Oscarthebeagle

Great way to spend the afternoon. I was on the hacking on Saturday during the day with 2 of my kids, 2 and 5 year old the 6 month old isn't quite ready yet.

Fished Como for 2 hours Sunday morning. Very few bites/downs and no little fish, ended up with 2 fish mid 30's and 3 just under legal. Also took my 2 year old boy fishing at gymea bay on Sunday arvo. No legal size fish but heaps of downs and small fish perfect for keeping a little boy entertained, he loves watching the float and making patty cakes (sand burly) to throw in the water.

Had a few trips in the last week, so will put all 3 reports here. Trip 1 Como blackfish Wednesday Had a heap of chores that needed doing so took Wednesday off work. Heaps to do but still managed a quick trip before breakfast. Decided on my first blackfish trip of the season. Got off to a bad start when I found my rod and remembered I put it away last season with 2 broken runners. Sorted my spare rod, dad had it at his place so now he would meet me at the wharf and I had a companion for the trip. Arrived at como at first light, things started slow but eventually started getting downs, then heaps of downs mainly small fish but good to see the float going down after a few months away. Ended up with 5 keeping fish, 3 high 39cm and 2 low 30's. Home just in time for a 2 year old to be sick all over themselves in his chair, nothing wrong with him and the fish gave him a welcome distraction. Trip 2 Sand flathead drift Friday Needed fish pieces for my little girls party next weekend, so went the easy option of a feed of flathead. Didn't take much to convince dad to come along. Started near jibbon bommie hoping for a kingfish, none around but did manage the welcome bycatch of a couple of nice squid. Went straight out to 40-50m and started drifting. Took about 2 hours to get our bag limit off 20 fish, with a heap of small fish released. Also saw penguins, a seal and the biggest pod of dolphins I have ever seen must of been hundreds of them the pod went for hundreds of meters and took 10 mins to pass the boat. Trip 3 Woronora Saturday Had promised the kids a fishing/boat trip and a birthday party at Prince Edward park seemed a good opportunity. Launched the boat at bonnet bay and cruised up to the party. Did the party thing, took our lolly bags and headed off fishing. Not knowing this river to well I picked a likely spot near Woronora bridge anchored up, started a berly trail, cast out some lines and attacked the lolly bags. Bites where consistent and my 4 year was really keen today so she had a blast catching 3 legal bream (2x32 cm) and throwing back another half dozen undersize bream. All fish fought hard on her little 2kg rod, and she looked a treat in sparkly party dress and life jacket fighting her fish. Over this summer she has really grasped the technique of pump and wind, now we needed to work on following the fish as it swims around the boat. 2 year old didn't want to fish he was just happy breaking up bread and feeding it to the fish. Beautiful afternoon on the river and off the water just before dark. Thanks for reading

Another option for you to consider. I used the site sponsor shire mobile marine for my last service, he did good work for a good price all with the convenience of my boat never leaving the frontyard.

Lucky enough to catch both in the same session on the same gear. Kingfish pulled much harder but the jewfish was the one I kept for photos and a feed while the king was released.

I'm in a similar position. Third child arriving any day my 4m quintrex Hornet trophy I got before marriage is just too small. Time to upgrade, my thoughts are I love spending time on the water with my kids, growing we always had boats and I still fish with my father every chance I get. I won't my kids to have a similar experience, to do this I will need a bigger boat. I thought about what I want the boat for, the type of fishing I do, towing it, storing it and will it get enough use and finally how much I can justify spending. It will have to be second hand but I'm happy to wait for the right boat. The way I see it any sacrifices will be worth for the time spent out on the water.

I spent a year or so working at a tackle store at matraville after uni before having to get a full time job. Small store just went up and asked the owner, after a couple of shifts he gave me a set of keys and I ran the store a couple of days a week. Loved working there saw all the new toys coming in and every customer you could teach or learn something

Thanks for the replies My little girl is really starting to enjoy and want to go fishing. And at 4 years old is getting the concept of pump and wind when fighting a fish. She really wantsto catch a dolphin fish and gets upset when told she has to wait a few years. My 2yr old boy actually says "good night" to the boat each night. Salmon in the shallows are great fun and 2kg line was my choice ttarget this fish, I had heavy rods, but light line fishing is too much fun. All fish except the salmon where caught on yabbies/nippers pumped on the sand flat.

Sorry for the late report. With Fridays forecast and an rdo I decided that out in the boat was the best way to spend the day. Left from grays point arond 530 with a couple of work mates who rarely fish coming along for a trip. Pumped some yabbies and and fished the shallows. Was acting as guide rather than fishing for alot of the time . Things started slow with a couple of undersize whiting. A 5m runabout went flying past us and not realising I was fishing a shallow drop off ran full speed into 10-20cm of water, running the boat hard aground. We went over to check and everyone together managed to slowly one heave at a time push the boat back the few meters to where it could float. Rescue completed we returned to fishing. My crew caught a nice whiting each, one good flounder released and a few undersize fish they also saw heaps of stingrays, a banjo ray and had a meter long wobbegong swim up to the boat. Taking them back to the ramp I was apologies for how poor the fishing had been they would have none of it saying it's the best day they had fishing and the most they had ever caught, funny how you can have such a different perspective on the same day. Dropped them at the ramp and picked up my wife and kids to go swimming. Back to lilli pilli I grabbed a rod and started wading the shallows little girl followed me and asked to fish too. Despite my hesitation in giving a 4 year old a stradic in waist deep, on her, water I cast out and gave her the rod (I like to encourage her interest). Some thing grabed the bait and she was on fighting it like a pro on 1kg line she gave it heaps but this was her toughest fight yet. While fighting the fish we walked back to the dry sand ( which helped me relax) and after a short tussle she had her fish beaten and on the sand, a whiting 38cm. Just than her grandpa and marnie arrived and she was very excited to show off her fish. We finished swimming and hoped back in the boat for lunch, fished while the kids ate and got a legal bream and whiting to finish off our dinner. Noticed a big shadow in the berly trail and flicked out an unweighted bait which was quickly taken by the salmon. On 2kg line in less than a meter of water it was always going to be a fun fight. It started the fight hanging around the boat making lots of jumps entertaining the kids before screaming off 70 meters or so and cruising around out there with the current on his side I got my wife to pull up the anchor and started after the fish we followed it off the sand flat and into the deep water after a solid 15mins it was in the net. A good salmon at 63cm and badly hooked I kept it. With the anchor up and not much bait left we called it a day heading back to the ramp we rounded one corner in the river and left our nice Seabreeze and ran straight into the hot westerly and just how hot as day it truly was, but with two tired kids heading back out on the river was not an option so we pulled the boat out and headed home. Thanks for reading.

The color of the two species is very similar. Just thought the whiskers looked a bit short to be a threadfin, happy to be wrong. You will have to invest in a good id book for all these new species your catching.

Great to catch a few new species, have a look at the Blue Salmon I think this may be what you caught. Smaller size limit, not as good eating as the threadfin but still good, has to be eaten fresh. Good luck with your new fishing adventures.

Got up early Sunday morning hoping the weatherman was wrong with the forecast. Looked ok and decided to go, but with nothing ready it was an hour till I got to the ramp. Arrived at greys point just after 6 and couldn't believe it, the car park was empty, launched parked the car and still not another boat in sight. Started fishing off deer park for a few little fish and a red bream not quite legal. Moved on and collected some nippers, fished around a bit for a nice bream, a blue swimmer and other little fish. Called my wife and asked her to bring the kids down as the weather was looking ok. Headed back to greys to picked up her and the 2 kids. Came back to lilli pilli sand flat. Anchored up and started a burly trail, and over the next hour had a great session. First hook up I took a nice bream, next fish went to the 4 year old girl a just legal bream but she was wrapped with a fish she could keep for dinner. A few throw backs then I noticed some garfish in the trail, little boys rod was already rigged with a float and #12 hook, so I gave this to my wife to drift out with my boys help. As it reached about where the garfish were I looked as a shadow charged through the trail taking the bait, the super cheap outfit scream as the fish took off. My wife took it in her stride, I had put good 3kg line on the reel so she was a chance. Part way through the fight another rod goes off, l take this one. A few seconds later another rod goes off, ultra light graphite rod stradic reel 1kg line, the 4 year takes this one. This leaves a triple hook up and an 20 month old roaming the boat, luckily he finds a croissant and sits down to eat. I land my fish a bream around 30, then to my little girl who's doing a great job and lands a bream about the same size. Attention back to my 6 months pregnant wife still fighting her fish, slowly winning she gets it back to the boat and into the net, a nice salmon. And a very good catch considering the gear. Cast a line out while I tidy the boat and this hooks up straight away, my wife takes this one a good blackfish, her favorite so she has her dinner. With the fish still biting the kids have had enough so we go to the inside the big sand spit for a swim, amazingly there is only a couple of other boats there. After a swim and a play it's time to head home with both kids falling asleep on the way to the ramp. Taking the boat out at lunchtime the main car park is still only 3/4 full. A great day on the water with the river relatively quiet for a summers sunday.

Thanks for the replies, Managed a quick trip out on Sunday morning with my daughter. Saw 3 seals around molinuex point which keiley loved but was disappointed I wouldn't let her pat them. Then moved over to the second runway to watch the planes coming in to land. Than home in time for the gymea street fair. No fishing to report this just a boating trip.

Thanks, that's the spot. Now just need the weather to improve.

Does anyone know if the group of seals is still hanging around Molineux Point in Botany bay? After having the boat out of action for a couple of months for maintenance I plan to take it for a run Friday arvo and thought I would show my little girl the seals. Thanks

A couple of the stranger captures I have seen are: - an Estuary Perch (38cm) on greenweed and blackfish gear, under captain cook bridge. - 1.2kg Blackfish on a whole ganged pilchard. - and my favorite a Blue Swimmer crab with the anchor. It's always interesting being out on water.

They're not perfect. I had my top of the range threadline reel back there 3 times to be fixed in 8 years, each time having to pay for it. Including the last time I dropped it in and waited and waited for the call to say it's fixed, after a few weeks l chased it up only to be told it was fixed they had just never called to tell me. Still happy to use shimano, just not sure the high end stuff is worth it for me.

For me blackfishing is just a winter time fling but there's just something enjoyable/addictive about staring at the float waiting for a down, they fight hard and dirty and i target them in a family friendly location. It also helps its one of my wife's favorite fish to eat " ok sweetie I'll go and catch you a feed of blackfish if you want "

Thanks dad, it probably helped that my blackfish coach is 1000's km away (currently in Greece I think) and not at como catching my fish during the week before I got to catch them.

Thanks for the replies, had no problems with illness, decided botany bay is a big system with only a relatively small overflow compared to the size of the system. I did eat a small piece a few hours before everyone else just as a test. Always happy to help other anglers where I can. My young bloke has been born into a fishing family. My dad was taught by his parents, he taught me and my brother and now we and our wives are teaching our kids. It's a real treat anytime the three generations can all fish together.

Fished saterday morning at como chasing blackfish again. Strange days fishing it was very slow with only a bite every 10-20 minutes or so and then nothing dead no downs no lost baits no little fish till the next single bite, however nearly every down resulted in a hook up and a solid fish. Ended up keeping 7 fish between 32-38cm, released a few more legals and only 2 undersize fish for the morning, almost had to feel sorry for the guy fishing next to me he had better fresher weed than me but for 2 hours our floats could be next to each other and I would get the down and his would be untouched. He was a good sport about it, kept laughing and netted a few fish for me. I worked out he wasn't changing his depth enough and trace was too heavy, hopefully he changes it for next trip. Managed to help another guy catch his first ever fish. His mate and him were bait fishing and could not get a bite, after an hour of no luck and netting a couple of fish for me i loaned him my black fish outfit. Third drift float goes down strikes short fight and a fish in the net. Just undersize blackfish which I made sure went back, but he was happy and posed for a photo with his fish. After that my wife turned up with the kids, managed one fish with the 18month old sitting on my lap helping to fight the fish before they lost interest. Then time was up and it was off to the playground with the kids before heading home

Water 20-80m I use a a flueger contender loaded with 20lb braid on a 6-8kg silstar power tip rod. Very light outfit can use it all day day, i find it perfect for flatties, morwong, chinamen jackets etc. In deeper water I use a okuma catalina 30lb braid custom rod, deeper water bigger fish more lead. But find this outfit overkill for shallow water. Any small overhead reel with level wind will do, always with braid

With conditions suited Dad (Hookerbruce) and I decided to take a run out wide in his boat, 5.6 ally half cab. Sunday arvo was spent double checking the boat and gear before the trip. Launched from Kurnell at 530 and headed out, conditions where still messy early so we stopped at the Peak to have a look and a think before we ran wide. Jigged up a 71cm Kingfish and a barracouta and dad got a pinkie and morwong on bait (at least we had caught something for dinner) before we decided to keep heading out. The run out took nearly 2 hours and we found plenty of ski jumps, holes and capping waves on the trip out. Pulled up a couple of km short of the mountain and put out a spread of lures, trolled over the mountain and off to the SE for 10 km before looping around to come back to the mountain from the south. Very quite one small stripped tuna, water was consistently 20-21 degrees. Time for Plan B, Deep Dropping, we don't have an electric reel as we haven't fished this depth before (and I don't really agree with using them). Our was a homemade set up; an average sized Alvey mounted upside down and back to front ( think about it) on an overhead rod, home made rail mount rod holder, 80lb braid, 3 hook dropper rigs I made last year and a sash weight. Having never used this we before we had a short (50m) practice drop away from the other boats, our system seemed to work so we took our place in the line up and dropped to the bottom. Very little current and a slow drift, using the engine to keep the angle right. After 15-20 mins curiousity got the better of us and we started the retrieve. It felt very heavy and a lot of hard work, winding slowly and taking turns Cursing at our stupidy to try this, no wonder everyone uses electric reels, idiots, never dropping this down again we say to each other as we take turns on the handle. After a lot of huffing and puffing we catch site of colour, it can't be a fish on our first drop ever, than more colour, not one not two but three Gemfish on our first drop. No wonder it felt heavy two fish about 90cm and a 110cm fish, with renewed confidence we motor back up for a second drop this time we pay more attention and wind up when we feel the first fish on the line still hard work but the result is worth it a 106cm Gemfish. With our bag limit of 4 fish and feeling like we accomplished something we put away the bottom gear and cube for the next hour or so without luck. Losts baits but only to very small fish, some baits had been chewed between the pilchard bones, know idea what it was. Conditions have improved and it takes an hour and quarter to run home to botany take the boat out just on dark. All in all a long day on the water but well worth it. Not sure we will get out again this season but nice to know it's very do-able and well within range of the boat, just need to find the tuna next time. Thanks for reading Ashley

Only fished there once I cast soft plastics in the little creek between huski and vincentia for a few flathead nd cast off the rock platform on low tide where the Creek runs out gor a few tailor.

Guessing it was shoulder to shoulder along the wall.