nightstalker

Some nice snapper there, which general area were they caught. We normally go to South West Rocks for one to two weeks in july but this year due to circumstances are just bolting up there for two days next weekend. The big one is a nice fish - 4 kilo or so?

Its a Jeff Wilson knot from his book, also watched a video on the Nomad site of them tying twisted leaders then sort of cats pawing them into a short double on the braid and then tying off a 'bit leader' to this. Anyone seen this, what do you reckon, i figure these guys are innovators in this area just for the sheer numbers of big fish they catch.

Hi, use a lot of 20 and 30 lb braid to 30 and 40 lb leader and have had no problems using improved albright. However, want to experiment with 60lb braid on hardcore spinning outfit and 150lb or more traces for live baiting / switch baiting small marlin this summer. I have ruled out wind on leaders as loop connections using braid would cut it wouldnt it. Am thinking about the Braid Leader knot or even sticking with the albright. Traces would have to be wind on to facilitate short casts at times and at least 3m traces if fish roll up in it. Your experience and comments would be appreciated.

25 and never had one let go.

No doubt there would be some correlation between the gars you were chasing and a nice jewie like that on the hunt, Beautiful fish.. well done. Ive got a nice snapper in fish of the month but i'm voting for you.

Great pics and good to see you got a few good fish as well. Interesting and true comments on the species for us southern fishos if fishing unguided up there. I am interested in the logistics, where did you launch and stay - how was the boat stored and all that sort of stuff - I'm sure a few raiders aspire to trailering a boat up there one day.

Kingies, being the only true pelagic of the bunch have a lot more stamina for chasing down bait fish in the open ocean, whereas both barra and jew sneak up on their prey and boof them down. I think then for sure - Kings - Barra - Jew and have to say whilst not catching a lot of barra think they are a little overrated in terms of fighting ability. A snapper of the same size goes much harder. Barra - overrated - now that should draw some comments.

You have gotta stop drinking 20 the night before you go out - but seriously - have as many prerigged traces and rigs for whichever style of fishing you do to minimise the knots you have to tie in addition to all those helpful hints everyone has given. I posted a pic of a longtail a while back and had comments about cheddar shapes being my secret berley - nope it is to help stop the secret berley.

Nice fish and nice subtle pixelation of the spot - I like it.

Thanks for the comments guys, havent been on for a couple of days. We really had to keep our cool with the bar this time.. it needs a really big swell to carve it out... it is the messiest sloppiest bar i have seen there ever - it reminds me of the Urunga bar if anyone knows it - no channel just white water. Oh well, thats it for the snapper this year but at least we got a few good ones this year. Bring on next winter. What now though - its hard chasing bream and flatties after getting big snapper - might have to chase some harbour kings or get offshore for some summer fun off Sydney.

Hey everyone, just back from the Rocks and gotta say did it a bit tougher this time - not nearly as good as July. For starters it was a shorter trip - only five days - not the sixteen we went in July when we got out 20 times with near perfect weather. Arrived Wednesday hoping to go crazy but the wind blew itself inside out for 2 days from the nor east - and i mean 30 knots for 48 hours straight. Saturday dawned and it was marginal with a bar that had lost all form due to a recent fresh. Where there use to be a channel there was now a 300m sandbar with no channel meaning judicious timing was required and many changes of direction to go round rising problems ahead. We must have half jumped 20 waves getting out that morning. Anyway we got a half dozen snapper to 2kg and a heap of bonnies that were just everywhere before my mate lost the plot completely after a big night at the country club and we had to go with me driving home through a messy sea and across an angry bar - i let three sets go before picking a nice lull and driving on in. Sat night at the club saw a southerly blow through - beautiful - at SWR that means nice and flat the next day. Sure enough Sat was flat and down to my favourite spot that has produced quite a few decent ones of late - like the ugly one my mate got the sat before - they could get away earlier - of 7.538 with a massive fist of a knob and that big ugly top lip - will put up a camera phone photo when i get it off him. Anyway - about third cast sat morning saw me getting nailed - to a few smoking runs - for a second i thought i lost him - then he started fighting differently and felt like a very heavy fish. He came up hooked in the wing and i reckon i had him in the mouth - hooks pulled and hooked him in the fin - that is one unlucky snapper and he came in a 5.09kg. We got six again in total that morning - all over the kilo mark then got nothing at all on Monday. So we did it a bit tougher but still got a few and any trip i get a five kilo snapper i cant complain.

Yeh, i know - even in July when we were there - the weather was great and we got out a lot but the one day that was marginal - we were heading back from grassy after getting that snapper in this post - we headed on the regular line back from northern reefs and had to run another 200m wider to go round the breakers on the northern side of the bar. Most days there was still 6ft of water sounding across the bar - did you do a sounding this time. Is the channel still just about 5 - 10 degrees to the north once you exit the walls - there has been a big fresh so its probably all different again.

I'd love to go Jonesy but we're already going - we'll be up there next wednesday but my mates are taking one boat on Sat. How many boats ya got going. - names of boats - were in Blind Faith a 5m cruiseabout and Sabbatical a 5.5m sportsfish. Have you fished the rocks before, what are you targeting and so on. See ya at the Country Club no doubt.

I might be getting a bit far ahead of myself to go along with a headline like that but overconfidence is a good thing if it makes you fish harder. Our boat killed our mates boat last trip and the only reason we could come up with - same spots, bait, rigs, gear, burley was our overconfidence and maybe just working our rods a bit more regularly than the old timers. Needless to say i'm hoping for an all time trip - like always. If we can get out we'll fish twice a day every day - mornings and evenings and still drink every night. Now thats commitment. Stopped at midnight the morning we got up at 3 to get this beauty, so bring it on.

Thanks Ray, hope the bars nice to us.. not looking great right now but hey - optimism is a key ingredient to being a fisho. Was looking at SST this morning though and there is a nice patch of 24degrees sitting just off the rocks - if that swirls in and we get out some nice reddies may be supplemented with anything. This is the month for some big pearls and big kings around fish rock too so hope to be putting up a great post and a few entries for fish of the month when i get back - theres that optimism again. I know one thing - we'll be taking 50 rods between 4 guys - 4 or 5 boxes of pillies and a thousand plastics so look out fish.

Hey everyone, I'm heading back to the North Coast next Wednesday to chase some more reds. Havent fished it much at this time of year - but home to find some late season reds - some solid kings, maybe an inshore yellowfin and maybe even an early cobe or samson. The weather isnt as reliable as our normal winter trip so getting - well lets just say fingers crossed - if not then plenty of spring flatties in the river. Any of you local boys got an current reports - i heard the reds went quiet for a week last week and those caught were full of spawn. Nightstalker

Nice fish, well done. I was up there this time exactly last year... I know that cause some of my mates are on the same charter right now... couldnt make it this year cause of work. Look out next year but. I loved Swains and thought it was just a fantastic experience having the freedom to explore the reefs on dories. People knock it and reckon its overfished but not everyone got to fish those places when 'all the trout were 20 kilos' so enjoy it what its for. I'll be back next year with dreams of another big emperor.

My mate runs a 150 Optimax off the back of a 5.5 Sportsfish and it is absolutely fantastic. On a regular run that we do a 2005 150 2 strok Johnson was using around 30 -35 litres. The Optimax is now using an unbelievable 15 litres. The economy at cruising speeds is fantastic, it is responsive - just knocks her straight up on the plane and we have found it as good or better in mid range acceleration when crossing bars. Cant say enough good things about the big black motor.

Hey Ray, damn shame about the wind. The curse of us fishos. Nice reds but a pity about losing the smoker. Good to see we're not the only ones who take too much gear. Those reddies are nice and plump mate and dont they go good.

Hey, i recently purchased a 70 litre for length and its great - just fit my 7kg snapper from the last trip. Took berley away in it and used all my mates berley first so it sat in the ice box - in a garage and only started to go soft on the fourth day. cant ask for much more than that. Very sturdy.

Weather looks good at least until wednesday - what you fishin out of?

Poor bloke, theres a lot of traps with boating and i think we've all had our moments. I was retrieving at Mylestom, knew it was slippery and was inching my way up the ramp. No good, went for six and dislocated my shoulder, no-one around, in pain...... man. Retreived it myself and rang the family to come and get me. Could have been worse.. knocked myself out and drowned. The next week council high pressured the ramp cause a local heard about it and caused a stir.

You gotta be kidding, thats a massive fin. How big do they actually get?

Out of Sydney there are a few options. Its doesnt seem to be as good as the north or south coasts but hey, give it a go.. some good fish still get caught for sure. Out of the south there are a few reefs and wrecks around Jibbon and out of the north some standard ones include East and West reefs and Boultons Reef. Long Reef is another option with plenty of scope to try different water depths. Good Luck and i agree floaters are the go with snapper but also know some guys who regularly fish out of Sydney and do ok on fish up to 3kg but fish in 100m where floaters are no good. On the North Coast we find the Snapper do get up on top of the hard reefs but very early in the morning and drop off to the kelp or gravel soon after the sun is up.

Good luck Ray, get out early and hit em hard. Waiting for some hot photos of big snapper and an August Fish of the Month.