johnd

Thanks guys, Now I can plan my day. cheers...John

Going to drive my wife to Gosford one day next week for a one day office talkfest during which I will have nothing to do for most of the day until I pick her up in the arvo. I will have a couple of rods in the boot so what better way to pass the day than to wet a line. Any clues as to a reasonable place to rest my backside while waiting for the fish to bite? I don't mind if it is flathead,bream or blackfish. (I will downplay my chances of catching a fish, so my wife doesn't expect it for dinner) cheers...John

Thanks guys. I am sure I will get to try out both of those spots. By the way when I was throwing the berley in the water around the wharf, the boy said 'dad look at that fish'. It was fast moving and something long and sleek, possibly a long tom but it was good to see flashing through the water. It cost me $4 an hour for the parking meter how many great cities in the world can you take your kid fishing for that? And just for a bonus he seen a seaplane, some old antique ferry and assorted craft. cheers..John

Just getting my 5 yr old into fishing taking him a step further from the plastic fishing rod and plastic fish he uses in the bath. I tried to think of the closest wharf to where we live at Dulwich Hill and ended up going to the wharf near the harbour bridge. I took a chair for him and he was enthusiastic to get the bread in the water (I told him you should scatter some food into the water to make them hungry) but after a half an hour of berleyling there was not a single yakka in sight. Luckily to save the occasion I felt the presence of those fat jackets around the wharf and let the bait go a bit further down before I could give him some excitement. Their stomachs are so big they seem to weigh heavy on light equipment but you should have seen his face when I pulled it up onto the wharf and put it the bucket! We went home for lunch and took a picture of his first fish but look at the expression on his face. He said his sister could have it for dinner as he wants chicken nuggets. Anybody have any suggestions for better wharf fishing for 5 year olds? cheers..John

Went out in Botany bay for a nice mornings fishing before the wind comes up and caught a very nice flattie that swallowed my nipper as soon as it got near the bottom. Thats dinner tonight. But after a long couple of hours and just a couple of flounder, I get one of those pesky octopus. Its big enough that I dont want it crawling up my arm and squirting sh---t all over me, so I struggle with my knife to try and free the hook. But in the struggle I slice off a good three inches of his tenacle. This thing is still wriggling away on my hook so I grab a towel and fix it to the hook a bit better and throw my line back in. About ten minutes later the rod goes over, I grab it. I'm thinking I have another occy, I can't move it off the bottom but slowly I get it to the boat, a good few minutes and it's some kind of shark/ ray. Not a good shot but anyone recognize it. (I released it cause it would fit in the net)

I understand the way things are. I was just asking for tips on technique rather than the location of anyones personal weed gathering spot. Since I got hooked on blackfish this year I always look for weed when I am near creeks etc. But being uneducated I thought it lie around to be picked up. Don't laugh... I have come a long way in a year and next winter I'll expect to take a few reasonable size blackfish home, not just the minimums I catch now. It is a shame that some people take too much and that they exploit it to make a few dollars but thats a fact of life around Sydney. Thanks for the advice.

Thanks Davo, I have been looking at areas around tempe (cooks river) while on my bike and I got some weed a couple of days ago. It look a little different to Kelso weed and when I tried some, the fish seeemed to get it off too easily (even with a half hitch) My inexperience is just in where to look. Drag something through the deeper water or look on walls etc, but I am learning from watching and looking just as you said. Next winter we will have a session for sure. But this Saturday I might forget the blackfish and try for flathead in the bay. cheers

I am ready for a summer of flathead and lazy drifting BUT I am still thinking of catching blackfish next winter. I have been buying my weed BUT I really want to be able to get it myself. With the help of swordfisherman and other raiders I have advanced a long way with my blackfish skills, but not the bait gathering. At the blackfish social one of the fishraiders told me to use some kind of improvised grappling hook and pull it throught the water? Probable locations are Kelso creek or homebush bay but I thought I would ask for a little more detail from someone on how they get the weed. I have known how to find the sea cabbage off the rocks since I was a kid but I have never seen anybody take this green weed from the creeks etc. Anybody help me with a demo even?

Hey Ross, I love catching flathead and look forward to a couple of fillets on the barbie after the social. I only have room for one in my small tinnie but if somebody wants to drift around the bay for a few hours on a hard aluminium seat in the hot sun...they are welcome. They can byo cushion. I will use the mutch ave Kyeemah ramp at the sparrows. I live at Dulwich Hill. Oh yeah, and if they can show how to catch more than the odd flathead that would be a bonus. Always willing to learn. cheers...John

Put me down. Just me and my tinnie. cheers..John

Good day, I will pick up my stickers from Tonys. thanks. John

Hi livebait, were you using a float or fishing off the bottom? I've seen some good bream caught there maybe a two rig line with worm on one hook and weed on the other? johnd

Hi, Been watching your comments, just wanted to say I have seen a reference to an artificial weed fly on the net. The page was titled DavidW flytying or similiar. It had a fly that looked like green weed and one to look like cabbage. I am not an initiated luderick fisher yet so has anyone used them or is it a joke? jd

Hi, I have always been a bottem fishing person, drifting in a tinnie and waiting for the rod to bend is my favorite pastime. But I have always wanted to catch blackfish, so I bought the float, looked in the magazines to tell me how to rig up and bought some green weed. Well I tried three places where I know other people catch blackfish (peir one under the bridge, near the St George Motorboat Club and even in Gunnamatta Bay, where I have seen them under the wharf), do you know what....nothing touched the baits. I tried variations to the depth I was fishing. I tried different ways of presenting the bait. I fished close in and further out. The only time I got a 'down" was when the line snagged on kelp. I don't want to give up but the weed will go rotten in a couple of days so I thought someone might give me some tips. I want to catch a blackfish before my 60th birthday (6months away). Any advice? jd