[Sunday Sydney report - no pictures or keepers but a good day out]

It is nice to get out and not have the crowds even if the big fish don’t cooperate. 
I fished the Hacking yesterday, only 4 trailers at the ramp and very little boat traffic, very pleasant.

[Bate Bay]

Very nice conditions and a good feed of fish. 

[A swim, a play and a fish]

1 minute ago, papafish said:

what did the crab take? pretty hard to hook up i say

 

Had a line out for crabs with a fish head on for bait, pull the line in steadily and net the crab before it lets go.

[A swim, a play and a fish]

1 hour ago, Yowie said:

Bruce, the little buggers do all of the work.  

Sounds like a relaxing day, which is what you need.

Sand mullet are around the Lilli Pilli flats as of recent times. They are quite edible, usually better than the bully mullet.

A couple of flatties and crabs as a bonus.

Hi Dave

Yes they are very good. I’ll miss them when school goes back. Not just helping on the boat but they are good fishing mates who will fish all day every day.

Crabs were one of the targets for the day but they didn’t co operate. We found the mullet in several spots. Yes they do cook up ok

           Bruce 

[A swim, a play and a fish]

1 hour ago, Blackfish said:

Sounds like a great day was had Bruce, certainly a mixed bag. That Salmon would have gone if it was on the light gear.

Was a great day. Yes naturally was on the 2 kg outfit anchored up in 60cm of water. So when the salmon was about 60 met away jumping and splashing around like they do the deckhands had to upanchor and move the boat chase it slowly and net it for me. A good bit of excitement 

[A swim, a play and a fish]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

Sounds like a great family day🙂 - hope the weather was good.

The weather was perfect just enough nor easter to stop it getting too hot and warm clear 24 deg water coming in from the ocean. Waist deep water for jumping off the boat and plenty of small fish to catch and release.

 

[A swim, a play and a fish]

Headed out from Grays Point tues morning with two of my grandsons . They are very capable and anchor the boat, pump nippers, rig their own lines, net my fish and even winch the boat onto the trailer. We caught bait then fished several spots in Port Hacking. Some produced and others were zeros. Picked my wife and grand daughter up at lunch and spent the afternoon on the sand flats swimming and relaxing.

Did manage a feed on the day and had a great day.

[Hacking fires]

Nice bag of whiting. I will have have to head upriver a bit to the water with a bit of colour.

[Hacking in and out thurs 30th]

16 hours ago, joshGTV said:

Hi Bruce, what's longtom like to eat?

Once they get over 60cm you can get good boneless fillets from them. We think they are one of good eating fish white flesh and a mild taste similar to whiting or garfish. Smaller ones are very fiddly to remove the bones.

[Hacking in and out thurs 30th]

Hi Dave

The flathead were out a bit wider in 45 to 50 m. In the river we always fish the tide rising over the flats, on thurs we fished last hour of runnout in almost no water. 

[Hacking in and out thurs 30th]

[Hacking in and out thurs 30th]

Weather forecast was good for thurs but expecting it to be busy, not disappointed. Went with my son and two grandsons. Put boat in at Grays point and and got 2nd trailer spot out of carpark which was okay. Started out a slow day, tried deep water off lilli pilli for no pilchards. Then fished Bundeena shoreline for no squid,  next stop was Jibbon bommie couldn't find any kingfish or any squid. Plenty of baitfish around. Next went out and drifted for blue spot flathead, 40 mins produced 3 just legals, had 3 options go in and fish the reefy area near the bommie or the flats in the river or keep looking for blue spots. Decided on all 3 options, eventually found a few blue spots for a feed on new years eve, then fished near the bommie best fish a 45cm reddie. Then we went back in the river pumped nippers and caught a 55cm  flathead, a 84cm  longtom and a few other fish.

Eventually ended up with a good catch of fish and then the surprise back at the ramp only a queue of three vehicles to retrieve the boat which took very little  time.

Was a good day out.

[Narrabeen Flatties]

Sounds like a very satisfying morning. It was definitely successful 

[Port Hacking]

That catch would be a nice Christmas present if I caught it.. Nice work.

I hope to be able to get out next week.

[Cronulla Beach Whiting]

Nice result.  I fish the beaches up the north coast but must be 20 years since I fished Cronulla. Might have to give it a go.

[Unsuccessful whiting session, Central Coast]

I’d be more than pleased with that by catch.

Nice work

[Hacking today Couple of fish]

[Hacking today Couple of fish]

Fished the flats this morning tide was a bit high when I got there. Pumped nippers and managed to drop the first fish. Moved around first fish a legal flounder with a big hook in its throat so kept it. Next fish took a good run and had me guessing , the 42 cm whiting was a very welcome addition to the esky. Managed another 2  33 cm fish which made up a good feed.  Didn’t get any small whiting. 
yes a quiet morning but got a feed.

[Whiting a bit quiet]

I fished the mainbar flats beginning of the run in tide last Monday. There were hundreds and hundreds of whiting came up onto ankle deep water including a lot of bigger fish. Unfortunately it was a spawning aggregation and they were swimming around in circles chasing each other and not feeding. Caught about a dozen none worth keeping then I moved on after about 90 min. 

Bruce

[Port hacking - windy and cold]

Sometimes we go fishing when we can, not when the weather is going to be good. At least there wasn’t a lot of rain till later in the day.

Nice feed of squid 

[Port Hacking fires]

2 minutes ago, Welster said:

Great feed there Bruce.  Thats a cracking day on the Hacking.  Yowie was probably just wanting to know a few good spots in the Hacking 🤣

To get out took a lot of organising and was still in doubt till I had the boat in the water. The result felt like a just reward.

Yowie doesn’t need any of my spots he knows every rock and spot in the river .

[Port Hacking fires]

Smallest and largest on poddies  middle one on a small cube of slimey. All in approx 3 metres.

[Port Hacking fires]

12 hours ago, Restyle said:

Good selection of fish to enjoy over the coming wet days. 

I would've legged it if a old bloke stripped down then headed your way as well. 😆

 

11 hours ago, 61 crusher said:

If someone stripped off & started heading towards me with a pump in hand I’d be bloody getting out of there in hurry to 😂🤣

Great mixed bag of fish, sounds like someone figured you’d caught enough & wanted to unnerve you, I dare say retired coppers have a knack of intimidating people🤣

 

11 hours ago, Yowie said:

That is a good feed Bruce, with some nice flatties.

I did not completely strip off Bruce   there was some sort of decorum. Besides, I needed a few nippers.

Some small whiting were about, but a few bigger ones with them.

 Very pleased pleased with the fish I caught.

Might have to check my photos from the flats.

[Port Hacking fires]

12 hours ago, Larkin said:

Nice mixed bag of table fish there.

Gotta hate it when you pull a hook on a decent fish.

With the livies I use a light gauge 3/0 suicide hooked thru the mouth, normally the thin hook hooks the fish in the corner of the mouth like a circle hook should. Pulled the hook on 2 fish well in to the fight. At least I know where to throw my line next time.

[Port Hacking fires]