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Nice catch, sounds like you mastered the gutter spotting. Congrats Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Thanks Paikea. That's exactly what I am after, I already caught a groper and would love to feel how the drummer fights, I hear they are even harder. To be honest, I never really Burley of the rocks. Keen to try now, hopefully I will get out soon and post something. Thanks. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Thanks, not much of an expert when it comes to fishing the white wash. Something I am trying to teach myself at the moment.

Just caught this fish while rock fishing, any ideas? Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Its that squid lure setup, I promise I will take a photo of the setup as I always get asked. Will need to prepare a rig soon so will take a few pics describing how to do it. More than 5 years ago I had regular spots that I fished. Now after moving to Sydney when I do go back most of my regular spots are taken. Last time I fished just before the 630m marker. On the ocean side you will find a flat sort of rock pointing straight out to the ocean. Landing fish there was a bit tricky but far from impossible. I think I was in luck because I had never fished that spot and at on stage I was the only one catching that day Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

By far the biggest school of Salmon I have possibly ever come across. Definitely kept me interested and tired me out Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Ye tell me about it, this is definitely the hardest year I have tried to catch Bonito and also the least Bonito I have caught in one season. Just terrible. The Salmon definitely made others happy so why not, showed a few blokes how to bleed them too Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

So again, another weekend where I was visiting the parents and as usual the rods in the back. Got up Saturday morning, later than expected and got to Port Kembla northern wall at about 8am. Seemed very quiet and actually wasn't looking good at with the wind picking up and blowing straight into my face. First cast and straight onto a 60+ cm Salmon that I dropped at my feet. Couple of casts later and another Salmon that a bloke walking past took interest in so I gave it to him. 3rd and exactly what I wanted all summer was my first Bonito of 2014 (a bit late, but they also turned up late). Not a large one, 40cm, but nothing short of an awesome fight. After that every retrieve had a salmon zipping after it with another 2 caught and half a dozen dropped at my feet. Gave all the Salmon away, not a big fan of eating them. Would have returned them to the water but the blokes around me were so happy... Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Definitely will do, it will be great meeting more raiders in person. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Thanks, so excited and can't wait. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Is it too late to sign up? Would love to come. Also is it possible to bring a friend who I have been teaching the basics of fishing? Cheers

toboggi that's actually a smart setup you mentioned, as long as it doesn't tangle it sounds awesome. Thanks incredible hull, will definitely let you know but it's also been a bit hard for me to get out lately since moving to Sydney. By the way, nice explanation there. Much better than the short story I wrote that probably doesn't make sense Haha. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Hi Toboggi, I have been trying to find a photo for you on the internet but can't seem to locate any and unfortunately I left my gear in Shellharbour this week (I live in Sydney but parents live in Shellharbour). I'll try describe it. Generally you need the main line down to the float which is fixed then a 3m+ leader down to the plastic squid (photo below). I normally pass some wire through the float, twist the end at the top of the float and attach a heavier sinker at the bottom of the float then twist the wire. Make sure when you twist the wire to create a loop like hole to later attach a swivel onto. That above is probably the hardest thing about this rig. After this is done, attach 50lb mono to the bottom of the float down to the plastic squid. The reason for the 50lb mono is that your line will constantly be scraping against the rocks, and in other places there is a significant lift up to the rock platform when you have the fish on. When I attach this rig to the main line, I first attach a snap swivel to my main line then I clip the loop at the top of the float on. Really sorry about the lack of photos and I think I made a mess out of describing it to you but I will try get you some more photos next week. There are a probably 2 ways for retrieving, the first is to just reel as fast as you can and the second is to reel fast then stop reeling but pull your rod back before starting to reel again, and so on.

Thanks Krispy. I remember trying them out some 6 years ago now and didn't fancy them much but definitely didn't try Sashimi. Maybe next time..

Rarely getting the chance to fish these days, and still chasing my first Bonito for this summer I decided to quickly duck out last weekend while visiting the parents in Wollongong. Saturday I went down to Bass Point for an hour of nothing. Only saw one bloke land what looked from the distance to be an undersized kingy. Sunday decided to change spots and go to the break wall at Port Kembla. Didn't look good as I was walking past everyone's empty buckets. With very little spots left, I was almost out of break wall before finding a place to stand. In a space of 40mins I managed 4 leaping Bonito and dropped about another 4. These fish don't go as hard as the Aussie Bonito but still a good fight and now some decent bait in the freezer. Biggest with 42 and smallest was 39. Was spinning a white coloured plastic squid behind the float. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Sorry for the late response tobaggi. I was using crabs that I caught from the rocks on the day (they are hard to catch as they are very fast). Basically cut the crab in half, rip off all the legs and put the hook through one of the holes where the legs were and back out again through the shell of the crab. After that I put the legs on the hook just to top up the hook....hope that I made sense trying to explain it. I also found that it's mainly groper that will eat the crab legs, so when the legs disappear it's usually a sign that groper are around (or so I have been told by my mate that taught me) As for the rig, just a simple running sinker all the way to a size 1 or 1/0 hook. Sinker should be small (size 1 or 2), just enough to make it to the bottom but not too heavy that it snags. Speaking of snags, as you get a feel for things you will snag less however snagging is inevitable and frustrating. One last advise is use heavy line, you will not believe how much these fish pull and how they run into cracks scraping your line on the rocks. Hope that helps, it's basically all I know so far and good luck

Thanks Paikea

Congratz, some decent size fish too. It's good to see the Bonito's slowly turning up. I was there last week and still nothing.

Definitely fight way harder than their size, and very dirty fighters. I think moving forward they will probably be released, I just had to try my first and see what it was all about.

Cheers, and na didn't keep, I was mainly after my first groper and got that so didn't need anymore fish.

Went to Palm Beach for the second time with a work mate that always targets Groper and this time was a success. First time I only managed an undersized one, but this time it was a 39cm fish. Not the largest but still a decent attempt. My mate also managed a 50cm fish.

Another species caught, I think it's some sort of a Wrasse. This was caught off the rocks at Palm Beach.

This is a great report, I have been wanting to do this next time I am in Thailand after watching Jeremy from River Monsters fish there. You just made my life so much easier, thanks for sharing.

Nice Squid, congrats. I came down to Shellharbour to visit the parents and thought may as well try for Bonito while I am down. Went at 5.30am to the breakwall at Port Kembla and then Bass Point a little later and both spots produced zero Bonito, or any other pelagics as a matter of fact for me and everyone around me.

The Stradic 4000 is definitely the way to go and an amazing reel.