kingfish101

Set off at first light from Berowra Waters boat ramp with high hopes and a new fishing rod. The wet start to the day and a forecast for more rain to come ensured that the traffic would be light on the water. The mullet in Joe Crafts Bay had been well briefed and it took just 30 minutes to catch 12 fish. The 3 biggest mullet I gutted and cleaned and put in my cool bag for the table and from the remainder I kept 4 in my live bait tank and let the others go. The mullet I kept for bait were all around 30cm long which is ideal for a double 8/0 or 9/0 hook rig. Paddled to the river in record time and fished the tail end of the flood for 2 hours without any action. I very seldom catch any jewfish in the Hawkesbury on a flood tide. When a predator is near the big mullet get very lively and try to swim up from the bottom and this had occurred twice in the same area. Third try was at slack water and the hit came in relatively shallow water of around 4 meters, above the drop off and close to rocks. The fight was quite short but it was all in shallow water. When the jewfish came to the surface it was still green and lively and came off the gaff first try. The second shot was more successful and then the usual contortions to get the fish into the kayak hatch. The leading hook was well placed in the side of the mouth but the snell was frayed and partially unraveled and the trailing hook was gone. The mono leader was also cut and frayed over a length of several meters and looking at that terminal tackle I'm surprised this wasn't a 'one that got away' story. Pulled into the Twin Beaches on the home run where a group of (hardy) young people were camping and kindly took a couple of photographs for me.

Hi Yowie, The mullet on this occasion were sand mullet. I do catch one or two bully mullet from time to time and they are even better eating and also better bait because they are so strong and lively. Hi Peter KH, My homemade burley is a mix of Wonder White, Coles bread crumbs, a hand full of commercial burley from not allowed here rule 6 and fish oil. I add river water and mix it to a paste like mulch so most of it sinks when I throw it out. The fish oil seems to work better than tuna oil for some reason. Hope the info helps.

Chose the coldest day of the year to set off from Berowra Waters boat ramp in search of jewfish. The fog on the water at first light made the early morning chill even more biting. Usual stop at Joe Crafts Bay to catch some big mullet for live bait. Didn't make the same mistake I'd made in previous weeks by fishing the shallow waters of the flat. Dropped my little kayak anchor in 1 meter of water at the edge of the drop off. Threw a few handfuls of homemade berley and the mullet arrived in less than 5 minutes. It took just 30 minutes to catch 7 fish. Contrary to popular opinion I find mullet good eating and the 3 biggest fish I killed and kept for the table. I use a Frabill aerator for my live bait tank. The unit is quiet and provided the water is changed every couple of hours the mullet stay alive and lively all day. 4x30cm plus mullet is the limit for my small 10 litre tank. Made the river by 11 o'clock which gave me 3 hours to fish and still have time to paddle back to the ramp before dark. The tide on the day wasn't big but the ebb current was running very strongly, perhaps boosted by run off from the recent heavy rainfall. Fished a series of locations both wide and close to the shore and for the first couple of hours there was no action. The hit came when I was fishing close to rocks in less than 4 meters of water. I'd (foolishly) hardened up on the drag because of the proximity to snags. The fish went beneath the kayak, taking line, and the rod doubled over with the tip under the kayak and the mid length in contact with the side of the kayak. My favourite fishing rod, trusty companion of 15 years and slayer of all the big fish I've caught in that time succumbed with a loud crack and snapped. Surprisingly the fish was still on and the fight continued for another 10 minutes, me with the stump and 2 guides and the end meter or so of fishing rod beneath the surface with the fish. It would have been a fitting end for that old veteran rod to have won its final battle with a big fish but just as I was beginning to feel we were getting the upper hand and the fish was coming off the bottom the line went slack and the fish was gone. The rod was a 6-10 kg Silstar, not expensive but very durable and the first thing I did next day was order a replacement. The same model is still available but cost twice as much as I paid 15 years ago. Another exciting day on the water.

Gidday again Larkin, Great catches, as usual. I always follow your posts even though you and I are at opposite ends of our approach to fishing, you fast and sophisticated and me slow and primitive. I assume you are using a Go-Pro for your footage and I am thinking about joining the 21st century and purchasing a unit. Can you tell me which model you guys use?

Hi Larkin, I would guess the fish was over 1.5 meters. My previous PB was 1.46 meters a couple of years ago and that fish fitted in the hatch, albeit a tight fit, and I had problems getting it out! This fish was very fat and it definitely would not have fitted in. The fight was also much harder with this fish even allowing for the fact that I am a few years older and a bit more feeble.

Launched the kayak from Berowra Waters boat ramp at first light on a perfect Autumn morning. Not a breath of wind, wisps of sea smoke on the water and a forecast for sunshine all day. The full moon was setting somewhere behind the hills and despite what many people say, previously I've never had any success chasing jewfish on the full moon. The first setback of the day was catching some big mullet for live bait. They hadn't been briefed and were nowhere to be found on the flat in Joe Crafts Bay. Finally moved to the drop off and eventually had 3 good sized specimens in the tank. By then it was 11 o'clock. I debated whether it was worth the long paddle to the Hawkesbury. I would only have a couple of hours fishing by the time I got there but it was a beautiful day and I needed the exercise so with the ebb behind me I set off at my top speed of 8 km per hour. Started fishing in the river a little after 1 o'clock and got a good run on one of my mullet which lasted about 15 seconds and then nothing, the line went slack, and I reeled in a well chewed up bait. Towards the end of my final hour of fishing I was out wide in deep water on a slow drift, enjoying the ambience, and contemplating calling it a day. The hit when it came was fast and strong, and the kayak was towed for 50 meters, and then the line went slack. I don't know whether the fish was on all along or if he dropped the bait, and then came back for another go. This time the fight began in earnest and first I was towed almost all the way ashore, and then a change of direction and out into the middle of the waterway. We slugged it out for 45 minutes in deep water well away from heartbreaking snags with me winning some line and the fish taking it back on the next run. For a jewfish angler few things can be more exciting than the first sight of a massive fish rising from the depths but this fish was even bigger than I'd anticipated and after the initial excitement I realised that I had a big problem on the end of my line. The fish was too big to kill and keep and it wouldn't have fit into the hatch anyway. I'd made up my mind to release it but if I gaffed it out in deep water to remove the hooks there was a very good chance the fish would thrash around and we'd both end up in the water. I keep my camera in my lifejacket pocket and in the end I took a few shots, put the rod in the holder, and began towing the fish ashore. I made landfall 500 meters or so from where the fight started and was able to straddle the kayak with my feet in the mud for stability. I was careful to gaff the fish in the side of the mouth and after some antics removed the 2 hooks as gently as possible. After swimming the fish in shallow water it finally began to kick strongly and the last I saw of it was the bow wave as it headed out into deep water, hopefully to spawn the next generation of jewfish. Stopped off at Bar Island on the way back for a cup of flask tea and to reflect on a memorable life experience. The photographs don't do the fish justice but to give the last pictures some perspective the kayak is 61cm wide, and the fish hatch is 27cm wide.

Set off from Berowra Waters boat ramp at first light geared up to deal with the dire weather forecast which was for heavy rain later in the day. The water both at Berowra and the main river was a murky grey/green after the recent downpours and I have had some good catches in those conditions in the past. First stop Joe Crafts Bay to catch some big mullet for live bait on a light float rig. I use a homemade berley of mulched Wonder White bread, bread crumbs and commercial berley garnished with fish oil to attract the mullet. For the first hour all I managed to catch was garfish and small bream but when I moved to the shallow water near the mangroves at the head of the bay the mullet were queuing up to take the bread off my hook. I put the small fish back and persevered until 4 perfect sized sand mullet were in the tank, all around 30cm long. It takes me the best part of 2 hours to paddle from Joe Crafts Bay to the main river and by the time I got there I'd missed the slack water and the ebb was just beginning. Fished 3 locations with a fat mullet on a double 8/0 hook rig for no return. I use a 70 gram running sinker to keep the bait down and I either fish on the drift or turn into the current and hold position off a likely spot. By 2 o'clock in the afternoon the ebb was running full bore and I was considering calling it a day. The last throw of the dice was close in off a rock face in a little less than 4 meters of water. The mullet usually get very lively when a predator is close by but on this occasion there was no preamble and both me and the mullet were taken completely by surprise by the hit. The rod buckled over and the fish ran directly under the kayak which is a good recipe for a capsize and caused me a few heart flutters before I could square up behind the run. The fight lasted 15 minutes and ended in deep water with the fish suddenly giving up the battle and coming to the surface on its side ready for the gaff. I subsequently found that one of the hooks was deeply embedded in the fish's guts which may have been the reason for its sudden capitulation. I paddled to the Twin Beaches to take a couple of photographs and gut and bleed the fish. This jewfish had already had his lunch and the stomach was full with a bream and a partially decomposed bully mullet which must have been around 40cm long when it was consumed. My filleting knife is 38cm long. As I was getting ready to leave the forecast rain came rolling in and the paddle back to the ramp was in a veritable deluge. Thank goodness for good quality waterproof clothing.

2022 was my best year ever for catching big Hawkesbury jewfish. 2023 thus far has been the slowest. There were still some big fish around until May but I had lost my mojo and 4 hookups in succession ended in tears. On 3 occasions the fish got into rough ground and the line parted and on the 4th I locked up the drag to stop the run and had the ignominy of a capsize. During the past month or so I have caught some just legal models on (small) mullet in Berowra Waters but the serious fish in the river have eluded me with no adrenaline pumping runs for several months. For this outing I loaded up with 5 big rod caught mullet in the live bait tank and headed for the river. Fished the usual likely places for 3 hours to no avail and just as I was contemplating the long paddle back to the ramp I got the hit. The fish dropped the mullet initially but I left the bait down and he came back for another bite of the cherry. The gusty Southerly working against the ebb made for difficult conditions and it was hard going to get the fish off the bottom. After my previous experience I was reluctant to apply too much hurt and risk another swim. I subsequently found that the leading hook hadn't taken and the trailing hook was deeply embedded below the gills which gave the fish some leeway to manoeuvre. That also made the gaff shot difficult and I stuffed it up so many times I didn't deserve to catch the fish. After 20 minutes of excitement the fish was finally in the hatch. Stopped off on the way back at the Twin Beaches to commemorate the catch with a photo and met 2 lovely couples who kindly took several pictures. This fat 18 kg jewfish was caught with the ebb in full swing on a 30 cm live mullet on a double 9/0 hook rig. Water depth was around 7 meters.

Hi Noelm and Bessell, Mrs. kingfish101 says that the seafood pie recipe is taken from the taste.com.au website. She also said that she adds some secret ingredients to her pie but like fishing spots she cannot divulge them! Yes, I always use live mullet for bait. They remain lively all day in the bait tank with a Frabilll aerator provided you change the water every hour or two. Hope that helps

I've had several fishing trips during the past month both in the kayak and the boat without much success. During the big tides at the end of October it took me 5 hours to catch a single mullet, and from the boat I've only managed one flathead from 9 hours on the water. Set off from Berowra Waters boat ramp at first light to give myself time to catch some big mullet for live bait and paddle to the river in time for the low water tide change. The air temperature down to 9 degrees at the ramp and the weather forecast for a fresh Southerly later in the day meant that I had the waterway pretty much to myself. I find the falling tide more productive than the flood for catching mullet and I had 4 big specimens in the tank together with 4 smaller models from my trap in less than an hour. The Southerly began kicking in early and with the wind and current behind me I got to the Hawkesbury in record time. I usually drift fish with the current from the kayak but the gusty Southerly made that difficult and I eventually resorted to turning into the wind which was far and away the dominant force. After 3 hours with no action the sky was turning an ominous grey and the first rumblings of thunder made me think I had overstayed my welcome. As I was about to turn for home the big mullet on the end of my line went into panic mode. I was fishing above the drop off in 4 meters of water and just a few meters off a rocky shore. The impression I had was that the jewfish had come out of cover in the rocks for the hit and he just kept on going, away from the land into deep water. That first charge was very exhilarating for 100 meters or so and then he began to run out of steam. The hit was 2 hours into a weak flood and the fight lasted around 15 minutes. The mullet bait he took was a good 30cm long on a double hook rig and for the first time in my experience the jewfish appeared to attack the live bait tail first. The trailing hook was deep inside the jewfish and the leading hook hadn't taken at all. I usually stop for a rest at Bar Island or the Twin Beaches during my home run but with the Southerly continuing to freshen, the temperature dropping and the rain coming down hard it was prudent to get some distance behind me. Eventually with the speed down to a snails pace I had to take shelter in the small bay opposite Bujwa and wait for the storm to pass. The second picture is my wife fish pie.

Launched the kayak from Berowra Waters boat ramp at first light and followed the tried and tested plan. One and a half hours to catch 5 big mullet on a light float rig in Joe Crafts Bay followed by the long paddle to the Hawkesbury River for the tail end of the ebb and the slack to try and convert the mullet into something bigger. There was more commercial fishing activity on the water than usual with 2 prawn trawlers working from Bar Island to Coba Point and 3 smaller work boats setting and retrieving traps in Berowra Creek. The water was still a milk chocolate colour with run off from the recent rains both in the creek and in the main river. Fished a new location in the Hawkesbury which I'd identified on a previous outing as a likely spot. Good current and (lots) of rocks running down and into the water some of which were exposed and awash at the bottom of the tide. For 2 hours the only action was the loss of 3 sets of terminal tackle and 3 prime mullet baits on underwater snags. I fish with the butt of my rod under my right knee and over my left leg which places the rod more or less at right angles to the kayak and keeps my hands free to use the paddle. Just when I was beginning to conclude the area was a folly the end of the rod bent over into the water and under the kayak. The first run went wide and was really hard and fast. Then a change of heart and back to the rocks and all those line cutting snags. This was a fish that didn't know when he was beat and the fight lasted for the best part of 30 minutes much of which was in water of less than 5 meters. I was very lucky not to get cut off. A good quality razor sharp gaff is a must for these big fish and the point went home in the corner of the mouth first attempt. This fish was hooked right on low water slack, in less than 5 meters of water, with a double 9/0 hook rig, a 30LB mono trace one meter long and a 60 gram running bean sinker. A 5 meter long 30LB mono leader and 40 LB braid main line. The jewfish weighed 19KG's after it was gutted and bled. There has been a lot of very big jewfish caught in the Hawkesbury River this year and the Victorian Fisheries Authority Newsletter(No.4) may give an insight. Different area but the same logic where following a study they equate feeding and growth rate to high fresh water flows in a river system.

Hi LuckyFil, I do not put any holes in the side of the trap for the mullet to swim in. I have experimented with a side entry but much of the bread drifted out and gave the mullet a free meal. The turned down edge or lip is to make it more difficult for the mullet to swim out. I make the lip from a small Tupperware container cut to size with a hacksaw. I use this as a pattern to mark the lid of the trap and then cut the hole in the lid of the trap with a Stanley knife. Finally I use a soldering iron to melt the plastic and fuse the lip and the lid of the trap together. Depth to place the trap - 20cm or so of water is a good starting point. The bays with mangroves in seem to be the most productive and some of them hold mullet year round. I bait the trap with a couple of rounds of Wonder White squashed to a pulp and Coles own brand bread crumbs - for some reason they seem to work best. Only some body who has been retired for many years and with time on their hands would go to so much trouble to refine catching poddy mullet! Good Luck!

Hi Larkin, With regard to your questions I have reached a few conclusions, none earth shattering and all documented over the years. The location. All important there must be some current and some cover for the fish nearby. The bait. Mullet feature on the menu of all the predators in the estuary. The jewfish's lateral line is likely the most potent weapon in its arsenal and a big mullet double hooked would put out some very good vibrations with 360 degree coverage. Target. If you are chasing big fish 'forsake all others' and be prepared to go home empty handed from most outings. Tide. I've been most successful on the ebb, particularly the early ebb. Depth. For years I have been fixated with fishing deep holes but I have now concluded depth is not so important. Stealth. I always fish during the week when most people are working and the waterways are less busy and I find somewhere quiet, away from other fishermen and traffic. Even in the kayak I avoid knocking the hull. "What about the Hawkesbury bridges" I hear you ask. Maybe the fish become accustomed to the noise and traffic there? Pressure. A year ago I would have been very sceptical but now I am not so sure as I have usually had most luck with a falling barometer. Coincidence? Time and patience. Stating the obvious there aren't any quick fixes. It's necessary to put in the hours on the water. Easy for a retiree to say. Hope the above helps. Good luck.

For the past 5 weeks I have been fishing some new areas both upriver and down river from the bridges with only some enjoyable days on the water and an 80cm jewfish to show for around 50 hours of paddling. Set off from Berowra Waters boat ramp just after sunrise to take advantage of the longer daylight hours. The heavens opened while I was catching mullet for live bait in Joe Crafts Bay and I was grateful I'd invested in some good quality waterproof kayaking gear. It makes the difference between a pleasant and an uncomfortable day on the water. Bully mullet are around in good numbers in both the Hawkesbury River and its tributaries at the moment and it took less than an hour to catch 5 prime specimens. For catching mullet I've found that a (very) gentle strike immediately the float dips under is most successful. I use 6LB mono, a lightly weighted quill float and a size 12 fine wire hook 30cm below the float baited with a small ball of Wonder White. Catching mullet can be quite frustrating but it's (almost) as much fun as the end game. It's very much all or nothing using big mullet for bait with very little scope for by catch such as flathead. If you want to hedge your bets smaller mullet are a better option. I use a Tupperware container for catching small mullet, weighted with a handful of sand, baited with Wonder White and bread crumbs and placed in shallow water on a sand flat. That's a MK13 in the picture which gives an idea of how many prototypes I've experimented with. Got to the fishing grounds in the Hawkesbury River by mid morning and fished the last 2 hours of the flood and the slack for no return. The bite came when I was drifting in 6 meters of water as the ebb was getting underway. He was a fat jewfish and put up a very spirited fight, staying close to the bottom and towing the kayak away from the rocks into deep water. Took around 20 minutes from the hit to getting the fish in the hatch. Stopped off at the Twin Beaches on the way back to the ramp where a very pleasant family interrupted their picnic lunch to take some photographs for me.

Hi Larkin, I rig the mullet on a double hook set up. The leading hook under the chin and vertically up through the nose. The trailing hook also vertical and behind the dorsal fin. The leading hook snelled and the trailing hook with an improved half blood knot. I have been using Mustad Big Game hooks with no offset in size 8/0. They are a bit small for the really big baits and I am planning to buy some 10/0. Hope that helps