Fish-On

Great catch, would have been good fun! Love it when you come a frenzy like that. Enjoy your feed!

Nooooooooo; shattering! Well they're definitely out there! Gonna catch some zzzz then see about getting out there for an arvo session

Mate I've always struggled on pittwater; now I stick to what I know, sydney harbour. You were definitely armed to the 9s. If the fish were on it would have been a massacre

Nice lizards mate, sure going to taste good. They're definitely around on mass at the moment getting ready to breed. Well done

Fair call! I'll have to give it a try instead of using it for bait. Steve

Fair call! I'll have to give it a try instead of using what we catch for bait. Steve

Thanks Chris, appreciate the tip on the bonnie. I guess there is no playing fair when it comes to kings, cheers Steve

Nice fish; never managed to hook one myself. Must admit I'm also a big fan of the waxwing. A mate bought one out when we went to longie a year ago and smashed king after king while my sp didn't even get looked at! Got 4 in my box now of various sizes and colours. Love em on kings, salmon and trolled up a few big tailor on them around dobroyd headland.

Brilliant session, only problem is what to eat first! Well done

The trots from a bad curry 1st night there! Laid me up for 48hrs. Was not happy

Hi PatW, we were on Toliriki Island then Matamanoa Island. The latter was from when were caught the most fish! Although from each island we basically went to the same spot which is known as Mana Passage that's between two sections of the outer barrier reef.

Yesterday went out with my Thursday fishing mate Evan, to see if we could land us some kingies. Was greatest with a reasonably blowing southerly and in harbour swell. Seabreeze had it dropping so we crossed our fingers. Tried for a few squid around at the usual spots only to find masses of boats already working the area. spent 10mins at two spots then shot across to our bait spot and loaded up on jellybean sized yakkas in 10 minutes. Set up a slow troll around the heads running a tyrnos 30 & TLD 25 as we didn't want to drop any fish (well that was the plan anyway); it's not sporting in know but didn't want to take any chances. Swell was up, was only meant to be .7m but seems a lot bigger with the chop. Landed 3 rats, largest went to 58cm; all went back in the drink to grow some more. Even though we were running heavy gear we still got smoked by two stonkers, one in particular stripping line off my 30 like it was going out of fashion. He bricked me after a few minutes. As soon as we'd hook up we ran east to try and get em away from structure; but the fish didn't seem to care! Finished our yakkas and went in harbour for a flick. Managed 13 flatties, biggest going 61cm. All went back but 4 sized 40-43cm which came home for dinner. Evan also landed a big bonnie and plate sized flounder which were both also kept. Evan was going to cook the bonnie, I didn't want a bar of it, and as yet haven't heard what it was like. Anyone eaten/know how to cook up one? As soon as it was caught it was bled, gilled and gutted then straight on ice. Back at Roseville ramp by 1pm, all in all a nice mornings fishing! Tight lines. Steve

Hi nautica, will pm you

Hi Raiders, Just started posting so apologies in advance for any warbbling! Just got married and went on honeymoon to a couple of islands in Fiji. Took my trustie 10-13kg spin stick and new 24kg Beast master. Lucky enough wife fully supports my habit and she loves her fishing to! Don't think we would have gotten this far if she didn't! So at least I can wet a line when I want and disappear on a Sunday with no complaints...well none yet anyway! So two weeks in Fiji with nothin better to do thank drink, eat, married stuff and FISH! 2nd day there booked a morning charter at sparrows. Head out & was bumpy as. But managed my first YFT, even though it was a pup; but was stoked! Chef prepped us fresh sashimi then seared steaks for main! BEAUTIFUL! a couple of days later and a new island went on a charter with the older cousin of the guy who took us out last time! & tell u what he knew his fishing better than his cousin, thank buggery for that! Again up and out at sparrows with the wife ' we were greated by a much better day! Pop out to the outer barrier reef and set the spread, lures were rudimentary at best and shredded to bits (a good sign); luckily I came fully prepared with a couple of brand new skirts and hardbodies which were popped out the box and sent in to get wet. Saw a few birds working but was a hard job to get a bite. The first fish was the wife's (still feels weird calling her that). She fought it well, pumped and winded like a seasoned pro, all those trips out prepped her well (& she had a good teacher might I add)! In she pulls a good sized barracuda. Well determined not to be show up (& all of you out there know the risk you run taking the mrs out fishing) i managed to get on the board with a skipjack tuna. getting worried we didnt really have anything to write home about & i know my boyz were waiting to hear all about the manic Fiji fish! Have faith...gotta have faith!!!! Kept on the troll for the next few hours with not so much as a fish looking at the spread. Faith....what faith? Then bang & run! After a 5min fight saw colour & whooped as a nice sized spaniard comes up from the depths! Nice gaf job made short work of him. Finally things looking up with 20mins left on the clock! As we start trolling back something smashes my new redhead rapala like a cat on a mouse, and the cat starts running like a wolfhound is after it. It has has nasty headshakes and continues to take 20metre runs one after the other. After 10 minutes we see colour; & it's a big slab of silver coming up from the deep. I can't believe my eye....it's my first GT!!! BOOM BABY!!!! Got that boy on board and I'm so pumped, I'm yelling and jumping around, hugging the wife and hi-fiving the skipper! Brilliant day out! We head back to base where the chef cook us up Spanish mackerel for lunch; can't beat it Two days later I book an arvo charter with the same skipper & head out cause the wife wants to go off and have a massage. Suits me fine! Off we go about 3pm to the same old faithful spot as last time. Only today there are thousands upon thousands of birds working the area. Never seen so any birds working in my life. Dolphins riding the bow wave, spinning and jumping all over the place. As we get to a mass of tuna busting up on the surface for about an area of 300sqm & that's when we start seeing 20kg YFT torpedoing a metre out of the water and spearing back in. These things really do look like absolute weapons, built for the job they do best & thats decimating baitfish! We troll through the thick of them and get a double hook up. I bring in a jellybean about 6kgs and the skipper hands me the 2nd rod. A bit better fish about 8kgs. As soon as he is in I flick out my trustie redhead and as soon as it gets wet bang on again! Another nice YFT same size! I realise this isn't fishing this is catching; two totally unrelated sports, the latter I've never had the privilege of! Next fish we have a problem; this unit starts taking line like there's no tomorrow, I don't even think he knows he's hooked! Back and forth we go, I get a wind and he takes two; I get two winds he takes one...back and forth until finally after 40mins, we see colour way down; don't think he likes the look of the boat (I know it's beat up but that's just rude) and off he goes again taking line like it was his first run. Finally after an 1.20hr he starts circling and finally giving in. Just before 1.30 he's gaffed and on board and we realise he was foul hooked. My emotions run wild, absolutes inhalation, exhaustion, excitement, fatigue...where am I?? Ha! Now I've fought some big fish in my time inc a couple of marlin over 150kgs; but this $)(-&-!?" fish shattered me. Thank heaven for the gimble, otherwise I'm sure the rest of the honeymoon would have been pretty quiet and divorced my the time we get back from the honeymoon. With my arms stretched a couple of inches longer and my back screaming, the skip says "ok one more"!!! I look at him and think u have to be kidding, only to hear my mouth say, bring it on! Idiot! Well at the end of the day how many opportunities do you get like this! What the hell! As we set the spread and hit the middle of the pack we're on again with the redhead. Now this fella is running like the last, but i got his measure and knocked him over in 10mins and had the fish on deck. When we got back to shore and weighed the fish there was only 2kgs different between the two beasts. Goes to show how foul hooking can foul the fight! With the sun setting and light fading we head for shore and to bring home the bounty and see the look of utter disappointment on the wife's face when she realises what she missed. And I quote her words "no massage is ever worth missing out on that"! Biggest YFT went 25.5kgs, the second 23.6kgs and the rest were between 6kgs & 8kgs totalling 9 fish all YFT. Unbeatable fishing! Each trip we only kept enough for me and the wife, the rest went to feed the local village where the skip was from. At the end of the trip left a couple of poppers, and 1/2a dozen deep driving lures for the skip and locals to use. It was like all their Xmas' came at once. Had a great time, caught some brilliant fish and made some new friends. It's a great feeling getting emails from the guys with the fish they're catching and seeing the lures I've given them hanging out of the fishes gob; good to see they're getting a good workout from people who really appreciate a gift! Sorry for the essay, but once I started couldn't stop. Tight lines peoples, see you on the big blue! Steve

Hey burnsy74, we were running 50w & 24kg line. We only raised and hooked the one & one is all it takes. the way that hit was like a freight train we're definitely going to break out the 80ws. We'd run 130s if we had em cause after that snap we are hell bent on not wanting to loose another!

Thanks mr. ed will keep chasing, got to crack that nut! Good luck Friday; keen to know how you get on in Friday. Tight lines mate & happy hunting!

Hi all, first time poster long time reader. Thought it was high time I get vocally involved in this brilliant forum! & a big thank you to everyone for sharing your knowledge and advice on this site. Had a last minute 7:30pm call from the old man, saying we're on for tomorrow to hit the big blue! Catching me totally unexpected we scrambled to get a crew together for a 6:30 kickoff! Sharpie and ian were the first in so best dressed! hit the bait spot in harbour, filled the tank with jellybean to mid sized yakkas in about 10mins. At the heads set the spread for a high speeds troll to the fad, running small to med bullets but no takers. Got to the syd fad targeting some dollies, lots of drifters but saw nobody getting any action. Dropped some livies but got no love. Realised sounder wasnt working, after a bit of playing around decided to press on blind. Shot across to the manly wave bouy another loop & swam some livies and again no takers so decided to hit the shelf. swapped the spread for some push and cup faces and plowed a current edge for donuts. On our way east all was pretty quiet, no birds, no dolphins. Finally hit what we thought was the shelf and started our zigzag. Ran north for a hour came back west then south and couldn't help feeling we should have zigged when we zagged and zagged when we zigged! Sounder still stuffed we couldn't see anything below, the old school method wasn't working out too well. Noticed some boats south of us clustered quiet tight so shot over. 1hr of working a 2km area long corner gets a touch & wakes everyone up. All eyes on it as the fish comes back, it doesn't hesitate, smashed it & bolts like its been zapped with 10000volts; I've never heard line scream off a reel so fast! Everyone swings into action like a well oiled machine clearing the lines & teasers like pros. I get strapped in and hold tight as we start backing down with minimal line left on the reel. She breaks the surface with plenty of stunning acrobatics & we realise this is one BIG fish. I've been lucky enough to bill fish & deckie on a few boats but this was bigger than I'd seen before. After taking what seemed like 1/2 the ocean over the stern we finally manage to start getting back line. After 13mins the line goes slack "@$:!" We're thinking spat hooks; only to wind in with no weight and realise the main line snapped! THE MAINLINE!!!! Could not believe it! We picked up our gear from a fisho who was retiring from his charter business & he said he ran new line on, so should mainline be changed every season?? The drag was all double checked on our way out, so we know it was set right. After getting over our devastation we troll around working the same area then went back to port gutted! At the end of the day debriefing over a couple of stubbies we realise how lucky we were to at least raise a fish & hook it all with without a sounder. Going to change over the lines tonight, we're determined to not have this happen again! Steve Ps - apologies for the essay