[Rigging Poddies]

I agree with the common theme here. Wide Gap (Khale) hook in size depending on the size of the poddy, normally 1/0 to 3/0. I even hook 2 smaller poddies on some times, also occasionally through the eyes. Leader of 1.5m long. Size 2 bean sinker (I can't be bothered changing size when the tide slows down / speeds up.) I also fish a bit too heavy. 10kg braid with a 10kg leader, on larger poddies. I put on a lighter, longer leader when the poddies are smaller. I was fishing with the same rig and yakkas a couple of weeks ago and picked up my first jewie 80cm long (yeee haaaa). Oh, and I have found the red Mustad hooks the best. They are thinner than the other wide gap hooks I have bought and the poddies stay alive longer. haven't broken one yet. Always hook the bait through both lips coming up. If you hook through the tail you'll drown the poor little beggers. I think hooking through the tail would be a good idea with a bait under a flot going for tailor or surface fish that attack the tail of the bait. Flatties seem to hit the head.Most of the time I get the flatties hooked through the lip with the wide gap hooks meaning they aren't a risk of chewing through the leader. I'm keep to try out the otehr tip I read recently about keeping them under when netting them so they don't shake their head, especially if they are gut hooked.

Keeping their head underwater is a good strategy.....headshakes only happen on the surface

[Poddies]

thanks for all your replies guys, I completely agree with the last 2 ie flatish container with hole in top.

I went to one of the good old "2 dollar shops" you know the ones that sell things from $1- to $10 ( never quite understood how this makes it a $2 shop) anyway, invested $2 in a square tupperware container, cut approx 2'' hole in top, breadcrumbs in bottom with sand & hey presto, they loved it, reached 20 quota in about 5 minutes,STOKED !!! this may bore some but, primed with the gun flathead bait off I went to my special spot, however, disaster struck...... my super strong bucket obviously was tainted with whatever it had previously had in it, and arriving at my spot ready to go , take towel off & 20 dead poddies ahh well, lesson learned.... LIVE BAIT = good clean bucket or otherwise fresh dead bait. At least poddie catching riddle solved !!! thanks for all input.

Hello Hookmeup:

20 poddies in a bucket is a lot without an aerator - 15 - 20 minutes and all oxygen gone

[Rigging Poddies]

Hello Diver 1,

Hook up through the lip and out the top small plate area. I use to use the Khale wide gaps as they are thin and perfect for the wide flattie mouth, but have gone back to a thicker octopus type, because I have had some instances of broken hooks as they are very thin, but I would think this could be overcome by checking on them regularly.

I find the octopus hooks work well esp for larger poddies. I use VERY light sinker, just enough to impede the poddie (as said in prev posts).

As for drag, I have a lightish drag and lock it up depending on size of fish. I like to let them run and use a strike technique otherwise they can spit bait out. All this said I must admit the highest hook up rate for me is an unattended rod in a rod holder.

[Downrigger]

definately agree, i have never needed a bomb bigger than 7lb in the harbour, botany, pitty or any other bay as yet.

scotty is well known and easy to use.

Cheers,

Adrian.

thanks guys

[Downrigger]

I am considering ordering a downrigger from USA. It would be used for Sydney Harbour. What weight/capacity should I look for? It will be used on my 14 foot tinnie, any info would be appreciated;

thanks Rod

[Live Bait Tank Suggestions]

Good idea, i will look at a cigarette lighter type or similar, I might even put an on off switch in. I run a good quality deep cycle battery for the electric motor so I think it will handle running a small pump, but I think having read all the comments I will mount the pump in the esky/container although I may have to manually add some water unless I can get one that runs dry. I will have a hose over the transom and an outlet valve over the side. thanks for your help, spence

[Live Bait Tank Suggestions]

Thanks for that guys they are good idea's and I'll probably do something like that.

I was looking in the shops at large round water containers - they might decrease any sloshing of the water and keep the livies from getting sloshed and sick? I think the containers are tall enough so they could sit on the floor and be higher than the edge of my tinnie (quintrex explorer - which has low sides). They also have a small tap style outlet valve at the base which would make it easy to get the water out.

Also what about a pump that sucks the other way? Could it be mounted in the esky with a simple hose over the transom to pull the water in and a gravity fed release hose over the side?

[Live Bait Tank Suggestions]

Hi all,

I fish from a tinnie in the harbour. I use a small live bait net for my livies which is okay but is no good when travelling/trolling.

I have a good quality bilge pump not being used and am wondering if any resourcefull fisho's can give me some suggestions on making a live bait tank. The ones I have looked at in the shops are expensive and only aerate the water (don't re-circulate) thanks rod

[Surface Flatties?]

Hey guys...

Just thought i'd share... My mate showed me this pic on his phone he had taken in darling harbour. He said there were heaps of nice sized flatties on the surface, just swimming around casually.. is this normal?? are they even flatties in that picture??

never seen or heard of this before...

He took the picture in darling harbour on that wharf next to the floating boat restaurant.

Cheers raiders

Kiro

Na mate - not surface flatties - im sure someone will know what they are though.

[Big Fat Flathead]

Went out yesterday armed with some nice poddy mullet to chase my favourite species - the humble flathead. Hit the water at 6am and had a few early hook-ups around 35cms. Then a major hook-up and my 4lb braid heads west at a fast heavy pace over about 5 feet of sand. Try and stop it and turn it's head but it was impossible and ping! 12lb trace breaks and flattie is gone.

Moped around and spoke with my mate about how big it would have been and popped out another nice poddy mullet. A school of tailor demolished a number of poddy mullet till finally another solid hook-up. I said not as big as the last one but still decent. Pulled her up after a few nice runs and saw the hook was not in the mouth but she was hooked under the chin. Very carefully netted in the enviro net and measured at exactly 70cm. Released in good condition and back at the ramp at 10am with no keepers but still happy as it is a new pb for me.

Here she is:

[Downrigger]

Hi all,

I am looking to add a downrigger to my tinnie; I fish inside. I haven't used one before and would appreciate advice as regards to what I should look for - what weight, types, any frequent problems etc.....I was leaning towards a portable one....

thanks Spence

[Middle Harbour]

Hit middle harbour today with the wife. Put out some live poddy mullet and live yellow tail and crab net. No kingies or flatties today but picked up 2 nice blue swimmers. Here is a picture of one of them, they were both 10cm male.

Also I am thinking of getting a downrigger - it will only be used inside : can anyone suggest what size and whether the small portable ones are any good?..any info appreciated

[Narrabeen Lake]

Hey Charmo

What live baits do you use for the lake, prawns, poddy mullet worms.

IF you get the chance to go out pm and i will organize somethin.

Cheers

Steve

Steve, use live poddy mullet for flatties. Squid works well too, will get you onto smaller fish and flatties will take it too. rod

[Kingie - Tailor Sydney Harbour ( 1st Kingie )]

Spence you could catch 1000s of yakas at spit bridge just before sunrise probably 90% success rate.

thanks for that info on yellow tail guys, i'll add the spit bridge to my little list in my head. spence.

[Kingie - Tailor Sydney Harbour ( 1st Kingie )]

Gday all,

Myself and my mate Jeff decided to go out for a fish in Sydney Harbour . With all the great reports we have been reading about we had a plan.

So the plan was go to get some packets of SLAMs from GOFISH and to use some frozen squid.

Which Jeff already had.

We hit the water at around 630am launched from Tunks and we thought maybe today we could catch some fresh squid. We tried for around 30mins under the bridge nothing , so we decided to catch some yakkas. We had around 12 in the bucket.So off we went to tried a number of markers within Sydney Harbour for Kingies - still nothing .

Then Jeff spotted the birds working the surface... tailor. We quickly moved over changed our set-up just then the Ferries services went right over the top of the school .After 3-5mins the tailor were back on the surface again right beside the boat. So we hit the tailor as fast as we could and within 15-20mins we had 7 on-board all legal.

With all the clean-up done we moved for the Kingies as i had never caught 1 before.

We saw around 4-5boats around the marker so we thought this would be the good stop.

Jeff put out a squid and i put out a white slam , within 2 mins the squid was off , Jeff handed me the rod and after a really fun 3mins a 55cm Kingie was onboard, Just as soon as the kingie was onboard the slam went off .

This went on for around 12-15 kingies great FUN, then finally i caught a legal kingie my first one 75cm.

At around 1:30 we left the crowd.

Good report GAM - I suspect I was at the same marker yesterday as i remember that boat; I was by myself in a small 385 qunitrex with a 30 Honda on the back. I only had white stick baits as well but they managed to work, especially close to the bouy. Unfortunately I only had light gear and had trouble landing them. I couldn't get any squid either OR any yellow tail; would you (or any other raiders) be able to tell me where you got the yellow tail from? I tried my usual (Balmoral) and none around...

thanks spence

[Motor Cutting Out At Idle]

Hi all,

my 30hp Honda cuts out at idle....it runs okay at anything above idle but eventually runs out of petrol at idle. (Unless I keep pumping the primer). I have checked the valves and fuel lines and can;t find any leak. Tank is full of petrol. Any suggestions????

[Propellor Reconditioning?]

Hi all,

my propellor has a split in one of the fans and is in general knocked about condition. It is on a 30hp honda. Does anyone know where i can get it reconditioned in Sydney, I know a guy on the central coast but local would be better, thanks rod.

[More Flatties - Local Lake]

Went out yesterday in local lake - wife fished with live poddy mullet and I flicked around with sp's.

She landed 3 flatties including her equal pb of 49cm and I flicked pumpkinseed SP's for zero - wife gobbin off all arvo about being the lizard queen.

We were using 4lb braid with 12lb flurocarbon leader. I use to have 6lb leader but upgraded due to some larger fish being caught. Maybe the 12lb is too heavy for light SP's and may account for reduction in hook ups???? any thougts.

[Flatties In Middle Harbour]

great catch spence,

mate was just wondering do you trap your mullet or are they line caught.

cheers mate

Hi drift fisher, I trap them in a home made trap, flatties/flounders love'em

[Flatties In Middle Harbour]

Went out from little manly at the gentlemanly hour of 7:30am. Tried for some squid but no luck. Had live poddy mullet and due to impending storm stayed in close and fished a small sandy beach. Picked up some flatties including this fat 60cm model. Really healthy looking and took a few nice runs on my 4lb braid. Released unharmed and last seen swimming westwards.

Bye bye big girl

[Land Based]

thx to all

we try bobbin head 2morrow mayb

i live in Mt Druitt

went to Brooklyn today got 1 bream 2 flatties all to small to keep under the bridge

that's a long way to go. I saw on a fishing show the other week a father fishing with his youg son in Penrith. Must be Nepean river. Catching bass and mullet.

[The 2009 Kingfish Social]

Flightmanager, please register me for the social (Spence69 plus 2)

[Blackfish]

Hi all,

I have recently had a crack at blackfish fishing and fortunately was given some good advice from some local blackfish fisho's that has resulted in some quick results. My wife really liked the blackfish to eat although I wasn't overly keen....can any of you blackfish specialists give me some tips on how to prepare and cook the fish. Also does it freeze?

thanks spence

[Narrabeen Lagoon Plastic Session]

Hi all that's a great read on the lake. I fish there regularly too in a tinnie but more so in the channel in front of the caravan park and near the woollies bridge. Naturally enough I find live poddies work best and definately the bigger flatties in Spring as lately they have all been smaller which is better to keep anyway as they taste better and I let most big ones go.

After reading these posts I think I will also try plastics up the back. You guys have been very liberal with your info. I have caught some small and massive long toms all over the lake. The first one was massive and leapt out of the water and I shat myself. They just keep going round and round the boat in a clockwise circle and they fight hard. They have hit my live poddies and I have had them follow soft plastics to the surface but not take them.

No doubt I will see some of you out there this summer...

spence

[Sps Narra Lakes]

I certainly am no expert on flicking SPs around and on a scale of 1-10 I would rate myself closer to 1.

That said i did have 3 hours floating and flicking on Saturday at Narrabeen Lakes and managed to pick up 2 nice flatties. (sorry no picks). Picked them up on Gulps - about 2 inches long red/green in colour with a very small jig head on 5plb braid.

Anyone who fishes the lakes - do you know a reliable spot for a feed? Is there any point heading right up the end of the lake past the Sport and Rec???

Hi wammo:

There are flatties all over: channel, near the top bridge and up the back off pipeclay point, also off the weed beds pittwater road. Water still a bit cool though and I have been getting mainly larger females....spence