in a well known tackle company when he left school. He now lives in Finland and is a Vice President in the company. 

There are a few others that are deckies for charter operators. I know of 2 that are Marine Scientists. Lots are Marine Rescue NSW volunteers. Fishraiders are everywhere  

Get some credentials like a Boat Licence. Here is a link to volunteer and you need to be 16. 

https://www.marinerescuensw.com.au/become-a-volunteer/apply-to-become-a-volunteer/ 

Thats a great story about the longevity of the forum & also just how important the connectivity & engagement between members is 🙂

Its funny how life can move you in different directions with just the people or contacts you may have but you also have to be proactive & committed  

[Koalaboi]

Hi JamoDamo,

Your post was so well written...I am an English teacher, now 43 years at it and still teaching. You write so well. It's a strength, indeed a talent that you have and you should remember that.

At your age I too was keen on fishing and found a job working in a fishing tackle store. What fun it was and what I learned too. At the time, high speed spinning off the rocks for pelagics (1970s) was the fashionable fishing trend and to find myself working in a tackle shop with a fisherman like Lyn Donoghue was heady stuff. 

I ended up running a factory that produced a range of fishing tackle (Key West) for sale both here and in NZ, mostly landing nets and fishing bags. We also produced ping pong tables for a well known retailer. Some funny stories from those days too.

I learned how to make rods and was given access to a huge range of fishing experiences I would not otherwise have had.

You have got so many good things going for you: go for it. 

Your written expression is so good that I think you can perhaps aim really high long term.

KB

 

[jenno64]

Fantastic post and some amazing feedback and advice provided. Take the advice given and follow your dream on this one!! Nothing better than turning your hobby into a career.  BTW awesome mullet on the light gear....I try to find the 10-15cm models for bait:)

[Little_Flatty]

Jamo,

As the others have said, you have a lot going for you and there is a lot to be said for giving things a red hot go while you are young. Before you get older and acquire more responsibilities like rent/mortgage/partner/business/kids/dog/car/boat, take the chance to try out various things, including going for a role that is related to fishing and/or studying something that will help your chances/give you vocational skills.

You'll find that there are a lot of people who would love to help you out, for no other reason other than the fact they were once young ones who were in the same position themselves. I was lucky enough to meet a whole lot of people who helped me get started in my career (funnily enough this was only a few years before I first joined Fishraider) and nearly 20 years later I still call them among my trusted friends and mentors. It's nice now that I'm older, that I can help others get started in their careers as well. Alas, I'm not in the fishing industry!

Good luck!

 

[JamoDamo]

19 hours ago, wazatherfisherman said:

Excellent fish Jamo well done!

Thank you so much Waza!

13 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

Nice report Jamo.

To your question.

I guess when you look at the facets of the fishing industry there are many branches(like aquaculture, charter & commercial fishing etc) , I guess you are looking a the retail side which obviously involves a knowledge base of all things fishing & including the tackle itself.

So essentially people would be looking for someone with sales experience or at least the ability to learn that side of it & an idea of the equipment side of things.

Its a hard thing to get into something without any experience but everyone has to start somewhere right!

Sometimes a way to get into these types of jobs to try doing an internship, but usually you would be studying something, sometimes it through door knocking & sending out a CV or cover letter via email or post. 

 

My suggestion is write yourself up a cover, talk about your current knowledge, what your skills & experience is, being young what your future ambitions are ect so you can email it or even hand over to a store owner.

If you are seen to be super keen you will be noticed!!

 

I know myself having tried to get into other jobs that you have a limited skillset (especially when covid hit & I lost my job) thats its a very hard thing to do BUT you just have to keep plugging away.

 

I was actually in a local a shop store at the start of covid & there was a notice on the counter that they were looking for someone to work in their fishing tackle department, I thought thats something I could do.

In the end I didnt apply as I though nah, they arent going to hire me over someone who has retail store sales experience but I should have tried anyway.

I did apply for jobs in places like Australia post & Bunnings, warehouse companies which again in jobs I am not trained at just to either get no response or got an email saying Im not what they are looking for which can be disheartening but you just have to keep at it & not let it get you down. 

So again, a well written cover letter & start sending it & dropping it off to the major stores & local stores as well & just keep trying & enquiring, being persistent & looking keen.

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/write-cover-letter/?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=10827645806&utm_targetid=dsa-1233402314764&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-LOEBhDCARIsABrC0Tm9AOGDxeGzvpQ-t9Hh7I4ZcZwtBBZg3G9kJ4oO2bA6--NFRLaRWKQaAqscEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh & you could also send it to the Australian manufacturers & importers of the tackle, you know who they are 😉

 

Good luck with it. 

 

https://www.seek.com.au/fishing-tackle-jobs

 

https://au.jora.com/Fishing-jobs-in-Australia

 

https://www.seek.com.au/fishing-jobs?page=2

I can't thank you enough Kingie Chaser! One of the blokes I fish with let me know that herecommendedd me for work at a local tackle shop so theres some awesome things to come!

[JamoDamo]

12 hours ago, masterfisho7 said:

Well done nice fish

Cheers mate!

 

12 hours ago, zmk1962 said:

Great report and catch JamoDamo! You saw more action on your bank than we did on the shelf 🤣. Good on you for giving it a go. 
KC has given you good advice re job hunting. You may also want to go to a few tackle shops and just have a chat to a store manager about what they look for in an applicant - you’ll be surprised what could come out of that.  
Best of luck with it. 
cheers Zoran 

Cheers Zoran! Good fun the old bully mullet on light gear! I'm definitely going to go into a couple tackle shops and give it a look! One of the blokes I fish with has recommended me to a fishing tackle shop nearby so who knows with a bit of luck I may land myself a job as a tackle shop employee! Would be stoked! 

12 hours ago, Rebel said:

Great report and Super photos.

Thank you Rebel! Appreciate the kind words!

11 hours ago, Smobaby said:

Great report persistence paid off. As far a working in the industry goes try a independent tackle shop, offer to volunteer your time to learn the skill required. You can only go forward from there. Be persistent.

Persistence is key in fishing you gotta put the hours in to get better at the spot and also expand your knowledge in the sport. I'm going to give it a go and put in a cv to a couple of the local tackle shops in the area! Will do!

[JamoDamo]

10 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said:

Good advice there everyone and thanks @kingie chaser

We have helped many raiders get into fishing jobs. 

The first was a young school boy who loved fishraider. He and a few others joined the socials. He started in a well known tackle company when he left school. He now lives in Finland and is a Vice President in the company. 

There are a few others that are deckies for charter operators. I know of 2 that are Marine Scientists. Lots are Marine Rescue NSW volunteers. Fishraiders are everywhere  

Get some credentials like a Boat Licence. Here is a link to volunteer and you need to be 16. 

https://www.marinerescuensw.com.au/become-a-volunteer/apply-to-become-a-volunteer/ 

Wow! Thats awesome i'd love to get into something like that! I'm going to get my L's first and then my boat license just so i've got my bases covered. I'm going to head into work/tafe straight away i'd rather go on that pathway apart from uni but nonetheless! 

Thanks Donna!

5 hours ago, Koalaboi said:

Hi JamoDamo,

Your post was so well written...I am an English teacher, now 43 years at it and still teaching. You write so well. It's a strength, indeed a talent that you have and you should remember that.

At your age I too was keen on fishing and found a job working in a fishing tackle store. What fun it was and what I learned too. At the time, high speed spinning off the rocks for pelagics (1970s) was the fashionable fishing trend and to find myself working in a tackle shop with a fisherman like Lyn Donoghue was heady stuff. 

I ended up running a factory that produced a range of fishing tackle (Key West) for sale both here and in NZ, mostly landing nets and fishing bags. We also produced ping pong tables for a well known retailer. Some funny stories from those days too.

I learned how to make rods and was given access to a huge range of fishing experiences I would not otherwise have had.

You have got so many good things going for you: go for it. 

Your written expression is so good that I think you can perhaps aim really high long term.

KB

 

Thank you so much for this response! I was stoked to see this pop up on my little thread! I appreciate the kind words so much!!! I'm definitely going to try hard to make this passion into a possible career who knows what could happen! I'll try my best long term i'd love to get out of school finally and get stuck into a career that I enjoy doing! 

 

1 hour ago, jenno64 said:

Fantastic post and some amazing feedback and advice provided. Take the advice given and follow your dream on this one!! Nothing better than turning your hobby into a career.  BTW awesome mullet on the light gear....I try to find the 10-15cm models for bait:)

Too good! I honestly wasn't expecting this much positive feedback its almost overwhelming! The mullet sure did go hard on 4lb was so stoked!

 

59 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said:

Jamo,

As the others have said, you have a lot going for you and there is a lot to be said for giving things a red hot go while you are young. Before you get older and acquire more responsibilities like rent/mortgage/partner/business/kids/dog/car/boat, take the chance to try out various things, including going for a role that is related to fishing and/or studying something that will help your chances/give you vocational skills.

You'll find that there are a lot of people who would love to help you out, for no other reason other than the fact they were once young ones who were in the same position themselves. I was lucky enough to meet a whole lot of people who helped me get started in my career (funnily enough this was only a few years before I first joined Fishraider) and nearly 20 years later I still call them among my trusted friends and mentors. It's nice now that I'm older, that I can help others get started in their careers as well. Alas, I'm not in the fishing industry!

Good luck!

Thank you so much Little_Flatty! I'd love to get into a fishing based career, i'll sure give it a red hot crack! Could be getting a job in tackle shop soon so that would be pretty awesome!

[yting]

Nice report mate, cracker mullet 

nath

 

[JamoDamo]

26 minutes ago, yting said:

Nice report mate, cracker mullet 

nath

Went hard on 4lb thats for sure!

[Berrero]

Congrats mate, they go like the bloody clappers once they are hooked

If only they were easier to target..! I have a mate who usually chases pelagics and big jewies etc who purposefully targets them on 6lb with a float and bread because of how much they fight

 

[Larkin]

Mate, another option would be to get yourself a GoPro  - set up a YouTube & Ticktoc account and start filming some fishing adventures. Would love to see some of that action you get into. It’ll also get you noticed.

[JamoDamo]

Good news everyone! I've landed myself a job at a tackle shop about 20-30 minutes drive from my place! So stoked! My first job and of all things a job at a tackle shop! Can't wait to start working there I start next week on Sunday from 9-5!

[mrsswordfisherman]

@JamoDamo well done and enjoy your 1st job 

[Green Hornet]

10 minutes ago, JamoDamo said:

Good news everyone! I've landed myself a job at a tackle shop about 20-30 minutes drive from my place! So stoked! My first job and of all things a job at a tackle shop! Can't wait to start working there I start next week on Sunday from 9-5!

That's awesome JD!

As the say, "He who can earn an income doing what they enjoy, will never have to work a day in their life".

[Burger]

Congratulations JamoD!  Sounds like a dream first job! 👏