Luderick Hunter

Something special in the waters around Tuross, Can bag on luddies each time you go, then walk across the road to Coila and bag on prawns, We got 28kg scooping in under 2 hours last night, What a place

Hey Howsy, Fishing from a boat, there are a few land based spots as well down there. Using cabbage from the rocks at durras (about 40k away). I dont use weed much any more as the quality of fish is far better on cabbage. Think we have missed the main spawning run down here as it usually early Oct in this system. John.

No worries Geoff, I havent been out since, got a hectic schedule at the moment and little time for a fish. John.

Sounds good mate, let me know and I will hook you up with the spots.

The keeper net is from the local tackle shop mate, makes it easy with the frame around the top so you dont have to lift the net out to open the entrance.

Hi Bruce. Yes we do bleed the fish prior to cleaning, we nick them in the gills and put them back in water to bleed out.

Hey guys finally got out for my first couple of luddie sessions of the season. Late start as early october was the prime time last year but the lake didnt dissapoint, first drift produced a 39cm fish and they were biting freely. The 2 of us both bagged within 2 hours and released a further 10 fish. All solid fish with the biggest going 46cm. John

Got out for a luddie session yesterday after a couple of weeks off, The tide was really weird, high in the ocean was 9.30 and the lake is usually about 3 to 4 hours late but yesterday it run in till 3pm which threw our plans out of a wack but we still got fish. There was lots of smaller fish around with several around 29cm, we got a few over 40 with one at 45cm. Ended up landing 25 fish, released the ones under 30 and over 40 and kept a feed of medium size fish. Probably wont get a another session for a few weeks. John.

Thanks fellas, I will keep trying for the 50

Hey guys. Early morning Luddie session at tuross today. Up at 4.15 to load the boat to hit the road at 5.15. Got to moruya for breakfast and NO sausage rolls!!!!! Not a good start. So empty stomach we pushed on for tuross, made burley and were fishing by 7ish. Run out tide was nearly finished but we picked up 3 smaller fish in the low 30s before the change. As soon as the tide changed the downs started to come and the bigger boys had come out to play. We started to get fish above 40cm. I got a nice fat 44cm followed by my brother getting a 47cm. Then I hooked a beast. As soon as I hooked it I knew it was a big fish with the common brick wall hook set and constant heavy deep weight, I played him slowly for a long time trying not to drop him, halfway through the fight my Brother hooks up another mid 40s fish and we end lines crossed, we get them apart and he quickly gets his fish in the boat followed by a trip over the burley bucket and lots of swearing and carry on. I finally get this fish to the surface and its a monster with a huge tail. He keeps going on runs for a few minutes until he floats to the surface on his side ready for the net. I reach for the net and he has one last gasp run and spits the hook!!!! The language and tantrum breaks out across the tranquil lake I had just dropped my dream 50cm fish. We packed up about 12 with 14 fish and the knowledge that the 50cm luddie lives in them waters. To be continued tomorrow. John.

Sounds fun boys. Well done

Decent? 39cm bream ranks higher than decent in my books. Well done.

Gianni I am sure you will take back the record, having caught a fish like that just a few weeks into becoming a Luddie fisherman is very impressive, I have been chasing them for over 30 years to get one this big. John.

Haha Yeah I am waiting for Gianni to be anchored up there in his hobie when I arrive next weekend.

No worries Geoff, Get down when you can. John.

Thanks everyone for the congratulations. As I side note we used to fish Tuross many years ago and have always got good catches of Luddies there, but they were just normal estuary size fish between 30 35cm, I dont know if these bigger fish are a by product of the lake being declared a recreational only fishery about 12 years ago or if its just a coincidence but we seem to be getting several fish in the mid 40's each session now. John.

Thanks Sydneyfisher, Yeah its a top spot for big luddies, just read a research article the other day where they monitored Tuross Luddies and my other favorite spot the Clarence river and the Tuross fish grow at a faster rate. Bit of a surprise i thought. John.

Thanks guys, It put up a great fight, was like hitting a brick wall when setting the hook then constant weight and thumps. The following drift I got the 44cm it went totally berserk on big runs. I really thought I had cracked the magical 50cm the way it fought. John

Hey guys fished my usual spot at Tuross today, Arrived 11am and fished the last few hours of the falling tide (its 3-4 hours late there) I only got 3 small fish on the run out, once the tide turned the fish started getting bigger and more frequent. Ended up with 17 fish including a 44cm, a 45cm and new PB of 48cm. released the big ones and small ones and kept a few in the middle for a feed. Where do you submit pics for the records section? John. size 13 shoe

Great Luddy mate, they dont come much better than that in NSW, I got a 47cm and my brother got a 48.5 in Tuross lake a couple of weeks back. I got a 45cm that went 1.7kg in Durras lake a couple of years ago too. In queensland the big ones are more common, Someone got one at 54cm off the Caloundra boardwalk in August this year and a typical fish there is mid to high 40s. Well done on a stonker. John.

Hey Geoff we landed 22 fish between 35-45cm on saturday between 2 of us. Better hurry down as the stonkers only seem the be early season fish and then they are just your average garden variety after that.

yeah been some real stonkers, fish were smaller today but fat and strong. Worth the trip

Thanks guys yeah back for another session tomorrow, hopefully the wind has dropped a bit, Geoff "centrepin" was supposed to be joining me for the weekend but he had something come up and couldn't make it down. They are still a bit hit and miss at the moment, one day you can bag and next day get 1 or 2 fish.

Fished Tuross lake today for 10 good fish, biggest going 45cm, dropped about another 10 in very windy conditions.