saltrix

At Botany Bay 2 weeks ago I set 3 witches hats about 50m out from 3 of the breakwater piers past the Brighton baths. For bait I used a few pilchards tied up in the mesh bag oranges come in. I was suprised to catch 3 good sized crabs, 2 in 1 net, 1 in the other, 0 in1, between 9am and 11.30. Hope this helps. Regards

I would love to get a few of those slimies for outside baits, I managed to get some yellowtail at West Head in close under the pill box but no sign of slimies. Where did you find them?

Felt the need for a feed of blue swimmers so got up early and set my 5 nets and 1 trap at the spots I usually get a good feed . The tide was good too, top of the tide around 6am and my nets and trap were down about 5.30am. It was then off to get a feed of fish, tried a few drifts Patonga to Lion Is area but the trawlers were still working the area and after a couple of U/S duskeys I left them and tried a troll around Barrenjoey. (Got some livies at West Head on the way) This is a hairy area as the bombora on the southern point only breaks in the bigger swells and I have seen boats go over the site and 5 minutes later seen it break at the same point. Despite a few shows on the sounder I got no hits and lack of action did not inspire me to try my down rigger, so the few live yellowtail stayed in my bucket. Then out to Boultons for a few drifts. Got a couple of U/S snapper and lost a lot of bait to U/S leatherjackets and caught a couple foul hooked. At this stage I was getting a bit desperate so I sounded around Trawleys as that sometimes has Kings around. There was a good show of fish right on the drop off so I sent a few baits down. 3 shovelnose sharkes and a couple more yellowtail later I let my drift take me further south and I struck a patch of Blue spot flathead. Got 5 good sized keepers and returned twice that many U/S . The largest 58 cm, the smallest 42cm. As the NE was coming up I gave it away and picked up my nets and trap. Only 1 crab. I did better with the crabs in Botany bay a few weeks ago.

See the Forum Tutorial section posting pictures takes you right through it.

Launched about 4.50am from Roseville with Bob. Got some yellowtail and a couple of squid at Dobroid and South Head but Seabreeze and the bureau had got it wrong and there was a SE blowing at about 18kn and a large swell and choppy waters. Tried downrigging but gave up as it was too rough at North Head so gave up on the plan to downrig around the corner, and outside was definitely out of the question. Downrigged around south head as it was a bit sheltered and struck a patch of kings, but they were rats, 55-58cms, all they did was waste our squid. It got a bit rough the further you got out so we retreated to the markers off Dobryd where a berly trail had lots of sweep (too small to eat, I only like those about 1/2 kilo or larger and they seem to be out wide) and some kings whizzing through scaring them away. Squid strips got a couple of those in the boat briefly. They were only rats and went again 55 -59cm although they looked like good fish and were in good condition. Tried a drift for flathead around Balmoral but we were running out of enthusiasm and were back at the ramp early.

Mike If you can fish during the week sometimes I will keep you in mind and email you direct next time to see if you can make it. Regards alan

The weather looks good on Tuesday morning so I am looking for company for a trip out leaving Roseville around 4.45am on Pennant Hills 1/2 hour earlier. The plan is to pick up some squid around Dobryd or South Head, get a few livies and downrig around Nth Head, try trolling here and there and chase surface fish if any appear. Then whiz out to DY wide or Long Reef to try for whatever, probably a drift for flathead or reds if the jackets are as bad as reports. The plans rarely work out, but I usually catch a few fish. If it is too lumpy outside the harbour is the next try but I am not into catching U/s kings. I have a 5.2m plate boat with GPS, sounder, radio, and only 1 downrigger. I dont smoke or drink on the boat but dont mind company doing either (in moderation). I am an experianced older fisherman and experianced at sea, having held a commercial licence for some years before letting it go. I would like company that does not get seasick, and is reasonably experianced. There is no obligation to help with the boat as I often fish alone, just make sure you have a fishing licence. I have enough gear for 2 but if you want to bring your own gear a rod for casting to surface fish and one for bottom bashing to 55m is required. For bait I have pillies and Hawksbury prawns and will pick up some yellowtail and hopefully squid on the way out. I hope to be be back at the ramp by midday or before. email me if you are interested and I will give you my phone number to discuss details. 10am monday Got a fishing mate thanks

Yellowtail bream, Black bream, Snapper, and tarwhine are all in the same family classification,ie SPARIDAE, but are different species. The legal size for tarwhine is 20cm, and for for both bream it is 25cm and bream and tarwhine are lumped together for the bag limit as you said. Information from Sea Fishes of Southern Australia (Hutchins and Swainston), and NSW DPI Regs summary June 08. They are a couple of good fish. Regards and Happy Birthday

The bream looks a lot like a Tarwhine. Almost the same and both good eating. Did it have a black lining on the stomach cavity? That and the more rounded nose (and the anul fin count to get technical). Seasickness is a nuisance but coming into the haven was the best idea, I always come straight back to the calm if anyone is feeling crook. Regards

Great photos, looks like you enjoyed the fishing

I am pleased to see someone else eats sweep. I must try smoking them. I find that if you dont scale them but fillet them and then skin them they produce nice white flesh. The top half of the fillet is best but if you bone out the bottom half of the fillet including the gut bones and black bit they are quite nice. The ones you caught seem a good size. They have got to be about that size to be good eating. You probably know the red rock cod that size is very good eating but dont get spiked even by the dead fish!

Dont scorn large sweep, if they are around the 1/2 kilo or bigger they are excellent eating, as they produce large white firm flesh fillets. At home we prefer to eat them over snapper, and I fish for them exclusively off Long Reef. Like all fish they are best bleed and kept in an ice slurry. Regards

That is an excellent reply, I found similar information years ago after a bad reaction to a nights prawning at The Entrance and another after a morning swim in Lake Macquarie years later. Waders are definitely required in the warmer months and watch the Kids in the lakes about this time. Pelicans are part of the cycle as you say as they are part of the bird population. Lake Liddel is also infected and water skiers launching their boats get infected on their legs. Regards Saltrix

Try Roseville ramp, it is in a national park area and there are parking fees if you dont have a parks sticker, but there is a heap of parking and it is a great ramp. It is an extra 1.5km run down the bay but the fishing is good in the area as well.

Most of the time I didnt even lose a bait although once I had a hook bitten off but didnt catch any and didnt go to wire as do if they are consistant. I did get a pike and a couple of nannagi. Trouble was I have been getting a lot of fish at those 2 spots for months, but it is now time to move as they usually go off about now. A squid or cuttle did maul a livebait I had out, maybe I should have put a pilchard on a squid spike but I was loosing enthusiasm by then.

Launched about 5.30 from Roseville, tried for squid but no takers, maybe as it was a low tide. Picked up some yellowtail to downrig around North Head but the swell made it too choppy for me on my own, so I whizzed out to DY wide to stock up on flathead and mowies. They werent playing there today, so I tried Long Reef wide. Zero all morning, should have stayed in the harbour.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recrea...sw-bag-and-size I looked up the fisheries site to verify my reply, and bully mullet must 30 cm, as usual fishos must be pretty well up on fish species to be able to identify the different species of flathead , mullet, whiting, and other species which have different legal lengths. Hope this helps some.

There is a legal length for some species of mullet, see the fisheries info on their website, keeping some poddies alive for bait is permitted. Dont keep undersized ones as it could cost you dearly. I have also found pike to be excellent bait, especially if you catch one while fishing for snapper or flathead. If you get a large one and keep it on ice they are good eating despite what some may say.

Yes Nanook is correct, it is a Maori wrasse, they are good eating bit need to be pretty big to be worth keeping. They have nice firm white flesh but throw them back under about 30cm.

Launched at Roseville about 5.30am, it was already light. Tried trolling and squidding Dobryd, and trolling Nth head but the swell was a bit big so went out to the gravel off DY. Could have done with a few live yellowtail or a bit of squid or fish bait as the pickers were a bit active but caught a few before coming in at 10.30am. The biggest flathead went 54cm and the smallest 37cm.

Great fish and very good photos Regards Alan

That parasite has a life cycle that passes through a sea bird and a salt water snail. (Bit like the tapeworm using an animal and an earthworm). It gets into the system of the sea bird and eventually passes out to the next stage which involves the snail, but fortunately people get a reaction that kills the parasite. Having had a few episodes in Lake Macquarie and Tuggerah I agree with Roberta's method of wearing waders as the itch can be very annoying for many days. Regards saltrix

It is a small shark, but not the bitey variety as it had grinding plates not teeth. It had been damaged by the hooks so we kept it and ate it. It was very good eating too.

We launched from Shute Harbour and Airlie Beach ( in Able Point marina) ramps. Parking was a bit tight but OK with a walk). We rented a house from the internet which was at Mandalay which is about 2km away from Airlie Beach, it was away from the main road and had a parking area along side but wasnt secure so we left the car on the trailer or locked up. For fishos with GPS the Marine Park Authority provide online mods for various GPSs that put the zones into your GPS. We didnt do it as we only saw this in a leaflet after we got there. The marine Park Authority also provide detailed zoning maps and a good publication "Reef fish field guide to species regulated in the Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish management plan 2003)", which lists and gives photos of the regulated fin fish, but does not show the unregulated species or give legal sizes. These are available free of charge from the Parks or Fisheries offices. A booklet giving legal sizes is issued by fisheries and is also on local tide charts, but some other identification chart is needed as the Field Guide only lists coral reef fin fish. If you are allergic to midges they will give you hell in the area.