Ozzybass

Wow! Good stuff! Is it the soft filamentous type or the really wiry stuff?

Wow!!

Just overnight? It will be fine!

Vanders, its called Spike-It. Comes in 2 forms - liquid in a small bottle and you just dip your plastic in it and it also comes in pens like a marker pen. REALLY strong garlic smell!

Fantastic! Congrats. My attention will be turning to blackfish again soon. Is there much cabbage on the ocean rocks around the place & same for weed?

The only thing I would do in that situation, before swearing at them and giving up, is to go down to 4lb leader.

Bloody long way to come Dirvin! You'd think there would be more response from the Sydney crowd.

Come on you experienced or aspiring bass fishos! See my post in the Fishing Trips section - www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/topic/86264-hawkesbury-nepean-bass-catch-feb-17-18/

The second H-N Bass Catch of the season is coming up again over the weekend of February 17 & 18. As always, anyone who wants to fish for bass, provide info to NSW Fisheries and get together with a bunch of friendly bass fishos is asked to register via our website (www.basssydney.com) or you could try going direct via this link to the BassCatch registration form = http://basssydney.com/index.php/hidden-bass-catch-form/view/formAfter you've registered, you will be contacted by our Bass Catch Officer with more details. During the registration process, you will be asked if you want to camp with us at our (free) campsite and if so, which nights (Fri 16th &/or Sat 17th).Bass Catch newbies will be required to attend a briefing either at our club meeting at Northmead Bowling Club on Tuesday night, 13/2/18 or at the campsite during the weekend.Our food is OK, plentiful and cheap - you don't even have to cook after a day's fishing! Raffle prizes galore, the Port Appreciation Club, casting targets, friendly folk... If you want to ask any questions feel free to PM me.

I like sashimi bonito more than tuna!

EP it is

Great read! Well done.

Great report & pix

Very interesting!! How are you using those heavy-looking skirted jigs there? V popular in the US.

Stumpjumpers are great Aussie lures but they are plastic, not balsa. I don't think they've been made of wood since they were first made many, many years ago.

DO NOT USE the cheap raw imported prawns from the fish shop or supermarket for bait!! I'm sure they catch fish but you run the risk of infecting local waters with white spot virus. OK to use cooked imported prawns.

It is harder with the angle of the photo you took, but I'm convinced its an EP with the deeper body and large eye. If you look at your comparison pic, the EP has a larger eye than the bass.

A nice EP. What did you catch it on?

Wow! You did pretty well then. None of the Bass Sydney guys I know of caught a 40cm FL. 380mm was the best I heard of from my mates. Don't forget to send in your catch card.

Was this for the Hawkesbury-Nepean R Bass Catch Nick?

Huh! I had exactly the same thing happen in June this year on the Lane Cove R. I was finishing a session on the yak and less than 100m from the take out when I noticed a very large whiting flapping about in around a foot of water. I picked it up and could see no obvious injury. It was beauty and surpasses any PB whiting I've caught. I threw it back.

PM sent Foosh. Yes, I had left it much too late to advertise it on FR. I had too much on my plate lately. We hold 2 Basscatches a season. The next one is late in the season, in Feb on the 3rd weekend. Put it in your diary everyone!

Bass Sydney's first H-N Basscatch for the season is on this weekend. If you want to bass fish for a good cause (all catch data going to Fisheries) and meet some friendly, dedicated, environmentally conscious bass fishos, then register to fish this weekend. You can fish 2 days, 1 day or 2hrs its up to you. If you want to join the people camping at our campsite you can do so (Fri &/or Sat night). Camping is free, food provided for $10 per dinner and free breakfast on Sunday morning if you're there. I left this a bit late to post up, but you can still register. Go to Bass Sydney's website and click on the BassCatch tab. Or just click on this link - http://basssydney.com/index.php/hidden-bass-catch-form/view/form

Howdoweplaythis & others have already hit it on the head. Mobility is key - its about covering water...or seabed actually. Small bites - probably small fish. One thing to add - I use qtr oz jigheads but prefer 3/0 hook size. This allows you to use larger plastix and be confident of enough hook exposure. I had my 2nd Botany Bay shorebased flatty jigging session for the season this morning. Not fantastic but they're definitely coming on. I landed 4 with the largest 55cm. 3 of them on aforementioned jighead with Zman 3" Minnowz and 1 on a 5" Zman jerkshad with a 5/0 wide gap worm hook and added lead strip.

Tip: Don't ever bother freezing untreated slimies for food or bait as they just turn to mush when thawed. Eat them fresh (yum) or if you want to store as bait, fillet them then salt them down. All you need is newspaper (many sheets), slimy fillets and lots of salt. Salt a layer of fillets then wrap in newspaper and put in fridge overnight or about a day. They will firm up and can then be frozen & thawed fine. They stay on your hook well and bream, flathead, etc still love them.