Yowie

Not a bad haul at all with no sounder. Pan sized reddies, and red rockies, and a couple of others. The red rocks produce small but chunky fillets.

The outside flatties have been rather quiet this second half of the year down southern Sydney as well. Some are better than none at all, but with average conditions and a wind chop, it is not pleasant at all.

That is a great kingie, a P.B., and a bonus amongst the rats.

Thanks b.n. The whiting go down well, and the bream was a welcome catch.

Thanks Rob. Not big whiting, but enough for a few feeds, and I only had to stay in the one area. Coming up to Christmas, there will be a lot of boat/water ski activity on the Hacking.

Thank you. A couple of times, I threw a nipper out and bounced it across the surface where the whiting were feeding, but no hits. Once the nipper hit the bottom, not long before a hit, and I missed a couple of hookups. Many years ago, I caught a couple of small whiting on a metal wobbler lure, so not surprised. Good luck with the new flies.

Thanks Chris. They just appeared in one large patch, throwing a nipper outside it was no bites at all. Some in roe, maybe breeding time. Don't know.

Sounds good to me, a feed of flatties and flounder are worth the effort, and, nothing wrong with bait fishing. 😋

Thank you.

Nice feed of flatties. Flatties are not always hiding in deep water, but quite often in shallow water near weed patches. Something for the younger fishos to consider.

A bit of fun for the young bloke. Depends on the species of mullet. Plenty of sea mullet turning up in the estuaries now, and they do not bite very often at bait. Lob out a bit of crust to free float near the mullet. If they are sand mullet, or another species, they will eat the crusts. You can then add a small piece of crust to the hook. Casting with bread crusts? not easy. As stated above, add a small float and casting the crusts will be easier. The way I do it is to add a piece of dry crust to the hook, quickly dunk it into the water then out again - then gently cast so as not to throw the crust off the hook. The water in the crust gives it weight to cast further, however, the water softens the crust and makes it easier to fall off the hook in a vigorous cast. Just a matter of practice.

Thank you. A handline bream, tried for the jetty but did not make it. Thank you. The whiting have been a bit quiet until recent weeks. These were in large patch that I did not need to drift in, just waded about and cast to them. Only 2 under sizes in that school. Thank you. Looking forward to crumbed and pan fried fillets tonight. 😋

While getting the boat ready to launch from my mother's place early this morning, I lobbed out a chunk of salted bonnie for the larger bream. It took me close to the neighbour's jetty pilons, which usually ends in disaster with the oysters shells. Headed to Maianbar flats around half dark and pumped some nippers. Wading whilst pumping and fishing in knee deep water, it did not take long to hook the first whiting, plus the other bream, with the bites slowing down a little after sunrise as the run-up tide was slowing down. Enough for a few feeds, so I did not bother fishing anywhere else and was back at base by 7.30. Not big whiting, the best at 33cm, but I will be enjoying the fillets more than most other fish there are in the sea.

Well, the crab was getting a bit agro, trying to nip us, so I picked up a large metal cooking spoon, held it near the crab and I could hear the claws cracking as it grabbed the spoon. Mum said, you are not putting that thing in my fridge or freezer. so I let it sit in the corner with the spoon. An hour or more later, the crab was still getting agro with the spoon, so I boiled up a big pot of water and tossed the crab and spoon into it to cook. Not the best way to cook crabs, but when it was finished cooking, it was still tightly holding the spoon. Angry mud crabs are evil critters 🤣, and fast with those nippers.

Mum was quick to start eating once it was cooked and cooled. 🤣

Crabs can be a bit difficult at times to net. Just let go of the bait near the surface, especially if they see the net coming up. Most of us use enviro type nets - very small mesh which means the net is slow to move through the water. The crab will outswim the net most times. Sometimes I have let go of the line then scooped with both hands before the crab can swim off. A net with larger mesh is better for netting crabs - the net moves faster through the water, most crabs will not outswim it. Prawning nets are the best, HOWEVER, crabs tangle up and tear the net. 🙁 My only mud crab was caught in a prawn net (was prawning at the time) and ripped the net to pieces. Took it home in the mangled net, put it on the floor, the crab escaped, mum not happy with an angry mud crab scurrying about on the kitchen floor.

Biggest one I saw from the lake, fishing there as a kid, was close to 4 foot long.

You were not fishing, just testing out the new fishing tackle, and a stupid carp grabbed the bare hook. 🤣

Nice fish there Chris, worth the effort out. Like both of us have found lately, the ocean flatties are rather scarce.

Sharks are a bloody nuisance at times, either taking all or most of the fish. The thrill of hooking a nice fish, then disappointment at losing most of it to an angry piece of sandpaper with teeth. Could at least make a fish head soup with that tuna head. 🤣

Very nice work from a yak. The teeth are the only problem with yak fishing, especially hairtail teeth.

Good work - Derek is very good at what he does.

Good fishos can make do with almost any tackle to catch fish (well, nearly always)

Nice bag of flatties, good fillets for the table.

Just one of those days. The fish may have been elsewhere.