Koalaboi

Hey, Salmon are pretty good on the tooth too you know...the secret's the prep and cooking: skin and fillet the flesh and then roll in flour, dip in beaten egg and coat in crushed weet bix (the blender crushes the weet bix really well), Shallow fry in Xtra Virgin olive oil and you're on a winner. BUT the best is to curry them...I'll post the recipe later tonight. I know salmon can be awful...try baking them whole in the oven, worse than cat food. Another mate cooks, shreds the meat the does Thai fish balls. Koalaboi

Hi Everyone, Thanks for your thoughtful responses. Clearly, the temperature is going to to change with the equinox, so in that way it was a bit of a dumb question so thanks Josh 88 for clearing that issue up so well. However, thoughts on fishing deeper water are really interesting., Tuggerah Lakes is a very shallow system so small changes in daylight hours etc will have a more immediate effect on water temperature. I've noticed in the fishing reports that FRs are still catching flatties, though these have been off the beach, outside and in deeper estuaries. So your point,, Yakfishing is right on the money, thanks for that. After nearly 40 years of serious fishing, I've realised that the way to fish is to suss out your targets and only go when you know you've got a very good chance of returning with a respectable catch. Clearly this is going to involve a lot of trial and error with regards to all the variables that affect our passion. Concentrating on blackfish and bream off the rocks got me to the point where I only bothered to go when I believed I would be successful. After a while, I was getting it right. (Well, most of the time!) Targeting flatties in the estuaries has been a new gig for me this summer. Great fun. But, I want to be predictive. Obviously, the warmer water is the go. The temperature changes that trigger a change in the feeding is what I'd like to get closer to. Is this change absolute or relative? Is there any accessible research on flathead that would help that anyone knows of? Winter flatties also have raised their flat, ugly scones too in this thread, and thank you for that Hodgey! Let's say for argument's sake, that after a prolonged period of 14C water it jumps by one or two degrees in the middle of winter. Would this indicate that it might be worth a go? If so, soft plastics or live baits? Or, do they only come on the chew when the temperature reaches say 19C? What about up and down the coast? In cooler and warmer states? Thanks again everyone for your time and thoughts on this. Fishing, it gets the grey matter going in the most unexpected directions! Gotta love this way of life! Koalaboi

Hi Everyone, After a very productive summer flicking Tuggerah Lakes with soft plastics, the flathead have well and truly gone off the boil. I've usually managed 4 to 5 good fish per hour but the last 5 hours have been very quiet... Two elements have changed: 1. the water temperature has dropped to about 17C. 2. the autumn equinox has passed...just about the time the flatties went quiet. People using live poddies seemed to keep getting a few, but now, even they've found it tough. The live poddy flattie regulars have stopped turning up to their local haunts. I'm looking ahead and wondering whether I should just wait till the spring equinox or till the water temp gets back up to 20C. I'm thinking that with jews, salmon and tailor turning up on the beaches and rocks, it's time to put away the spinning gear and haul out the long wands. Any ideas on seasons though? Tight lines, Koalaboi

Hi, There's lots of great fishing around Catherine Hill Bay. But, be warned, the rocks on that part of the coast...down to Fraser Park and Wybung Head, tend to slope down to the water...plenty of fatalities! Especially Fraser. Koalaboi

Hi, There could be lots of causes for your skin reaction. Maybe broken up bluebottle and jellyfish stinging cells called nematocysts. These are a very interesting little adaptation, worth looking up! In the surf, we've called them sea lice but I'm not sure if that's really correct. Certainly, the stinging is almost instant. If so, liberal flushing with very warm water is the latest treatment as far as I know. If it's pelican itch, the problems seem to start a bit later. My latest bout saw me waking up in the middle of the night wanting to tear the skin and flesh from my bones to remove the irritation. I kid you not. Pelican itch is a form of bilharzia...a very interesting parasite. In Africa, you can die I think from this nasty. In Australia, they cannot survive in a mammal and so die causing an awful reaction. Anti histamines are the go. They work. Apparently, at the breeding stage of their life cycle, the little blighters are expelled from the bird host when they defecate. They then float around looking for a leg or two to attach to. I've read that flushing your skin with water and towelling off may help as soon as you get out of the water. I have a suspicion that once the water dries off your skin, they are then triggered to burrow into your skin....so, you'll have to be quick! After a couple of really bad attacks this summer due to wading the flats flicking for flatties, I gave up up and bought a pair of waders. No problems since! Koalaboi

Hi, At the moment, Tuggerah Beach or North Enny as most of us call it, is still suffering the after effects of the series of east coast lows last year...there's not a lot of beach, and it slopes pretty steeply down to the water's edge. Generally speaking, the northern half of the beach provides better sand flats for worming, though again, that can depend on the recent swell conditions. Parking is the problem. Access points along the beach are frequently targeted by thieves who smash windows to gain entrance to your vehicle to take ash try coins etc. Just look for smashed piles of window glass lying around when you go park. Many of us up here arrange for someone to drop us off and pick us up...the mobile phone is a bonus. You could try parking at the new resort which has security patrols. The last road access as you go past Twin Shores Caravan Park on Wilfred Barret Drive can see you parking in front of houses and seems a good spot. The access there gives you a good walk up the beach to find a good flat or gutter to fish. Early morning seems to a safer time too. Fishing near Picnic Point boat ramp yesterday I saw tell tales piles of glass there too....Probably night thieves, though I had my window smashed at the old tip access at Nth Enny whilst surfing at 1.30 in the day ...four other vehicles were done over that arvo. Can't help with the nipper pumping spots. Koalaboi

A great point in this thread. There's something else about fishing that's important to me, and, I think is part of the old fashioned values that this thread is about. At work last week, my immediate boss, head teacher (I'm a teacher) and fellow fisherman, had that browbeaten look you get when your short but busy lunchbreak is interrupted by the 20th kid sent to be disciplined for some atrocity. I got my spare tide chart and wrote on it: Never forget that we move in harmony with the natural rythms of the sun, the moon the tide and the winds. For we fish. I left it on his desk then bolted down to the water for a quick flick. Nest morning, he looked up and thanked me for reminding him that our passion connects us with something deeper than the humdrum trivialities of our ordianary days.

Thanks everyone. Your prompt advice on both questions has beeen really helpful. Tight lines, Koalaboi

Hi Everyone, My first post after years of regular visits to what i reckon is a great site. I've been fishing pretty seriously for over 35 years now, mostly for blackfish (fish, NOT people) and bream off the rocks with the occasional dabble for tailor, pigs, tuna etc from rocks and beaches. Living now for 20 years at Toowoon Bay, I've lately decided to look at using SP's for flatties in the lake (Tuggerah). Had lots of success and am adapting luderick fishing skills and gear to using poddies for flatties too. But, (there's always a but in life!), the Pelican itch has driven me crazy and I need waders. A big investment in terms of dollars and I want to get it right. I need some advice. I'm thinking I'll go chest waders but what do I look for in terms of durability, size, weight, features etc. Also, poddies. Can get plenty but they don't last in the bait bucket more than a couple of hours. I have them with an aerator (attached to a bubblestoine) in a double commercial live bait bucket. Any advice? I'm thinking volume of water, temperature may be factors. The water is clear wehn I put them in but within hours is pretty dirty. Help? Koalaboi