Port Hacking jackets

[hookerbruce]

Fished inside Port Hacking yesterday morning. 10 km from home wouldn't get me very far into the ocean so stayed in the river, used fuel already in the boat and bait from the freezer so no interaction with anyone. First boat trip for a month. Have enough for few more trips yet.

Fished a few of my usual spots, few small reddies , the ones just under 30cm had me thinking I had dinner, couple undersized flathead and trevs all went back. Eventually came across school of yellow chinaman jackets, they weren't big but are quite tasty so kept a feed of them. Harvesting them might even save someone from losing rigs in the future. 

Had a few short (2 hours) landbased blackfish trips to the Georges which is only couple km from home, walk in and have the spot to myself. Fish are patchy most days 2 or 3, other days a dozen or two. Fish the same tides just depends if a school is swimming past.

 

[Rebel]

Good haul. Well done.

[puddlejumper]

Well done mate even though jackets are a pest they make a mad feed. They've been going pretty nuts in the harbour as well lately, even caught one that was either a deformed or had half its body bitten off but survived.

[Blackfish]

Good to see Bruce.

[Yowie]

You did not catch enough there Bruce, probably a million left in the river. 🤣

Still, they make a nice feed for a change.

Probably some of their relatives were chewing off my baits in Bate Bay yesterday.

[bessell1955]

They are, indeed great to eat and very easy to clean.  The flesh is a lovely firm white texture. 

[jenno64]

Nice feed of jackets!

[Fab1]

Well done mate.Enjoy having less people out and about on the water.

[hookerbruce]

5 hours ago, Fab1 said:

Well done mate.Enjoy having less people out and about on the water.

Still plenty of boats out the carpark at grays point was full. No queue to get in or out so safe distancing. 

[ilkfish]

 

Bruce thats a smart move, by getting those leather jackets

Leather jackets are a great table fish. i simply skin them and boil them, they tast exceptional. 

offshore on the deep reefs i used long super slim round jigs, with a touch of bait on the trebbles, found that it was a great way of getting them (at times if just an old patternoster rig was not that successful, as the fish had time to inhale the bait, whilst still having their teeth closed). but the moving long jig forced them to chase it and be more aggressive, hence caught easier.

i was thinking of making smaller versions of these jigs , for the estuary .

 

 

[Jiggy]

I've caught stacks on 100gm slow pitch jigs. Just bring them up as you would for snapper and they jump on them. As there is no bait smell on your tackle I rarely have a bite off. And the schools show up nicely on the sounder, so they are easy to find. 

Smaller jigs may work better but I do OK offshore with the larger ones. 

Cheers

Rob