mark_s

Thanks for the report Wombat, better than my day working for sure. I often, make that always, see a few boats on Bot Bay without lights on at night. Need to be very careful. How did you catch the Occy's?

Geez Bl:ue Cod, thought I would have to give a few hints about this one, but I couldn't have described the location better than that myself. Here is the view the other way (upriver).

Blah

We used to see the electric rays when spearing We used to touch them on the back with our gunsand they would always do a summersault for some reason?

I have a 30hp Merc. I have two tanks both either 20lt or 25 lt can't remember. Realrely use more than a tank in one day and typically only fill up after ever 3rd or 4th trip.

Nice one Hooky, thats catch of the day I reckon. I had a day on the turps down your way (I think) at Cambletown. After eating all the hosts food and drinking their grog I then proceeded to get their names wrong as I left. And not just a little bit wrong either. BTW Good report Mick - I was all excited about the shark reference until I saw they were shovelnoses.

When I was young (& foolish) we used to hunt the rock pools at night with a hand spear. Would regularly get ludrick, drummer, bream and other exotics. Wouldn't do it these days but the fish were definitely there.

Gday Phil and Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear about your unplanned swim but atleast you are hear to tell us the story. Not sure if waterways have contacted you yet but they probably will ask you for an interview. Be warned that the interview can be used by waterways to charge you so be careful what you say. This happened to my brother when he rolled his boat (it didn't sink). Waterways asked him in for a interview and he went and told it all exactly as it happened. Waterways then used the interview to fine him about $600 for the equivalent of neg driving. Hope it all works out for you and you are back on the water (on top!) in the near future.

YEah I almost got caught out by one the old stickers earlier this year. Fisheries will probably give you a free new sticker if you ask for one.

Up to today my first aid kit on the boat consisted off a pack of band aids. I was in Australia Post this morning and I see that they have St Johns Ambulance first aid kits on sale for $20. Have picked one up and it looks ideal for the boat. It comes in a closing plastic conatiner, about the size of a school lunch box. Its got loads of stuff including bandages, scissors & tape, basic first aid guide, gloves, a face shield in case of mouth to mouth and more. Anyway though I would let you know in case any one else is looking for a kit for their boat.

Nice report Wombat. Just one thing, the min legal length for snapper is now 30cm http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/rec/sw/bag_and_size.htm

When I was growing up I used to go fishing with a mate down off the rocks at the local headland. One day there was a pounding swell, due to a cyclone up in Qld some where. As we were desparate we decided to instead fish a rock pool, it would have been about 2 metres wide and about 4m long and maybe 1-1.2m deep. It was connected to the ocean by a thin channel about 2 foot wide. Normally the rock pool would be home to a few tropical fish only. As the waves were pounding in, the rock pool was covered with white foam and quite stirred up so we couldn't see the bottom. My mate dropped his unweighted bit on cunji in and it gets snaffled straight away. Soon after he extracted the biggest bream I have ever seen (sorry have no idea of measurements - too long ago now (in the 80s)), that fish won the biggest bream award in the local papers fish of the year competition.

Martin Here is the full recipe: See the first 6 bullet points for butterflying the garfish Actually just found this web link which shows pretty much the same thing with pictures: http://www.fishsa.com/cuisinga.php

I'll check the receipe at home Martin. The technical term was butterflying them, not deboning.

I liked the report Martin, I am struggling to find the kings this year so its good to hear of a confirmed sighting and also good that you provided full details. Have you ever tried eating a garfish? We cooked em up at the fish markets cooking school, once deboned they taste great

Crikey a report with everything. Congrats on the fish, oh to be in the position to throw back trag. Also well done on the pick up of the man overboard. I would hate to be tossed out while trying to go through a bar

I nearly always launch by myself and here are some ramps I use: For Botany Bay / Georges River Penryhn St Ramp (near Port Botany). Two lane ramp with beaches on either side + pontoon Kyemagh Ramp - Three lane ramp. Beach on one side + pontoon on other Tom Ugly's Bridge Two lane ramp. Not much beach though at high tide. Also its more mud than sand and no pontoon. For Woronora River Bonnet Bay ramp. Two lane, beach both side no pontoon.

Congrats Hooky and Kilkila. Think I have to change my tatics for the bay. My original plan was to sneak out after work on Friday night, unfortunately work didn’t finish until after 8pm so the plans were scrapped. Had things to do Sat morning so snuck out Sat arvo. Got to Penryhn st ramp at 4pm to find it dead empty. Launched and headed over to the heads to check out the conditions outside. Was choppy and there was a fair bit of swell rolling in. Decided on a troll along the north side of BB head for the last of the run out tide. Started well inside and slow trolled out to the last outcrop (Cape Baily?) before I chickened out due to the swell. Turned round and trolled back in and then along the blue water/brown water line. No fish but managed to pick up two floats (with full rigs plus) half a road. Headed over towards Watts reef and sounded a big school of bait fish. Quickly picked up two nice sized yakkas and but them straight back out, one under a float and the other 1m on the bottom. Gave it about ¾ of an hour there. The school of yakkas were below me the whole time and mine never got harassed. Up’d anchor and headed over to Moly point, the tide was starting to run in now so I thought there was a chance for something on the livies. Anchored in 13m and put the same two livies out again and burlyed up hard. On my third line I had the usual run of small reddies and some undersize lizards but the yakkas were never touched. I had Moly point to myself for the first time, I guess I know why now. Next I took my livies over to the drums. Only stayed about 30mins as my anchor dragged and I was gunna hit the drums. I released one of the yakkas, but the other was not in good shape so I kept him for my last drop around near the dock. The only bite I had around near the dock was a dead weight on a pilchard tail. Got him about 1/3 of the way up when he let go. I suspect he was a Port Jackson as there was very little fight, just the odd tail thump. Returned to the ramp after dark and went home with tail firmly between legs (again!)

blah

I got caught in an nasty eletrical storm in Tuggerah lake not long after I brought my boat. Had only just launched at Toukely when it hit. Spent two hours under the Toukely bridge before we were game enough to return to the ramp (which was only a couple of hundred metres away!)

Well done Kilkila. You certainly outfished me by a country mile. I left home at 4, got to Foreshore road ramp to find 1) they have started the work already and I didn't know which road to go in on and 2) there was already a cue to launch . I spent two hours trying to get squid, tried every spot where I have every caught one in the bay but never had a touch. I probably wasted the best fishing hours. Changed over and picked up a yakka and a couple of slimies. The yakka went out under a float around some marker bouys down near the entrance to the bay but he never got harrased. About 8.30 I decided to head out and have a few drifts outside but the best I got was a just undersize snapper. Then trolled along the kurnel cliffs on my way back in, being calm as I was able to get close, real close for no touches. Then tried for flatties over round bonna point. Had plenty of company and I didn't see anyone get fish (including myself). Finished off fishing the bottom of low tide around the drums. Slimies were still there, I even kept one to make fish cakes to see how they tasted. I dropped something that would have been my biggest slimie of the day by far or a very small king or something else. Couldn't complain about the weather.

Saw a TV show where an old Greek guy in Port Stephens used to bite their brains out to kill occy's. Was an interesting sight as the Occy was trying to bite him at the same time. Personally I combine Jocool and Ken's approaches. A "calmer" between the eyes first followed by a knife. Usually a small stab will do it. They are smart buggers though if left alive - will escape from most things including closed eskies if given the chance.

Yeah its been too long, but the same thing happens nearly every year - December is too busy.

I had been looking forward to fishing this morning for some time as the last fishing trip was in November. The original plan was to chase squid and yakkas & a bit of a troll before sunup then try for a king in either botany bay or out of port hacking. With a fair bit of swell around I decided on botany bay. I could barely sleep last night, thinking about today. Woke up at 4am this morning and saw the tree outside rockin & rollin with the wind. Bugger. I decide against my early start. Checked it out again at 5.30 and there still is a fair bit of breeze there, jump on the net and see that there currently a 20knt southerly and the forecast was for wind all day. I go back to bed again thinking fishing plans are down the drain. Up at 7 next and see that the southerly has died right down. Rather than battle crowds on botany bay (given my late start) I decided instead to launch in Bonnet Bay & fish como bridge. On arrival I am only the second boat in the area so I get an excellent anchoring hold in the deep hole for the rising tide. Gave the soft plastics a few half hearted casts at the pylons for zip. Put out ¾ pillie on a big fish rig (as per the Greg Joyes Jewfish video) and a lightly weighted peeled prawn on another line. A series of small bream on the peeled prawns kept things interesting and the big baits were disappearing as well. I then see a crane (or ibis?) surface just in front of me with a bream, the fish must have been over 20cms I thought he would never fit it down his throat – I was wrong. There was also some small fish (about whitebait size) busting the surface right behind me (only about 2 metres from the boat), so I am hopeful that there is something in the area. A few more boats started to turn up, the tide really starts running and not long after my big fish rig starts zinging. You beauty. There wasn’t much weight on the end and to be honest the fight involved only two runs and only a little bit more zinging, but soon after I had a just legal 45cms soapie boated. He was my first Sydney jew (size doesn’t matter!) and also the first fish of any quality that I had caught on that particular rod and reel and the first time I have heard her sing. I let the soapie go with a promise that I would be looking for him again in a couple of years. I had high expectations of more soapies or bream after this but it all went quiet. Then I had a hit on the light weighted peeled prawn and soon after boated a plate sized flounder, he had swallowed the hook so it was an easy decision to put him in the esky. That was it then. Tried a few soft plastics as I made my way back up the Woronora without troubling the scoreboard. Not the best day but I’ll take it considering my original plans got blown away. Sorry no pics as I left the cam at home

Yeah great report. I liked the details about the weather, made it easy for me to finalise my plans for tomorrow