Scratchie

What is there not to love about fishing? With maybe the exception of the kids deserting me when it’s time to clean the boat. 😩 I enjoy the entire journey. From the deciding to go, to making “the plan”, the preparation of rods, reels and gear. The sleepless night before hand and waking up two hours before my alarm buzzing at the possibilities And then the actual time comes! Quick coffee, make lunches and off we go! Travelling out the heads in the pitch black of night and hoping I got the forecast right! 🤔 The only part I don’t like, that I become inpatient at, is the time it takes to hit my first mark before I can start casting. The rest of the day is just pure pleasure. Casting, catching, chatting, observing my surrounds, watching dolphins, whales and what ever the ocean throws up! cheers scratchie!!!

Giddy up!!! My favourite place in NSW to fish! Looks like an awesome trip. Congrats on the PB snapper. Mate, you haven’t lived until you cross that bar at Wooli. Lol 😂 It’s actually not as bad as it looks but it does look very daunting. Great report and I’m glad you got some arm stretching! cheers scratchie!!!

Thanks Jeremy. It’s been a pretty exciting couple of weeks! 👍

Always family first! 👍 I love taking the kids with me at every opportunity when conditions present themselves! Their smile is enough reward for me! Cheers BN

Yes it is! Great little rods to throw sps for flatties etc and double up as a bait rod!

Not sure about mobile but Nelson Bay Outboards on George rd is very good! Tell him scratchie sent you! Or there’s Ben at “All Mechanics” Soldiers point rd! Both very good! cheers scratchie!!!

Still plenty of bait at cabbage tree. Slimies were in the northern side of the bar. Heaps at the little gibber too!

Cheers Fil. It’s been an exciting couple of weeks that’s for sure! 😃

Thanks Baz! Yep and she’s a PB for sure!

Thanks mate! Oil those reels if your not using them! Your free to travel now 👍 Thanks Sam. Much appreciated! My Mrs lets me go whenever I want. It was the one condition that we get married! Lol 😝 Thanks champ! The kids love it! It always a pleasure to take them out! They just don’t get many Monday’s off! 🤣 Cheers toby!!!

G’day raiders, I’ve recently done a few upgrades to the boat and a few things I’m still working on but it has made me more keen than ever to take every opportunity I get to hit the water. So yesterday, I finished work early. Had a quick sleep and hooked the boat up. I decided to take the three youngest out for a troll around the islands. The seas were calm so we decided to catch some live bait first and give them a troll before we switched to deep divers. You kind of forget how much fun it is for kids to catch bait fish, especially a good slimie! Well, put the slimies to good use and after only a short while the line starts peeling off. The eldest at the time Brandon was running the deck and grabs the rod and brings in a huge bonito. Sweet! The bonito are around, so we switch to deep divers. Didn’t take long to hear another one screaming and the girl was up! Great fun watching their faces tangle with a tuna. Landed that one and then time for the youngest to have a go! Well he thought he’d hooked a whale but just another bonito! Gave them a few turns each then it was time to head home and watch the footy! I didn’t touch a rod or reel all day and I didn’t drive either as the second eldest now has his boat licence! 👍 So today, was the eldest boys @Jnr Scratchie turn after he became a father last week and made me feel older than ever by becoming a poppy! The plan was to go south and fish a few areas we haven’t tried before. But someone forgot to tell scratchie (boat) and she just turned left out the heads like usual and headed for Broughton Island. We didn’t stop for bait so we could get up there before first light and start casting. The seas were more than placid and no current to be seen although there was a little wind to help out drift. We both managed a few pannies and then the boy comes up tight. I set his drag and when I start to hear it sing I know he has a good fish. Well this fish kept singing and I thought it was whiskers until up comes a decent mid 70’s king. Nice! A few more drifts and a lot more casts, he comes up tight again And this time there is the telltale signs of a good snaps! Soon it was into the net and hi 5’s all round. Managed a few more at different spots and called it a day around 11. Cracking day on the water and we obviously did better than most as all the boats that came to the ramp, just hooked up and drove home! Thanks for reading, Cheers scratchie!!! The best catch ever......... I hope she likes fishing 🤔

The bay does hold snapper but not generally a specific area you can target them. They are usually a bycatch from people chasing Jew or just drifting around with bait. I haven’t done much fishing in the bay of late as the open ocean always seems to draw me to it! But I’ve had good reports of Jew around middle island one hour either side of the high tide change. The snapper out the front are really hard work atm due to a lack of current. Really early mornings or late arvo are best. Fingal and the reefs surrounding are producing during these times. Hope that helps! cheers scratchie!!!

I have no other words than......... That is just awesome! 👏👏👏👏 Can you give us a report on that stonker?

You win some you lose some! Makes me more determined. Yes mate, I still use that combination. Once the water cools down and the big girls move into the shallows I might up it to 30lb!

Sorry Rummers, only just seen this post. Probably not worth it at the moment mate (hope you proved me wrong) But there’s no current atm and the snapper go off the bite as soon as the sun comes up! Although those 15m reefs off the front of those areas are really productive early morning/late arvo! Happy to head out with you when suitable. cheers scratchie!!!

Sorry to hear for your loss BN. My condolences goes out to you and your family. cheers scratchie!!!

Now that’s a report!!! 💪💪💪 Congrats guys on the many captures and for helping out yet another raider. Win win all round I say! cheers scratchie!!!

To know where to start, it would help if you told us what your intended target species Is? Fishing with soft plastics is a very active way of angling. Some species require a lot of thought and practise, and others are just cast and retrieve! cheers scratchie!!!

Good fun the old salmon! Sometimes I see them swimming with kings in the mix. Sounds like a nice day! cheers scratchie!!!

Mr Reliable you are yowie! Always guaranteed to come home with a feed. No wonder your always allowed to go! 🤣 Those red things are snapper? Thought they were different coloured bream 🤣🤣🤣 cheers scratchie!!!

Think you got them confused Luke. Dieter is @61 crusher and Mick is @back cruncher 👍👍👍. Either way they always bring crap weather! 🤪

Cheers Rich! It was pretty devastating to lose two good fish especially when you have sight of them. It doesn’t happen often. Just one of those days! Cheers Rebel. Time to let a few grow 🤣 True yowie! We don’t mind losing one but two is a tragedy 😢 Couldn’t agree more! 👍 Haha 😂 we could have waited for the arvo bite and filled the box. 🤪 Definitely related to whiskers! At least my knots didn’t fail. Just one of those things! Great day in the water all the same champ! And we scored to PB tuna birds 🤣

Gday raiders, Headed out today with Backcruncher and his mate and we hit the island. Hopes were high for a few good snapper especially with the sudden drop of the east coast low we’ve been enduring. First drift at first light and Micks line is screaming. Set the hook, set the hook. Well he did and after a good tussle up comes a 70 model, nice! Not in the net yet it takes a roll and pop! Gooooooooone! Oh well, at least we found something. Ended up changing locations and we managed a good size bonito on a livie and kept casting sps! Then I load up and boy did this thing pull string. After a decent scrap and a bit of manoeuvring I get a decent look at it boatside (80 plus) and can feel the crunching on the jig and with one more crunch, boom.... the leader gave way! Damn! We moved a few spots due to either, a lack of bait or lack of current, then decided to try for longtail. Hit our mark and set the livies out! They looked good swimming perfectly. So much so that we couldn’t get away from the tuna birds diving on them at will. After hour we called it quits but managed to land two birds!! 🤔 Headed home at a leisurely pace with a beer in hand and a good day had by all. cheers scratchie!!!

Still might be on the cards yet! September is a good time of year to chase the big reds! Let’s see what restrictions are lifted on the next month or so!

Haha 😂 wrong tide Baz!