RexSenior

Hi Jay88 Another trick you can try with rigs is reducing both the line and hook sizes. Sounds silly however the thinner the line the less drag it has in the wind / water and will look more natural to the yakkas (2lb is fine). Regarding the smaller hooks, (size 12 - 14, super small) the idea is to create a bit of a frenzy with berley (only berleying right before you cast) and have the hook and bait look as much like the berley as possible. This way the yakkas swallow it and get hooked in the gills/ stomach instead of just biting the bait - if they are hungry they will already be hooked by the time you think about striking. what I do is use a mix of bread, finely chopped pillies and water as berley (water helps to sink the berley and makes it easier to throw where you need to). Use the same finely chopped pillies as bait, you only need a piece about 3mm square. Salted pillies will be better and the tail end is tougher and easier to work with so I use the head half in the berley mix and tail end for bait, you should get about 20 baits from the tail end after filleting. Hope this helps! Forgot to add, you will most likely lose a hook per fish using this method, if you can't see or remove the hook easily just cut the line as short as you can - the yakka will be fine (until a kingy jumps on it that is!)

G'day Reggae Not a bad day's fishing gotta be happy with that. Was there much size in the flatties? Heading back to the river in 2 weeks for a fishing trip. I'll be land based and fishing the stretch from Juno Point to Little Wobby, I'd love to hear any info on how that area has been fishing if you know? Cheers, James.

Hi Tom This may be irrelevant to you down there however in my experience (Newcastle) the dawn has been fishing very poorly compared to the dusk on the trips I've been. It seems the fish are a lot more timid and cautious in the mornings where as just after dark it seems like a bit more of a frenzy. Not to worry though, as you have the trip planned I would just recommend fishing very light (unless you're after the big girls)! Good luck! Let us know how you go!

Great catch there well done. Gotta be happy with that...... Imagine if it was one of those days where you couldn't find the livies and went out and seen all them kings with no decent bait!!

Great Catch and well done on letting the big mummas go. Regarding the 1m Whiting, my guess is it was either 1) - a submerged pelican..... 2) - too many beers or 3) - a Short Finned Pike (Leaning towards the pike). Cheers, James

Hi Scratchie Can you please PM me what brand of anchor you were using and what the tide was doing? Lol

Those Luderick have lost the plot in the last couple of years I think. I have had the odd bycatch using beachworms in the past however recently have caught the odd one on prawns and even small strips of chicken breast. That being said I have had very little luck locally with them when targetting. Always the way!

I've noticed that estuary/lake fish caught in still & weedy water have a very different taste to those caught in fast moving water such as Channels or on the beach. Seems to be a lighter fresh taste to the fish from the faster moving water whilst a more fishy and sometimes dirty/mud-like flavour from the opposite.

Great topic here. At the very least you have sparked some thought into many fishraiders about sustainability and that's a good thing. Unfortunately we have very little control over the marine ecosystem individually, however if we can educate our peers and those in our area we can help reduce the main human footprints such as pollution, over-fishing and illegal fishing methods. Regarding the releasing of commercially farmed fish, you may have read this however the below web address gives some great info from NSW DPI..... http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/info/stocking Cheers, James

Hi Yep definitely go the whole pilly on gangs, if you can get hold of some beach/blood worms or pippis they are also great on lighter gear. Your best bet would be next Saturday & Sunday (24th & 25th Oct) late arvo / early evening. The high tide coincides with sunset which usually brings them in nice and close to shore. Good luck! let us know how you go.

Thanks for the info Raiders that's great. I'll have a scout around before we go for the fresh ones otherwise frozen sounds good - at least we can keep them in the freezer until just before use so they don't go bad. Since learning how to catch beach worms I've steered well clear of frozen baits, so many fish-less trips! It would be a big time saver if I could find a decent frozen bait. I'll post after the trip with how each bait went, thanks again.

Hi Raiders I'm wondering if anyone has any info on if Hawkesbury River prawns will be available fresh at the start of November? I have a fishing trip coming up and they were up there with the best baits last time, just doubting the season will be started yet. Looking at getting 5kg to keep us going, also wondering if the frozen Hawkesbury River prawns are worth a shot? Any info would be greatly appreciated, Cheers, James

Cheers Scratchie! We have about 15 families that go at the same time every year (this year was my first of many hopefully), so plenty of BBQ's to fill.

There were plenty of pippis but only in selected pockets of the beach for some reason. Same as the worms though if you walk in the shallows and drag a bag of burley behind you will find them. Plenty of size in the ones at Crescent which was a nice change from Newcastle!

Hi 4myson Definitely great to get out with the family to an awesome spot Like Crescent Head! My fish cleaning skills leave a lot to be desired so no fish n chip shops for me. I waste so much flesh trying to get the perfect boneless fillets it's embarrassing. That being said I still get the odd fresh seafood dinner to the family and friends and that's what it's all about

Hi Dave I've only had a couple of years catching Tarwhine at a legal length however they are a more active fight than Bream in what I've experienced. They seem to go hard from the get go and not stop at any point where as the bigger bream can be led to shore most of the time with some soft hands if there's no structure (then they go ballistic @ the shore haha). The bream seem to steer left or right and keep their line where as Tarwhine seem to test every angle. Around Easter this year I posted a report from my local area (Blacksmiths Beach) where we got a nice bag with some Tarwine around 45cm from memory. There seems to be an increasingly large amount at >30cm not sure why that is????? Anyway despite the gut lining they make a great feed and it's a welcome suprise to see some species boomimg instead of declining. Cheers, James.

Hi Raiders Just a quick report as promised from my family trip to Crescent last week - Best holiday ever kids had a blast! The weather turned it on and I managed 64 edible fish from 4 night trips. All fish were caught on Killick beach - most within an hour either side of high tide in the very shallow gutters that were available. Caught on pippis and worms, which were gathered about 1km up the coast from Killick Creek. Sizes ranged from just legal to 40cms for both bream and whiting - not a tailor or sambo in sight!! Happy to PM more info if needed, a couple of pics from 2 of the trips below. Cheers, James.

Hi Raiders It's nearly midnight and I'm doing my usual ritual before heading away - this time to Crescent Head early in the morning for 9 nights. Just sharing a tip for those exited about their next trip - it passes the time before your trip & maximises your "bite" time on the trip. After the kids are tucked up in bed and I'm wide awake, I think about how I can get the most out of my next trip. Also about where I'm fishing and what rigs I will use and what others may come in handy. Using 50cm of a $3 pool noodle, I make up about 20 rigs - different hook sizes, line strength, rig set-up etc. This way when the bite is on I can afford to fish lighter for more hookups because I have less downtime when I'm busted off = more fish in the bucket. Just make the rig, then thread the eye of the hook through the end of the swivel (creating a loop) then wrap the trace back around the noodle and sink your hook in when the line is taught. Many of you will know this one but for those who don't and may not have much time out on the water, it's a real time saver. Cheers, James

Awesome thanks for the replies. Finally packed the commodore with as much as it will fit, heading up in the morning. I will let you know how I go once I get back. Cheers, James

Hi Raiders A week from today I will be heading up to Crescent Head for the first time in 15 years with my wife & two kids. We have just over a week there so should be plenty of time to throw in a line. Just wondering are any Raiders from up that way and know of how Killick Creek & the beach are fishing? I'm hoping to show the young fella how to catch some beach worms as I've heard there are a few around up that way. Any info would be greatly appreciated - happy to share info from Newcastle / Swansea if required. Cheers, James

Well done Allen I think we spoke about this trip during your planning stages. Great Sambo! They are great fun and despite popular beleif if bled and cleaned correctly make a nice meal. If you head up this way again they are getting plenty of them along Blacksmiths/ Belmont beach (directly opposite Lucy's Wall where you are pictured).

Well done Jay88. Bream that size are usually once in a lifetime, with a lot no even making the net! Awesome job and great memories with a photo to match! Cheers, James.

Great Report Adam It's good to reinforce the fact that not every trip produces what you had hoped but you guys didn't lose sight of the goal and got there in the end!

Great report mate, also good to see the kids getting amongst it!

Hi Scratchie Wishing I had of seen this post earlier, I have been getting flathead in small but consistent numbers land based in Salts Bay. It involves covering a bit of ground walking however it's perfect for the young ones and plenty of pockets of weed amongst the sandy shoreline for a few flatty. I'm usually out about once a week feel free to PM me next time before your trip and I'll give you the rundown on where I've recently fished. Cheers, James