Langa

Hi all, weather was great on Saturday morning so I decided to try for some Whiting on poppers at my local flats. Thinking it was still too early in the season I was pleasantly surprised by the water temperature as I got my legs wet for the first time this season. About 5th cast I was on to a nice little Whiting just legal size, released him and then over the next hour I hooked 4 more and lost them all at my feet, a couple were real thumpers which gave me some stick, I was getting hits about every 2nd cast. All up a great session since I was not expecting much, hopefully a sign of a great summer of top water action! Sorry no pics, I've really got to get my phone camera fixed. Cheers Langa.

I've been catching a few lately on surface lures, mainly pencils but a couple on Bubble Pop poppers. I've been fishing Bobbin Head, Apple Tree Bay and Bayview on Pittwater. Late afternoon and early evening seem to be good times. I'm landbased and as Bloopin says rock walls and bridges are good holding ground. I use a 1000 series reel with 4lb braid and 6lb leader on a 5'6" 4kg rod. They are an aggresive fish and strike with explosive force sometimes 2 or 3 or more times, great fun to catch. I always release any I catch. Good luck and cheers, Langa

Hey Nanook, great report and images as usual, just wondering if you or any one else for that matter has seen or heard any evidence of those Panthers people keep reporting up in those hills. Would be a nasty shock meeting a big black pussy cat while quietly stalking fish! Cheers, Langa

Wow! great report, great catches 2 nights running, makes me want to start using sub surface lures again!

Great fish and fantastic shot of the whale with the sun, is it any wonder people would risk their lives on a leaky boat to come and live here!

I have had problems with clips and small pencil lures, it seems to make walking the dog impossible without the lure diving under the surface. Has anyone else had this problem or is it my technique? Cheers, Langa

They are in plague proportions at the moment, I caught 4 EPs and a Tailor last Friday night in an hour, 1 EP yesterday in about 4 casts and 3 this arvo in about 1/2 an hour. All caught on a pencil surface lure and all under 30cm, I did miss one solid fish which spat the hooks. The fish I caught on Friday night hit the lure aggressively, sometimes a couple of times with lots of splashing, where as today they took the lure with hardly a ripple, go figure. I hope this is a sign of things to come this summer. Cheers, Langa

Hi all, I've been wondering has anyone caught a Jewie on a surface lure? Since most predatory fish even Flathead can be caught on topwater gear it stands to reason Jewies could too. Is it worth targeting them? Your thoughts would be apreciated. Cheers, Langa

Thanks everyone, I am still on a high from the catch, I have never experienced anything like it. I can only imagine what poppering for GTs must be like. Cheers, Langa

Wow that double is amazing, must have been a strange fight, well done.

Hi all, I bought a new NW Pencil yesterday (the $25.95 price tag nearly put me off)and went down to Bobbin Head to try my luck for Whiting on the flats, I think its still too cold as I didn't get a hit. I went over to the wharf to see 2 guys furiously spinning off the wall, it was just past high tide and I could see masses of bait fish swimming right against the wall. As I watched for a while suddenly about 10 black torpedoes sped from the deep and smashed the bait fish, they hit with such force they created a wave which washed some bait onto ledges in the wall which were picked off by birds. One of the guys spinning hooked up on a nice Tailor, this was enough for me, I grabbed my rod and cast out only to have a big grey bird take off at the same time and fly straight into my line, 10 minutes and a bloody hand later it was released unharmed. In another 10mins or so the pelagics hit again and I cast out and started to retrieve, the water was like a washing machine, as I worked the pencil I watched a huge fish belt out of the depths and hit the lure! It took off like a rocket and line screamed off my reel, I was using my 5'6 Bass rod with 4lb braid and 6lb leader, I muttered a prayer that my knots were good. I have never caught a fish that has taken me more than a minute to bring in but this one took nearly 20, I would gain some line only to have it won back with more by the fish, at one stage I was into the backing. Eventually the fish tired and I managed to get him to the wall, by this stage I had attracted about 20 onlookers as the guy next to me kindly netted what proved to be an Australian Salmon of about 70cm. I was shaking like a leaf as I released the Salmon (much to the dismay of the guy who netted it), typically my phone camera is not working so I couldn't get a pic. The action continued for another 1/2 hr or so with the 2 spinners getting a couple of good Tailor, I had another hook up which started to be a repeat of the first but the hooks pulled. I went home with a grin from ear to ear.

I threw some surface lures and an SX40 around there last summer with no luck, but I didnt have much time. There were a couple of suspicous silver flashes in the water which could be worth further investigation. Cheers, Langa

These are bream and whiting poppers

I replace the trebles on my poppers when they get cruddy with Gamatsu singles and they dont seem to affect the action or hook up rate. They certainly make catch and release easier and quicker.

Excellent report and photos, always fascinating to see new and exotic species. I'm going to India later this year and hope to sample the local species (if there is any).

Hi all, I am going to India in Dec for 3 weeks, Raipur, Delhi, Koltara. Does anyone know if there is any good fishing to be had, Koltara is on the south west coast, maybe there? Any clues would be appreciated Cheers Langa

caught mid morning, low tide

Sure is

I know a guy who watches boats on trailers parked in drives, front yards etc, if they havent moved in 6 months or so he knocks on the door and asks if they want it, he reckons if the trailer tyres are flat theres a good chance he will get it for nothing. He then fixes them up and sells them.

Whoops wrong photo - I meant to attach a shot of some classic shallow Whiting popper country but got the wrong one, here is the one

My 2 favourite Whiting surface lures are the River 2 Sea Bubble Pop and Sammy 65, problem is when your on a good thing you tend to stick to it and don't try too many other lures. I love poppering for Whiting, bring on summer!

Hi Prawn Star, the rod is a Bass Pro Shop Mega Tournament, it is 5ft, I bought it to chase Bass in small creeks, but it is so sensitive and a pleasure to use I find myself using it alot. Cheers, Langa

Fantastic report as usual, its funny after the perils of the wilderness - wild wind, Funnel Web spiders, Red Belly Black snakes, marauding ferel pigs, trecherous 9 hour walk, the biggest danger is the galoots on the train trip home. No wonder you like to get away from it all. Cheers, Langa

Bombarded the water with an array of plastics at Bobbin Head yesterday and was rewarded with my first ever Trever! I was astounded at how this fish fought, stripping drag and heading into Oyster encrusted Mangroves, he gave me a few anxious moments before being landed, photoed and released. Caught on a Berkley 2" Power Grub, I look forward to my next encounter with this feisty species. Cheers Langa

Caught this nice Flathead on a 6" Gulp worm last Wednesday. The water was gin clear and I watched a massive croc easily twice his size follow him to the surface. I returned him to swim with his mum. Cheers, Langa