andrej351 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 (edited) Hi all, I've been lurking for a while now and decided to finally get involved and share a memorable capture: my first time bringing a fish home for the table! This was last week, so mid June. I'd had a rough morning working from home (1st world problem) and messaged the team saying I'm taking an extended lunch break, you know, for my mental health or something. I grab my fishing kit, which all fits in a backpack. I grab a cooler bag and ice packs, just in case the elusive catch and cook happens today. And I jump on my motorcycle and take off to the groynes at the south end of the Botany Bay beaches. The plan is to walk up the beach, flick up and down the groynes for half an hour or so, come home. I've been on doughnuts for a week or two, but feeling good about today. A quick shout out to the Australian Lure Fishing podcast. I've been listening to them religiously for the last couple of months and it is such an amazing resource. I can't remember the episode, must have been a Botany Bay one, but that podcast is the reason I chose this spot. I arrive and rig up. I chose a soft plastic at random. A 5 inch white jerk shad on a fairly heavy jig head. I'm not a good lure fisherman and I have a medium size combo with me so this heavier thing that can be thrown around feels good. I start working up the beach. The first groyne delivers nothing. Walking up the first section of beach delivers nothing. But I have my eye in now and am feeling more confident. The next groyne has no one on it so I start working my way up. Lot's of bait fish, lot's of flickers of action in the clear water, feeling more confident. I'm casting out as far as possible then mixing up my retrieves, fast jigs with big pauses, slow lifts, and little shuffles across the bottom. The little shuffles elicit a bite! At least I think it's a bit, the line is heavy, could be seaweed. Ok head shakes means it's definitely a fish! I think it's a flatty... It is! Fish went 40+, maybe 50. Processing on the rocks was fun 🙄 but I got it done. Waste was pretty bad. My filleting knife needs a good sharpen and i need to take my time a bit more. Threw the fillets in a zip lock and into my cooler bag and rode home. De-boned, crumbed and shallow fried. Was pretty good! So that's it. Something I've been looking forward to since I started fishing! Still so much to learn and improve on so looking forward to the next one. Thanks for reading and any feedback appreciated. Edited June 21, 2022 by andrej351 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burger Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Well done on your first 'fish for dinner' AJ! 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazatherfisherman Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Welcome to Fishraider AJ - no doubt first of many reports to come and a nice Flattie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Welcome aboard. Super flattie. Top photos. Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Andrej, Very jealous of your flatties. That fish is a superb eating size. I catch a lot in summer but not many in winter - my usual spots seem to shut down - so I may give the Botany groynes a visit one day You're doing the right thing by moving around and trying different retrieves etc. A lot of us here are avid listeners of the ALF podcast. Well done on a great first report! Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bessell1955 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Congratulations 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Ct Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Great looking flatte, welcome aboard. Tasty looking meal. Great photos. Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyFil Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Flatties like the plastic to bump the bottom every now and then so small lifts of the rod tip then let the plastic go back to the bottom - that's mainly when you get the fish as its sinking. Also try for the lightest jig head that you can cast and relative to the depth of water. You'll catch flatties in a foot of water at times so you don't need to be casting 50 meters to get them. Look for weed edges and changes in water depth as they often sit just over the edge waiting for small fish to wander out of the shallows. Nothing like a fresh fillet of flathead lightly fried! Well done on your first report. Fil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 A very warm welcome to the forum Andrej351. Your post is excellent, great content and pictures. A positive attitude goes a long way when fishing, doesn't guarantee a result, but it helps in trying that little bit harder...something which often reaps a reward. You will be filled with added confidence when you next take an extended lunch break. Good luck. bn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamski Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Well done mate! That fried flathead looks delicious! 😋 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Welcome to the world of sharing fishy tales A.J. Great post and always good to see the catch on the plate for the family! Btw the podcast you mention is a very good resource! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfisho7 Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Well done there some of the best eating 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 Great work Andre, can’t beat fresh flathead fillets. Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted June 22, 2022 Share Posted June 22, 2022 Nice fish! And welcome to FR A good knife and a flat surface do wonders for getting the most out of your fish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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