DaveBM

I’ve had good and great. I reckon it might matter what they’re feeding on. Flatties are so consistent.

Mmmm tasty wrasse

Tataki!!! I do mine with the same ‘log’ cut of tuna, but otherwise different: Coat log with raw sesame seeds before cooking. Use the browning seeds as a guide for how done the fish is. Slice thinly and serve with a dressing just like KC’s marinade, plus chives and a raw egg yolk. Maybe some pickled veg

Such pain. What a bummer. What would have been my PB snapper lunged out of my hands and the boat as I posed for a photo. At least I know what never to do again. Pics can wait!

Thanks all. I put it in the fridge in salt water to flush out the grit, so haven’t eaten it yet. I would have thought the bigger danger would be eating the fish that eat the shellfish (bioaccumulation and all that) not the primary filter feeder itself. But I guess if the dioxin level is high enough, better to be safe. Also, calculating “safe” levels of contaminants in food would have to involve assumption about how much you eat and how often. I wonder what these assumptions are... it’s not easy to find out, I guess because public health messaging needs to seem black and white. But you can’t tell me a kingie swims under the coat hanger and suddenly turns to poison.

Mods: Apologies for frivolous post, delete as required I’m going under this Thursday for shoulder surgery, and I set myself the task of catching anything worth taking home for the table with my new harbour flicking combo before that, as fishing won’t be possible for most of the summer. The rig has been 100% “successful” so far - no sessions without something landed - but all undersized flatties and tailor. To my way of thinking, that’s promising but unsuccessful. I know I’m mostly arguing with myself, but I argue that this arvo’s catch, sandwiched between two more undersized flatties, gets me home on a technicality. I will prepare and eat this clam that came up attached to seaweed I snagged with my Zman shad in “Opening Night” colours.

My great uncle pro fisho used to target snapper with short droppers on the paternoster, but for more picky fish eg KG whiting, he’d do heavy line to a heavy lead, then a really light, quite long leader to the hook. So the big sinker and swivel and heavy line are a good metre away from the hook. Only disadvantage - you can’t really use more than one hook.

Also probably 25 odd years old by that point. Has probably earned the reprieve. Great report too. Measuring up PBs sounds like a good holiday use for your school ruler!

So little time for fishing lately, but I got sick this week. Once I’d done the right thing and passed the COVID test, I was still too ill to work though. Retail therapy at the tackle shop! It’d been ages since I bought myself anything new beyond terminal tackle, and I wanted a nice light spinning setup for flicking lures. Finally settled on an 8’ Sakana and a Daiwa Kix 2500. Got it home, spooled up some 2kg braid and debated whether I was well enough for an inaugural fish. I eventually decided I was, but didn’t have any tiny lures, or even jigheads. So I squished a split shot onto a long shank hook, slipped on a wriggler and walked down to Callan Park. Walk took longer than I thought, so I got there without much light left. First cast: I thought something had gone wrong. I could feel nothing in my hands after the tiny bump of my leader knot leaving the final guide, and I could hear nothing. Facing a bit of sunset glare and choppy water, I could see nothing either. Finally I started retrieving, surprised to pull up on the weight of the lure. It’s obviously gone a very long way for such a tiny weight (tick one for the new rod) and I can feel the other end with such clarity even with the chop. It almost doesn’t surprise me when I feel a little nudge, then a decent chomp. 25cm flathead. Second cast: see above Third cast: see above Fourth cast: catch a snag, snap the line With failing light and no more McGuyver Brand lures to tie on anyway, I called it a night. Very happy with my purchase, and looking forward to a keeper!

It did cross my mind, but my sister and niece were too grossed out.

I guess that’s part of the reason that “cleaned weight” is sometimes a thing in competition fishing. Must have been 150-200g of whitebait, which Cal thought it amusing to freeze for next time as bait. He’s hanging out for it - especially given the incredible fish cakes his mum made this arvo with the produce.

These were decent whitebait - 6-8cm - my nephew kept them for bait!

Hi all. Weekend holiday to Copacabana presented an opportunity among the rainy patches to fish the rising tide at sunset with my nephew Callum. Bit of history - he’s living in Sydney now, but grew up in the US, and on one visit to Oz I took him to a little jetty on Rottnest island WA. I caught a nice squid and a few herring, and he (at 3 years of age) caught a jumbo (for WA) flathead - 45cm or so. I was quickly cemented as the uncle of his fishing dreams. Fast forward a decade, and we’ve been a few times for donuts since they moved to Sydney. Today was dreary and wet, but then my crappy footy team won. Then I cooked everyone dry-aged rump steaks with truffled mash. Then the skies cleared. Short walk to the beach, and after a quiet half hour of nibbles only, I got a solid hookup on a whole ganged pilchard - only to have the last hook snap off just as I saw silver flashes un the shore break. Crappy old tackle - time for a cleanout of the box. Still, knowing there was probably a school still there in the gutter, I put the tail end of a pilchard on the remaining two hooks and flung it hurriedly out. Couple of minutes wait, them bang and we’re off again. Got it in this time, and walked the 300m back to the beach shack in the dying light, with a beaming teenager’s faith restored and the makings of thai fishcakes for tomorrow. Went 64cm, and check out the payload from its stomach! How was it still hungry?

No photo, but my favourite catch was the result of sheer bloodyminded doggedness. Small to medium silver trevally (skipjack or skippies in sandgroper speak) we’re running in Fremantle harbour. I went down and caught a bag off the jetty one day, but could see much bigger fish flashing down deep. I made a plan, and stuck to it for the next 3 mornings. Same location, I’d turn up a bit before sunrise when the sardine boats came in, and buy a $2 bag of black market fresh ones from a deckie mate. I made each one into identical 1cm cutlets, and chucked them all in with a hook buried in one. Sardine after sardine, 3 days running, the pickers would pick, and the big silver flashes would flash, and I’d get doughnuts or a foul-hooked tiddler. Finally one of my mystery silver ghosts fell for it, and on 4kg handline I landed a 3kg trevally. Bleeding fingers were more than compensated by the astonishment of nearby anglers and by the incredible meal I produced that night for my new girlfriend and her mum.

The rules as worded are anything but clear, and not just for fishing. What people need to remember is the overarching rule, whereby (basically): If you find yourself wondering and picking holes in the public messaging; If you find yourself feeling personally aggrieved by uncertainty about which of your leisure activities from The Normal Times is allowed; If, in short, you have to ask... The answer is no. Corporations will be bailed out, small businesses will be be free to fire all their casuals then try their luck once restrictions relax, and yahoos will act like the rules are a personal affront, but the overarching heroes of a successful public health outcome will be people applying the cautionary principle. And of course the medical and emergency services people who probably won’t get their due kudos, and instead put up with abuse and whining for the duration.

Rankin cod! Salivating...

Awesome skills aside, it's refreshing to see someone fishing in business attire. Very debonair,

Are wobbegong not legal to take in NSW? They’re pretty good eating.

It shocks me to hear you've learned something about fishing your area that you didn't already know Yowie. Reminds me of when some fish farms were starting up around Fremantle and I started landing bream and herring where once they were killed and iced there'd suddenly be a bunch of white prawny-looking things in the bucket. Those frickin' sea-lice can go eat a bag of things that are printable on this site. Straight through my fingertips as soon as I picked one up for a closer look. Properly razor-sharp.

If you pull the head off the worm's a goner anyway, so just dig up the body. Live is best, but recently deceased is still great bait.

They're extremely fast growing and don't bottom-feed, so I doubt there's much to that. Maybe ciguatera in the tropics?

Top read mate. Now salivating.

Also, pretty sure these are Alfonsino

*Nannygai

Awesome catch! Gummies are delicious. Flaky and mild. Not the greatest fillet return for fish length/weight, but okay for a small shark.