Buster and co

Thanks Guys, Frigate Mackeral sounds like it. I'll have to try getting a hook into one of them. Cheers, Rick

Hi guys, One for the collective brains trust here. And without the benefit of a picture as well. Stopped off at Roseville boat ramp to have a look around and see what was being caught. Some keen kids on the pontoon had done a great job of filling their esky with yakkas. One of the kids told me he had sent one back in as a livey and hooked up on a kingy, but that the kingey had busted him off when he jumped from the water. He told me it had a very green back. I said it didn't sound like a kingey, maybe more like a salmon to dance around like that. Shortly after, walking along the shore a very fast, elongate fish about 50cm long with a bright blue green back went hurtling past just under the surface. I have seen the same species a couple of months back while fishing a dropoff in Cowan creek, again up close and that time jumping clear of the surface. The only fish I can match it to in the books is rainbow runner, but according to the habitat description this is neither the location or time of year they should be around. Has anyone else encountered a similar fish or have any other suggestions as to what they may be? Cheers, Rick

Saw a guy a couple of years ago have a similar experience at Parsley Bay, again with a new boat. In his case one piece of inexperience countered the other as he not only had the winch and safety chain disconnected but also the leg of the motor down. The boat just slid halfway off the trailer and sat propped up on the leg in the middle of the ramp. Myself and a couple of other guys gave him a hand to take the weight off the back while he winched it back onto the trailer. Could have been a lot uglier than it turned out. I don't expect he has made the same mistake again. Cheers, Rick

I have caught a few gummies while bottom bashing at Boultons. I usually cut the head and fin off and gut them straight away. It's a gory business but does help to reduce the ammonia. The fillets freeze quite well and this also seems to help with the smell. Does anyone know about the edibility of blue sharks? Cheers, Rick

Hi guys, Watched the first Australian Top Gear last night and saw them chumming for sharks with blood, sausages and a leg of lamb while their presenter was in the water in a moke fitted with a cage. It's definitely stupid, and as far as I know in NSW illegal to burley with mammalian flesh. The show was shot off the coast of Taswegia. Does anyone know what their regulations are down there?

I agree with Stylo and Throw me a fish. A good brand of hook,Owner or Gamakatsu or similar in size 12, chop up pillies fine and use for berley and bait. Make sure when you bait the hook to get it through a piece of skin. You'll have your livies in no time flat and no tangled bait jig getting stuck in the carpet or worse, your feet. Cheers, Rick

Many of the above plus realising 1 mile offshore that the dog is no longer in the boat. Found him swimming a couple of hundred yards off Barrenjoey. Cheers, Rick

Hi Wendy, Try cooking up some rice, let it cool a little then mix in a tin of cheap pilchard cat food. Cheers, Rick

Mysteriously, beer was also the driving force behind modifying the intake slot on the garden mulcher to a size that could accept fish frames. Copes with everything bar big lizard heads! Also a good idea to clean thoroughly after use. hmmm

Hi Rickb, Crossed the bar once a couple of years back. It's a bit ugly and the break zone is quite long. In addition, some people surf in the bar which makes things more difficult. The local fishing club have a beach launch set up with a tractor at Shelly beach. Cheers, Rick

I so, so sympathise Humesy. A few weeks back I watched the big yellow tail of an 80 cm Kingy head back to the depths after a clumsy net attempt encouraged him to make one last dive and pop the trace. You can be sure that every fish landed scince has been carefully netted, and that all knots and traces have been checked thoroughly. It's an empirical business this fishing. It's all got to be right on the night. Cheers, Rick

Hi Youngy, You're half way there if you have found them. Trick is to get them feeding actively. Tie a no 12 hook on your lightest line, and have on hand fresh bread and stale. Crumble up the dry bread and keep spreading it around until you have them feeding freely, then put a tiny piece of the fresh bread on your hook without squashing it and flick it into their midst. Works every time. Cheers, Rick

I often see seals around the close in reefs out of Broken Bay, sometimes very large ones. A number of times I have watched them throwing fish they have caught around and tearing chunks off a bit at a time. You may have made a good decision in not feeding them. I fed one once then someone pointed out that they can just as easily jump up onto a boat as onto a rock. Much as they are amazing creatures, I don't think I would enjoy that level of intimacy. Cheers, Rick

Went past the Boadicea coming out of Broken Bay earlier in the year. For such a large yacht, (230 odd feet), it was making remarkably heavy going out of some fairly moderate seas. If Reg was on board he might have been hurling chunks. I would be happy with a TABS 6.1m ocean series, a bit lighter on the juice. Cheers, Rick

Top fish mate, well done. Ya gotta love it when a plan works. Cheers, Rick

Fantastic fish Mike. Congratulations, you give us all hope. Cheers, Rick

Hi Shan, Was up that way last year, fishing the river. Iceman's right, there is a ramp behind the RSL with parking. There is also a smaller ramp closer to the breakwall, and a third at the golf club on the way in to Nambucca Heads. Locals say there has been some theiving around that ramp. Warrell Creek is not navigable all the way to Scotts Head, though nearly. Can't recall seeing a ramp at Macksville though I'm sure there must be one. There is a public pontoon at the pub. Very handy! The floating oyster leases on the way down to Nambucca are worth fishing, they hold some thumper bream. Cheers, Rick

Where's the saddle? Great fish mate, well done. Welcome to the site. Cheers, Rick

Couple of nice snapper there Hawkesbury buoy. Well done

Hi Ads, Maybe a little out of your way, but there's been plenty at West Head. Cheers, Rick

Well done tinny boy. You have a serious PB problem now. It may be some time before you can better that! Cheers, Rick

Top effort there Warnie. A sensational bag of snapper. Did you go out from the Harbour or the river? Cheers, Rick

Hi Deja Vu, Take a run up to Smiths Creek. The first bay inside the creek has extensive sand flats. Great place for a swim with your kids, but also holds some very nice whiting. If you have a baitpump and are going some time around the bottom of the tide, take it with you as there are plenty of nippers in the sand and the whiting just love them. Have fun, Cheers, Rick

Beautiful fish Zenman. Great report too. You had me right with you shaking as you try to get baited up again. Cheers, Rick

Damn, thought I was on a sure thing there! Never mind, they're still worth it, even with a big mess. I am nowhere near as proficient at catching them as you obviously are. Usually I just get them as bycatch. On the eating side, I usually cut the mantle up into calamari rings,(which freeze and thaw quite well), and use the head and tenticles for bait. Caught this fella last year on half a head exactly this way. He went 1050mm and weighed 12kg. Cheers, Rick