hookerbruce

Hi Congratulations You deserved to have a good result the rain kept me and a lot of others off the waters. There have been a few surface fish and birds during the last week in the area where you caught the second jew. Maybe I should leave the blackies alone and chase a jew. Bruce

Hi Just wondered if anyone else might just happen to be in the Broome area the last week in July. I'll be travelling from Katherine to Broome in July and going fishing in Broome from the 23rd. My wife doesn't fish and a fishing partner would be handy. I'll be land based as I've decided not to take the cartoper. Bruce

Sun afternoon thought about sitting in front of the fire with a glass of red or two and watching the footy, then decided I can watch footy any time so grabbed my coat and gear and went down the Georges for a fish between the showers. Fished from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. After 10 min no downs so moved 50 met down the river to another spot. First drift and the float started moving around as if a small fish so I waited then set the hook, the fish felt solid at first but gave up and came to the net quite easily. A bream 27cm unluckily for him a change from blackie fillets was in order. Over the next hour I landed about 20 blackfish most around legal size most were released. Kept 4 fish 30-40 cm. Normally fish last of runnout beginning of run in so a good catch on the runout was a pleasant surprise. Had a fellow come along while I was fishing explained to me my float was set up wrong and I was striking the wrong way and at the wrong time (obviously I haven't learnt anything in 50 years of blackfishing). I just smiled and said I would keep his info in mind next time I went fishing. He then admitted his last few trips were fishless. Also fished last tues before the wind for a reasonable catch on the rising tide. Saw salmon twice chase baitfish in near the shore might take a little spinstick with me next time. The rain was kind to me and only needed the rain gear for the last 20mins Bruce

Hi I had trouble with interference on my sounder which is a furuno overcame it by running off a sperate battery to motor and rest of electricals. Bruce

Hi In the last 3 weeks I've made about 10 short trips (1-2 hrs)chasing blackies over the different tides and time of day in the Georges. Have managed 1 or 2 fish in the thirties each trip, and reasonable number of throw backs. Have keep trying because this time last year they were biting well. On monday managed 4 fish 30 cm and 20 throwbacks around 25cm. Yesterday fished 4-530 pm, produced 6 fish mid thirties plus some throwbacks. So with a bit of luck I think the fish may have arrived. Yes weed is hard to find I have a bit of good weed and use freshwater weed out of an ornamental pond to supplement it. Weather not looking good next couple of days so will probably try again sunday. Bruce

Hi Some good jacks there they certainly go hard when you hook up. Live baiting with mullet is very productive sometimes the barra can be very fussy. April really is one of the best months up there. Still have the little creeks running across the beach at the end of the wet and the little waterfalls off the cliffs onto the beach. Have just booked my flight for early April 2013, have two weeks up there, already working out which outfits to take. Bruce

Hi With the first of the cold westerlies decided to spend a couple of hours and see if the blackies were around. This was my first blackie trip for the year so I found a spot out of the wind and had a go with some weed that was about 3 weeks old. Hundreds of bites and lost baits but the float would only move a few millimeters and I couldn't hook anything. Did eventually get a few reasonable bites landed 1 for dinner (34cm), lost another good fish, and caught 3 throwbacks. After 2 hours went home to cut the lawns. Will try again in a few days with fresh weed and hopefully cleaner water. Bruce

Hi Dave Ive fished Broome jetty a few times over the years I'll next be there at the end of july with all the other tourists. The posting about all the possibilities of the jetty and the rocks just past the ramp sound right Ive lost a lot of fish there. If you can get some live bait (usually garfish and long toms at the beginning of the jetty) you increase your chance of hooking up. Yes you need a cliff gaff to get the fish up onto the jetty. When you hook up on the jetty don't be in a hurry to get the fish back in near the jetty play them out wide away from all the pylons and posts till they're tired and then work them back in. Because the jetty is high above the water (10 m ) its very hard to control them in close. Also if there are any bottom bouncing charters try and and get a trip out, but most only operate when the tourists are in town. Good luck Bruce

Hi Yowie Good catch and a good whiting last week any whiting over 40cm is a top fish. I fished up in the shallows/edge of dropoffs on fri afternoon. the weather was fantastic. All the spots that usually produce were just dead kept one 35cm whiting. Took most of my live nippers home with me. Very quiet, I'll have to start trying the deep water. A boat at the ramp at a 1 metre jew caught on a soft plastic I think caught in South West Arm. I'll try again next week. Bruce

Had today off work so went for a fish to see how dirty the water in the Port was, answer--- very. Pumped nippers at mainbar had a fish 1 good whiting 10 almost legal. Went up to Lilli Pilli sandflat and managed 3 reasonable bream and a lot of throwbacks. Tailor were in the area but the ones I caught were all around 25cm. In knee deep water you couldn't see the bottom. Went back to Mainbar for 2 more decent whiting plus a bream. Then on to Gunamatta bay flats for 2 more bream. Water was dirty but unweighted nippers on light lines in the shallow water produced a feed, and it was better than staying at home and wondering what the water was like. Bruce

Hi Went to Culburra Crookhaven last weekend caught a huge number of flathead ( to 60cm)in the river,kept about 30 between three of us over two days. Plus a few bream tailor salmon whiting and mullet. All fish were caught in less than 1 metre of water on 1Kg outfits. Also found a large school of salmon near the beach just outside the river mouth, had bonito,tailor and frigites mixed in with them. And they hit any lure we cast at them on 2 KG for two hours till we tired and made a move to look for bigger fish. Only kept a couple which had swallowed lures right down. As we had fished all last weekend we were only allowed 3 hours to chase kings this morning. Left the ramp at 6:15 am and headed straight out to catch live bait. Had to ignore several schools of surface fish as we headed out. Squid can be a bit slow so we just went and caught a doz yellowtail then moved on after about 15 min. We targeted the numerous little peaks out off the bommie which have produced kings before (although last season we had poor results there) First peak we fished had heaps of bait showing on the sounder but didn't show any bigger fish. Spent 15min there as it look fishy, lots of bait, over cast, a bit of wind chop and some very steep wind swells coming from 20m up to the 10m peak we were fishing. Decision was made to move on, I brought my livie in ready to move but my son hesitated said his was nervous. Nervous alright it didn't want to get eaten. The fish hit hard and took a bit of line a couple of minutes and it was under control and the king's silver flash in the water was no where near long enough for the fight and head shaking in 10m of water. Reason being it was a good red, well good for us, and a new pb for my son. Weighed in at 4kg and 66cm. My pb snapper I caught a few years back at the same spot while live baiting for kings. We fished for another hour at various spots had one good hit and miss but never saw a king. We are more than happy with the by-catch. And back at the ramp just before 9:30

Hi Instead of just disturbing the water place a snorkel or similar "U" shaped piece of pipe on the outlet and have it splash back down into the water. This circulates the water and aerates it. To keep it vetical attatch a couple of large snapper leads to the base of the pump. bruce

Hi Ray I'll be down Greenwell point next weekend. Did you do any good down there ? You only have about 7 mths till your'e weipa trip better buy up on the lures. Bruce

Got back last weekend from 8 weeks in Canada and USA. Ate lots of crabs and lobsters,saw lots of salmon and other fish,even had a couple of throws with a lure from the front gate of the Fairmont at Lake Louise. But no serious fishing. Went and collected some weed on tues and down fishing on wed, thought it may have been too late in the season but 2 hours saw a dozen blackies in the bag up to 40cm and more throwbacks. Thurs in an hour came up with 4 fish the best going 43 cm best this year. Fri produced 6 fish best 41 cm. Went again yesterday managed 5 fish between 33 and 38 cm. Just about settled that burning desire to catch a fish, might just drop back to 2 trips a week now My sons and their families appreciated some fresh fish meals. They tell me they tried a couple of times without result. Just as I packed up yeaterday a fellow raider (didn't know it at the time) came down and had a chat but he mentioned he had been to Burril Lakes, had a look on the site when I got home and recognised DCHU from his postings. Never know who you are going to bump into. Thing I'll get some weed tomorrow and chase the blackfish again. Bruce

Hi How did you go at Como ? You were seen. Bruce

Hi Went out and fished the Port on fri targeting bream and whiting. After a very slow start ( 3hrs 5 locations for 2 bream) I decided I should have tried Botany bay, too late now. Headed down near Bundena to another spot and finally found the fish. For 2 hours it was fish after fish bream and trevally from just under legal to 38cm, All on 1 or 2 kg outfits fishing unweighted baits in just over a metre of water. A large bango ray on the 1 kg rod had me thinking big flatie until I got to see it. Then went back up to lilli pilli flats but could only raise smaller whiting. Kept 6 bream and a trevally for a meal and released heaps. While I was cleaning the fish at home later the phone rang and my son was reporting in he had caught a 98cm flatie I'll post a photo when he gets back. Sons had gone to Greenwell pt for a end of cricket season weekend away. My older son got down there found the accomodation and put his boat in at 4pm found his brother on the river and bludged a couple of live podies. second cast into the flatie hole he was on and 40 min later laded the fish on his 2 kg outfit. Back at the ramp at 5:30 not a bad 1 & 1/2.

Hi Got a big flatie on the weekend but decided to keep it to eat. I know there can be a lot of discussion about keeping a large fish. I've released a lot over the years but also kept some fish over 8kg that cooked up really good. So this one was cut up into small pieces and shared out between a lot of people. I still have the head in the fridge and hope to eat that during the rest of the week. I don't think it would have survived being put in the water. Thanks for the best wishes Ray R. . . . . . . . . . . .

I've taken a 2.1 met rod tube to Fiji, same tube goes to Weipa each year and has been to Broome, darwin and lord howe. But i've heard of people having trouble with the same length. I think it comes down to the baggage people, and who is accepting the bags at the airport.The airlines guidelines seem vague at times. Reels with line on as hand luggage is another grey area, I know people who had check they're hand luggage in with the suitcases because they had line on they're reels. I haven't had any problems. Good luck

Hi Ron Got to watch out for the sandflies next time.

Congratulations or a great fish. Just shows what is in the water. The front half of the body is big, the tail section normal so yes an easy 6kg. Back in the old days we use to eat them that size, now we release the big girls. Welcome to the metre club. Bruce

Sounds like a great day. Thanks for sharing the fishing with us. You go fishing as often as most of us want to. I've just changed my trip for fri, I'm now heading for Botany bay instead of port hacking. Bruce

Hi All Weipa is a special spot. I know Bloopin has been up there as have many other Fishraiders. Over the years I have been lucky enough to fish at a lot of places usually 2 years in a row (Broome, Gove, Lord Howe Island & Darwin) when I went to Weipa I found it the best Fishing holiday of the lot, value for money. This is my 10th trip there. We have five going which is just a nice number, Just thought some one else might have liked to enjoy the experience. A spot is still available. I think Bloopin might have been a little over enthusiastic. Maybe just a warning from big brother. Thanks Bruce

Hi Wemt over to Bundeena and caught some livies (bir slow due to swell surge near the rocks). Saw a hammerhead about 2m cruising the surface about 200m off bundeena wharf. There was a good size swell running early in the morning but it had dropped back by 11 am. Worked the bommie area found plenty of bait on southern end but no decent fish. Caught rat kings and a rock cod the size of the yacka. Went south to marly still no joy the headed out to have a flathead drift. Caught five large jackets and heaps of throwback flaties( no keepers) in an hour. Decided to have a troll headed east to 90 m of water where the water looked interesting trolled north for an hour for three hits hooked up and landed a striped tuna about 2 kg. I think the other hits were small tuna as well. Reports from the Peak yesterday were not real good so don't know where to fish next fri yet. Bruce

Hi A couple of mates, my bro in law, Fishraider Raysenior and myself are going to Weipa for Easter. Have s vacant spot, anyone interested ? 23rd to 30th April, 2011. We fly up 20th april back 30th april. Live aboard houseboat with tenders. Share costs and chores. Must be able to fish and have own gear. And permission note from whoever is in charge at your house. We are all in 50-60 age bracket so trip will be at a steady pace other than fishing 24hrs a day. Cost is about $1300 each plus airfares. If you are interested send me PM and I can send you more details. Bruce, Ray and crew

Heading out from port hacking tomorrow might head south or wide anyone else going out Bruce