wazatherfisherman

Well done on the Bass and excellent quality video. Have you tried at the 'goon' yet?

They used to be in large numbers in Sydney Harbour and were very annoying (to us) when Luderick fishing as they swarm weed bait and strip the hook in seconds, if they were at a Luderick spot, you'd have to change locations. At White Rock in Sydney Harbour there used to be a few guys that purposely fished for them with Kelly rods, tiny bobbies and a bait of dough mixed with green weed. They handled them with tongs and kept them to eat. Most of their fish would be 10-15 cm long, but they caught them rapidly as they were easily turned on to berley of same bread and weed.. They reckon they are really good to eat, but treated as a serious pest by Luderick fishers We've always called them Happy Moments or Black Trev's/Spinefoot

Hope you stay safe Jon

Hi Wiskas - Dale P Clemens also has written a couple of books on rod building including one specifically on decorative binding. What specifically do you need to know?

Amen Derek!

We used to jig the N/E corner and live bait where you were (foul ground/foul yard reef) or as Frank said Anguish to the south. Most of the big ones were at foul ground and 2-6 kg versions at N/E corner.

Well done! Especially for going when most would stay at home. Top result

You could try either hamburger mince or uncooked bacon fat. Have caught plenty of Mullet on mince when Yakka fishing and we used to use the white bacon fat for Mullet if they weren't biting on white bread when I fished the upper Georges River as a kid. Sometimes squirt worms are ok, as are the tiny shrimps you get if you run a prawn net through the ribbon weed (pretty much all estuary fish eat them), but for convenience, try the white bacon fat

Great that you, family and home are safe

Sounds like a good trip- nice photo's also. Great time of year to fish the area

Great info there well done. Good to hear still plenty of fish around the city too

Fantastic information and a great read. Everything you need to know. Awesome post Derek, well done

Hi Pete safe where they are on KI. Hope the southerly works in everyone's favour. Got to 45 here and 48 at Penrith

That's good news Pete, I have (like most of us) a few mates in the danger zones. My mate Doug on Kangaroo Island was on the phone with me earlier and it started to rain there, only lightly and not enough to help with their dreadful fires, but the temperature has dropped more than 20' from yesterday, giving them at least a little relief from the heat. Currently 39' here in Croydon at 12PM Hope everyone stays safe this weekend

Hi Pete hope you guys stay safe this weekend. We're all thinking of all those in danger

Hi Will have a read of "Reminiscing- Mulloway, Kingfish and the "Murk" effect" in fishing chat. Instead of using a Yakka use a squid on same set up

Windang was famous for Blue Swimmers, I remember my Grandma, Aunties Bess, Ena and Cathy going straight out from the van without the men and coming back with a boat load of crabs that they caught on squirt worms and hand lines.. I was only about 5 or 6 and there was much sniggering as the crabs were unloaded, tipped onto the floor of the caravan and "trapping" all the kids at the opposite end to the door. We weren't game to put our feet off the bunks- too fearful of the blue "monsters" and we were trapped until the cooking started, which seemed to go on for ages.

My childhood memories of prawning at Windang were more boat orientated. We used to kellick the boat each end across the current with the old 'Tilley' lamps held on a wedged oar out diagonally, used old style wood handled, gal framed cotton scoop nets balanced on the side of the boat and just 'dipped' to get prawns and Blue Swimmers as they floated down on the run out tide. Some nights it was a sea of red eyes. You could just wade out in front of our caravan and always get some for live bait, even if it wasn't running out there were always a few next to the weed beds Thinking about those days/nights now always brings a smile to my face of times now long ago, when sea-life of all sorts was abundant

Happy New Year to everyone. Wishing all a safe and fishy new year

Those shrimp are deadly for Blackfish fished under a regular float rig also. When I was a kid they used to sell "Prawn Net" and "Shrimp Net" - both green cotton with super small mesh for shrimps- bought them both at Windang

Hi Pete interesting you say that, as I often had prawns at home for up to a week and they certainly didn't kick as well after decent time in captivity, regardless of dual electric (fish tank) aerators and several water changes. You discover how carnivorous they are when you have them for a few days- every day there are a few less- never fed them, they just ate the weakest I guess. Bread is great bait just not the stuff from small bakery's- good old Tip Top in the old foil packaging was my favourite. Maybe it's rice flour or similar from the smaller shops, but they don't seem to go it like the big brand whites

Metal rake because the weight of the claws seems to take the points down far enough for finding them. The lady who was raking was of a genuine elderly vintage and not exerting too much energy. First thing the old chap said to us was "whoa! you only want to discover them, not bash 'em!" and you don't put much pressure on as you just want to get them to move and show themselves. The rake's for discovery only

Worth doing on any coastal sandflat just look for clean sand

Always found early morning with lures and dusk into the night with bait (Gar's/Pilly's) but likely any time in daylight when around

Hi Baz that was great info on the puddling- sure beat my old method of turning rocks over and then replacing them again. Plenty of great spots to give the rake a go up your way and amazes any onlookers as well!