[Trout fishing]

3 hours ago, jaybez said:

Oh yes, so it is. Maybe I should say wait until the cooler months. The weeks leading up to the closed season are brilliant as the trout are trying to gain conditioning before spawning.

They definitely are, winter is a great time in the lakes as well

[Trout fishing]

12 hours ago, jaybez said:

 Try waiting until winter if you are fishing a natural and undammed stream. 

Unfortunately seasons closed in winter

[Question on MMD Splash Prawns]

1 hour ago, Gengar said:

Maybe i just get the 70mm and 95mm then. Curious, would the 95mm be too big for breams and whitings?

What would you recommend for pelagics surface lures? Cheers.

95mm would be ok for bream probably a bit big for whiting, 

I've caught pelagics on small stick baits cranked fast can't remember the brand, as @JustJames said chrome slugs work better than anything on pelagics

[Question on MMD Splash Prawns]

I've got a couple of 70mm, funny same scenario bought with a gift card

The splash prawns seem to work best at slow speeds with a blooping type retrieve like a traditional popper

There would be better and cheaper options for pelagics

[Worst session ever, yak fishing long reef]

13 hours ago, Powerofwill said:

I wonder where are fish going and why... Strong currents and wind?

our trip was to Copeton dam, the fish are definitely they just happen to dislike me 

[Worst session ever, yak fishing long reef]

if it makes you feel any better we drove towing the boat for 5 hours, fished 4 sessions for a double doughnut 

[Port Hacking - Another good session]

Some nice fish there mate

I'm loving those splashprawns as well 

[Robbed by a barracuda]

13 minutes ago, faker said:

Bog cod?

Big cod, I need to proof read 🤪

[Robbed by a barracuda]

Happens a bit more common with sharks, but tte taxman comes in many forms, big cod are another culprit

[My first kingfish]

Nice mate, love ticking off a new species 

[Weekend plans coming together]

Being a shift worker it's always exciting to score 3 days off in a row, this week being a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Friday arvo couldn't decide what I wanted to do in the end with the day running out decided on walking the flats at Lake Cathie to catch a whiting on surface more specifically on my new MMD splashprawn.

The lake is closed at the moment with poor water quality which didn't stop people swimming 🤢. I spent the arvo casting and trying retrieves with the splashprawn a few swirls but nothing until I'd pretty much given up then

A small whiting but my first on surface in years...plan 1 done 

Saturday was an early morning start heading up the Hastings to the brackish looking for surface bream and bass.

The main river was a bit slow to start the bream were all over the splash prawn but just wouldn't hook up, did manage a few little fellas but then I realised I was following another fisho (very rarely see anyone else up there), the answer head up a small side creek 

Straight up a better bream 

No monster but an improvement, the creek looked good

Working along the creek the action wasn't red hot a few small bream and hits, then the lure gets nailed, thinking big bream was happily surprised 

A nice bass from very shallow water gave a hell of a fight

Worked my way as far up the creek as possible to the first rapid and actually got my best bream for the day in the running water

Loving the splashprawn, ended the session early to escape the heat... day 2 plan done.

Day 3 Sunday, Amy and I had a day off together, what to do but head up to the Nambucca and chase jacks, Amy had never scored a NSW jack and was keen to change said fact.

It was a late start but we were into it, with the amount of boat activity we decided to head upriver beyond the influence of water skiers, Amy managed a nice flathead for the table but otherwise quiet on the jack front.

We casted our favourite jack banks, it's funny how a switch flicks, literally out of know where jacks were smashing prawns up in the edges beyond reach,

Then chaos, Amy's on... can't imagine my excitement when I see red, I have never been so nervous on the net, the yahoos were loud when it was in

Amy's first NSW satan, she has worked hard for this fish, through many fishless sessions and lost fish

Gotta love the fangs, despite the outstanding eating quality Amy's jack was released to make someone else's day

The day couldn't possibly get better....

Until it did with a small jack for me  I don't care how big or small they are, I love jacks they are such a challenge on lures in the mid north coast.

Nothing else for tte session but who cares.... day 3 plan DONE!!!

Love ot when plans come together  hopefully it's the first of many for 2024

Cheers for reading 

Dave

[Catfish sting]

3 hours ago, squidjigga said:

Ahh using a thermos is a great idea, I'll remember that for next time. Also does anyone have any tricks to actually handle catfish without getting stung? I'd like to try eating the next cobbler I catch

You can grip them firmly right behind the spines that's how I hold eel tails, a firm grip without hesitation is the key, otherwise lip grips

Otherwise if you're intending on keeping hold mouth with pliers, brain spike, bleed then cut the spines with pliers as they still stingvin the esky

[Kicking holiday goals]

Great write up mate and dome awesome fish

[Catfish sting]

All fish and stingray stings hot water is the go, as hot as tolerable, 

Fish sting venom is actually the slime which is protein which the heat cooks like an egg white which inactvates it

[Powerbait Trout Nuggets - will they catch other fish?]

I reckon bream would eat them

[Can anyone ID this? (Bully/Sea Mullet)]

Bully Mullet

[Hastings surface session]

Episode is up on YouTube from my surface session on the Hastings 

 

[First Whiting on a Lure]

That's awesome, whiting are great fish to catch especially on surface

Hopefully the first of many for you

[Fish ID help]

Juvenile grassy emperor excellent eating at larger sizes

[Dave and Amy 2023]

Just wanted to say thankyou all for being part of this community through 2023

It's been an interesting year for us, we've had some insane adventures, fulfilled lifelong dreams, 

It's also been a very tough year behind the scenes 

I enjoyed reading about everyones fishing and adventures and we hope you've enjoyed reading about ours, we have some exciting things happening in 2024

Look forward ti continuing in 2024

Cheers

Dave and Amy 

[Surface session]

11 minutes ago, Aussie_fisher said:

Nice sesh. Are Trevs common that far up?

Yeah, mostly big eyes and GT's, starting to figure them out more in the Hastings 

Loads of them in the Nambucca and Kalang rivers

[Surface session]

On 12/30/2023 at 5:46 AM, Little_Flatty said:

Sweet session there Dave. It's cool how you get a bigger variety of species up that way.

Got busted off by a solid tarpon up there yesterday 😱

[Surface session]

13 hours ago, Larkin said:

Smashed them!

Looks a beautiful spot for some top water.

were you using assist hooks or trebles?

 

Trebles

[Surface session]

26 minutes ago, Blackfish said:

Great report there Dave it seems the area was really firing and certainly a mixture of fish, Bream, Trev and Bass.

I've put my boat away for a couple of weeks so all the visitors can enjoy the water but never thought of a session up that way……. I’m the new person to the area as you can see.

I did drive down to have a look at the main ramp at West Port yesterday and gosh it was busy with not only boat trailers but lots of just cars and people.

If we can score a free day in the next week or 2 I'll take you fir a run up there

[Surface session]

2 hours ago, R E G I C Y C L E said:

Sounds like an awesome session.

Is that a bass or an EP? The red coloured eye indicates bass but the head seems quite concave which would point to it being an EP.

I see what you mean,  did think possibly estuary perch but had a good look over the fish, the colour of body, fins and body shape made confident it's a bass