bojulabah

I’m looking to get an integrated live bait tank with cutting board as I need a second live bait tank and no other space (that doesn’t significantly reduce my fishi g space). If I mix squid and livies, the squid chew the livies up of attack each other. I would appreciate others experience (and maybe some pics) thanks bojulabah. Kind regards Bob Pickworth

A beautiful day with good mates, perfect weather, low swell and good drift and water temp (21degrees, BUT disappointing result over trips to Long Reef in past week. Lots of trevally (40cm) but 3rat kings amongst 2 boats and 5 mates x 4 hours = 20 hours for 3 Kinies?? Got a nice Little tailor on fly though.

A top day out wide - filled up the live bait tank with Slimies and Yakkas in double quick time and got hammered by the odd Bonito and Salmon inbetween catching livies. On the way to our destination (Manly Reef) there were acres of surface boils, which turned out to be Salmon with Trevally. Makerel, Yakkas and tailor underneath. They are still feeding on “glassies”. Hooked up to a Big shark that took a livie- fought it for 20 morning nites before cutting it off to get back to the Kings. Catch: 17 kings, 4 legal, the rest were rats, several just under 65. 6 Salmon (all around 2.5kg) 4 snapper 2 Trevally

Fly is small plastic dumbbell eyes, Mylar tube, pink Krystal Flash, a few strands of black faux buck tail on a no 2 “J”hook (I’ve been using Sea Prince saltwater hooks, but any fly type hook about this size seems to be fine.

Well done Mike - They don’t call them kingfish for nothing. “Fishing is a sickness (I like being sick)”

At the moment (mid October) only very occasional hookups appear to be to metals and weighted plastics. The only hook ups I have had have been on 10gram metals, 2” plastic grubs with tiny lead heads cast with the wind and 6-7” “Sluggo” or paddle tails in white colour

I cut their throat immediately and bleed them (over the side of the boat on a tail rope), put them on ice, skin them and they taste great. I remember in 1970’s when akingfish were used as cat food and never available in fish shops as no one would eat them -different story now. my wife crumbs them in Panko bread crumbs and lightly fry’s them for 2-3mins. They are good eating, mind you, I don’t like break and really only like Kingfish, blackfish, Dolphin fish, flathead and Mulloway. Catch plenty of other species, but give them away.

Eat Salmon - are you joking. Of course, I love them, but I cut their throat immediately and put them on ice. This being done, they are great eating if fresh, however, they will not keep for more than about a day. Length was 55cms - all were about the same and lots of trevally under them, also taking the fly, as were bonito.

Salmon have been going crackers over the past 2 months. Some days they have been hard to entice to bite and others they smash a lure / fly as soon as it hits the water. I have had luck with small weightless plastics -50mm grubs as well as “Bobs salmon candy” that I have been tying myself. These have been bullet proof and I have not had a day in the past 2 months where I haven’t hooked up with them. Although the wind and chop has been unpleasant on many occasions - over the past 2 weeks they have moved into the bays and inlets around Middle Harbour. There have been some BIG Kings there too smashing these little flies, but impossible to stop on 8lb braid. I hope they stay around until Christmas.

Tried some new flies with Mylar tube, white crystal flash, back dubbing and pink buck hair. Worked a treat and boated 6 x 2.5 kg Sambos flicking into School breaking the surface.

Headed out to Longie on Wednesday to try for Kingies, but they seem to have gone quiet - only 2 undersized caught (50 & 55cm). Berleyed heavily and ended up wth 2 blue mowies, a perl perch, a giant painted leatherjacket (took a 7/0 hook) 1 large trevally (50cm) and a heap of baracouta and several small snapper and a heap of little trevally 25-28 cm. e thought we had cracked the jackpot on a huge Kingie, which after 20 mins turned out to be a 15kg Mako, foul hooked in the tail. The swell was solid and very sloppy and a strong NWester - overall a good day

The weather lately has not been good - strong winds and big seas, never the less I went out solo (life jacket on when solo) and had a cracker day. Collected live bait fairly quickly- 10 XOS Yakas and 2 even bigger slimiest, 5 Kings - biggest 73cm, smoked by 2 others, 2 snapper, several seargant bakers (OK for snapper bait, but too many bones for anything other than fish soup - I don't like fish soup) and a swag of 30-35 cm Trevally. There are heaps of good sized salmon schools around the heads, but only getting them on flies - chucking metals and plastics only resulted in foul hookups and getting smoked. Flies are 2" surf candies.

Went wide today (Wednesday) and boated 17 rat Kings - none over 65?, but a lot of fun on light gear. Came inside the heads when the southerly blew up about lunchtime and the sounder was chockers with fish - there were lots of gulls circling, but none diving. Several casts with tiny metal and pillies, resulted in nice sized salmon and 35-40 cm Trevalyy.

Kings have been at Long Reef for 3 weeks now and still around. Predictions for this weekend were "average", but no one told the rats as they are there in number. I've boated over 50 in the last 2 sessions - mostly in the 55-75cm range. Of the 50, I've kept 4 and released the rest. Kingfish won't freeze and besteaten on the day there caught. ive been catching them on squid, yellowtail, strips of seargant baker, soft plastics and even on saltwater flies (red and white weighted clouzer style with a 9-12 weight rod). On Sat 2 of us were fishing and boated 33 (3 kept, the rest released). lots of trevally 30-40cm in Berle you trail.

Gear I've been using: Shimano Stella 6000 with 50lb Ocea braid, leader (Fluorocarbon) paternoster rig with 30lb Fluoro from 3way swivel and 12lb line to no 4 snapper lead. fly outfit - 9 wt with SA sinking line and 9' 12lb tipped. Fly is a home tied clouzer pattern - white with red bucktail.

Kings have been at Long Reef for 3 weeks now and still around. Predictions for this weekend were "average", but no one told the rats as they are there in number. I've boated over 50 in the last 2 sessions - mostly in the 55-75cm range. Of the 50, I've kept 4 and released the rest. Kingfish won't freeze and besteaten on the day there caught. ive been catching them on squid, yellowtail, strips of seargant baker, soft plastics and even on saltwater flies (red and white weighted clouzer style with a 9-12 weight rod). On Sat 2 of us were fishing and boated 33 (3 kept, the rest released). lots of trevally 30-40cm in Berle you trail.

GR8 result Tyrone, Kingies are soooo much fun, especially on light gear.

Watch those seals I hooked one last year when it stole my Kingie - heck of a fight Though until I realised what it was.

Hi Raiders, went out to the Artificial super early (4am) stopping off to get Yakkas / Slimeys, but only XOS supersize, none of the "Kingy Candy" size and heaps of little leatherjacket. I then headed back to shore and went off the lighthouse and caught 4 over 70cms, but lots of rats mixed in - (good fun though). I didn't see any schools of salmon or tailor that are supposed to be around in the harbour at present.

The baker was 48cm - released - too many bones to eat, but they do make good snapper bait

Great catch Cossie - I'm not so interested in catching Ludderick, but the surface predators of interest, did you see them in the harbour?

Hi Raiders, I went out last Sunday to target blackfish (out of my boat). The weather was crook - very windy as you'd expect from this time of year. Tucked in behind the heads and caught some unusual fish. I know diet changes for all fish at different times of year - I've caught Ludderick on nippers, prawns and bread - Never caught a Seargeant Baker on fly before?? What other strange catches have people caught

Hi Raiders, yesterday - Wednesday 16th May, someone lost a single Toyota key on a key ring on the wharf. As I was the only boat on the water (6am) and There was only one other trailer in the car park, it was put on top of the yellow concrete pillar at beginning of the wharf in between the 2 ramps. im hoping this gets around - obviously the owner was able to get home, nut they might want it anyway - it was not an auto lock key, but "old style" simple one. by the way it was a brilliant day, I'll post info "Sydney Harbour Wed 16th" bojulabah.

Brilliant report ACJ