SgtBundy

Nice work. I tried today and only managed a 32cm leatherjacket Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Black magic has been more solid for me than sunline, but it could be that it was a bad batch as Ryder also ran into the same problem as me with 6lb sunline fc rock. Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

I have a 12' aerowave that I use off the beach but it also sort of doubles as my livebait rod off wharfs with yakkas, mostly because it has my heavier line and reel on it but also because the extra length helps with casting the longer livebait rigs I use. It can be awkward though - I have another 8ft rod I switch the reel to occasionally when 12ft is just to unwieldy. The aerowave has stood up to some heavy wobbegongs and a whaler shark - still yet to find that first jew or decent king though. If you are livebaiting you probably need the combination of a heavier rod just for the casting weight, plus you are likely targeting larger fish too so you would want the extra grunt. As above 12ft works in a lot of situations but a shorter one might be more practical off some wharfs. That said I am still learning myself so there is probably plenty of others here more qualified to give you advice.

I have booked a family holiday up in Cairns for the last week of September and as part of it I would like to fit in one day out on the reefs. Can anyone recommend or give guidance on charters or other options up there - PMs of course for any charters. Also as we will be flying up I won't be taking much gear - do most charters supply the gear? I was going to maybe fit in a light travel rod or something but probably nothing sufficient to use for GTs or anything.

I have twins with ASD, now 11, and have taken them out a few times when they have had interest or asked to go. I try to encourage them but I dont push it if they dont want to go. This is all sydney based.I find their attention span is about 45 minutes at the moment. Generally they want to go somewhere that they can do other things too, watch ferries, see trains or have a park nearby. For the actual fishing I keep it simple - light rigs with prawn or simple baits so they can just wait for the bite and reel it in. Small bream, trevally etc. They love chasing yakkas mostly because they can then "look after" them in the bucket. I try teaching them casting etc but the coordination can be a bit much for them but if they want to try I help them out. Otherwise I do it for them and they do the reel in. Nothing more advanced than that unless they want to learn. Patience is a problem - waiting for a bite, reacting as soon as they get a nibble etc, or just getting bored and not seeing their line get snagged. You have to think for them a lot but you are probably used to that. I would suggest keep it simple - start with simple running sinker bait rigs and target small fish just to keep them amused. Work up as they gain interest. One thing I have found is ASD kids really communicate with each other well, so if you want to try a meet up for a session let me know. I dont know much about canberra fishing but I would like the excuse to go to Jervis bay Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

I was land based on the harbour Sunday from about 11am (wussed out on the cold early start). Could not even get a yakka until 5pm and then as soon as I put it out a speedboat tangles and cuts my line. Was a very quiet day and somewhat dissapointing. Moon phase perhaps? Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Happened to be up at Williamtown at 7 this morning (30 F/A-18 hornets in the air was worth the trip). Between other things planned managed to drop some pilchards for an hour or so off the Swansea breakwall at Granny's beach on the way back. No takers though.

The tailor. Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

With the weekend mostly occupied with kids activities, I grabbed the window I had on Saturday arvo to duck out for a go - after a recent attempt with live bait nearly paying off I wanted to try that again and got to the spot around 4pm with the sun already below the nearby hills. I started burleying up for yakkas but none were to be found, trying multiple spots after about 20 minutes I finally got a few showing up in the first place I tried. Soon they were was a cloud of them going and were taking the jig fairly well. By the time I had about 8 or so it was getting darker and I thought if I was in the chance for some activity it was now. Set one out under a float hoping for a king - a long shot given the tides though. Still the first one got harassed and went nuts dragging the float under repeatedly - no weight though but when I brought it in it looked like it had seen beyond. It was roughed up and practically dead. The second one I put out was the same - out for a while, bolted under for a bit and came back roughed up. Nothing obvious like a squid, just scratched at. I thought possibly a jewie but really had no idea. I tried another one for a while but as it got dark the activity dropped and I brought it back in and put it in the bucket while I tried for squid. A few casts in I could actually see a calamari with the candles striking out at the jig but it missed multiple times. I let the jig sink and it came up tight near the bottom and I dragged in a fist sized cuttlefish. After it finished inking everywhere I put it out under the float but nothing took an interest - eventually losing it to a bad cast. By this time the tide had started to run again and I was weighing up digging in until the 11pm high tide. I figured I was out anyway, the wife was not worried about me missing dinner so I chose to stick it out. Some more prospecting for squid but nothing turned up. I returned to live baiting yakkas and dangling some yakka pieces unweighted but nothing took an interest which was odd - usually it got hammered by yakkas. Around this time I got some fishing company with a group of 3 guys turning up mostly just making noise and doing their own thing, and another pair of guys who were quite friendly and made for pleasant and instructive company though the evening. The noisy guys left around 11 but their rubbish stayed behind - cleaned up though by one of the guys I was fishing with though before it went everywhere. After some more float based live baiting it was apparent the current was too much and they were just running the line into stupid places. The guys suggested bottom rigging the livie for a jewie might be a better way to go - I switched rigs and set it out deep. But having run out of berley and live yakkas I decided to focus on squid again while I left the live rod secured. The guys with me were guns and had 3 or 4 decent live bait size squid in short order, but I only managed another cuttlefish. They also showed me how effective those UV jig glow lights are - went and bought one today after seeing how well they work. The two guys were using the squid baits live, well, sort of. As one of them was being cast out it went high and with a huge thud smacked into the ferry wharf roof - I looked up to see an ink splat sprayed across the roof, the squids head falling to the ground under that and what was left of the squid disappearing into the night. It was one way to make a squid tube I guess - worth a good laugh too. The last live yakka didnt last long and I switched over to using the dead ones butterflied on the same rig. Right up on high tide we started getting some action - I got some hits that I missed while I was squiding, but the second bait went out and got scoffed but a 45cm tailor. The fight was a little odd. It had some go but not a lot - seemed to only pull intermittently so I wasn't sure I had anything solid but it was on heavy gear though. A nice size fish anyway and it was kept for Sunday dinner. A few more missed hits with the dead yakkas but no more hook ups. The rain started up around then - drizzle but with the cold not pleasant. After the turn of the tide the yakkas came back and I put out a donated live one but it only got mauled like early in the session. The guys said it was small squid - no bites in the back though like I would expect with squid. As it was now 1am and I realised I had to be taking the kids to a party at 10am I called it a night and packed up. As I packed up the guys got an absolute horse of an arrow squid - it was so big they called it for a good calamari until they netted it, I think it was a 35cm hood - pretty impressive anyway. It looked like something that belonged in a sex shop as they described it... An educational and enjoyable trip despite the cold of a winter night session and a lack of fish.

I didnt think kings would bite off 30lb leader, but maybe he ran it into something. Looked like a bite off but I didnt check that closely. Bugger. Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

With the long weekend occupied by various appointments and the lawns teasing me with their neglect I got in gear to sort out the house this morning in order to head out for a crack on the arvo. As I went to go one of the boys opted to come along so I opted to go somewhere suitable for him. Cliftons was thr first port of call but it was packed so I went to try Mosman south ferry wharf instead. Got there around 2 with just some left over prawns and salted pillies to try. Burlied up with a breadcrumb tuna oil mix hoping for trevally. Soon regretted not stocking up on breadcrumbs the way out as we ran out in short time. Some light bites were on but then I found the yakkas on the back side of the wharf but lacked the burley to fire them up and only managed one. Sent it out live and it lasted a while but no signs of it being hit before it became fillets. On the fresh fillets we got some constant bites which soon proved to be more yakkas. I sent a second one out live just as it started into sunset. By this time with the lack of activity and dark approaching my son was keen to get home to his twin brother but he kept at it. Next thing my 12ft surf rod which had the livie on it went flying across the wharf luckily restrained by the strap I had secured it with. I jumped to it hoping to set the hook but felt nothing and dragged in just the float and a swivel - both hooks (one in the shoulder and one in the tail) were bitten off. Damn - suspect a big tailor. Didnt get a chance to try again as my son was getting anxious to get home so I choose to pack up. Nice enough arvo but fairly slow fishing wise.

Well done and an entertaining read

I have only just started catching smaller models, but they seem to hook up fine on a size 6 circle hook - I am using the mustad demons but that was only because I couldn't find any gamakatsu of a similar size. Each hookup I have had has been right in the mouth and a solid hold.

The point to the right of salmon haul was occupied but it looked the spot to be. The terrain looked like it was good for trying for squid over the weedbeds but I wasnt going to be able to cast out deep enough to target anything else. I have worked the sand flats in the past but was not keen to go wading today.

That is an interesting leatherjacket

Yeah, becoming a fan as they give a good account of themselves. The second one I got fought twice as hard as the bigger one but was about half the size

Had no plans other than to have a crack somewhere today, and decided to try somewhere new. I wanted to give the point past Gunnamatta bay a go but when I got there I realised it wasnt as accessible as it appeared off google. I looked around a place called Salmon haul but the gear I brought was too light to reach out where I thought the fish might be. I retreated to the baths at Gunnamatta instead and fished there. Burleyed up and set out a light rig with prawn. Setup a plastic and no sooner had I cast that out and my bait rod got a nibble and then doubled over. A quick scrap later I had a decent trevally up and when it settled down I took a gamble on lifting it and had him. 34cm and fairly solid as well - kept that for home. There were a few people out but they didnt seem to be getting much. One guy on the end of the peir took notice of my catch and started moving up closer to my burley. Nice guy and we had the odd chat. The afternoon stayed pretty quiet. My plastic got a hit while sitting idle, but otherwise the only thing it caught was a yacht that drove over my line when he took a weird line trying to find his tie up. Took a bit of line but managed to break it off. The yachstman apologised but I should have brought it in earlier but I thought it had sunk lower. Got a couple of smaller trevally though the arvo that went back. Plenty of small nibbles through the session and a few missed bites but overall quiet. Packed up around 4pm as the cloud cover made it seemed later. Had the trevally for sashimi which was nice enough although the wife and kids were not fans.

Well done - less fussy than those big models the other week at cliftons?

Thanks guys - it was good that they wanted to do this and for the most part engaged with it. They are both on the autisitic spectrum so getting them to focus or take paitence in an activity is a challenge, but now being better able to put them onto fish means it keeps them interested and wanting to do more.

For once the boys wanted to go fishing, and they wanted to go back to Greenwich as they remembered it when we were there back in summer. Following some lessons with Krispy I got some breadcrumbs for burley and banana prawns for bait hoping for trevally. I also got some size 6 circle hooks as clearly in the past my size 2s were not doing the job. We rocked up around 2:30, I set one boy up (the other just wanted to watch ferries) and mixed up some burley. I set out a garfish (shop bought) under a float just in case something substantial was around. After a while son one was onto something and pulled up a decent leatherjacket. A first for him (and me, still have not caught one). Some photos and kid curiosity and sent it back. Set him up again and about 5 minutes later he was on again, but this was giving him curry. It ran and he had trouble hanging on. Even with it under the wharf he got it up - a nice 33cm trevally. By this time I gave up on the float rig and was flicking a motor oil paddle tail around and got grabbed by a 38cm flathead. A few flicks later and got an odd hit and light resistance and brought in a foul hooked tiny snook Son two by this time took an interest and I set him up as well and he was shortly onto a smaller leatherjacket. As it got colder with the sun setting the boys lost interest and wanted to go. We kept at it for a while and on the prawns I got a small bream and then an absolute horse of a yakka around 35cm that I gave to another fisho as bait. At sunset we packed up to head home. The boys enjoyed themselves and we got some decent catches for an impromptu session.

Actually the new park area near Barangaroo headland should be good for that too

I expect the smell of stale bait and urine and squid ink marks won't go well with the new plans: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/walsh-bay-arts-precinct-plan-gets-green-light-20150521-gh71v7.html

I did some reading after the first one I caught and they can give you a fair bite but they are not chompers like the more teethy ones.

Yeah, they can turn completely on their tail, learned that when a mate got a small one and it nearly got him when it turned as he grabbed its tail. I have been told they are "just big puppy dogs" but the one last night really didn't give me that impression. Good to know my gear can take that weight but still looking for that silver ghost.

Having not taken my recent birthday off from work, and with an invitation by Krispy to hit Cliftons on todays morning tide I thought I owed myself a day off for fishing and grabbed some leave. Got there around 6am with only a few other people out and plenty of room at the end of the pier - I had left over salmon fillet from the palm beach trip, plus some squid and salted pillies - but as I was hoping for some kings I was planning on trying for some live squid or yakkas. All quiet to begin with - I tried some small squid strips and pilchard pieces to begin with but no real hits. Others had the odd fat yakka and trevally. Krispy arrived around 7:30 and was pretty quickly onto some bream. From there the day was ups and downs - huge trevally were showing up in the burley trails being dropped, but being elusive to everyone. I tried for squid off the side wharf but had nothing to show for it. The yakkas showed up for a period mid morning although they were quiet small and took some work to get on the hook. I tried making up a burley mix with some pillies, tuna oil and some of Krispy's breadcrumbs and that brought them on and with some bait tweaking I got a few. I set one out under a float and for a while it did nothing, then as I checked I realised the float had disappeared although oddly my rod was not reacting. As I picked up I could feel it was on and in quick order had a 32cm tailor that threw up half of the yakka he attacked. Kept this for the table. The other yakkas I had were accidentally released in a Mr Magoo manner as I managed to either drop, or lose them while knocking over my rods or gear, so there went that option. After that back to another quiet period - I borrowed some of Krispy's prawns but was not getting any luck with them despite there seeming to be plenty of trevally around. Bonito or frigates were smashing the surface all day but must have been chasing something small because no one could get them to take a hit. Later on in the afternoon I noticed the yakkas were back and some new burley mix had them fired up, so I tried a bait jig instead of single hook and for once actually got a few on that. They got set out with one on a sinker out deep hoping for a jewfish and others under a float but nothing showed up to have a go at them. Thinking it was nearer to 3 I packed up to beat the traffic but by the time I was in the car ready to go it was apparently 4:30, so I was straight into traffic anyway, but I was pretty tired from limited sleep and an early start so I wasn't about to stick out a later finish. A little disappointed the day off was so flat and the kings didn't show up but I guess no-one told the fish. Better than a day in the office at any rate Thanks for all your help and tips today Krispy - great to meet you.