noelm

Not too fussed on the latest Ozark, it seems to have "gone off" lots of other good stuff to binge though.

Big Jewfish are best cooked in smaller pieces (in my opinion) rather than a big piece 2" thick in one place, and 1/2" thick in another. Cutlets are good, they look good on a plate, pretty simple to cook, and the bones are rather large, that said, a boneless piece of fish is always nice. People often get confused with a "fillet" thinking the term means boneless, but in fact, it's merely a side of the fish, unless it's been purposely boned, it will still contain the belly/rib bones and the centre lateral bones.

While I agree with what you say, education only goes so far, you can't educate everyone, you can't force someone to read a sign and comply with it, you can legislate all sorts of safety items, but, most don't care, don't listen and just fish anyway. That particular spot has a unique issue. Whether a life jacket, a bolt in the rock to tie yourself to (that has its own issues) people will continue to fish there, and sadly, continue to get washed in! I can see the location (at a distance) from my house, I have fished there, dived there, and even been near washed in there.

I do both, but boneless fillets tend to be my "go to" now and then I might cutlet a fish, but I only do the part near the tail so I get full round cutlets, then fillet the "shoulder" part. Bones in fish is often a turn off, people get this idea that the second you get a bone in your mouth you are going to choke to death! If you think about how a fish is "made" (their anatomy) the bones are easy to locate and eat without drama. Some fish I skin, some I prefer the skin on, just depends, Kingfish, Tuna, Marlin, Salmon and so on, always skin, Whiting, Bream, Flathead, skin on for me. edit.....I guess I should add, not all fish are suitable for cutlets, bigger cylindrical shaped fish are suitable for cutlets, Kingfish about 6-8kg are best, bigger Jewfish too.

Yep, definitely a Tailor, OK eating when fresh, not too good for freezing, or if left in the fridge for a while.

There is a ring there, and as mentioned a dozen times, you can legislate all you like, unless it's enforced, it's just words and signs.

Sadly it's just a fact if life, right or wrong, that's just how it is! I have been involved in a couple of searches at this spot, and sadly, one body search (that I found) it will never stop. Ban fishing there? who will enforce the law 24 hours a day? make it mandatory to wear a life jacket? we have stop signs and speed limits, yet thousands get caught ignoring them. better education? Sure, but, how do you educate everybody, and will they take the information? I doubt it. lots more signs? yeah great idea, but, who will take heed? Rock fishing can be fun and productive, this location by its very shape makes it dangerous, add to that it's a very popular spot with the migrant population, and it's a recipe for disaster. I personally feel no amount of government intervention will help.

It doesn't matter how many fences are built, how many signs in every language or anything else, people will continue to fish there, and people will continue to perish. I have described the problem with the location in a previous post about the same thing. I have dived, fished and boated around there for many decades. It's another tragic, mostly preventable loss of life, condolences to the family left behind, according to the news, the person was in his 20s.

Fishing has always been banned on the bridge, and I think the same applies to all road and rail bridges in NSW, but, people still fish there, to be honest, the fishing is not great off the bridge, it's just easy, take a fold up chair and dangle your line.....

Probably the easiest species to "specialise" in would be Flathead, pretty easy to find, easy to catch on lures or bait, and readily available from the shore.

Time of day, very early morning, or late afternoon tend to be best. Tide, depends entirely on where you fish and what species you're after. Boat necessary, no, it does help move around, but plenty of good fish caught without a boat. Heavier rods, reels, no, lighter gear will get more bites of used correctly. Use lures instead of bait, no, both methods work, but, bait needs to be fresh or live, old frozen Prawns and Squid are not the best. Specific bait, for sure, but depends on where you are fishing and what for.

Yep, the Cockle "raping" is still going on, the Lake is fished Commercially, but there is nowhere near the number of pros these days, and they don't work weekends.

I guess I should add, just because the fish aren't "on" doesn't mean it's not worthwhile fishing anyway, you will nearly always get a few. Don't cast out too far, just to the edge of the weed beds, and let your float drift with the tide, then wind in and repeat. I get a few there on Squirt Worms when there's no "experts" fishing.

Just to wander off topic, what's the correct pronunciation of "Mainanbar" seems like some say "main bar" others say "my an bar" while others say "ma I bar"

In a funny kind of way, that exact story relates to Lake Illawarra, Nippers are easy to get, even though they get a "hammering" by fishermen, Squirt Worms are not so easy, but a few "secret" spots has plenty of big ones, Cockles where in abundance, and 15 minutes would see you with enough for bait (or eat if that's your thing) but, word got out about the cockles and people started getting them by the car load, so much so, that it made the news, and fisheries started enforcing the limit (and reduced it) but, it didn't stop the die hard gatherers, people filled their car boots with them, locals started confronting the offenders and fights broke out, now you need to know where to look to get them. Similarly Pippis are pretty scarce on any of the local beaches, but I think that was due to disease, not over harvesting!

Tide chart will help! Or just google it, don't fish off the jetty there, just off the little beach, you will know when the fish are on, there will be 5-6 people fishing there.

Not too sure it ever became "official" but I might be wrong....again!

A Tohatsu dealer would be my first stop.

I can't imagine a fence will do anything, people will just climb over it, go under it, pull it down, or walk in from the pool side.

Yep, that appears to be the case, it's only a matter of time before they put some kind of ban on fishing there! When it's all said and done, the fishing is not that good, it's just convenient.

I am pretty sure the news showed the location as being the same spot we discussed not that long ago. It's very popular and looks kind of safe and an ideal fishing spot, but it's not. The swell today is "long and lazy" which kind of means not big, but lots of water moving along.

If you're not real fussed on what it looks like, a decent marine hose clamp will do the job, make sure it's a full stainless one though, not a stainless one with a plain steel screw! Then just put some decent tape over it so it doesn't get caught on things.

Just to add, it looks like they were washed off the same spot at Hill 60 that has been mentioned dozens of times before. I saw a Helicopter buzzing around, but just assumed it was an ANZAC day thing.

Just saw on the news that 4 people were washed off the rocks at Port Kembla (again) three rescued, one still missing, the search has been called off for the day. Tragic loss that might have been preventable!

I have kept them with and without a heater, it seems (observation, nothing scientific) that they shed more often in warm water. I had a really big Murray Cray once (the big ones with the spikes on their back) had it for ages, then it just died, no idea if it was just old age or something.