Yowie

Something, better than nothing. Just one of those days I should have stayed in bed, well, not really, good to be out on the water.

He would say that!

Just one of those crap days. Headed out early this morning to Lilli Pilli. Bait stealing reddies, undersized, pinching everything thrown at them. Fresh yakka strips were attacked, then nothing happening. A shovel nose about 3 foot pulled up, grabbed his nose then removed the hook, then dropped a bigger one when the hook pulled. Tangles in the line, could not be removed so cut off some line and re-hooked. Headed to South West Arm, threw lures about for NOTHING. Pumped some nippers at Maianbar flats, drifted the ballast heap for NOTHING. Not a bait lost. Tried Lilli Pilli flats, almost straight away, probably a bream, hook pulled out after a second or 2. Second one, hook pulled again. Drifted the same patch, hooked pulled again. 4th bream, on for a little while, taking line, hook pulled again. Some kayakers nearby heard me say Darn, or some other word of 4 letters. 🤣 Finally kept one hooked, and eventually ended up with 3. Some time between bites. Tried a secret spot, NOTHING. Down to Maianbar flats, NOTHING. Gunnamatta bay flats, NOTHING. Finally arrived back at mum's after 5 or 6 hours to put the boat away. Mum was thinking of calling the water police as I had been out for so long. Left her with 1 bream, the other 2 for the missus and myself. Just one of those shit days. Not a whiting to be seen anywhere, boats and jet skis buzzing about, no surface action to be seen.

Good work Pickles on having the young fella hooking up a few fish.

Nice pair of fish, shows that if you keep at it, you will succeed.

Couple of nice fish, so worth the trip out.

Nice bag of fish. Chicken fillets for bait? You are spending up big. I am happy chopping up a few small spikey flatties for the blue spots, and keeping the chicken for a stir fry. 😆

Good work. Keep the kids happy so you have to be the deckie for the day.

Sounds like a good place to fish and camp. A few flatties to keep you interested. Did your mate share a lobbie with you?

I bought a section of PVC drain pipe to lay on the rear floor between the doors. My 2 piece 8 foot and 6 foot rods sit inside, each inside a cotton rod bag. One end cap is fixed with araldite, the other end just pops on. Inside both end caps is a piece of foam, more araldite, to prevent damage to the rod tips. Usually no-one in the rear seat any more, but the pipe is strong enough to take the weight of some boof head's big shoes. My 2 piece 12 foot beach rod sits inside another cotton rod bag, usually left inside the caravan. On a previous car, of the wagon type, I tied the beach rod to the overhead grab handles above the doors, out of the way up there for transport to the location.

Headed out this morning to the northern end of Bate Bay, with first drop as the sun was just above the water. Was over a patch of reef as I hooked the reddie, but nothing else, so I drifted out past the lighthouse before I found any blue spots, and they were scattered. Even the spikeys were scarce. Moved a few times for only 2 more, and most of the time nothing doing. Other boats around me were moving a few times as well, so guessing not much happening for them. I was back home by 9am. Not big flatties. Plenty of mutton birds when I first headed out, but they disappeared fairly quickly, other birds were just cruising about. No fish to see as the water was choppy with the westerly breeze.

Sounds like a good time away, lucky to get there at all. Some fish are better than none, with one good barra, plus others for an experience that not everyone manages to have. The trouble with some people is that they cannot net a lively fish, (or a half dead one 🤣 ) which is why I net my own. Would be harder with a lively barra.

Good work Jon. Some nice reddies , and whale watching for free.

A good trev for 6 pound gear. Have caught a couple around that size on 6 pound gear over the years, and they nearly empty the spool on the first run, so it is a good effort to land it from the bank.

Giving away trade secrets here. I use hand casters, 15 pound mono with squid strips, 12 pound mono with fish strips, use both at either end of the boat. I angle them so that a fish can run off line, the bigger fish will run faster, then a matter of grabbing the line and hooking up. Different fish run at different speeds. Legal reddies take off like a rocket most times, other fish are mostly slower, until you hook up, such as a kingie, or an eagle ray, then it's full speed. I angle the casters with small plastic wheel chocks in the bottom of the boat, adjusting the angle to stop the line running all the time with any current that may be there.

Good work there Swordie, kingie is a nice bonus.

Good work Bruce, you managed a few good trips out and caught some fish to keep yourself happy. Also entertaining for the kids and grandkids. I usually have something else to keep me amused when not fishing - gardening, caravan maintenance (not really, just something to get me out of the house 😂) a swim at the beach, etc. Now retired, I need a break from the missus now and then. My grand kids are young, and have a limited time for fishing. No bites in a minute or so, so time to play in the sand and drop the rod and reel in the sand.

Thank you. The jewies put up a bit of fight on a hand line. I thought I had a 4th one just as I was packing up, but it was easily 4 foot of shovelnose.

Thank you. The fishing is improving slowly so there might be a few about. School holidays will see an increase in boat and jet ski traffic.

Hello Bruce, Just as you were leaving the reddie came up and that was it until I moved. You did not disturb the fishing at all. I have had drop kicks motor nearly as close as you at full speed. So much room to go around me, and they blast pass so close. 👹 I wave them away, and some just stick their fingers up. It was a good day out, next time might be not much caught at all. Dave.

A couple of reddies, and lobbies to top it off. Good work.

I was happy with 3 legals in the one day, one on a rod, and 2 on hand lines. One boat motored close to me as he was passing by, so I just let the jewie swim about on the hand line until he was some distance away. 😁

Thank you. Rather than specifically target particular fish like some fishos, I am happy to fish certain ways, according to tides and wind, and pull up whatever takes the bait.

Thank you. There still are some spots I have not yet fished, or not fished for a long time. 😂 Maybe another time.

Thank you. Just over 43cm, caught in about half a metre of water. Thank you. Happy to pull out 3 legals in the one day. Thanks Scratchie. Starting to pick up now, and the bream are moving in.