Brendan Monks

@GordoRetired Okay, I'm sure the temperature when chasing Hairtail in the Cowan would feel like Summer compared to fishing down there! 😅🤣 I always wear my ski pants (Cheapies) and jacket when night fishing, perfect for cleaning off if we do a bait session, as well as been waterproof and a lot warmer. If you're rugged up, comfortable and prepared it's a lot easier to fish giving you a lot better chance - IMO I'll let you know how we go tonight down there 😁🤞

Cheers Gordo! Yeah, I definitely recommend it - The long cold nights suck, but the taste of them and the bite going off is enough to get me back! Hopefully another session this week 🤞 If you have all your rigs prepared and rug up (A lot), it's no different to your standard fishing 😁 Hopefully see a Hairtail report from you soon 😉😀

And then listening to all the excuses when they get back to land...(After wrecking the trip) "I ate/drank too much the night before", "I didn't eat/drink at all for breakfast", "It must of been something I just ate", "It's the fumes from the motor"...🤣🤣🤣 Mine to add is when 'mates' want to jump on the boat for a Marlin fish - Or any gamefish for that matter - (And not realising the hours/numerous trips trolling that have gone into each fish having a photo boatside) Then getting the shits when they aren't on 'Strike' and coming up with all sorts of theories to head back in early so no one else gets one 😅 Jealousy is a curse... 🙄😂

Pickles, Yes he does! I think Pike Eels was to test our patience and anger management issues 🤣🤣🤣 Cheers mate. Thank you!

Thanks Mate. Yeah, I've heard dusk is best as well but it's just too hard to get there around then with work etc. Friday arvos I probably could but I've seen the place gets packed then! Bed does sound a lot better but we'll be doing it again next week hopefully - They taste too good 😅 Thanks re. the gas problem...I'll defo take my camp set up! 😁

Thanks Zoran! Yeah 1 day to get over it and the bug is already back...especially after tasting them 😃😁 hahahaha. Too cold to move my mouth 😝

Thanks guys! Yeah crazy looking fish! 😁 Yeah that's it Scratchie...Not sure if it was the change of location, burleying harder...or that they just finally done the rounds of the bay!? I'll be back soon to see 🤣🤤

Thanks Donna, will probably see you down there sometime! They taste good enough to get me back! That's it Yowie! 😅 Nothing seems to stop the cold going right through you on a slow bite...

I managed to put in 3 long, cold sessions last year to chase the elusive Hairtail – All for zilch! Somewhat disheartened on the whole idea again (Even though we had baits taken, and needle teeth marks all over them) I was speaking to a mate I regularly fish with recently about them. He got me interested and we were keen as to have a crack again this year. Work has been flat out, and I’ve only really had the chance to fish nights – I had just got back late Sunday night from a Trout trip and was buggered, but when he asked to fish Monday night as well there was no knocking this back or rescheduling it for later in the week… 🤪😴 We finally got away from the Coast at 7:00pm after mucking around trying to find all my wire and lights gear from last year. Expectations were very high when I told him about the recent success of @swordfisherman chasing these and that we could be in for a chance. The plan was to launch from Brooklyn and try and spend some time catching baits seeing we had totally missed the dusk bite window! With no success finding any Yakkas (And having zero patience. lol) we quickly motored to the exact same spots I have previously fished. I had been told by some very successful fishos chasing these ghosts not to worry about watching the sounder or water temp, but just anchor up and burley. It’s just natural habit that we both kept checking and when some suspicious marks appeared (Same as last year… ) on the Simrad we quicky anchored and set out a burley trail. I had spent the time pre-rigging so I had some Pillies soaking long before my mate. Still, it wasn’t long before his rod tip slowly bent, he gave it 5 seconds of line running out in free spool before striking hard, he quickly mentioned that it was fighting weird. We were certain it was a Hairtail! Sure enough, something long and slimy appeared before too long – although not a bright silver – The dreaded PIKE EEL! 😑 Not long after my rod quickly took off on a quick run. Definitely sure it wasn’t the target species I quickly had the smallest Jewfish I’ve ever seen in the net – I thought the red lights and wire trace would’ve kept them away! Nothing else happened until about 12:30am except for a reasonable sized Yakka which went back out as live bait. We decided to pull anchor and try somewhere else…Most of my confidence had gone and on top of that our portable gas cooker was playing up in the freezing conditions (It took 5 goes of cooking then warming the bottle under all my layers before cooking again). My mate motored around a bit before finally deciding a location…by now all I wanted was bed! A while after burleying hard for an hour or so he had a small Jewie on deck, not at all interested I quickly dropped back to sleep. Shortly after 2:00am I was abruptly woken again – “They’re here” he was yelling! Sure enough, he put another cast of an unweighted pillie into the edge of the light and quickly hooked onto something fighting crazy. After a few runs and 2 netting attempts of it sliding back out we had our first Hairtail on deck!!! Almost mission accomplished! 🥳 The next 2 ½ hours were action packed with more by-catch, small Hairtail, and Yakkas which went straight back out as bait. My small rod quickly had the tell-tale bite of a better one, letting it run for a bit I struck hard and had an awesome fight before it popped me off halfway up my 8lb leader. Devo! My mate quickly grabbed the other rod that went off straight after and we soon had the unlucky bugger on board, upon closer inspection it had become noosed on the other line…and it still had my trace and rig still hanging out of its mouth! 🙄 We were initially scared releasing the 2 smaller models in case they spooked the others…We soon proved this theory wrong when a live bait we left on the bait jig went off towards the anchor of the boat. We initially called it for an alright Jewie! It gave my mate absolute curry for a few minutes around both sides of the boat before a gleam of silver appeared. Looks like luck was on our side and this one had been hooked in the dorsal fin by the bait jig! (It had obviously been chasing the livie but we were too busy to take off). 😁 We decided it was time to head off just before sunrise after getting a few happy snaps and Yeeewws on the run back to the ramp. We finally made it back to the Coast just before 7:00am (Dunno how a quick sesh ended into that!) where I quickly got ready and drove straight to work - Yeah was still late... 😒😴 It was a very eventful night overall! We ended up catching 2 Pike eel, 2 Stingrays, 4 Soapie Jewfish, and 6 Hairtail (2 smaller ones released). Mission accomplished! I decided to cook mine up in just a batter, as well as trying some shallow fried in salt & pepper with chilli from a recipe I found online. Can’t wait to get back down there again…Makes those cold nights all more worthwhile!!! Cheers, Brendo

Nice report! Still sounds like a cracker day, and you got some mates onto new fish! Yeeww

They are the Jewie bomb! Slow rolled off the beach...just watch out for Tailor! 🤬

Seeing no one else has offered... 😃 Feel free to flick me a message closer to the date. I have seen you asking a fair few questions on the forum and guess you are just getting into fishing!? Ballooning off the beach would be a waste of time (Trying to get the wind and no swell right), but I'd happily let you use my kayak after dark. lol 🦈💩 I regularly fish up that way and have recently seen 3 Jewfish at 97, 95 & 109cm caught on consecutive nights at a nearby beach. I've only caught a few 65+ cm Salmon and f*&#ing sharks recently (No need for a report 😅). Now the mullet are running, it is probably the best bait to use. I hate chasing sharks but I always get them as by-catch so we'd only be targeting Jew. Shoot us a PM if you're keen. Cheers, Brendo

That is a donkey Bream mate, especially off the surface! 🤙

That's him mate! 🤙 He try talking your ear off? 😆🤣

Great report and even better photos Jeff!!👌 My mate has been up there the last few days chasing the pointy things, F*@# work that I couldn't make it up there as well. 😅

We only only found blue water 8-10km past the Swansea FAD on Saturday, looked like there was a few boats fishing it on our way past to the shelf. We hooked 2 Striped Marlin in around 190m but lost both. 🤙

Sounds very unlucky, but good work in getting the strikes in the first place! 😁 I just tried sending you a PM but says I can't!?

Sam, I am no means experienced but currently have all my smaller skirts (6" to 8") rigged with 150lb Momoi Ultra Hard targeting smaller blacks & stripes. All my larger lures are rigged with 200lb & 300lb although I know a lot of guys that will happily fish a lot heavier. We made the call to fish lighter leaders to get more action from the lure to try get more bites although it probably makes no difference at all!! (But that's what we are confident in using 🤔). IMO you won't break one off only fishing 8kg drag, and getting onto it quickly - 150lb takes a lot to rub through! Remember to check all leaders after they are made with scales (Again at least 8kg drag if using 24kg outfits, although it will be a lot more when leadering to the boat). The size and type of hook also play a massive part in staying connected after the first strike! Livebaiting you can drop leaders a lot more, some guys using only 40lb and less for the recent Interclub Tournament to get the bite on very small, finicky blacks. Hope to see you with one boatside very soon! 🤙🥳

hahahahahaha thanks mate! 😂

Yeah amazing to see them up so close. There were 2 packs we came across of at least 5 and 6, they just didn't stop popping up through the arvo. Guys at the club didn't believe it either but most of them are on video. 🤣🤣 Thanks Pickles! I'll definitely remember the waves breaking over the edge of the boat!! 😄💩 The underwater shot is just from a GoPro I had under the water - I got some amazing footage watching how they swim up against the boat - Time to make a video!

Next time! 😅😐 Thanks mate, weathers looking a lot better and so many fish caught last week, hopefully we're on! You gonna be up that way? Or just at Murrays? 🤣🍻

I'd swap it for a Marlin in the comp any day!!! 😂 But get keen, my boats fuel line has been replaced now. I'm up at Port Stephens this week for the Interclub - As soon as the weather is good down here I'll follow you out and we'll give it a crack! 🤙

Thanks Donna, appreciate it! I still have enough for another 2 meals, can already taste them 😆🤤 All the best with the recovery, hope your out and about again soon.

Thanks guys! 🤙 Yeah they just kept popping up everywhere (Got quite a few on video) when that Nor'easter picked up! Shame we couldn't convert any.

Guess that true Yowie! 😄 ...and how good are they!! 🤤