Yowie

The spikes do sting (have been stung a couple of times) You are not a real fisherman unless you have been bitten, stung, spiked by fish, bitten by a cuttlefish (only a small one), nipped by a large yabbie or a crab, stung by a blue bottle, zapped by a numb ray

A species of Sea Squirt (Ascidian). A filter feeder that anchors itself onto the sand and filters the passing water for food.

Around that depth. I never knew what the actual depth was, until I was out there in a mate's boat a couple of weeks ago, and his depth gauge measured it (my tinny does not have such a device, I just look at landmarks, trees, houses, rocks on the shoreline for fishing spots).

Headed south of the Hacking this morning just on sunrise, to see several humpbacks cruising south from the bombie. Not much wind early, but the current is moving south so had a reasonable drift anyway. Swell from the north-east, some swell from the south, and both swells bouncing back off the cliffs made for a bouncy drift. Started drifting down past the bombie, but only spikies, and plenty of them for well over an hour. Was not looking good, then the spikies went a bit quiet and the blue spots started on the bite. The flatties were scattered, nothing of size amongst them. 2 tigers as well, and 2 nice sized flounder as a bonus. When I had my bag limit, I was south of Marley, so it was a bumpy ride back home in the tinny.

Great work, good fish to cap it off.

A good feed of fillets from that lot.

30 to 35 metres. Only because my mate had a depth sounder on board. With my boat, no depth sounder, and it does not worry me, I just look at the marks on shore to line up a spot.

Blue spotted flatties.

You have enough for a feed, good work. It was a little bit bumpy the day I was out. As you said, still some swell about yesterday, so I had a swim at Wanda Beach, Some good waves there, but the water is still cold.

Happy birthday. I use the fillets from the spikeys as bait, a good tough bait that will last a bit of mauling from the flatties before needing to replace it with another fillet (or a half fillet from the bigger ones)

Correct. The flatties are about outside Port Hacking. You could try casting for them. (water is only 30 to 40 metres deep )

Thankyou, the weather should be fairly good on Friday.

Good luck at Wooli. The fishing was a bit slow in places in Qld when I was there for a few months ( only fished from the shore or a jetty or 2) but the locals complained about the excessive wind, a bit worse than normal, and when I had a few swims along the various coastal beaches, the water was several degrees cooler a metre or 2 under the surface.

I learnt as a kid fishing in Lake Illawarra when down there on holidays, that the whiting would be feeding in less than knee deep water on the run-up tide. Wade about in the water, pump squirt worms, and catch a good feed of whiting, while those in the boats would catch a couple. I also fished out of a small rowboat for a good feed as well, but many would motor out past me in their boats, straight over the schools of whiting that were swimming near my feet.

A mate bought himself a second hand boat, similar to a Bertram 25, and wanted to try it out. I suggested he head outside for some flatties, he was happy with that idea. A big change fishing out there, different to a small tinnie and with a cabin to keep out of the wind while cruising along. We headed south of Jibbon Bombie to the cliffs, out a little bit. A bit of swell, wind not too strong for a change. Took a little while, and we found a patch of flounder, mostly small ones but no flatties about, so we kept them for a feed. Just could not find any flatties, so kept drifting along. The flounder stopped biting and eventually found the flatties. One every now and then, but enough to keep us happy. Plenty of little spikies as well. A few good feeds to be had. The biggest flattie was 47cm, and the biggest flounder was 36cm. While we were drifting along, a big splash behind the boat, turned around and 2 whales were tail slapping and fin slapping the water, less than 100metres from the boat. After watching for a short while, we both grabbed our phones to take a photo, and the whales sounded and were not seen again. Headed back up river to my mate's place, cleaned the fish and the bream were swimming about in the clear water munching on the flattie carcases, most were under sized, but it shows they are coming back into the river.

A good feed there, some nice fish. I have seen bream and whiting in shallow and fairly calm water before, hunting along the edge of a bank looking for food. Some people try to cast to New Zealand when the fish are close in to shore.

The fish is a Barracouta, found in the colder waters. Barracuda usually found in the warmer waters. At least you had a fun time, with a couple of blue swimmers thrown in.

Good work there finin, a great feed of flatties, a couple of reddies and 2 yowie fish . Hope you chucked them back. Will have a go out of southern Sydney later this week for a feed of flatties myself.

Ash, I was a bit out from Osbourne Shoal, no other lunatic out there, so it was probably me. I did see a boat in the distance near the Shoal. I spoke to another fisho when I moved back up river. He was out earlier drifting for flatties, but only found barracouta, so he moved up river as well, and had very little to show for it. Dave.

Some great photos. When they have surfaced off Cronulla beside my 14 foot tinnie, you realize how big they are. The best part is that this is all for free (apart from fuel). People pay good money to see the whales - and seals, dolphins, sharks, penguins, bird life - and these critters just cruise past your little boats.

Some nice fish to be caught there. I was up that way during winter, travelling the Qld coast from south to north in the caravan, and the wind was blowing most days on the coast. The locals said it is normally windy during winter, but this year it was windier than normal.

Yes, a tasty feed of fillets last night.

Headed out this morning to Bate Bay, somewhere south of the Lighthouse. The swell had dropped, but, as usual, the wind was blowing from the west, Not real strong, but the further out, the stronger the gusts and the bigger the wind chop. Needed a fair bit of line out even with a 6 ounce sinker. Only 5 legal blue spots, and not much over the size at that. Released the same number of undersize ones. No birds working. Was not too pleasant, so bounced my way back inside the Hacking. As the tide was low, I pumped a few nippers and drifted various sand banks for 1 toad. Saw 1 little flattie swimming over the bank, 2 mullet jumping, and that was it, so headed home.

Probably weld it, then drink alcohol (Penfolds Grange would be good, nobody ever was in trouble with that wine before )

Penguins don't normally swim too close to a boat, but a few years ago, 2 popped up about 10 metres from my boat, so I cut off a fillet from a spikey flattie, chopped up small pieces and threw it close to them. They stayed for around 5 minutes feeding on the pieces then swam off. The one and only time that happed as penguins are usually out of throwing distance.