dirvin21

My mate convinced me to got target some flathead around South West Rocks, I don't normally target them as I get kind of narrow sighted on targeting bream. We headed to the main river first and it still looks aweful, the water is black from recent rains and not likely to clear up anytime soon. Hit one of the small creeks instead with flathead lays everywhere it looked like a sure thing and of course the fish played hard to get. The first hour saw us land a couple of fish each the biggest about 20cm. Then I pulled out the "secret weapon" being a sinking stickbait and 3rd cast finally some weight on the other end, he fought hard for his size Kept casting my mate finally landed a reasonable fish on fly, and another solid take and again long hard runs I was thinking a big fish but again another average size fish in the low 50's that was it for the decent fish a few more miniscule flatties, whiting and bream finished the session off cheers for reading Dave

nice red rick

if you want to make the drive down my way happy to go for a fish and give you some pointers..... I mostly lure cast the estuary for bream

I've tried that still got a scar

awesome stuff Scratchie

nice fishing Neil... looking forward to seeing some more lure caught cod

was in a canoe one night with a spotlight and a massive bully mullet flew out of the dark and nailed me right in the face

apparently it was dug out a few days ago, prior to that it was apparently only 30cm deep at low tide

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/656305/Solitary_Islands_Marine_Park_2015-low-resolution.PDF a map of the marine park, couple of guys copped a decent fine recently for ignoring the sanctuary zones, plenty of Spanish getting caught up here lately... good luck

looks like an awesome trip

I finally bit the bullet and invested in some higher quality gear, the sienna started to pack it in so went for a stradic matched up with a 7"6 balistix rod. Of course as soon as I get soem new gear it floods so had to wait for the river but finally the water cleared up enough. The bream were on the chew for a change with lots of hits and misses but finally one stuck and the new rig up was blooded shortly after working some rocky edge lure gets nailed again this time a nice black spot almost required surgery to get the lure back but he was released unharmed managed another reasonable bream from some very nasty shallow rocks then after some bycatch of small flatties and pike it was off to the tree to try and find some more bream second cast and another bream caught a couple more small bream they were really having a go in the tanin water working along the sunken timber the lure was smashed I really like the drag on the stradic being so smooth I can fish much heavier drag and not pull hooks, after a terrifying tussle around the timber out came a solid moses perch another 27cm specimen they really pack a punch at this size that concluded the blooding can't wait to get out for another go cheers for reading Dave

x2 black cod and gunther's wrasse

8 strand j braid

I tie a "lefty's loop" on everything bar poppers and spinnerbaits which get a half blood knot

nice work mate, good to see someone nailing old red satan

nice trout cod Neil, they're the next on my cod list

couple of things that will influence flathead at night are moon and tide, they frequent different areas during different phases of the moon cycle if you can have look at the moon and tide from the night you caught the fish also baitfish being present flathead seem to appear where the bait is that may also be a factor

x2 especially landbased they seem to kiss the lure it gets seriously frustrating, try and stand back from the edge as far as you can

Since I first fished west of the divide with my uncle over 20 years ago I've always wanted a murray cod, many fruitless attempts have plagued me. For quite awhile I've been looking at a spot on google earth and with the roster gods giving me some generous days off my mate asked me why aren't we chasing cod? that was all the encouragement required. After a 5 1/2 hour drive we hit the cmapsite then it was rods in hand straight to the river...... not what I was expecting the pictures don't do it justice after a whole bunch of casts for nothing and a swim the yaks were on the water and the real fishing began. We headed upstream and usual story nothing, it's hard to be unhappy fishing a place like this the decision was made to head downstream for a look and after what felt like a billion casts next to a small boulder the rod was nearly pulled out of my hands after a near heart attack I realised it was a fish never been so nervous or excited bringing in a fish once he was on my lap the fist pumps started only 50cm but very satisfying called it for the evening and headed out early for another explore downstream wasn't long before my mate has a couple of small cod as well. Spinning along a boulder face again my lure was nailed this time only a small fish these were about the average size fished along for as far as we could go my mate landing a few more fish and losing a monster that was towing him up the river while I laughed and got to watch 2 platypus go about their business. a short cast with only a couple of metres of line out again lure smashed this fish went really hard I called yellabelly but turned out to be another cod the biggest of the trip going 52cm we did see some monsters chase our lures total of 9 cod between us.... couldn't wipe the smile of our faces on the trip home I'm sure it won't be long before our next cod mission cheers for reading Dave

the bar is notorius especially on the run out tide there is a good boat ramp on the main river near the tavern about 3km from the main town plenty of signs Scotts head has a concrete ramp on the beach went out off there a few weeks ago with a mate in his 5.8m plate boat and a hilux it's fairly sheltered and a lot closer than coffs definetly wouldn't use tyre chains on sand they'll just make you sink

google earth is how I found that spot and many others.... devote my spare time on night shift trawling google earth they often get a ulcer like growth on their fins especially when the water quality is poor which it was until a week before the fish was caught any time you want to come up my way Baz always keen for a bass session

they don't seem to spook each other as much in the creeks because the fish seem to be more spread out rather than schooled up like in the dams.. bass do have an annoying habit of deciding to suddenly stop biting

surface is usually excellent especially around dusk, has been pretty ordinary this season I think because the water has been really low and almost hot causing low oxygen

the bream rod is staying in the car for the next couple of sessions...... the satan stick is gonna bend

I had a cod spew up the exact same crab only smaller yesterday in the Nambucca river