wazatherfisherman

Nothing wrong with sabiki, I just find you can catch bait much quicker with the baited hook. We usually have at least one yakka competition to while away the time on 4-5 day houseboat trips, and we take 2 plastic laundry baskets with a bike tube around the outside and shake the yakkas off straight into the basket, which does away with the need for a noisy aerator also. you can use virtually anything for bait but tiny pieces of tuna with skin on enables you to catch heaps on the one bait

As above but I prefer the split-shot a foot above a size 12 or 14 longshank(Mustad 4540half) to the sabiki, you can literally 'pole' yakkas one after another when they turn up in your bread+oil burley. As fragmeister said, don't use too much burley, just a fine trail will see them within a few metres of the boat, you want them to stay around the whole night. There's usually thousands of yakkas, hardyheads and garfish in places like Waratah this time of year. More than likely a few hairtail around also, we were catching them this time last year

Hi Derek to be honest, when fighting Surgeons on Luderick gear, it's total concentration and plenty of luck! I don't think I even answered my fishing buddy standing right next to me the whole time! I've caught plenty of them over the years and purposely fished for them quite a few times, which has usually ended with lost floats and heaps of frayed line. To me, Surgeons are the ultimate light-line capture, fighting far dirtier than both Pigs and Kingfish, albeit in shorter bursts than a king. I've learned a little about their fighting habits, including that they like to return to the main school via the same "pathway" after the initial "tear-off" run/s and by going easy on them(and keeping up with the tension) they can often tire themselves out running rather than reefing you. The 'L' shaped gutter at White Rock has kelp bordering both sides which has aided by being a 'buffer' between fishing line and rock, without it being there, I doubt I would have caught too many from that location. I know a guy who used to fish for them at a marina in Port Hacking who used 50lb braid and fluorocarbon leader, using unweighted live nippers he caught them up to about 3kg- any bigger would bust him off on that gear! As for eating quality when you peel the skin off and fillet them, they have a similar fillet configuration to a John Dory and like Dory, have a quite distinct flavour(although not as good as the delicious Dory) The 55cm version you landed is truly "trophy-size" and no doubt a most memorable capture. I caught an all blue one at White Rock, which was probably the most awesome coloured fish I've ever landed, looking more like a tropical aquarium species than a Sydney Harbour fish

Tossed up between a couple of large Pigs on light tackle but decided on a Surgeon well over 4lb on 5 and a half pound Luderick outfit, hooked in a 3 metre long crack. Took about 6 or 7 runs in and out of crack and over 5 mins to defeat. Rarely seen a centrepin reel spin at "blur" speed before this.

Pretty hard to answer in great detail without knowing what area/s you fish, also boat or land based, tackle you have, times etc. Give us an idea of those things and you'll get more specific answers

Also the spot in green is called 'Gulch' and was a pig and groper spot, but I've never fished it. Mainly fished Dover Heights to the Gap area and stopped due to multiple serious incidents including 2 in one day.

Yes that is Jolong in red, the access is on the southern side- a single rope was left there hooked to an iron 'peg' and there was also a chain as an alternative to the rope, mind you I haven't fished there for years now and neither chain nor rope may be there now. Large foot-holes are cut in the wall and you can hold your rods as you go down- it's not a difficult climb. The high spot is more like 30-40 metres than the 100 I stated previously- it is directly adjacent to the 1st long wash south of the main ledge and requires minimal climbing. It is easily spotted looking back from Jolong and was the first rock fishing location I fished with my old fishing club the AFA. Fishing high there we got Tailor, Bream, Trevally and a couple of Pigs between 7 of us. We had 2 huge sacks of bread for burley and bobby corked. I reckon Shakey, Browns, Julianne, The Trap and Donkeys are better all round spots but be careful if you try Donkeys and the Trap- flat seas only.

G'day mate Jolong used to be accessed by parking at the gate to Malabar pistol range(not rifle range)- there was a gate there which was usually locked in dark hours. To be honest I would advise you not to go there for the following reasons. Although the climb down is relatively easy, Jolong ledge itself can be a death trap, with many lives lost there over the years. Even in low swell, the water can still come over that particular ledge. Leaving your car anywhere along the Cape Banks area also is asking for trouble, as there has always been a really high incidence of cars broken into by young 'organised' locals. The times I fished the area were with a pistol club member who had an access key and we parked at the club. As for a fishing spot, it genuinely isn't that good and could become fairly crowded due to its large size and easy climb down. If you still intend to go for a 'look', cleats, life vest(mandatory)and a safety line are all a must. A 'safer' (no Sydney rock spots are really safe) spot is 100 metres south of the Jolong ledge where you fish from a high spot some 40+ foot above the water. Bobby cork off there in the long wash, its a better spot, albeit high off the water, and much safer than the wave swept bottom. That or "Julianne" is where we fished when out that way and Julianne was a more productive and safer location (in low swell) despite the crowds that are often there spinning for Bonito

Even though I have a huge fishing tackle collection I still love handlining Bream in the rivers and Flatties outside- you rarely miss a 'proper' bite. Biggest- On our 2nd "annual hairtail trip"(done 27 now)one of the guys Ross, who was new to fishing, slowly and excitedly pulled a big flathead on a heavy handline to the low 'duckboard' at the back of the boat for gaffing. Before I could gaff it, he swung it onto the duckboard(low platform) next to our feet. A second later the most massive Mulloway of all time did a slow-motion roll right on the surface only a foot away, looking for the flathead. It was there for a few seconds and I could have gaffed it easily except third mate Doug grabbed my shirt from behind and pulled me back on purpose. It was a home-made gaff from a wooden broom handle and the opposite end to the hook had a loop of venetian blind cord to put your hand through, which I had done. It's lucky for me Doug was so quick thinking because that giant Jewie would have knocked us off the platform and we all agreed it would have drowned me for sure. That was in Refuge Bay in Cowan in 1988

If you look for one of those small tungsten sharpeners(I got mine $6 at a tackle shop at Pottsville Far Nth Coast while on holidays, so impressed I went back before leaving and bought last 3 he had!) they cut the hook in about 4-5 strokes, only takes 30 seconds. The tungsten rods in sharpener rust really easily but still work well just don't use them on knives as they'd wreck the edge, so radically they cut!

I use a black marker so you can see if any marker is missing you need to touch-up just that edge. Probably helps re rust as well. Cheers

As I mainly use 'old style' hooks, mainly old Mustads in a couple of dozen different types, I always sharpen them with either a small tungsten rod sharpener or one of various hook files. I've always got a sharpener in my pocket and two more in my bag. I've found with larger hooks, particularly on trolling lures, Jew and live-bait rigs, if you colour-in the hook point with a permanent marker after sharpening, it helps prevent oxidation and keeps unused hooks sharp whilst in storage saving you sharpening as often.

Thanks Derek! I really enjoyed your one as well, as you talked of the important factors others either don't know or don't mention; then turned the information into an easily digested article which reinforced many of my own beliefs. I am currently recovering from serious illness and am 'house-bound' for a while, so I thought I'd try and write a few things for Fishraider on lesser known topics. Thanks again Wazza

Hi Derek, I was going through the articles and just found this one, written by you. I wanted to let you know that the above information you've provided is the best and most relatable I've seen anywhere, by anyone on the idiosyncrasies of kingies. In the past I chased them all over the place- live baited and spun the rocks, jigged Montague Island and the Peak, hand-lined them(trolling) etc etc and reckon the major points you've outlined, are as you have indicated, the key factors when chasing kings. I can totally relate to everything you've said. I know it's a while back since you posted it, but wanted to let you know from one kingie fisher to another, that it's a brilliant article! Thanks again

G'day again- yes one of many things I neglected to mention was to cut the bottom lobe of the tail-fin approximately in half, it keeps the yakka swimming lower and prevents it from accelerating away from JD. I also had success using both "Glowbait" and fluoroscene(plumbers drain marking powder) which was applied to the 'slime' of the yakka making it really stand out. I usually only used these products when there were a lot of other people using same live bait. The Marlin was hooked only a few hundred metres out from Sydney Heads on his maiden voyage in the new boat.

The theory JD's prefer Mado simply because they are easier for them to catch- as they aren't as "athletic" and quick as yakkas, has surfaced many times over the years, whatever the reason,be it taste,smell.sight or agility I'm not sure, but I'd always choose(and recommend) one over a yakka! Years ago, Joe Ritchie,who was one of the pioneers of "vertical spinning for kingies"(jigging) caught a Marlin on a mado fishing solo in his new boat!

Thanks for all your encouragement! I am slowly working out what to do re computer! Cheers Wazza

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it - who'd of thought a Mado was good for anything! Cheers Wazza

Thanks Baz, you can imagine what the wharf was like once everybody had seen Dory consistently caught on that rig!- every fisho there started doing it and there were plenty of arguments due to tangles. The big sinker was just as much about keeping in one's own "territory" as it was in keeping yakka down. Eventually we worked out by clipping yakka's tail fin shorter,it's range of movement was better restricted and became more attractive to Dory! Necessity such as that, lead to the "refinements"! Cheers Wazza

Hi Neil I'm glad you enjoyed it! The only reason I put the personal detail in at all was I wanted readers to understand that even though we were relatively new to fishing and had limited experience at the time, we almost "stumbled" across how to catch Dory(via that huge tangle) and the "evolution" of our tactics from that point on. I'll try to do as you've suggested and thanks for the encouragement . Cheers Wazza

As John Dory season approaches, I thought Raiders might be interested in a couple of methods of catching these extra tasty fish. The following information is generally intended for those who fish the wharves and shoreline, although the basic ideas could also be applied by boat fishers. There are no doubt, other methods, this is what has worked for my mates and I. We fished Taronga Park Wharf and originally, Tailor and Larger Flathead were the intended quarry. We all used 2 'big' lines each, one with a live yakka and the other a fillet. A third, much lighter line was also used to fish for yellowtail. Even though we all had rods and reels, everybody chose hand-lines for fishing the wharf, because you could have one each side of you plus your yakka line and space was fairly limited as it was such a popular fishing spot. At first, nobody used any lead on either line, simply letting the bait sink slowly to the bottom, covering the entire water-column. However, when using live yellowtail, if you didn't keep an eye on them, "monumental" tangles would often occur. It was due to one of these tangles, involving about 10 lines that caused us to add a sinker to the live bait. I have to admit, the sinker was only added so as to keep everybody's 'livie' in close proximity to 'their' own space on the wharf. All of a sudden we started catching a few John Dory, not many at first, but considering we'd all been fishing there regularly with live bait and had probably only seen less than a dozen caught over a couple of years, it was quite significant. Over the space of the next month, we worked out some 'vital' pieces of information, which lead to John Dory becoming a genuinely "targeted" species, instead of just a "lucky" by-catch. Firstly, for the most part, Dory seemed to live no more than about a metre or so off the bottom(or so we thought) Secondly, they only took live bait(we thought yellowtail) and Thirdly, they would only bite at high tide. So by using live yellowtail, well weighted down at high tide you stood a reasonable chance of getting one. This information greatly increased the amount of Dory being landed,and over the next few cold winter months a Dory rig was "developed"- it is still the same rig we are using some 40 years on and is as follows: Instead of a rod, a 6 to 8 inch(15-20 cm) plastic handcaster filled with 12-15 lb(5-7 kg) mono)- a ball sinker about the size of a ten cent coin is fed on, then a swivel, From the swivel an 18 inch(45 cm) leader of 7-10 lb(3.2-4.5 kg- we used mono but fluorocarbon is probably best) and then a 2/0 suicide('octopus') pattern hook. That's it, simple. The live bait is then hooked through the mouth by inserting the hook point in through the mouth and pulling the hook point out in the base of the eye-socket, being careful you don't puncture the eye itself, It's much easier than it sounds and can be done very quickly. The reasons for doing this? 1) John Dory always swallow the bait head first and are better hooked 'deep' rather than in the membrane of their mouths, this way they are usually hooked in the entrance to their gullet. 2) After hooking a Dory, your bait-fish will slide up the line often relatively unharmed(well seemingly, considering they've just been swallowed!)-which enables them to be used again,after removing the hook from the Dory you slide the bait back into original position. At this point people often ask "why not just use a new 'fresher' bait fish? Again 2 main reasons, 1)John Dory readily take injured or slower moving bait and a less active one is very attractive to the opportunistic and fairly slow moving Dory 2) As Dory often travel in pairs or very small schools in the harbour, getting the bait back down to the location you've just got one from, can quickly result in secondary or even multiple catches on the one bait. I have both caught myself and watched two others land 4 Dory on a single live -bait, and seen 2 caught on the same bait multiple times. Each time the bait has slid up the line, fish unhooked and bait quickly re-positioned and another fish has taken it almost immediately. Bear this in mind when you land one! The 2/0 suicide is the best 'match' for the small baitfish and results in a more positive deeper hook-up. Note I haven't used circle hooks for Dory and as the strike to hook-up ratio is usually near enough to 100%(as they completely swallow the bait) and have no intention of releasing them when caught, I doubt I would even try them. If anyone does, I would be most interested to hear their opinion. Once the bait has been hooked-up it is then lowered straight down from the wharf until the sinker hits the bottom,then the sinker is raised no more than 60 cm- having your bait in the "strike -zone" close to the bottom but not on it. The reason for the large sinker size? Keeps the bait hanging straight down, with a limited range of movement, making it easy for Dory to catch and also positions your bait in the exact area you have chosen for it. This is a really important factor when there are several others fishing the same way- you want your bait to be the first one noticed. The other reason is Dory love to sneak up on their prey, often coming out from behind a pylon, or kelp patch. In the case of locations that have saltwater fenced-off baths like Balmoral,Watsons Bay,Gunnamatta Bay and Forty Baskets, which are all well known Dory spots, the Dory will often "float" along or "sail" almost motionless along the pool fence or net, before launching the strike at their selected prey. When wharf fishing, having your bait within a metre from a pylon always seems to be the best,affording the Dory a vantage point from which to sneak up on the bait. After positioning the bait, if you can(without causing a 'trip-hazard' for others) move your hand-caster/line at least a metre or 2 back from the edge,as although they aren't renown for either speed (or stamina) they grab and inhale the bait in the blink of an eye,sending many a spool over the edge into the harbour. Also be careful not to interfere with the depth you've just set it,remember you want the bait to be only just off the bottom. Upon receiving a bite, you can strike straight away, as the fish pretty much swallows the bait fish down in one motion, no need to give it any line. The other rig is a small running bobby cork, about the size of a small egg, followed by a ball sinker(size 01,1,or 2-basically enough weight to keep your bait down )sitting on top of a swivel, followed by a 60-70 cm leader of same strength as rig 1. The cork is set to a depth of 3 to 4 metres and baited the same as previous method. This method is preferred when fishing shallower areas like Balmoral Wharf, Clifton Gardens and most saltwater baths like those mentioned above. The reason? you can drift your bait close to the bottom over a wider area. The only time we use this rig when fishing deeper locations like the old zoo wharf (fishing is no longer allowed there)and Cremorne Wharf for example is when the schools of bait-fish are holding close to the surface and well within sight. The general 'rule of thumb' is -when you can see the bait, you use a bobby cork, and when you can't see them you use the sinker rig, as like most predatory species, John Dory are usually lurking close to their food. Other things to note are: Dory actively feed on the slack-water periods of both high and low tide, with a high tide an hour or so after sunrise my favourite time to fish for them, but can be caught on these slack tides at pretty much any time of day. A common misconception is that they mainly eat yellowtail. After examining the gut contents of heaps of Dory over many years, I've come to the conclusion that pretty much any small bait-fish are likely 'prey candidates', however , there are some that the Dory genuinely seem to prefer. My favourite live bait for them would be 1) Mado(black and white horizontal lines and yellow tail)- Dory love them! 2)Small Trumpeters 3) Yakkas. In conclusion, they are not a species that are known for great size(averaging 700gms to about a kilo, with a biggish one over 1.5 kg) nor are they caught in large numbers. They also aren't in any way regarded as a sports-fish, fighting only marginally harder than a Fantail-Leatherjacket! I have had success using both "Glowbait" and Fluoroscene(plumbers drain marking powder) which is applied to the bait-fish's "slime", making them really stand out visually. The only time I ever used these bait 'enhancers' was when there were quite a few others fishing same bait and rig, at these times, and with limited Dory available, it was wise to gain the 'advantage' of having a bait so easily seen. AREA: I've fished purposely for and caught Dory at all of the following locations: Taronga(fishing no longer allowed) Cremorne, Musgrave St, Kuraba, Clifton Gardens, Balmoral, Forty Baskets and Watsons Bay wharves; the eastern side of the 'Gasworks' point at Manly, White Rock and Elizabeth Bay from the shore. In the boat from both "Wedding Cakes", Clifton Gardens 'trench' and the deep hole on the eastern side of Shark Island. In Cowan, as 'by-catch' Hairtail fishing Akuna, Waratah AND Jerusalem Bays and in Port Hacking at Gunnamatta Bay and Lilli Pilli. The largest haul of Dory I've ever seen was caught outside at "The Colours" off South Head and I caught a couple out at the Peak when live-baiting for Kingfish. What keeps you getting out after them on freezing cold winter mornings is how they taste. Mmmm Delicious. Hope this helps you catch a few!

Hi Burger glad you enjoyed it. "Wonder Wobblers" were a great part of our fishing history as they seemed to catch just about everything from Trout to Tuna! I bet there's many old fisho's out there that caught all sorts of weird and wonderful's as well as quality species on them. I'd love to hear of others 1) favourite and 2) most unusual fish caught on a Wonder Wobbler (or "Alpha Wobbler" for even more 'vintaged' fisho's) My Fav was of course my 1st lure caught Flathead it was about 15 inches long(38 cm) and I was told it was a "fluke" as Flathead DIDN'T take lures! Ha! I got another 1 at same spot the next week. 2) Unusual was a giant cuttlefish at Nielsen Park Wharf

As a follow-on from the Bradleys Head and White Rock posts this one is meant to cover from Taylor Bay around to the "Island" at Chowder Head. The southern point of Taylor Bay is easily accessed, on entering the Sydney Harbour National Park entrance on Bradleys Head Rd, park in the car park immediately on the left. Adjacent to the toll booth is a track going east towards the water,(it only takes a few minutes to walk)go almost straight across when you get to the larger bisecting track (which starts near zoo wharf and goes all the way to Clifton Gardens via Bradleys Head- NOTE this track is well up and not along the lower shoreline virtually all the way, with little access to the water for almost all of its length) after crossing, our track narrows as it starts to meander down towards Taylor Bay, keep to the right as it is easier when carrying a fishing rod to maneuver down this little used section. There are about four or five narrow steps at the bottom, directly in front of the steps and also round to the right(White Rock is a few hundred metres this way)are quite a few suitable flat rocks to fish from,some have a couple of chiselled rod holes. The ones on the corner produce a few Luderick and the odd small Black Drummer while the tide is up, though as White Rock is so much better as a Luderick spot we generally fish there for them instead. Casting well out from any of these larger rocks Bream,Flatties and the odd keeping size Snapper are taken, along with a few blue swimmers in summer. If using prawns for bait, sometimes undersized reddies are thick along here with only a rare one making size, better sized ones are around just before dawn and dusk, though still most fall just short of legal length. The rear third of a pilchard on a 2/0 suicide is a better bait here. The whole area of the point also has a good supply of Leatherjackets and I know they don't interest a lot of fishers but a few of them can 'rescue' any otherwise fish-less days and provide a nice easy feed. The usual size 6 to 10 longshank(Mustad 4540 or 4540+half pattern) tied about a foot above a sinker and small piece of peeled prawn have 'rescued' many a days fishing for me when the intended target species didn't co-operate! All the usual kelp-roaming ooglies and colourful species also inhabit the area, so there's always something to keep you interested. Walking left from the point finds you in Taylor Bay which is fairly shallow and without any significant fish attracting formations. I did catch my first two lure caught Flathead in here(on the trusty old "Wonder-Wobbler") when I was a kid, but in general I wouldn't really recommend this as much of a spot until you get past the last house to the east called "The Manor". As you go east towards the point there are a couple of nicer, larger ledges that are quite comfortable to fish from, allowing access to deeper water. In summer and autumn 'surface fish' often appear and we've caught Tailor ,Salmon,Bonito and Frigates spinning with small(7-20 gm) lures. The same species as the other side are caught along here, with a few better sized fish in the deeper water. On the eastern front of the headland is a spot always referred to as "The Island", this has long been one of the lower harbours great land-based locations. The rock outcrop sits well out from the shore and is isolated as the tide rises. There are a few 'stepping stones' in between the island and the shoreline, but it isn't advisable to attempt crossing from about halfway up any larger incoming tide. In fact tides over 1.75 metres submerge the rock almost entirely, leaving nowhere safe for your gear when any waves from ferry's, tankers etc roll in. Casting east to southeast from here lands you in genuinely deep water and some big fish are available. This is one of the land based spots where you can catch a good sized Mulloway. On a few occasions, after going to the trouble of carrying legal sized live mullet, caught west of the harbour bridge, we have caught Mulloway up to 16 kg and been busted up and reefed by bigger ones. The reasons we use mullet? They seem to be hardier than other baits, transport and cast well, Mulloway love them and importantly they are less inclined to snag you as we fish them on the bottom. Large yellowtail often find something to swim around and catch your line on the bottom and if they are the only available fresh bait fish, personally I'd prefer to butterfly them-remove the tail and entire backbone just leaving the head and 2 fillets .These baits are thrown out on the basic rig of large ball sinker,bead to prevent sinker wedging on knot to swivel, followed by no more than 60cm of about 30-50 lb leader and 2 snooded 6/0 to 10/0 92554 suicide hooks. Others may use a different rig but this is quite simple and has always been effective for me. A lot of effort to carry live bait in as it's not really available there, but well worth it. Night time on the very last of the run-out tide is when we've had success. In daylight hours in summer and autumn kingfish sometimes 'bust up' on the surface eating really tiny bait-fish,and even though clearly visible are always hard to tempt. Spinning from here in the early morning often produces Tailor, Bonito and Frigates when they're in the harbour. When fishing here of a daytime I usually use a long rod, heavy sinker and leader no longer than 45 cm (which casts further) and prefer fish baits like tuna, yellowtail, mullet or fresh slimy mackerel and cast well out to the right. The bait rolls along and settles on the bottom in really deep water. Better sized Bream, School Mulloway and the best Snapper I've seen from the shore in the harbour(1-3 kg) are often caught here. It's one of the few locations I haven't fished for Luderick, but talking to divers there on different occasions they have said that they've seen a heap there, along with good size Black Drummer. Stands to reason as it is kelpy and quite deep in very close. The easier access is to park near the southern end of Morella Rd and take the track from there, which branches out at many spots, just keep heading east and that will take you to the water and it's easy to see the Island.

Hi Mutch 22 I posted 2 more bits of info in the last few days, both in relation to Luderick fishing, in answer to a post by Turtletown on Luderick fishing near the Spit. One is on Luderick at Cremorne Wharf and Bradleys Head stone wall, the other is on Luderick at "The Crack" at White Rock. I didn't talk about other species that are found in the vicinity of the stone wall, except to say that bream are caught with a long rod, casting heavy lead, metre long leader and using worms(as they stay on in the more 'violent' casts necessary- about 70 + metres -to reach the deeper water and are what the Bream take readily and constantly in daylight hours) Cast towards the city on the run in tide and on retrieve raise your tip high and reel swiftly to avoid snagging on the closer kelp. As the water around the end of the wall is generally around 4- 5 metres deep at high tide and there is plenty of visible kelp, there are plenty of Leatherjackets, a few Bream and Surgeonfish and at times some good Flathead. Many years ago there was a wharf which is now long gone, but when there provided really excellent fishing for both the 'jackets and Luderick. Both species are still present in relatively good numbers. Both 'paternoster' and float fishing work on the 'jackets using peeled prawns in the daylight hours, from half tide up. When using live yellowtail set about 3.5 metres under a bobby cork we caught some good Flatties here also, drifting all around the wall, however you need to take the yakkas with you as it isn't much of a yakka spot. An interesting thing was often the flathead caught in this vicinity would have small seahorses in their gut, so I'd say there must be a fair few around the wall. There are 2 other spots worth mentioning on the Zoo Wharf side of the Head. If you look on Google maps satellite images you'll see Athol Beach below Athol Function Hall. Take the short track down, about 3 mins walk from the car park adjacent to the entrance of the park. When you get to the bottom go around to your left. This is the first spot. I know it doesn't look that likely a spot, but throwing out here onto a predominantly sand bottom yields a few nice eating fish, Bream, Trevally, Small Reddies, Flatties and the odd Tailor are caught here by setting up a couple of rods and throwing out towards the Zoo Wharf. I've often caught a single large whiting here, for some reason never more than one(similar to Clifton Gardens Wharf's Whiting, often 1 but never 2) It isn't a spot to catch a lot of fish, but totally sheltered in N/E winds and pleasant for a quiet fish during the week. A swimmer was bitten on the calf by a shark here a few years ago, so bear that in mind if you consider a swim. On weekends quite a lot of boats can come in and moor, making it a bit noisy for land-based fishers. The other and better spot is accessed via the same way, just keep walking around at water level towards Bradleys Head. Roughly 250-300 metres further along there are 2 rocks about 15 metres out from the shore it's only shallow out to them and quite safe. funnily enough we've always called this spot "2 Rocks" as they are the only fishable ones along this section. The water has a nice drop-off all the way along this shoreline and 2 Rocks is the most comfortable spot along the whole stretch. Throwing a pilchard out onto the sand bottom produces a few Bream, Tailor and some nice Flathead. My favoured method here was to use a pilly under a small bobby cork, set about 6-8 feet deep.This set up has caught me plenty of nice sized Flatties there and at times Tailor school up and sit on the bottom along here also. When I was much younger you were allowed to fish the Zoo wharf and a few times lugged half a dozen small live yakkas caught from the wharf to 2 Rocks. This usually resulted in at least a couple of Flathead, again, not heaps but worth the trouble. Bobby cork, small sinker,swivel and 40-50 cm leader then 2 ganged 3/0 or 4/0's was the rig. On bigger High tides say over 1.4 metres you get your feet wet walking there, but again it isn't at all dangerous. I'm getting a bit 'weary' tonight so I'll put the other spots on tomorrow. Good luck if you go, Cheers Waz

Very interesting post Fragmeister!