yo_jono

I know mate, Not looking to Crash hot is it! I'm lucky I can still work thank god. All my days off are spent staring at my boat haha! I have had some major works done on the tinny this winter.. Praying we don't have any summer lockdowns!

Yeah Rick, I know mate.. People Just need to learn to stay home! I'm just getting a plan ready for summer this year, Either November or February 2022 (pending any lockdowns that come into play)

Evening All, Sitting at home on days off waiting to go back onto nightshift has me planning a trip for summer this year. Me and my best mate are planning on loading up the ute, the boat and the swags and sending it North and spending about 2 weeks fishing our way back down the coast in rivers and bays. Currently we have a few spots that are definates - Yamba, South west rocks, Port Maq/laurieton, Manning river (manning point), Karuah river and probably Lake Maq on the way home. We spend our whole summers fishing the Hawkesbury from Wisemans to Lion Island chasing flatties and Jewies. We are still trying to work out where to head straight too to start the trip - Any suggestions? Ballina maybe? If anyone has any Tips, Suggestions on Fishing/Accomodation etc. on the way or any input in general would be great! We swag it most places if there is a campground close and/or with a boatramp. Cheers Jono

I have the prowave one mate, I also have a dedicated removable baitboard. The tank itself is great! solid and well made.

Great report mate! There has been some reports of really nice Jew coming through at the moment - Despite the water temps. Mate of mine got a 96 and 104 at the bluffs on monday but were finding it hard with the squid thinning out. Spewing my boat is off the water - All for a good cause though! Herring is my top bait for flatties and Jewies throughout the summer months in the Hawkesbury, Usually fishing wisemans - Berowra.

Thanks for all the responses guys! Dave - Cheer for them maps mate, I will definately have a look around the marked spots and have a sound around. Rebel - Any specific part of Lion Island? Again, I will have a sound around and see what I come up with. Donna - Cheers for them links, Have never seen them before.. Will definately give me some reading. Paddy - Funny you say that, My dad used to fish Cowan alot about 20 year ago and I remember him coming home with some very nice snapper. Problem is, He only knows the name of the ramp not where he was fishing haha! There is some deep water up there and it is on the list for investigation. offtherocks - Good to hear mate, I had a gut feeling there would be alot of undersized ones there.. Was hoping something a bit bigger could be lurking. goingfishing - Yeah mate always out in the boat.. Pittwater was just somewhere I was planning to start exploring. I have never really been bothered fishing outside - My boat is only 4.3 metres so would definately have to pick the day! with a 40HP merc aswell she drinks a bit! not that confident heading outside alone.

Hmm, Nah not the fella I was thinking of. Shoot me a PM mate, We can have a yack and organize a fish for when the weather warms up.

Yeah mate! Definatelty around october we should go for a look. May have seen you around up there? What boat do you have?

G'day mate! I fish the river ALOT from Del rio too Spencer, but I sort of don't stress too much about heading up there during the colder months. The soapies have been there since the start of the year, and definately in force! Me and my mate went through a KG of school prawns up there getting a soapie every cast, Which was stopping us from getting any baits down into the flatties. The push from all the upstream water in the last 6 months has created an abundance of freshwater prawns (one big claw) in the river and the soapies sit there feasting on them, we had multiple fish with guts absolutely full of them when removing hooks. Certain parts of the river up there the current hooks like a freight train, So I always fish lumps/bumps and reefs depending on the tide - And time my fishing for the smaller tides up the river. Keep too the water no deeper than around 6-7 metres on a bright sunny day, And the less boat traffic the better. The same principles I work on for Flatties up river is nothing different to catching Jew up there. I mainly use livebait and hawkesbury prawns. Cheers Jono

Good Afternoon, Was hoping someone might be able to shed some light on the possibility of snapper inside Pittwater? I have fished the main river for years - Patonga too Wisemans and Berowra are my usual hunts but seem to shutdown during the winter months. I know there is alot of wrecks, Deep water and reefs in the Pittwater area but have never really had the chance to go in there for a look around. So, I was wondering if anyone had caught snapper in there before? I have never fished for them, But need something to keep the fishing urge satisfied during these cooler months. I do have a boat and all the gear for chasing flatties/Jews. If anyone could help me out with any advice on the chances of snapper inside Pittwater it would be much appreciated and could probably swap a bit of advice and what not for the main river. Cheers Jono

Thanks guys! I do fish alot in the Hawkesbury in season.. 3-4 times a week. Just slowly reminding myself to post more reports. Cheers

G'day Guys and Girls, Headed down to Berowra today for the "last Hoorah" of the season for us.. Water at the bottom of the tide was 13.5 Degrees, Maxed upto 15.5 throughout the System. Fished plastics (unusual) and Hawkesbury prawns and livies in all the usual spots that produce for me, for zilch! Started drifting and flicking over a couple of spots, down to the straight and flicked along the drop and weedbeds there for 2 flatties @45cm. Still the usual Bream and soapies around up there. We decided to go and have a look up Marramarra creek as a bit of a Reccy, Extremely Shallow. If anyone has fished/crabbed up here before could you PM me? I have a couple of questions. Thinking about heading down to Cowan for a look around next week, And try my hand at getting a few squid - Without heading to pittwater. Cheers guys!

Good bag! Shit go with the Hook mate. Funny you mention how bad the Local injections were.. I got my filleting knife caught between my toes once in a dodgily placed knife holder and filleted my toe along the bone till it was just hanging there.. Never felt a thing when it happened, Anchor up lines in, Back to the ramp and 2 hour drive home without another soul in sight any step of the way..Went into hospital and it started bleeding, The 2 local shots made me levitate off the bed and they were filling me with adrenaline to bring my heart rate back up! Anyway! Be safe 🤣

Hey guys! Also heading Laurieton next week (8th of March) Can anyone point me in a direction of spots to sound around etc. and any reliable live bait grounds? Willing to put in the work, Just a few pointers would be tops! And any areas up there to drop the pots for a soak? Mainly targeting muddies, Don't want your Goto spot just a general area would be good. Cheers

I allways fish barefoot.. But alot more cautious after leaving a filleting knife at foot level in a holder, getting my toe caught behind it in some swell and when I pulled back filleted my toe down to the bone 🥴 That was 6 hours in emergency and 7 stitches with a car footwell full of blood and a parking ticket at the hospital for parking with a boat on (2am and carpark was empty) In winter I wear the boots pictured below.. compfy, waterproof and warm. Double as my hunting boots in winter.

That sucks mate! I had a brand new Abu Rod and Daiwa reel goto the bottom of the river about 5 years ago when a mate went for a big cast out of the boat and hooked it up and out of the rod holder.. Then no joke, fishing exactly the same hole yesterday, same mates rod went off.. I sat mine in the holder to grab the net and as I sat the but of mine in it got smacked and watched it sink and run!

Great run mate! The Hawke's is hard work at the moment - well from Spencer upstream. Fished 2 days last week, and 2 days this week for about 100 + Soapies, All with there guts full of the freshwater prawns.

Thanks mate! I try and steer clear of the harbour, sort of set in my ways up the hawkesbury. One day I might venture out there and chase some kingies or something. When I get a bigger boat 🤣 mine would handle it I don't doubt, I just feel at ease on the river. No worries mate thanks! I shall have a sound around next time I head up. Cheers!

Thanks mate! Yeah had my poddy trap out, allday and overnight up the bay, nothing was interested. Berleyed etc etc, might do a shorey to appletree one day/arvo and get some around the ramp. Cheers! Thanks for that mate, standard sabiki jigs no good? Usually have a heap of livies with one of them and small bits of prawn. Silly old me didn't even think to have a look around there 🙄 I will have a sound around next time I am there, I'll shoot you a PM.

Hi all, Long time reader, first time reporter. Put in at appletree this morning around 7.30, straight down to little jeruslam bay to try jig some squid (first time) No luck? But had a monster flattie follow my Jig up..kept berlying hard to try and get some livies but stuff all. Went up jeruslam, poddies are schooling everywhere, again.. not interested. Seen another monster flattie chase my squidgy in this time but never hit it, too busy smashing the tiny mullet. Heaps of bigger ones arou d the ramp, and a few blackfish hanging under the pontoon aswell, might berley up and try some there in the morning for mullet. Heading back out tomorrow to actually chase fish, only wanted bait today.. but yeah ya get that 🤣 If anyone can help with a good current livie spot up that way, please shout out. Cheers Jono

I went on a reccy the other day to find squid spots in the hawkesbury that isn't pittwater, few poddies around Gunya but they were in droves in the bays just up cowan. The bait is on the move, my next thoughts are the fish are up the river. I fished gunya and wobby for sfa. Entrance to mullet creek gave me a big bream, threw it straight back.. I hate the things. Water temp is climbing, after the next full moon and we get some big tides she should start firing up.

Hey mate, Have crabbed behind dangar, And out the front too.. I allways go between 2-4 metres of water, and rarely come home with no crabs.. Much prefer muddies over swimmers! I personally believe from the bottom of the low, right up the run in is best.. Check them every hour or so this time of year, Fair few undersize ones getting around. Goodluck!

What area's of the Hawkesbury are you looking to fish mate?

Also run LED lenser headlamps, I have 3 different types. All of them work just as good as each other, But the bigger ones suck the batteries. For a full waterproof, Corrosion proof option I would look at a Pelican brand. We used the EX rated ones, All poly carbonate - But you do sacrifice some light for it.

Hi all. Long time reader, First time Poster. I'm looking at some suggestions for a reel I Just purchased on special, A Penn Spinfisher 4500 Live Liner. I'm Planning to load it up with 30lb braid, Chasing big flatties, Jewies and what ever else takes my bait whilst targeting them. I am prefer to run a fairly short 5ft - 6ft fairly stiff action rod. Boat use 99% of the time. So, Any ideas? Thanks Jono