Blackfish Help

[maccapacca]

Hey all, just wanted to get into fishing for blackfish and have watched a few videos and read articles and was just curious as to what gear you guys reccomend and use to get into it, and how to find the actual weed locally (around Gladesville area) and how to use a float in current and wind.

Is there any specific brand of float? Looking for something cheap but works

Will 8lb braid and 8lb leader work?

Do you ever lose floats? 
 

How do I go about collecting bait for them?
 

Iv seen people catch at Huntleys point,Clarke’s point and Greenwich which are all close by abs easily accessible, have any of you guys caught anything decent there?

(iv read articles on fishraider and searched for help but just looking for some specific advice about my Situation)

Regards, Macca

[DerekD]

Hi Macca,

PM'd you some information which is part of an article I've been putting together on this topic.

[61 crusher]

Just a heads up can also catch them on the left hand side of Valencia st wharf, ferry st (man hole left hand side), near the parkland & marina  off wybalina road (all these spots hunters hill), Balmain peninsula from Elliot st through to darling st wharfs as well as wharf road Gladesville, green weed sometimes grows there  & at the other locations, check them for weed growth at low tide & fish the high tide. I’m pretty sure Abbotsford, Chiswick & Drummoyne walls & wharfs produce as well

Try the canals/ water drains for local weed eg. Meadow bank, Putney or maybe even timbral park near iron cove bridge 

Edited June 19 by 61 crusher

[maccapacca]

32 minutes ago, 61 crusher said:

Just a heads up can also catch them on the left hand side of Valencia st wharf, ferry st (man hole left hand side), near the parkland & marina  off wybalina road (all these spots hunters hill), Balmain peninsula from Elliot st through to darling st wharfs as well as wharf road Gladesville, green weed sometimes grows there  & at the other locations, check them for weed growth at low tide & fish the high tide. I’m pretty sure Abbotsford, Chiswick & Drummoyne walls & wharfs produce as well

Try the canals/ water drains for local weed eg. Meadow bank, Putney or maybe even timbral park near iron cove bridge 

Sounds great, have the spots and will grab the gear next weekend.Will soon hopefully be targeting them soon
 

Does some of the green weed look like moss on some of the rocks? I saw this video and it looked like ‘moss’ yet it was actually weed which he used for luderick

[61 crusher]

If it’s short they’ve either been grazing on it on the high tide or it is new or fresh & hasn’t had a chance to grow, the longer strands are good for bait, weed & cabbage can be also found near or on ocean rocks (read up or search how to store or grow weed) green, not sure about the moss you are referring to

[leonardgid]

15 minutes ago, maccapacca said:

Sounds great, have the spots and will grab the gear next weekend.Will soon hopefully be targeting them soon
 

Does some of the green weed look like moss on some of the rocks? I saw this video and it looked like ‘moss’ yet it was actually weed which he used for luderick

i understand  that the quality of the weed and /or cabbage is important , sometimes they will  take one but not the other  , when you fish  a new spot  always  try to fish  as long as possible ,  you could be there  for a couple of hours  with no  bites at all   and all of a sudden they start biting , one spot that i know  only has fish during an outgoing tide and does not always  have fish there ,once again it  all has to do with local knowledge ,and  practice

 

[maccapacca]

Are the point of the sinkers to get casting weight or keep the float down? And would you match the sinkers to the float? And I’m assuming I’m general the larger float means more buoyancy, do I need that or not?

[big Neil]

I'm no expert! The sinkers are necessary to get the float sitting properly in the water. This is important for the angler as it is the indicator of what is happening below it, and also that the Blackfish doesn't feel too much resistance when they take the bait. Generally, it's not necessary to cast long distances when fishing for Blackfish...

bn

[Koalaboi]

Hi Macca,

I’m assuming that you’ve read my article on this topic in the library so I’ll just answer a couple of issues you raise:

1. Line: A couple of points here. Firstly I think it’s a good idea to use a heavier mainline than trace so that if you get busted off, you are much less likely to lose a well balanced float. I’d go. 12lb mainline and have two spools of fluorocarbon leader: 6lb and 8lb for bigger fiah/snaggy and oyster covered rock spots. I don’t like braid for blackfishing as any tangles can be a nightmare to untie so stick to greased nylon monofilament for the mainline.

2. Any kind of float will work as long as it’s well balanced, easy to see and gives you a combined float and ballast weight to cast easily in the conditions you are fishing.

KB

 

[Subtropic]

15 hours ago, maccapacca said:

Hey all, just wanted to get into fishing for blackfish and have watched a few videos and read articles and was just curious as to what gear you guys reccomend and use to get into it, and how to find the actual weed locally (around Gladesville area) and how to use a float in current and wind.

Is there any specific brand of float? Looking for something cheap but works

Will 8lb braid and 8lb leader work?

Do you ever lose floats? 
 

How do I go about collecting bait for them?
 

Iv seen people catch at Huntleys point,Clarke’s point and Greenwich which are all close by abs easily accessible, have any of you guys caught anything decent there?

(iv read articles on fishraider and searched for help but just looking for some specific advice about my Situation)

Regards, Macca

I use an Alvey blackfish reel and 12 ft rod. I buy my floats and use medium size floats if I am fishing in calm weather and large floats if there is a bit of bump. Oh and I use mono. 
Weed is easy to find. Head down to the beach and you will find it and cabbage on the rocks which get partially submerged. Also find weed in the estuaries. Further north you get it in the Cane Drains.

 

[Subtropic]

I use to add Vaseline to my line years ago as well. I don’t worry about that now. 

[Rebel]

There is heaps of info. on the forum about Blackfish.

Cheers.

[XD351]

I have caught some big Luderick off Valencia st wharf. I used to get my weed at Putney many years ago but I think the rivercat  wash sort of killed it off . Off the ocean rocks is more reliable ( I find anyway) . 

[Burger]

I always use the smallest float possible for the conditions and have it weighted so only 1 or 2 cm's of the stem show above water, making it as neutrally bouyant as possible.

Learn how your float behaves in the water, any change to how it drifts may be a fish.

If it rises, stops in the drift or moves backwards against the drift are all possible bites that may not be the 'normal' down.

How long do you wait before a gentle strike? well that's part of the art of blackfishing.

A lift of the rod from horizontal to vertical will drag at least 10' of line and it doesn't have to be a drastic action otherwise you could wear your float in your face.

 Gear wise for the harbour, a soft 10' rod with a small threadline will get you started.

If you get hooked (and you likely will) a centrepin is generally the reel of choice for better line management in a drift or wind.

String weed strands need to be a few inches long (at least) to wrap around the hook properly. 

[maccapacca]

13 hours ago, Koalaboi said:

Hi Macca,

I’m assuming that you’ve read my article on this topic in the library so I’ll just answer a couple of issues you raise:

1. Line: A couple of points here. Firstly I think it’s a good idea to use a heavier mainline than trace so that if you get busted off, you are much less likely to lose a well balanced float. I’d go. 12lb mainline and have two spools of fluorocarbon leader: 6lb and 8lb for bigger fiah/snaggy and oyster covered rock spots. I don’t like braid for blackfishing as any tangles can be a nightmare to untie so stick to greased nylon monofilament for the mainline.

2. Any kind of float will work as long as it’s well balanced, easy to see and gives you a combined float and ballast weight to cast easily in the conditions you are fishing.

KB

 

Thanks for the help, only have 8lb braid mainline but can adjust my leader as needed, and a question I thought of is that for the sinkers would you usually use a split shot sinker? Or Just generic sinkers to keep the float balanced

Thanks for the great help, especially in your previous article 

[slowjigger]

There are at least a couple of brands of floating lines available which are well worth trying.

[maccapacca]

8 hours ago, XD351 said:

I have caught some big Luderick off Valencia st wharf. I used to get my weed at Putney many years ago but I think the rivercat  wash sort of killed it off . Off the ocean rocks is more reliable ( I find anyway) . 

Will have to try Valencia St Wharf, never thought it would be a good spot for luderick but I’d be keen to try it.Would the weed off the wharf be viable to use for bait?

[DerekD]

4 hours ago, maccapacca said:

Thanks for the help, only have 8lb braid mainline but can adjust my leader as needed, and a question I thought of is that for the sinkers would you usually use a split shot sinker? Or Just generic sinkers to keep the float balanced

Thanks for the great help, especially in your previous article 

I'm not a big fan of split shot as they are crimped onto the line and can create a potential weak spot. I'd rather use sinkers with a small hole through them and feed the line through several times to friction lock them into place.

With the sinkers you are trying to find a combination with whatever blackfish float you select to ensure the float only just stays above the water. This means that the blackfish can pull it under with minimal resistance. The small sinkers allow you to make minor corrections but if you spend some time you can often work out a float and sinker combination which doesn't require all the stuffing around to get it right each time.

[Koalaboi]

Hi Macca,

I make my own floats and every float is different requiring time to get properly balanced. I also find that they soak in water and lose a little buoyancy after a while. That being said, I almost always need to use split shot to get it balanced just right. Shot is good for this but bits do tend to fall off my rig sometimes and it occasionally needs to be readjusted. That’s why I use a heavier mainline with the lead above a swivel with the trace and hook below: losing a hook and trace is a simple fix rather than rerigging with a new float. I fish a lot and have been using the same float for nearly two years now. It needs repainting!

KB

 

[Green Hornet]

I agree with @DerekDthat split shot can weaken a leader.

 I like to use regular sinkers to weight my float as close as possible, and then fine tune with split shot.

A trick I was shown years ago was to leave a long tag on one of the knots on the swivel you use to join your main line to your leader and attach your shot to the tag. That way the strength of your rig isn’t compromised at all and crimped shot can simply be slid off the tag should you need make adjustments.

[Burger]

Another trick for split shot is to 'just' crimp the edge of the shot so it acts a bit like a running sinker.

Lots of good tips on here.

If there is cabbage growing on the Valenica st wharf it would be good bait as it will be part of their normal diet.

If I recall Valencia is a fairly new wharf setup,  might not be much cabbage growth yet unless they kept the old pontoon.

cheers, stu.

[XD351]

15 hours ago, maccapacca said:

Will have to try Valencia St Wharf, never thought it would be a good spot for luderick but I’d be keen to try it.Would the weed off the wharf be viable to use for bait?

If it is long enough to wrap around the hook it will be ok 

[Burger]

Have fished Valencia St wharf a few times and have done ok, however that was before the new wharf went in.

[DerekD]

3 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

A trick I was shown years ago was to leave a long tag on one of the knots on the swivel you use to join your main line to your leader and attach your shot to the tag. That way the strength of your rig isn’t compromised at all and crimped shot can simply be slid off the tag should you need make adjustments.

Oh that is clever.... Very clever....!

[XD351]

6 hours ago, Burger said:

Have fished Valencia St wharf a few times and have done ok, however that was before the new wharf went in.

Is that the old wooden one  or have they put a new one in or upgraded the pontoon recently ?