saltrix

The fish is a Red Rock Cod. Also known as the Eastern Red Scorpiancod. If you get one large enough they are very good eating with firm white flakey flesh. They are also known as poor mans lobster, They are equipped with stinging venomous spines dorsal and pectoral so must be handled with great care. Strangely sometimes the sting is mild, othertimes very painful. Once cooked of course the heat disables the venom and they are quite safe to eat, but if you are not equipped with pliers or gloves probably the safest thing is to cut them off. The first aid if you are stung is to apply heat as hot as you can stand without burning yourself, another reason to carry a thermous of hot water. alan

My mate and I launched at Tunks about 5.30 am but it was a bit late as the sun was well up. Tried for squid at my usual spots but no immediate hits so we trolled Nth Head but nothing interested there either. The salmon were working so we gave them a bit of a throw and I hooked up straight away but lost it after a few minutes. Thye then would not co-operate so we left them to bash the bottom off Dee Why Wide. Got a couple of flathead there, then went to Long Reef for a few more and a mowie. Tried to burley up trevally in closer at a good showing but the current was a bit fierce but managed a couple more mowies and some extras. On the way home the salmon had moved into the harbour but we couldn't get any hits. Back about 12.30. The reference rule is 25 cm.

They would probably take anything small, the problem is to get something that you can throw to them. The fly fishermen do Ok because the weight is in the line and they can throw small flies. Anyhow here are the lures we used today. The top one has caught probably a dozen or more salmon over the last year but it is very light and I cant use too heavy a line with it but it has survived. The lower blue lure got one first throw but then didnt get hit again for a while. All fishraiders probably know the bag limit for Salmon is 5 fish, but who would want more than that anyhow. It is a lot of fun to catch a couple for fish cakes or the barby, they are truly spectactular to catch with leaps into the air and powerful runs

Launched at Tunks around 5.30am. I was joined by fellow Fishraider JayKay for company. Trolled around Grotto Point for 3 just legal tailor, which we kept as back up bait. Tried for squid in close at Grotto as I sometime get some nice ones there, but not today. Trolled around Nth Head but no strikes then saw a large school of salmon so flung small lures at them for a while for 1 hookup which was lost. It was a beautiful day and the wind dropped right off so when we tried for flathead and mowies etc off Long Reef we didnt move making it a bit hard to fish the drift. We managed 3 flathead and a large Sargent Baker which went back to annoy us another day. On the way home we had another crack at the salmon school and managed a couple on very small lures cast into the school. The biggest salmon only went about 62 cms so if it had been a King it would have had to go back. Makes you realise what a legal King has to be now.

Despite a strong wind warning for the afternoon,my son and I decided to try off Long Reef for some mowies, reds, or snapper. After a bit of an effort we managed 3 flathead and a good sized leatherjacket, which bit us off on one drift, and was caught 1/2 hour later on the next drift. It was the same fish as it had one of my hooks bitten off in its mouth. It also took a chunk out of one of the flathead on the way up. By about 9.30 the wind was up and we were drifting too fast even with the sea anchor so we headed back to the harbour to try for flathead in there, but the wind was too strong even off balmoral.

There is a gov. site that deals with Licence requirements and details of VHF, 27 Mhz, and HF radio. It is the ACMA site www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD//pc=PC_1303 In summary it says that there is a class licence for 27 Mhz and VHF and individual licences are not issued or required for marine operation. A class licence seems to be a general exception rule in allowing the possession of the radio. It states on page 7 4 Class licence.This licence authorises any person to operate a maritime ship station on-board an Australian ship------ The class licence requires in the case of VHF further states -- page 8 10 A person must not operate on frequencies in the VHF band unless a) that " the operator is qualified to operate the station--- and --- 2) a) A restricted Radio Operator's Certificate of Proficiency or Marine Radio Operator's VHF certificate of Proficiency-----(read on for exemptions) is required. A licence is still required for HF radio itself and the operator also.. This site also summerises the use for the radios. There is no mention on this site of a requirement for a certificate to be held by the operator of 27Mz radio, and there is no licence required for the radio itself under the class licence. I would welcome any discussion on this as the documentation seems complicated and jumps from one paper to another. This site was updated in Feb 07. Saltrix

A month or ago I had the same experiance here and actually caught a jacket on a 6" lure, but not this time. You could be right as I have also caught slimies in this spot fishing for yellowtail live bait. Trouble is on a trip you cannot try for everything, I have also caught trevally there on large lures. Regards alan

No, had 1 reply but he had never been in a boat before and today was not a good day to start, I might contact him when I am sticking to the harbour. Those Eastern Bluespot are not as good eating as the Marbled flathead I sometimes get but they aren't too bad fresh. The Dusky is the better eating of all of them.

Went out from Tunks Park this morning, trolled around Dobroyd Point and got a lot of hits but no fish, about this time of the year this seems to happen and I think leatherjackets are the culprits, sometimes I burley them up and catch a feed but I didnt bother today. Trolled around Nth Head as well but no takers. Then tried DY wide but with a SW wind and S current it was a bit hard to hold botttom so I went on to Long Reef, had the same trouble there but managed a feed. 5 Eastern Blue spot flathead, 1 very good size Morwong, 1 extra large Leatherjacket, and 1 winter whiting caught on a 4/0 hook and pilchard. Left about 10am to come in as the S was freshening and had a bumpy ride home.

Probably 6-8 km in 52m at Dee why and 62m at Long Reef. email me if you like and I will send you the GPS or marks.

Went out on my own as I couldnt get any company. It was an ideal day, just enough westerly for a drift early, and then it calmed down to nothing so I shifted to deeper water off Long Reef but still didnt move much. Marbled flathead, Eastern Bluespot flathead,morwong, samson fish, and just legal snapper made up the catch. Got a 3 tailor at Grotto Point going out for bait.

It would be nice to have some company, but i realise I have retired and people have to work. I have a fishing mate but he cant always make it on the few days the weather suits. Fishing from a small boat (5.2m) out at sea does not suit everyone and after reading some of the posts by other members I am now aware that some fisherman who reply may not realise what it is like. The snapper did give me a bit of a run but with the new braided lines and a good rod they dont have much of a chance. That is good in a way because the undersized can be released quickly without damage. Thanks for your reply.

Couldn't get any company for this morning so went out on my own as the forecast doesnt look good for the rest of the week. The westerly was blowing a bit hard, probably about 12-15 knots, quite safe but a bit bumpy but I believed the forecast that it would ease later in the morning, which it did just in time to give me a dry ride home at about 10.30am. I drifted with the sea anchor, and it certainly was useful, one time when it did not deploy correctly I couldnt get bottom, but with it working the drift was OK. I probably would have done better if I had moored up and burleyed but getting the anchor up on my own in the chop is sometimes a bit hard even with my bouy. For bait I had pillies and about 10 large hawksbury prawns which cost me $30 a kilo so I only take a few each time but they were they no. 1 bait. Got 2 of the 3 reds on them and one of the flathead. No whales today but there were so many whitecaps I probably would have missed them. Attached is a picture of one that came up beside the boat last year to the day . It was a unique experiance, he had been broaching near my boat and I had taken some photos and had the camera in my hand when he came slowly right up out of the water and looked me in the eye.

Sounds like you caught some nice fish. It is good to know some trevally are around. Having seen many boats swamped and banged up over the years my advice is to give that ramp a miss, it is only a 30min. run from Tunks on a good day and thats the only time you can fish off there anyhow. To new comers to fishing Long Reef close, avoid it like the plague when there is any sort of swell as it can be very dangerous. I remember fishing there with a bit of a swell a few years back (OK it 15years) when out of a relatively calm sea I was suddenly on a verge of a huge breaking wave. Just missed disaster by meters. But when there is not much swell it is a great place to burley/fish. As I also do a bit of diving I can say that a great many anchors slip between the many large boulders in that area and cannot be pulled out as they work their way into crevices. Best to use a couple of housebricks on a lighter line. But remember those anchors are not lost and can be retrieved from me if you contact me. Some are a bit rusty though. saltrix

I dont know what a fish eater would not like about sweep, I mean the larger sea size about 500gms, bleed them and ice them straight away, at home dont scale them just fillet and skin them and cut the bones out. The flesh is firm and white with a nice flavour. Saltrix

No, went out on my own, it was too bumpy to go to Long Reef, it was really too bumpy to go outside, not big but like a washing machine. I usually go to Long Reef and anchor up and burley if the drift is no good but I couldnt do that this morning.

Headed out this morning in pretty heavy rain with a fair bit of chop once outside, but I thought I would persevere as it was supposed to get better. The rain stopped but it was still windy and choppy. Too much for a good drift but I managed a couple of good mowies plus one resonable flathead and one smaller. Even caught a sweep which is my favourite eating fish. Got a run of just legal, & just under snapper but put them all back to grow a bit.

I am looking for company for a trip departing Tunks Park at 6am, or Pennant Hills 5.30 am on Monday. Plan is to troll the headlands then head out to the flathead grounds off Dee Why (55m) to drift for flathead, snapper etc. but I am opertunistic and will try anything that looks promising. I have a 5.2 tinnie with 75hp, sounder, GPS, radio etc. No obligation all I want is some company as my usual mate is away. If you did not get seasick it would be an advantage. I have lots of gear if you are light on it, and have the bait, pillies, a bit of shop squid and some Hawksbury prawns.

Sorry did not weigh them as I was a bit weary after the early start and had the filletting to do, but I estimate about 2.5 kg. This spot has produced fish for several years now from now until about September. regards

Couldn't get any takers to buddy with me so went out on my own as usual this morning, I guess people have to work during the week. Tried for squid at first light but could not get any at my usual sites. The sea was pretty flat so whizzed out to the gravel off Dee Why and got a good catch. 9 Flathead, 2 of 60 cm, and the smallest 35cm, 4 were marble and 5 were eastern blue spot, 2 reds 30cm 32cm, and even my favourite sweep. Got the fish on a squid head from last weeks catch, and pillies and prawns. The squid head was very popular. Got a hook up every time I hit the bottom within 20 seconds, but reurned 2 banjo sharks and several u/s flatties, and lost a rig or 2 to leatherjackets I presume. Home by 11.30am.

My usual mate is out of action, anyone interested in a tunks park ramp ( or Pennant Hills ) start about 6am Monday for squid, harbour kings, flathead, or anything else going until about 11.30am. The weather looks a bit much for outside. I have a 5.1 tinnie with canopy and 55 years experiance in boating and fishing.

My better half always said there is no need to get up at 4 am as I do to of catch a few fish. A 9.30 start at Brooklyn with our quota of witches hats, and a few pillies on paternnoster rigs off Dangar and Patonga produced the following. Five nice flathead and a feed of blue swimmers, one being the biggest I have seen, a few under sized flathead and all female crabs were released.