Ryder

G'day Raiders, Like almost every true blue Aussie, I planned to have today off, but an old client of mine, Earle, asked me to give his gardens a tidy up before his big Australia Day BBQ. He has a really nice waterfront at Longueville. I told him I had plans to go fishing with my mate Trevor. Earle said 'you can fish here, bring your mate along'. I asked Trevor and he thought it was worth a try, but he wasn't doing any work, haha. I knocked over the garden by 10 and Trevor came by to fish the runout. We went down to the jetty and sounded the area. The water was about 10 ft close in but dropped to 14 a bit further out. We got the berley going and soon we started seeing signs of life. My float just dipped below the surface, I struck and missed. Next drift same place, my float dipped, I waited then, Bang fish on. A short fight, but a good fish around 39 cm was in the net. Shortly after Trevor went one better adding a 40 cm specimen to the bag. He followed that up with a dramatic take, his float dipped and then went down like a shot, and came back towards the jetty and the fish wrapped him up tight around the jetty pylon. He free spooled it and his float came back up. He tried to pull up when his leader gave way. The fish were a bit touchy, just bouncing the float. You had to time your strike. We missed quite a few like that. We got busted off by others that were hooked in the deeper water. We figure there is a ledge or cave they run to closer in. But we managed a couple more before I had to call it. Kitten duty, my wife and I do foster care. We cleaned the fish, cleaned up the jetty after ourselves and went back up to see Earle. We gave him the fish for his BBQ, he said ' you have to come back and show me how ' The spot shows promise. The Lane Cove River is still brown/green from recent rain and it should improve. The best thing is its private, not like some of the other stinking spots around the harbour. Covered it blood gut and scales, sunbaked prawns and squid As long as we treat it with respect, and throw a few fish Earles way, (and dont get caught fishing when i should be working,) we are welcome to it. Like Johns Jetty I reported on last year which we still fish and still produces the goods. We will be back. Cheers Ryder

Haha..Poison.... Poison....Tasty Fish Great weekends effort guys.

Hey Royce, I always have the cleats in the tool box. It should be easier weed collecting than last Friday

Another great bag. Well done. I feel like stashing a rod in ute now.

Oh that's a shocker, I feel bad for you both. Sometimes the powers that be just don't want you to go fishing. When impossible / improbable things get in my way, like a snake on a ramp at night, I don't push my luck.

Great work mate. I always get a kick out of putting someone onto a fish. You might be surprised what turns up in Rose Bay, it's a good spot.

It's been hush hush for a long time. But I believe it's all good, I was told dont tell a year ago. Gambusia, mosquito fish should be the next target. Small fish but they eat the fins off fingerling trout and natives https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish_in_Australia

Nice going again mate. Great bag and release. You might be hooked now.

You have a great spot there, especially being protected when the southerly is blowing. Nice haul.

I found a spot out of the wind this arvo to hit some blackfish. It was slow going for the first hour or so and I was thinking of giving it away. Just then my float disappeared, and I was hooked onto a solid fish. Once it was landed it looked big and felt thick across the shoulders. I got back into it when former Fishraider Luderick record holder, Gianni 'thefisherman6784' paddles past on his hobie, and I tell him about the 45cm+ fish I have in the keeper. I got one more that I guesstimate is 40+ also. The brag mat doesn't lie. Oh well, I'm a fisherman and an optimist.

Great bag mate, especially for a work night.

Stonker mate, well done. You could get on the records scoreboard with that. Nice fish.

Rotary Athletic Field at the end of Mowbray Road, Lane Cove has a purpose built kayak pontoon. There is another launch option on the North West side of Fig Tree bridge, it's feral, pavers laid on mud, just slip in. Just south of Epping rd bridge there is a footbridge, nearby is a cliff / rock face, heaps of boulders and structure in the water. It holds big bream, and there is a deep hole. The Epping road bridge is a known Jewie spot too.

RIP David Bowie. I can't believe he's gone.

I turned up to a spot on the harbour today, 4 other guys already there, 20+ rods out. No one getting anything except 1 guy had 3 small whiting dying in a bucket. Do they think they are going to catch every fish in the area just because they're there? I see it on the beaches too. Guys put out multiple rods over a 50 metre stretch. Taking up valuable real estate, and not tending to it. They miss more than they will ever catch. We need some reeducation.

Nice, Dusting off the cobwebs. Keep it up. Some good bags coming in off the northern beaches.

I have never had a problem with Platypus line snapping. I have had issues with black anodised swivels. After 10 minutes in the surf, they become shiny silver. Tailor candy. As for the exploding spools, Yes it has happened in the past, after a big fight with a shark. The line gets stretched and compresses on the spool overnight. I met a WA rod builder and reel collector last year, newly relocated to NSW Central Coast. He had examples of Alvey reels customised with laminated wooden spools, and lathed alloy spools to overcome the problem.

While other young blokes are out tagging walls, bus stops, and trains. Haha. Owning it Gianni. Great stuff.

Absolute magic.

Merry Christmas all. http://www.jibjab.com/view/GZsvydfZTKmwTDmih9Sa2Q

My friend, blackfishermen keep their catch alive in a keeper net.At the end of a session, empty the bag, take a photo for fishraider, and throw back the bigs and smalls. The fish in the picture are all ALIVE

No worries. When I say they're thick, 2 metre either side of the pier, PACKED. So no nets, just not sporting. It's nothing to get 6 on 1 drop of the jig. My good mate managed Colonial Village YHA, just up the road from the marina. Virgin and Jetstar were competing at the time about $60 one way. Jetstar have NO bulk hold. Everything goes into those baggage containers. Max lenght 2m, no exceptions. If you get the chance hit Fraser.

No cast nets allowed. Go to the nearby bait and tackle and get a Sabiki jig. Bait fish are thick around the pier. Locals take the prime spot at the front of the pier, be nice and polite, they will help with the flying gaff. Pin livies thru the nose on the last hook of a 4/0 3 hook gang for spaniards. Or float them under balloons for tuna. You can throw lures, but watch and learn, locals cast rod down towards the water and flick upwards. Normal casting could catch a passer by.

Western Province Solomon Islands. Fished there for doggies and spaniards in 2007 for my 40th. I know Taska.