SgtBundy

Like untangling line, its always the second direction that is the correct one

Thought the conditions might be suitable for a crack at getting that first jewie last night. Got some fresh squid and mullet and hit north narrabeen as I thought the runoff from the lake might bring on some activity. Setup around 9:30 for the 10:30 high tide. The surf was rough, breaking well out and there was a lot of foam on top of what looked to be a hole or gutter near the lake exit. With the cloud cover keeping it dark despite the full moon I thought it looked like a fair chance. About 20 min later 3 other guys setup 50m closer to the lake from me. Within about 10 minutes one of them was on. In the distance I thought it was a reasonable jewie but curiosity got better of me and I wandered up to see. He got an absolute horse of a flathead, prob over 85cm and solid as. I thought they were using livies but it was a humble pilchard. It gave me confidence that some preditors were around but sadly not a touch the whole night. Packed up around midnight and even had a quick SP flick near the bridge for nought as well. Can only keep trying. Next time I will go 50m from where I think is a good spot

I got handed some live worms by another fisho at newport after he was packing up for the day. He said he collects them all along the northern beaches.

How was the back after a week of that action? Looks like you would have had a fair bit of arm stretching going on. If I can ask, what does a trip like that cost? Would not mind doing it one day but I am guessing there is a bit of saving involved

I am sure I saw on a FB group the other day a newspaper article about someone pulling jewies out of the lake.

It surprised me the hits I was getting even in the clearer water as it wasnt obvious there were fish about. On dark the whiting were about in numbers but I am not sure if they were if any real size, plenty of surface activity though. There looks like a lot of good flathead territory there and I have spooked them wading the sand in the past.

At this stage in life I don't think a boat is really going to be an option - costs mostly, but storage and how often I am likely to be able to use it mean I can't really justify it. With the kayak I can throw it on roof racks so I don't need to store a trailer, can also park most places and don't need a ramp to launch, plus the costs are more in reach for now. Still a way off until finances will permit it.

Thanks, I am after a Hobie though as I prefer the idea of using pedals while fishing

Had the usual Saturday afternoon window available to go wet a line, but on hearing traffic issues in every direction to spots I would liked to have gone, I decided to have a go in the lake at Narrabeen. Arrived in the area around 4:40pm. I wanted to try one of the spots I have seen mentioned on here lately but it was pretty full up with most fishable spots taken. I had also wanted to use SPs and I thought the coffee colour water there was not suitable so opted to go try closer to the entrance. Parked near the caravan park and wandered along the bank which was again packed. Ended up walking all the way to the surf baths and was going to see how hostile the surf was and if fishing off the rocks was an option, but it clearly wasnt. Big sets were sending up 4-5m of spray as the hit the rocks and there was a lot of water pushing over the edge. Pretty angry surf as expected - was surprised how stupid people were being, especially letting kids swim in the outflow from the lake which was running pretty hard. Saw an indian guy frantically trying to swim and get his two girls before they almost got swept out - they would have been if not for a couple of big blokes who jumped in and got them out. Any rate - remembered a deep pool in the channel out of the lake along the rock wall and thought I might as well prospect with some prawns. The water was pretty murky with the runoff, but no sooner was the prawn on the bottom then I had a undersize bream all over it. Each cast was getting hits - mostly pickers but every so often a solid thump - got a few more small bream and a tiny luderick which all went back of course. Coming up to high tide the surf surge started to overcome the lake runoff - so every 5 minutes the current would change direction - the surf surge was impressive though - just powered straight up the channel like a small tidal wave. As the surf started winning the water cleared up and I could see the odd small luderick and bream, plus a few whiting. Closer to high tide the current turned to run in from the ocean fairly strong and the bites faded off. I moved around to a new spot and got a few more hits including one solid rod bender, but nothing landed. As the sun started to set I moved to the other side of the road and tried near the bridge. Seemed to be a lot of whiting around and plenty of surface activity, plus the pelicans were on patrol which is always a good sign. Tried experimenting with a light float rig to see if I could get some whiting and got one undersize one, but struggled to get hooks into a fairly hectic array of bites that came on as it got dark. Another little bream came on but that was it. Kept trying for whiting until the bites tailed off around 9pm and I ran out of prawns. A pleasant afternoon despite no keepers, and the larger bream I got put on good accounts for themselves. Still dreaming of getting a kayak though - it looked pretty good further out and was too deep to go wading.

Nice work - do the larger snapper in range of land based spots in sydney push that size often? So far I have only found undersize pinkies.

Re: new vs second hand - for the hobies the new seats are much better. There are a lot on the market at the moment as people upgrade but the new seat is a big improvement, and I can see the difference the new deck makes between my dads 2010 and 2015 outback. That said, a fully kitted out older model is still a good kayak, especially if you can get it loaded with accessories for about the same price.

I recall seeing a thread somewhere of a challenge to turn kids toys into bass lures. Things like matchbox cars, smurfs, macdonalds happy meal toys. Quite a few showing what they caught with them too.

I figure the fish don't care about being wet - why should I. Spent most of Monday afternoon at Chinamans beach being rained on - can't say it was that productive though. Would rather be wet with a rod in my hand than sitting in the office reading about everyone else catching something.

As a kid I recall my dad and his mate going mullet hopping - something like just putting a tinny with a light on it out at the right time when the mullet are running and wait for them to fill up the boat. They used to get hessian sugar sacks full of them in just a few runs.

Yeah - the bait fishos were doing the damage. I went there because it looked like good SP territory with plenty of sand to wander - land based options for that seem limited. Really hanging out for when I can get a kayak and cover new ground

After my first expedition down to the Hacking I wanted to come back and have another go at Gunnamatta with SPs off the sand flats. Got down there just before 4 this afternoon with a resupply of squidgees and started working my way down from the baths, concentrating on working the dropoff to the boat moorings and weed beds. Little stingrays were everywhere so a lookout for foot placement was done carefully - some larger models showed up as it got darker but it was surprising how many were around. Early on got a small pinkie absolutely engulf a 120mm bloodworm but still took the hook perfectly for an easy release. Got the odd hit and a few plastics destroyed by toadfish I think which was annoying (yet another packet destroyed). I tried a prawn model and the gulp nuclear chickens but only got interest in the bloodworms. As I worked my way down the sandbank a little kid about 8 and his dad were mucking about with a rod. They left just before I got to where they had been. A little while later the kid was back with his rod a few metres up from me. He seemed to be a keen fisho in making - asking me questions and apparently practising his casting (kid style - all gusto, little result) with a small paddle tail lure. Next thing he is on and brings in a solid 43cm flathead - I came over and gave him a hand with it while his parents came from further up the beach. I got the hook out for him and let him take a look over his fish and he decided to let it go as they had no way to take it home. The little fella was chuffed and smiling ear to ear - which was good to see. He hung around asking more fishing questions and continuing to cast - even losing his lure which I replaced with a small SP for him. In my mind I was wondering why the hell I missed that fish having been casting there not 2 minutes before him.... but I guess that is fishing I continued working down the bank for nothing more than a few taps - at one point I got a good strike but immediately the braid snapped. I think it might have been some damage from the week before when it got snagged. Lots of people out - dads with kids fishing and it seemed like every little kid out there with a fishing rod was pulling in keeper flathead, as a few more groups further down caught some while I was casting nearby. On the way back I noticed another group of adults had a undersize rat king in their bucket - not sure if it was caught there or not as I didn't really think it was their sort of area. Wandered back to the baths as it got dark and spotted a few squid (I think) near some weedbeds so tried using some jigs on them - got a few follows but nothing more than that. Finished up around 8:30 and headed home. My wife questioned how long of catching nothing before I give up on this - it certainly has been a dry run of late, certainly nothing to take home. I told her until I figure out what I am doing wrong.

Nice flatty!

I have not tried a whole lot, but of my small collection: 1. Samaki Zing 7ft 2-5kg - SP and lure work (and if forced light bait, but I use my 2-5kg ugly stik for that now). 2. Shimano Aerowave Graphite 12ft - beach and heavy stuff. The other rods I have are 8ft 6-10kg rods for live baiting and heavier stuff off wharfs, or just as a second rod to use on the beach while the aerowave sits out for that jewfish that will one day discover my baits.

Big rain with high tide?

I had chopper tailor do that to me recently - the only things they would touch were bloodworm wrigglers or nuclear chicken and I went though an entire packet of chopped in half plastics. Put on a blade, hardbody or metal and they would only follow it or ignore it.

Yeah, had a bit of dry run the last few weeks while I had time off and now that its back to work time its rubbing salt in the wounds

Figuring I wont get a chance to try for jewies with the new moon during the work week I grabbed some fresh mullet to hit the high tide this evening. Had some prawns as well to throw around on the lighter rod too. Arrived around 7:20 just before top of the tide and got setup with what appeared to be a fair gutter. All quiet until a bit later when about a dozen other fishos turned up - some appeared to be live baiting with yakkas. Some guys throwing live worms with alveys got a decent bream but that was about it. Those guys gave me the last of their live worms as they packed up and a lent them a cutting board to clean their bream. I switched to using the fresher worms but got no interest in them. About 9 as the tide started to run it became weed snag hell - I seemed to catch it as soon as the rigs hit the water. Gave up around 10 and packed up fairly frustrated between the weed and no hits at all on nice fresh bait.

Thats correct, includes squid but only in protected areas which from memory are around Manly and Bradleys head. I know there are signs to that effect in the national park around there. Its not the entire harbour

Probably because there was too much bait

There was this google map someone created on the forum a while back: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zlvclpIPEAa8.k7Yve44sR51Q&msa=0&dg=feature