JayKay

Hi Guys, there was an old tackle shop in my local area of concord that had a fish tank in the back that had yakkas, bream and a couple of other species in it. it was a decent size about 6 foot and upon my recollection he kept them alive for ages. Till i saw that, I didnt think it was possible. no squid though. jayKay

Good stuff boys. looks like it was pretty scrappy on the water though. good to see you braved the elements and had a go and best of all you got something.

That is a fantastic report. its great to see people of all ages cant getting a fish of a life time. beutiful fish. where abouts was it caught, hawksbury, sydney etc.

great story Mr Magoo. you should have gone out got a lotto. your luck had to change.

well done guys. I was under the impression that the fin wouldnt be around anymore. do you guys reckon they'll still be at the mountain? JayKay

Thanks Mako, since we havent heard any reports we might concede that the season is all but over. I say that now, but i'll bet We'll give it another crack when we start talking about the thrill of YFT.

well done to you guys. that is a big mowie. how much did it weigh???

Maybe it was one of those bugs or parasites we sometimes find buried in the skin of fish. ive seen them in yakkas and in leatherjackets, but not in mowies. Jay Kay

OMG. its like a movie. Im sure one of the gossip mags would like to publish the story. bad luck with everything and hope everything gets sorted. Jay Kay

Hi Mako, Top catch and well done. just a question, when you were out there were there any boats trying for fin and if so did you see anyone bringing anything up. I havent seen any reports of late. We are contemplating giving browns another go this year (maybe this week) for fin, but the temps have warmed up and i dont want to be wasting fuel and time when theres going to be nothing out there. Any thoughts? Jay Kay

awsome fish guys. thats one for the memory banks and also for FOTM.

Hi Saltrix, good catch and i hope it was nice out there today. A bit more current that when we went out last time. the red rock cod is also very nice in soup. when we catch them, it goes straight to the relos and they make their fish soup with it. dont know how to make the soup but it is quite nice. Jay Kay

Hi guys, The map Dave B has provided is spot on. in essence rec fishos cant fish in the pink areas, but everywhere else is ok. The "troll" zone was put up because every year port stephens has a marlin fishing tornament which brings a lot of $$$ into the area, so they couldnt completely ban that area. It seems with anything political, money talks. JayKay

well done on the first kingy of the season boys. What size boat do you guys have. was it a bit windy and cold out there?

I was out with achilles on saturday. to catch the fin were great but to drop the mahi mahi was dissapointing. we litterally had half of it in the boat when the gaff slipped. the colours were amazing on that fish and it would have made a nice side feed to the fin. suprisingly the fight lasted about 2 minutes. As soon as we got the hit, the fish swam toward the boat. I was pumping so quick just so I dont let any slack on the line. the next thing you know the gaff was already in the water and then zzzzzzzzzzzz....ping the fish lives to fight another day. never mind. the day was pretty good. JayKay

Just a question guys. Is that also a good spot for squid? or another spot around balmoral? JayKay

we'll be heading out tomorrow morning. hopefully we can get some fin

i think jigging is a very precise way of fishing like the others have said. Location is very important. need to find an offshore reef where the kings might be, try the peak or 12 mile, we've had some luck there previously. i use a jigging rod reel combo (shimano spheros with a jig stick) and you can feel the diference from a standard rod and reel. As nectic said overheads are not practicle, go for the egg beater and braid line is a must. Also, if you get to your location and the waves are to big or the current is fast, pack up and head in. dont get much on those days. JayKay

I agree with the others. good feed but they end up costing a bit if you add up all the hooks swivels and sinkers they take with them. A few months ago we went fishing just outside port hacking and we got swamped by them. we ended up with about 30 in 30mins then we couldnt get away from them as they were in plague proportions and cost us a heap of tackle. Pests, but good eating pests. JayKay

Hi kiwi Dan, well done on your catch. just a quick question. afteer you catch them, what do you do to them to store them. do you just put them into the freezer or is there a bit of prep involved? JayKay

well done. 38 flatties is certainly a good feed for you and the family and the neighbors.

Hi Saltrix, Just want to say thanks for taking me out today. Certainly taught me a few things and the salmon were fun. To everyone, when saltrix says that we didnt move when going for a drift, I mean didnt move an inch. even to the point we were 3-4kms off the heads and we were floting pillies straight down without any wait. unbelievably calm out there. it was great to be out and I met a top fellow fishraider. JayKay

Atleast you had a bit of action and you were home by 9am. The rats should be coming right on now. just in time for the long weekend.

Hey Barry, its good when they come up like that. ive seen it a few time, not that big though, but at first sight you think its an eel. JayKay

I think live bait is a must when chasing kings. Ive caught them on plastics and pillies, but nothing consistent. The trouble Ive had is finding squid. I know where i can get yakkas, but no luck when it comes to squid. what time of the day, tide and more importantly whereabouts can I get them. any help will assist in a happy king catch.