mako2000

The Norah Head canyons...but they are from mamory a 40nm run from Broken Bay.

l Ben, what I have found with Fin is keep it simple, For big fin, ive always used a full length double (fishing either 15 or 24kg) to a snap swivel as normal. Ive never had a problem with a 200lb jinkai trace crimped to a sea demon (will have to check size). Trace about 8ft in length so the fish can be gaffed with a fixed head off the rod tip.

Slink...bayview is a long run to the shelf for you guys at a start....from Broken Bay, in good conditions and fuel and all $$ consideratiins taken into account, you guys have some of the best bait holding canyons north of you.....but its a long run ....otherwise take the shortest run to the shelf (120degrees from memory?) and start heading north, doing the 80-400fathom zig zag to find good water. Weather forecast is always to be taken as a factor as well...if its going to blow a 15knt southerly after lunch..you may want to head south. We all have days with Zeros...but spending the time and finding you own water will pay dividends.

Rough weather and Big Yellowfin in close seem to come together, got a 70kg model on 15 in atrocious conditions in the PH100 myself about 1982 (rough guess on the year) trolling over the Marley wreck. Same fight about 15 minutes. Time on the water always improves your odds.

Normally i go off colour and clarity, nice clean ...good looking water...if that cant be found a temp break or a thermocline on the sounder...but clean good looking water will beat a temp change any day of the week

Nick, im sure you can, but to be successful regularly on BIG tuna, (say it again...IN MY OPINION) standard game tiagras, internationals etc will catch you more, hurt you less and let you down less often.

What got me started is everyone saying they are heading to browns for the day to try and catch a Fin, I could count on 3 fingers the times ive actually fished it, and all were midweek when there were 1 or 2 other boats there, other than that in MY OPINION its a waste of time.

Cheers Boss., as I said Ive learnt so much here on my new endevour of getting back to basics in the rivers I thought it time to spread some of my old game fishing knowledge.

No Probs Luke...good luck, feel free to ask anything you want to know, just trying to give something back to all the Fishraiders that I have learnt so much from.

As a fairly newish member here I read a lot of posts asking for tips and locations for catching Yellowfin Tuna. Although I no longer fish for Gamefish and are content to catch a feed in the rivers here are some tips from 25+ years of Gamefishing and catching plenty of Tuna, Marlin and Sharks off the NSW coast but mainly from Port Hacking. 1.Position.. Why does everyone have to head to Browns Mountain, Heatons Hill, 12 mile etc....find your own water....There may be fish on Browns, but with 25-100 other boats fishing there as well theres only so many fish to go around, head out to 80 fathoms and start trolling between 80 and 400, watch water colour, temp and for bait on the surface and sounder. If the water quality doesnt improve head south or north until you find better water. ( As a side thing we never used to bother trolling when looking for good Tuna or Shark water, weather permitting we would run around for anything upto 4 hours to find the best water at full speed). Its amazing how sometimes with a southbound current you will still find better water the further you head south. If you still have to fish Browns Mountain for some reason, dont stop on top of it...head down current 4-5 miles where all those burley trails from those who are fishing on top of the mountain are heading. Water quality is number one in my opinion when it comes to finding yellowfin off Sydney. 2. Burley...a couple of blocks of pillies aint gonna do it, you may get lucky but a steady trail for 5 or 6 hours is going to take a lot of work and a lot of pillies...bank on a minimum of 60kg to be succesful regularly, more if the current is pushing hard. Depending on the size of the pillies cut them into 1/4 or 3rds..about an inch long is perfect in my opinion and keep them going, as soon as one is out of sight time for the next one. A slow trickle of mush from the pot is in my opinion also esential, not just to fill in the gaps when the cube man gets lazy for a few seconds but it also adds another layer to your burley trail. 3. Baits...Its always nice to have a couple of livies swimming around in the trail, but the biggest yellowfin are more often than not caught by the bloke...(sorry fisherperson) who is working that fresh pillie down the trail non stop. If your Burley pilchards are cheap soft mushy ones at least make sure you have a block or two of quality ones for baits. Tuck that rod under your arm and drift the pilchard down the trail keeping slack in the line at all times with just enough drag on the spool to prevent an overrun when you get a hit. If that bait starts looking a bit sad, guts are torn etc...change it for a fresh one, its amazing how often as soon as you put a fresh bait on it gets hit. 4. Gear...If your content with catching schoolies and trying to get lucky with with the occasional quality fish TLD's, spinning gear etc will do the job most of the time, If you really want to put that 60kg+ fish on the deck regularly..50 Tiagras, Internationals etc on quality rods with quality fresh line is what is needed in my opinion. Nothing like a big Tuna will sort your gear out and show any inadequacies in it. Quality Rod buckets and harnesses are also a must especially when you are hooked up to your 1st monster yellowfin and its been circling beneath the boat for the last hour and a half. Thats enough for tonight and I will try and add some more Tommorow, please dont take this as a definitive, must do way to fish for Tuna, its just whats worked for me over the years. Feel free to ask any questions and I will try and answer them when possible.

Well done :1clap:

When you do the half hitches to finish the knot off are you pulling them tight down the line and then dragging them up to the knot...looks to me like the line has been stretched. Try only tightening the hitches when they are in position against the twists.

can u post a pic of your knot so we can see whats actually happening?

About 25 years ago my Grandfather gave me one of his old fishing books which had maps of the Hacking. From memory there were a few tyre reefs and they were all in the now silted up parts of the hacking, the entrance to Burraneer Bay and South West arm come straight to mind. I will have the book somewhere but with going through a divorce and all my crap packed up the books are in a box somewhere and I may not get to them for 6 months, but when I do I will definately see what I can find.

Yeah J Hooked, bring back Daylight saving I say, was great to be able to knock off at 5 and throw the boat in for a quick couple of hours!!

Nice bream, always good not to go home empty handed!!

Cheers mate, it was good to be out on the water finally, a good feed was just a bonus

Had a quick fish this arvo, left Grays Point ramp about 2pm, pumped some nippers and fished around the front of Mansion point bay for 9 good whiting and also released 2 legal bream. Whitingn fillets for dinner were awesome but sorry no pics as the stupid samsung phone jammed up when i got back to the ramp....

I should add that it is a two stroke...will the fuel preserver prevent the fuel/ oil drying out and gumming up the needle and seat?

After an aborted trip today where the needle and seat in the carburettor stuck open after the trusty 18hp tohatsu had been sitting for a month I ask this question of fellow Fishraiders......Should you run the engine out of fuel as I normally do while flushing the motor every outing or leave the carby full? I can see benefits and now problems with both sides but hope someone can come up with a definitive answer!!

Well that was a stuff up...the normally trusty Tohatsu that always starts first pull....didnt start...well started then died. After sitting for a month the needle and seat in the carby had jammed open. All fixed now and will try again tommorow.

Cheers mate...looks like a 2.30 knock of then!!

Looks like I may be able to knock off early this afternoon and get out on the water for a few hours for the first time in nearly a month. Can anyone give me some idea on the condition of the Hacking after the rains earlier in the week?

Done, much easier now, I know I lookes at it before went WTF and left it in the too hard basket. Good luck.

Done...good luck with the assignment.