Keflapod
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Posts posted by Keflapod
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Hello fish raiders and Jim Bream,
Saturday afternoon on the seabreeze website saw me plotting my assault on the bay.
The wind, time and tide was carefully analysed, statistical data from previous trips was extrapolated and an itinerary was prepared for the day.
All gear was checked, packed and extra rods were de-hooked so that I don't have more than 4 rods pre-rigged (fisheries rules).
It was a slick operation in progress.
Then I went and bought insufficient bait !
..but I didn't realise it until the next day of course...
OK - even a well oiled machine has breakdowns - in this case, a mental breakdown !
No matter, everything else went well and what a beautiful day it was.
In the twilight, I heard the little baitrunner go off.
When that first reel screamed, it was a case of "There's always something screaming in my ear - I swapped the wife'n'kids screaming for a reel..." - figuratively speaking of course.
Picking up the little graphite stick and engaging the drag system pulled the rod down hard - drag was a bit too tight but my cat-like reflexes responded with milliseconds to spare...
Cat-like reflexes?, More like catfish-like reflexes as I stepped into a bucket, nearly stepped on a rod with the other foot and almost went overboard as I missed my lunge for a grabrail...
It was more like Mr Bean fishing....
That first fish hit the deck - a nice 32cm bream. It actually did hit the deck as it flipped out of my hand during de-hooking....
I looked around me, expecting a flotilla of boats to come rampaging onto my head, to the tune of the 1812th overture, but no-one was anywhere near me.
Could it be that they couldn't see me?
Of course they couldn't see me - my eyes were closed !
Well that's what my son used to say in a feeble attempt to avoid punishment.
The next worm bait went hurtling through the air and found it's mark on the abyssal 3.1m seabed below.
The faint splashing sound of an early morning swimmer could be heard nearby, but due to the fact it was still twilight, I nearly hurled a lure at him,....
Would have been funny if I hooked up and fought a set of red budgie smugglers....
The next strike was a weird one. Nice run, nice hookup for 0.2seconds then all went limp (I mean the line, not me...). I pulled in the gear to find that the braid was sliced off, a long way above the sinker...
Well after I did a happy-gilmour with my rod on the water (the way he used the golf club on the green after he missed a putt), I settled down and rerigged the gear....
Later, I snagged something that would account for the cut braid...photo attached.
The fish were biting and I was a happy camper until the campfire went out at about 8:00am.
I moved spot and took the chance that I would attract the attention of another dangler.
Fortunately no-one came rocketing over. I could see the usual gamut of lure tossers on the sandflats, some professional, some hopeful and some hopeless.
I would be the latter for sure.
Rods in and I wait 15 minutes. Nothing. I pull out one rod and it's snagged on apparently clean sand.
I thought this was a bit too weird (even for me) and strange bad luck like that had me worried.
So I put the rod down to create some slack line, threw the banana I had over board - just in case, and resumed pulling in the snagged line....
Low and behold, the snag starts coming in real slow !
I pulled in a fist-sized rock with a decent lump of cunje on it !
It was alive (the cunje, not the rock) so somewhere on the seabed at the mouth of quibray bay are cunje beds.
I wonder if there are any drummer down there...
Next two rods to come up had some sleeping thumper whiting sitting on the bait.
These fish were 41cm - 42cm and boy do they put on the fireworks near the boat !
I reckon bonefish are a poor man's whiting....and they go 'round the world looking for them...sheesh !
We gottem in our back yard maaate. We callem elbow slappers and we can actually EAT ours....
It was around this time that it dawned on me that I was chronically under-wormed.
By 10:30ish, I was kicking myself for not buying enough bait.
If I had other people on board, I would have invited them to form a queue so they can kick me as well....
...unless they were wearing groper's pink thongs - then I would keep those guys at arm's length...
But I didn't have anything to worry about because they were all still in Taylor square admiring eachother's costumes...and pink thongs...
Still, it was a nice day, hadn't had a single line cutoff by another boat passing 5m away from me at 30 knots so I couldn't complain too loudly.
I went home with 15 decent bream 28cm to 36cm, 3 whiting 41cm - 42cm and a 42cm flattie...
That's enough....for now...
Tony
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ye Tony but you use to post every week what happen
Hi Jimmy,
Yes I did used to post every week but I'm sure people would get bored of seeing the same-old-same-old from the same smarty-pants, show-off guy.
I would hate to be branded that.
It would also invite many negative comments and questions and be seen to be politically incorrect for obvious reasons.
So I thought I would take a step back and let other people take the limelight.
I thought I would give the odd pointers here and there and just post occasionally.
I mustn't let my megalomaniac side win - he's got no brains....
By the way, if you see me on the water, how about you come over and say G'day.
I need to see what YOUR boat looks like....
Tony
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Hey Tony reckon the groper suits my pandoflas
Basil,
I thought you WERE holding up one of the pantofles....
Until I read the report....
...and you were actually holding yourself up...
Gropers are amongst the best tasting fish in Sydney but a rare catch from boats...
I tried years ago to target them from my boat and we got some but the prep work is too hard...
That;s a nice bag of reefies there - and Ali seems like he's pretty full on.
He got 6 reds to your one? Gotta find out his secret !
I'm surprised you didn't get 100 megasweep in the trail though - must be raplaced by the bonnies.
That 75cm fish is a horse of a horsie....
Tony
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Tony keflapodis that's who how a bout a post come on Tony its been a while ive seen your boat out there every week next trip post with photos please .
OK Jimmy,
See my problem is that part of me is a bit of a megalomaniac that wants to post every week and brag and brag.
But part of me (my conscience) tells my megalomaniac side to "pull his head in" and shut up.
And part of me acts as a referee between the other two parts.
There are obviously too many parts in my head all arguing....
So next time you see me talking to myself, you'll know what's going on...
By the way, the part of me that likes pink thongs has been tied up and relegated to the corner....
OK - next trip I'll post, good, bad or ugly....
Tony
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Hey Ken,
Mate that's the first I've heard of someone getting sharked in Botany Bay.
I guess with so many kingies around, there is food for the sharks too.
I'm certainly not a fan of sharks, but if they are under 50kg, I believe they are safe to eat.
So if you have the gear and experience, they are a fair target....
Tony
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Hey Triton,
Well done on catching a legal kingie.
They are few and far between amongst so many rats.
At least you got stretched a few times and took something home to eat afterwards.
Tony
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Tony can come fishing with me anytime but pink thongs are a must
will be heading out to longy this week sometime, see how I go
Hey which Tony do you mean ?
I might have to get my own pantofles and practice my boomerang-throwing technique on you guys...
Only problem is that I doubt I can find any fluoro pink ones and of course I don't know what your respective boats look like.
I might go chucking at the wrong people....then have to apologise and ask for my pink thong back...
By the way, any of you mardi-gras revellers going to fish the pirtek challenge on April 10th?
If the target species chosen by the organisers turns out to be something other than bream or whiting, I'm screwed...
I might need to follow someone around....
Just kidding...I don't do that sort of thing...
I have binoculars.....
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Hey Basil,
Well done on a nice catch of reddies.
It's always a buzz to get a couple, but when a seal comes up....
Mate I have had a trophy nobby once taken by a seal around the hump.
We chased it in an 8.5m platey but of course we had no chance.
If I even so much as SEE a seal, it's lines up and out.
Let the lazy bugger catch his own fish....
Tony
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My first impression is that it's a red bullseye.
I have caught them on the 12 mile years ago.
I can't find a good photo of it to compare though - I'll have to go through my photo albums at home to find it...
It looks a lot like the red bigeye but the tail is concave in your fish and not the same as that in the photo....
Very interesting...
Tony
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Hey Wacko,
There is certainly a diversification of fishing styles and targets in your post.
Luring in the rivers.
Luring in the sea.
Keeping stripey marlin,
yet releasing all the bream.
Hmmm, I think I've invented a poetic verse....
I would have done the opposite - keep them bream and release a marlin, but we all have a different view of the world and different taste buds.
Thank goodness we are all different and like something different else bream would be extinct and the marlin would be plaguing !
Those fish are all crackers - well done - and lucky you that the people you fish with can certainly put the boat on the fish and get you stretched....
All you have to do now is make some fisho friends in Sydney harbour, Botany Bay and the Hacking.....
So with fisho mates like that, you really don't need a boat, eh?
Tony
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Was it a blue plate boat with a rear centrecab ?
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Hey Trung,
I can imaging how bad you felt after only 2 kingies.
We often get spoilt when the fishing is good and we get used to catching them.
One lesson I've learnt in life is that if the fishing is really good all the time, we get a bit bored and it becomes routine.
While it doesn't feel so good to strike out on the fishing occasionally, it is a good thing in the longer term because it restores our enthusiasm for next time.
Psychologically, we have something to prove when we get back out there. We want to prove to ourselves and others that we can still catch them.
We check all our knots, recheck drags, sharpen hooks, reorganise our gear in the boat, get our burley organised - when we get back out there, we mean BUSINESS !
...and that's when we get that special fish hookup and we LAND it....because we were prepared, organised and we were PUMPED !
I think I'll give the kingies a go next weekend - I need a change of pace from the bream'n'whiting.
I used to do a lot of kingfishing years ago on the offshore reefs - time to get that nostalgic feeling again - in the bay this time.
Tell me, when you anchor on Molineux point, do you use a reef anchor or sand anchor?
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G'day Morgs,
Nice jewie and on an SP as well.
There are more than a few envious people seeing this bcos getting them on plastic takes quite a bit of doing.
Amazing the things we lose track of when we get excited over fish - the nets, rods, all sense of time, the fact that we are married, have kids, work starts in an hour - you name it, we've lost it.
People speak to us and our eyes are glazed over - bcos we are still in the boat with that jewie still on the line, or another BIGGER jewie peeling line - and then our manager says
"OY"!
"Wake up and stop making them zzzzZZZZZZ sounds....You're not having another FISHING dream are you ?".....
...and wee sheepishly get back to work...
Looking forward to your next post...
Tony
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Hey Keflapod,
Along time off the seen for me buts It's good to see your on to the Chicken big time now, a lot cheaper then worms so when did you finnally convert, Just curious was it our conversation a year or so ago? (Issa)
Hey Issa !
Long time no hear from you!
I emailed you for no response a long time ago..
I thought you had collected all secrects of the fishing universe and didn't need us any longer...
I had known about the chicken for years but never gave it much of a go, because you can't catch whiting on it.
But you did inspire me to give it a more serious go and I have.
It works mainly in low-light or no light fishing but occasionally during the day as well.
I always bring some but not a lot as the worms do really well for me.
Have you been fishing your spot (I won't say it here) during the night on chook and catching fish ?
Tony
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You guys are going to hate me , i went to St georges basin on the weekend and got good bream at night in water depth of half a meter . We had the motor up as we walked the boat in . We got bream over a kilo and didnt need to net the fish as the phosphorus was so bright you could see them . We would bait our lines after a fish and cast again in the same spot to hook in within seconds , it didnt scare the fish at all .All im saying is that i have never had any trouble with it. Cheers
Hey Funny,
Perhaps these bream are not fearing for their lives if exposed by the phosphorescence.
If they know bigger fish can't get at them (water too shallow, barred tributary entrance, etc) then they won't be fussed.
Who knows. Also, if these micro-organisms (dynoflagellates) are taking up oxygen, perhaps not taking up much as the current is replenishing the oxygen ?
And like it was just stated - fish gotta eat.
I think it's a matter of learning the effect of each of the variables we find present on each trip and asses the situation on a case-by-case basis.
If phosphorescence is present and no bites - move, but if they are biting, stay...
Very interesting conversation....
Keeps us thinking....
Any photos of them big breamsssss ?
Tony
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Now Tony from what have read phosphorus reduces the oxygen in the water work the rest out its not that hard google it you ll find all the information you need .Ive had the older generation tell for years phosphorus no good boy and never asked why they do no some thing don't they . cheers jimmy
Thanks for that info Jimmy.
I'm intrigued so I will research it.
If the dynoflagellates do indeed take up oxygen, I would like to find out how much they take. Is it a significant amount such that fish can't breathe ? Or is it a case of the disturbance in the water (caused by bigger fish) making the micro-organisms light up the water so that they can expose smaller fish (ie prey) to the predatory fish and thus detract attention from themselves ?
I'm curious and I'll do some reading - and I'll share any interesting info with you.
Thanks for the inspiration...
Tony
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<BR>Interesting reading jimmy and tony....2.15 am and can't sleep because of the dam heat and thank god there's FISHRAIDER to kill some time anyway the old greeks say phosphorus is generally no good for fishing but you can only go with what you experience, i personally don't do that well offshore on larger fish when there's phosphorus but that might explain why theres more squid come out to play. I don't have a problem with the bream at night but failed to land any snapper at night when there's phosphorus. Take note on how heavy is the phosphorus and what your result is at the end of your fishing trip. I have been noticing this for years now because when i see phosporus my uncle's words come to me..... i went to greece when i was 12 years old for a year and i refused to go to school so i fished with my uncle which he was a proffessional fisherman and when he saw alot of phosphorus... he would go off swearing the greek way. These days he owns three large fishing vessels which his kids captain them with deckies...they target black marlin at night and doing very well at it...which there is a big demand in europe for them. The Italians taught the greeks how to get them at night when they occupied the dodecanisa islands in world war 2. Seen how they did it in 2004 but can't use that system here for recreational fishing because it's illegal. Gone of the subject a bit but i hope this is some interesting reading for some. cheers guys cg.
Hi CG,
Very interesting experience there.
I think the marlin they get in the deep water are broadbill swords.
There are some canyons between Lesbos (my folk's home island) and the coast of Turkey.
Some greeks like to spin tall stories of boats that fish these waters and don't come back.
They blame the Turks (of course) but what's the bet that the Turks have similar stories about the Greeks.....
There was a guy who posted a report here about some big jewies he caught in the harbour during new years fireworks.
He stated unequivocally that the hits came when the fireworks was in full swing because the jewies can see their targets well.
I wonder how different the phosphorescence is in the water compared to the fireworks...
Very interesting topic...
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Good call jimmy , i will follow as well
Now listen you guys, if you start following me I'm gonna buy a pair of 'Groper Special' pink thongs too (the type for your feet) or maybe I should buy the 'other' type of pink thong and put IT on as well. That'll guarantee to keep you guys away....
You see bcos I fish during gentlemen's hours, I'm a follow-able target and bcos my boat looks like it came out of a batman movie, it can be seen across the bay...
Now the chook ALWAYS gets eaten - trouble is it's soft and small fish have a field day. You either get a good bream or the bait disappears in 10 minutes.
You rarely bring the bait back untouched. If you do, change spot... good spots always have some small fish as well as good ones, and stingrays, banjos, toads, catfish, little snapper, etc....
As for the phosphorus - I have been told by Jewie fishermen that it affects jewies negatively.
I have not heard any bream fishos say it has affected them negatively (or positively).
So, I reckon if you had phosphorescence and you came away with a catch like that, it must not make too much difference to the bream, right?
Unless the phosporescence occured in spot 'A' where no fish were caught and it didn't happen in spot 'B' where you did catch the fish...
So what actually happened Jimmy ?
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Mate, it looks like the almanac was wrong.
That's why, in spite of the fact I have info on my catches going back 7 years,
I still fish every weekend regardless of what I had caught at that spot this time last year under similar conditions.
Also, I had to laugh at the name of the river.
You see, in Greek, Colo means Bum, so where-ever I saw the word Colo in a sentence, I made the translation and I could not keep a straight face.
OK - all jokes aside though, that's a nice Bass and fantastic footage. Well done.
Tony
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Hi Tony ye it was a nice bag but the disappointing thing was the wind i couldn't get out of the river so turned back two or three times when the wind finally dropped i got out to the top of the bay at 1.30 am which roughly gave me 4-5 hours which was ok next thing i couldn't find the exact spot moved 3 times and ye got it finally i had a splitting head ache and i was all over the place but i think the most impact was phosphorous in the water which im told affects the fishing in a negative way that basically sums it up i didn't have a good fishing trip that night the chicken seams to out do the yabbies and beach worms only problem the whiting wont take its only the bream and the snapper two fishing trips and the chicken just about caught all the bream . cheers Jim bream
You went fishing with a big head-ache?
Wow - you're tough !
I bet you're not even scared of bindies....
And you did it in a strong breeze and at midnight?
I bet your wife irons your shirts - while you're wearing them...
Phosphorous is a well known jewie detractor but I'm unsure if anyone has had any bad experiences while fishing for bream.
How deep was the water ?
What was the barometer doing?
Tony
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Yiasoo jimmy,
Nice bag again.
I was out Saturday moring - obviously 5:20am start was too late to catch the rising tide.
I still finished up with 20 fish and 2 crabs but I moved spot several times.
They were not in the one spot - I think I just got there too late.
Again I had people fish VERY close to me where-ever I went - just about couldn't cast my gear.
Next time I'm gonna paint my boat fluoro pink so it isn't as obvious.....
The chook didn't work for me though this time.
I find it is hit'n'miss but when they want it, they don't want anything else.
Still, you gotta bring it just in case.
Did you get many bream on the beachworms?
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Hey Andy,
One spot that I know off the top of my head is under tom ugly's bridge where you can park your car in front of your rods.
Like most decent land based spots it can get crowded, but because your car is near your rods, you can shelter or even sleep!
Use pilchard halves on 2 rods for bait but don't cast more than 30m.
Use live nippers in close (20m cast).
Fish early morning up to 11:00am or the last 2 hours before sunset into the night or at night.
Fish any time on rainy days.
Other spots to try is the wharf on the Sans Souci end of Captain Cooks Bridge.
Go early but remember that the wharf is used by charter boats and other boats. They usually start picking up at 6:30am or so.
Get there earlier if you can bcos after that it will be frustrating to pull in your lines every 10 minutes(except on big swell days where the charterers don't operate - or shouldn't!).
Burley the water below your feet for yakkas (try one for live bait for jewies) and pillie halves / nippers for bait on the rods cast out.
These are the spots I used when I was land based 25 years ago - they are still popular.
Both spots have lots of room but can still get a bit crowded.
Hope this helps you out.
Tony
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You caught that on a BAIT JIG?
Go out and buy a lottery ticket !
With luck like that you're bound to win.
Well done for letting her go as well.
She'll make lots of babies for you to catch on your bait jigs.
Tony
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Hey AndyZ,
Give us some more information, ie:
1. Boat fishing or land?
2. What part of Sydney do you favour ?
3. Rock, beach or estuary ?
4. Day or night preference ?
That would put your question into some perspective and we can give you some pointers.
Tony
Another Snapper sesh
in Fishing Reports
Posted
Hey basil,
nice reddies - took most of the day to find them but next time I bet you'll go to that spot at first light and brain'em.
Those pigfish look unreal as well - so does the poor-man's lobster and flatties.
Quality catch there - well done...
Tony