fran1mat

Well done boys. Looks like a bit of fun had all around. c'n'r

It is hard to tell the lure and baby snapper apart. How aggresive are they, attacking something not much bigger than itself. Better things to come with that lure I am sure. c'n'r

Well done Arty9. Nice first SP flattie mate. c'n'r

Wear your spiking like a badge of honour. Good on you Anthony. Well done mate. c'n'r

Terrific report Mick. Mate, those video's should be outlawed. Actually seeing your rod bending and your reels squeeling makes me want to go fishing right this second. Good stuff mate. c'n'r

Well done mate. I would rather be doing what you were doing instead of sitting at work. Great read. c'n'r

What a great read. The fish in the Georges River will be glad that you don't have every week off to fish. Those flatties, bream and EP's are crackers. Just on another note, your PB on the Numb Ray doesn't count unless you get cracked by it! Well done mate. c'n'r

Well done Hamerz. Looks like you had plenty of fun. Congrat's to your brother and his new little family as well.

Terrific read. Well done.

That really is a great effort on such light gear. Well done mate.

Great report Groper. I love using my brothers visits to Sydney most Christmases as an excuse for more fishing. Do you do those Bonito on the BBQ?

Hello Raiders, This report will be in two sections. We hit Botany Bay about 6am for a soft plastic session targetting flatties. It was slow early on, a couple of fish just on legal and a couple just under legal. While we were happily flicking away my mate draws my attention to a school of bait fish chopping up not far from us. We quickly swapped to some metal Raiders and motored a bit closer and proceeded to catch 15 tailor (all about 20cm) in about 15 minutes. It was plenty of fun, very fast and furious. Just as quickly as they turned up, they dissapeared and we went back to focussing on the flathead. We moved to the deeper water between Sans Souci and Towra Point (hint hint for those attending the social next weekend - you could throw stones at the park were the social will be situated) and that is when it got exciting. I hooked up with a 51cm flathead on my brand new Shimano Raider II Mexican Fire rod and Symetre reel. Both handled the fish beautifully. Not long after I watched an equally large flathead chase my plastic up beside the boat until it seemed to notice the boat and took off (unfortunately without the plastic in his gob) I have been trialling a weighted soft plastic left to drift out behind the boat, and sure enough, as the lure passed about where the flathead had come up to the boat, wham, it was off. After a fight of a minute or two, during which it started to absolutely pour, another 51cm model was delivered to the side of the boat. So the tally for part one of the day was 6 Flathead (2 X 51cm, 2 X 36cm & 2 X 34cm) 15 Tailor and a undersize bream. Time beat us and we had to go back in but now we get to part two of the story. We loaded the boat up and ducked home and collected my 2 and a half year old daughter for her first ever fish. We motored out into the Georges River under the capable captaining of Miss Isabella We had a quick flick and hooked up for her, after what seemed like an hour if 'winding, winding, winding daddy' her first ever fish - a flattie that went about 30cm. She absolutely loved it but couldn't understand why she couldn't give it 'huggles' which is her own little cross of a hug and a snuggle. He loved seeing the fish swim off. All up we caught another 6 flathead for her pleasure before we had to head home for lunch and a sleep. She told her mum all about winding, winding winding (with the little hand motion of winding) and about the fish and driving the boat. Just on another very quick note, my mate when we were trying to catch a fish for her, hooked an absolute ripper. Unfortunately he forgot to loosen his drag a bit (even though it did take a bit of line off him with the drag pretty tight) The fish straightened and snapped his hook. Pretty amazing stuff. Anyway everyone, I know it is a long post, but I really enjoy reading posts when other Raiders have their little one's out for a fish or their first fish. I hope you guys enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed the afternoon. Everything we caught was released today. All the best catch'n'release

Well done Rob. Those are some good looking flatties mate.

What a moron! 15cm and the fool wanted to argue. Fair dinkum.

If you have a look at about the 20 sec mark there is about half a dozen flatties swimming along just off the pace of the lure. Amazing stuff. He has three other videos of the same thing, it just looks like they are using different lures.

Good stuff mate. That 83cm is an absolute cracker. I too am a soft plastic flathead fisherman in Botany Bay and the Georges River, and just like you mate I have a real fondness for the Berkly Gulp products. Good on you mate and keep those stories coming. catch'n'release

All we did with the Minnow's was to kept the rodtip low to the water and 'twitched' with very sharp wrist movements and a slow wind at the same time. Was very effective up there but I can't take a trick using this technique in Sydney (have more luck with the big lift of the rod tip from 0 to 90 degree's with a few twitches on the way.) Not sure about the tides mate but I agree with Tip Tip, it wouldn't matter to me, if I was up there I would be fishing whenever I could. All the best and hope to hear how you go. Matt

Hi mate, I posted this a few weeks ago. http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=50724 I fished the Maroochy River on a charter and the skipper swears by the 3 inch Berkly Gulp Minnow in smelt colour for that area. The fish loved them, We caught trevally, bream, flatties, and cod (one only) all day. Have a good time. Matt

Sounds like most outings for me, something seems to go horribly wrong and never anything caught. Better luck next time Roberta. Matt

Well done Ray, looks like you and the little general had a good day out. Matt

Nice haul Eddie, well done.

Well done mate. Must be pretty satisfying fishing in a boat you (and a few helpers) fixed up.

Hi Zac, I just PM'ed you mate. Good luck and let me know how you go. c'n'r

Sounds like a lot of fun had by everyone. Well done fella's.

Hello Raiders, Spent the past week on the Sunshine Coast Qld with the family on an unexpected vacation. I took the opportunity to go out on a half day charter with a local operator who fishes the estury systems from the Pumicestone Passage right up to the Noosa River. On this occasion we fished the Maroochy River which for those that don't know it, is a healthy river that runs though the town of Maroochydore which is just north of Moolloolaba, all towns in the area otherwise known as the Sunshine Coast, all 1.5 hour north of Brisbane. Anyhow, enough of the geography lesson. The fishing was consistently excellent. There were two others on board and everyone caught plenty of fish including dusky flathead, trevally, bream and cod. The skipper was telling me they catch plenty of school jew and when the season is right, Mangrove Jack as well. All of these fish were caught on 3" Berkly Gulp Minnows in the Smelt colour. They seem to be the skipper's plastic of choice and they fished really well all day. This trevally was mine, it went 53cm. I haven't experienced anything like it, we actually had to chase the thing up the river using the electric motor, it just wouldn't stop. The flattie went 62cm. This flattie and the cod were caught by others on board but I thought I would share the pic's as they were nice fish caught in very tranquil surroundings. All of the fish caught on the day were released. There were plenty of other fish caught as well, lots undersize but plenty would have gone legal as well. A very good half day fishing. Regards, catch'n'release