Scratchie

100% spot on Sam! Fishing is always about the company, fish are sometimes a bonus. I know I should go fish the deeper water but it just doesn’t excite me! Yeah Rick, not many good stories from Port S at the moment! Agree Hoods. I take pride putting people onto fish but if there not there, then there’s nothing I can do! Yeah bro! I’d hate to think how many casts we put in between us! 😩😩 Cheers mate! I’m glad you got one at least. And not a bad one too! But you stuck to it and kept casting which is a real key to fishing with soft plastics! 👍 Haha 😂 the wrasse are so thick up here. I also seen your daughter made a trip up here but didn’t see any fish from her either! Except some lobsters 🦞 Pretty sure I seen her doing that other kind of fishing 🤔 I’m hearing you Yowie! Mate, I take anyone I fish with to the spots I catch all my fish. I doesn’t bother me at all. The technique is the key WHEN they are THERE! Not over fishing. My points are very valid. I really don’t like fishing deep. A bait on a paternoster rig just doesn’t do it for me. Cheers Zoran! Always frustrating pulling a donut but it happens. Yep time for that shine I reckon! Cheers

G’day raiders, Well this is a bit of a mixed report from different journeys to Broughton Island. After the cancellation of the Port Stephens meet up, there was still a few raiders that managed to get up here over the last few weeks and we found a chance to hit the water. Starting with @the skipper a couple of weeks ago and a few mates. We hit the water early and made our way up to the island. Got to our spot and found there were 5 boats in the area. (I hate fishing weekends) Anyway, we worked hard all day trying many locations but to no avail. The fish just weren’t there. The next week I got out with a local mate and we stuck to the same plan. It was looking promising after the first drift my mate comes up tight to a good fish that was giving him a workout but unfortunately pulled the hook. With spirits high we pushed on and after a million casts we found a small patch and picked up 4 keepers but only to 55cm. Then I teed up a trip with @Welster and his father. We were greeted to a beautiful morning. Tried a little while for livies but no much bait present. The same seemed to repeat itself at the island. So we begin to cast and cast and cast and cast. Many changes in location but the results were pretty much the same as the previous 6-8 weeks of fishing. Well we tried! But Welster did manage his first snapper on sps at 48cm. 💪 After receiving a text from @mrsswordfishermanthat her and Stewy were headed up for a few days, it was time to clear the calendar and make way for a catch-up! We had a lovely dinner, coffee, then a bbq breakfast and a plan was hatched to take @swordfisherman up to the island. His anticipation was high of getting a decent snapper but the realist in me was knowing it would be a struggle. And unfortunately once again the struggle was real. But testament to the true fisherman we are, we “just kept casting” all day and I managed one embarrassing snapper at 35cm. But in all honestly it was just good to get out on the water with a good mate I haven’t seen or fished with in ages! We also ran into @quintrex52 who I’ve fished with plenty times and he was struggling too! Thanks also to Donna for a wonderful dinner and weekend and it was so good to see you too! it’s been too long. 😘 So now to working out why the struggle????? After talking with a few well respected local fishos, we surmise that there are a few reasons for the lack of fish in the inshore reefs. First is to do with water temperature. We never seen the low temps that we usually do over winter and in fact had a warm patch that would have induced early spawning and the big fellas move on. The lack of current, does not sustain the food chain so there is a depletion of quality bait. No bait no fish! Add all that to the clearest water I’ve ever seen with visibility up to 20-25m and there’s the most excuses I can find. Put simple, the fish ain’t there! 😢😢 So the boats in the garage until things improve or I feel like punishing myself next week! Lol 😝 But a big thanks to the many raiders that I’ve had the pleasure to meet and fish with. As I say, I never guarantee that we’ll catch fish but I’m always happy to show you my spots and techniques if that helps. And I swear there are some really good snapper up here, just not at the moment!!! Tight lines all, cheers scratchie!!! And finally, a big shoutout to a mate that is recovering from life changing surgery @back cruncher. Get well soon champ! You must have taken all the fish with ya bastard! Hurry back so we can start putting up some decent reports!

Take the leave pass while you can mate! Congrats to your Dad on the pb! At least your finding them! A good feed amongst that lot! cheers scratchie!!!

Haha 😂 I knew I should have let more go! 😢

Nice work Bob. The old banana controversy ay? For the record, not welcome on my boat! The snapper have been really lean this year up here especially compared with last year. Not quite sure what it is but there’s a lot of casts for very little reward. But you found a nice box so great effort! cheers scratchie!!!

Haha! That picture is one of my mates and also a fishraider! About time they fix the ramp! Sometimes after a few westerlies you need a 25m draw bar just to launch your boat! 😢 cheers scratchie!!!

Awesome Sam! Nothing wrong with that box of reds. We’ve been struggling up here of late! Makes me think that they are all in the deeper water. 🤔And by the way, 330 is a normal start! Lol 😝 cheers scratchie!!!

It’s actually very interesting the growth rate of a snapper. We have a research program going up here with the frames you donate. From the feedback I’ve seen, size is NOT related to age and each fish is very much individual. For eg. 1 x 51cm was 12 years and 1 x 71 was 9 years. It left me wondering how many times that 71cm fish over the last few years missed my hook 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Pleasure to meet you @Welster. The conditions on the day could not have been better but the fishing has been disgraceful. I’ve warned everyone that’s been up here lately that the fishing has been poor. Nothing I can do about that. No current, no bait, no drift and visibility to 20m is not conducive for chasing snapper. Although mate, you just kept casting and came up tight. Good to see it on the mat. I may have had an educated guess at 48cm lol 😝 Thanks for having me onboard! cheers scratchie!!!

Just a tad! About 8 1/2 years! 🤣🤣🤣

Good to just get out and smell the salt water. Sometimes the fish are just a bonus. Well, that’s the way my last few trips have gone too! cheers scratchie!!!

Congrats @Pickles well deserved 👏👏👏 cheers scratchie!!!

Awesome work Bob! Good on you for taking the young fella out! Love the fishraider spirit! cheers scratchie!!!

Awesome Jon. Was a beautiful photo too! cheers scratchie!!!

Congrats Nan and Pop! What a little cutie ❤️ This bloody virus has ruined a lot of things but thank god for technology. I hope you get to see her soon enough! Xx cheers scratchie!!!

Haha yowie! 🤣🤣 We’ve all been there! But you stuck it out and got rewarded 👏👏👏 cheers scratchie!!!

Enough debate fellas. Please only submit comments relating to the OP’s post! Scratchie mod team

I feel another headache approaching! Very handy tool there Ron. 👍👍👍 cheers scratchie!!!

Great report and great fish. Well done 👍 cheers scratchie!!!

Wow fellas, I now have a headache! Thanks for the discussion! regards scratchie mod team

Not work Lads. At least you got out there and had a go! Wouldn’t see me dropping that deep by hand. Sounds like a good day was had by all anyway! cheers scratchie!!!

Quality mixed bag there! Well done on the reds! cheers scratchie!!!

Nice work! Sounds like a great day had by all. Plenty of fillets to go around there! cheers scratchie!!!

@frankS I hope you are well mate! I’ve tagged all the people interested in this thread, so no need for a pm! That would take me ages! 😩 Will we have a great meet up on the other side I promise! cheers scratchie!!!

Fellow Fishraiders, It is with deep regret that the “Meet Up” in Port Stephens this year is cancelled. With the restrictions currently in place by the NSW Government and the uncertainty in these times surrounding this pandemic, I cannot in good faith or conscience hold a meet up in my area. Whilst I am majorly disappointed, it is in the best interest of us all. For those of you that may have booked accommodation and plan to come up anyway, I’ll be happy to provide as much information as possible to give you every chance to get your red! Just send me a pm!!! Once we are on the other side of this crisis, we will definitely have a meet up and enjoy better times! Kind regards, Scratchie