frankie machine

Cheers lads. It was dinner!

Hey Raiders, Went down to Yarra Bay yesterday afternoon with the family and after a game a footy and swim was able to get the rod out for a little session walking the shore. Was using gulp 2" shrimp in banana prawn colour as the tempter. Third cast in caught a just legal bream which went back in the drink. Then after losing a couple tails to the dreaded toadies got a tug. It was very close to the shore - probably no more than six metres away - and there wasn't a lot of fight, so initially thought it was an undersize flattie. But when I got it close, the fighting instincts kicked in and it went for a couple of short, but fast runs. Got it on the sand and it was a lovely 47cm flattie. Great fun. Cheers

Hey Raiders, Thanks for all the info. I've posted a report on the lure and fly fishing reports section. Had a brilliant time. Cheers

Hey Raiders, As I asked for some advice about a trip to Maclean, I thought I should report back. I was up there with the tin lids visiting my sister and the best piece of luck I had was meeting her neighbour, Tom, a born-and-bred Maclean man with a passion for fishing. My second day up there Tom took my out in his boat. We were up early and it was a pristine morning - the only noise as we put his tinnie in was the rat-a-tat-tat of the the wings from the flocks of of birds taking off from the Clarence River. As Tom said "On a day like today, any fish are a bonus." We headed up to an area the locals call the broadwater. Tom has been fishing for more than 40 years and he is a solid convert to lures. He only uses Gulp 2" shrimp (mostly in banana prawn colour, but occasionally pepper and new penny) and Atomic 2" prongs. So armed with those we cast out - Tom uses the a rhythmic retrieve and drop method. Second cast in Tom pulls a 30cm+ bream into the boat, bit throws it back "as I don't like the taste of them". I get into a couple of bream (and I do like eating them!) so into the esky they go. But before you know it, Tom has two lovely lizards in the boat. I join him with one - lose another - before he nails a couple more. And talk about 'matching the hatch', one that Tom gets near the boat starts throwing the head about and spews up bellyful of the Clarence River's best prawns. After getting a few more flatties, we head back and Tom says we'll just stop and throw few hard body lures in because he thinks there could be some decent bream around and they could be 'a bit of fun'. I change to a TT vibe and second cast in I've got another nice bream. Talk about local knowledge. It was one of the best fishing experiences I've ever had. Apart from the trip with Tom, I caught more than 10 dart on worms off Pippi Beach in Yamba - not for eating but great fun catching on light great gear and from the bank under the McFarlane Bridge (I think) over the south arm of the Clarence at Maclean I lost a good flattie close to the bank and then nailed a monster 72cm lizard that tore plenty off line off my reel and was a real buzz to catch. She went back in, and unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me to get a snap. All-in-all, it's a great area to fish and if anyone can get up there, don't miss the opportunity.

TDH, Thanks for the info. Heading off today - if I have any luck will report back. Cheers

Dicko, Thanks for that - it's my first time up there, and you've already got me excited! I'll be landbased - walking the banks and with my 7'6" rack raider, so hopefully will be able to get into the bream too.

Thanks Rehab, Will try and hunt it down. Cheers

Awesome fish and great read. What an achievement getting it in on the yak.

Gday Raiders, Heading up to see some family at Maclean on the Clarence River next week. Have never fished there before, but really looking forward to it. Any advice on spots to chase some flathead on soft plastics would be much appreciated. Cheers Frankie

Mako, Lure held up surprisingly well - small nick on the side after the trevally, but no major damage. Cheers

Hey Raiders, Had a two-hour leave pass, so checked the site and saw Mako's report about Ramsgate so decided to give it a go this afternoon. Started with 3inch gulp shrimp on 1/16th, but the nor easter started to get up so changed to a 8gram MF 40 soft vibe in watermelon green that I bought two-weeks ago. This was my first fish with them - first impressions, they cast like bullets and you can really feel the action through the tip of the rod. I was using a similar action to soft plastics - two flicks and let them drop to the sea floor. Was walking and casting along the sand for about 30 mins when I felt the familiar 'thunk' of a flathead. I was already thinking about a nice dinner when about 10metres from shore it threw the lure. Changed venue and walked to the end of one of the rock breakwalls and second cast in I was on. Much stronger fighter and had to tighten up the drag, got it to just below my feet on the rocks and could see it was a nice trevally. Just about to reach down and pull it in, when a fierce shake of the head saw it free too. So two hooked and no result - though I did enjoy the nice tussle with the trevally and had a positive result from a new lure, so not a bad way to spend a few hours.

Great report as always - thanks for all the detail about tackle and technique.

Hey Raiders, I know the smaller blades 1/4 and 1/8 are flavour of the month for bream, but was wondering if anyone uses larger sizes from the beach? I picked up one the other day, 20g and 65mm long and thought it may go alright from the sand. Any advice tips most welcome. Cheers

Hi all, Thanks for the advice. Looks like the neighbour's cat will be getting a feed tomorrow!

Hey Raiders, Put away the flick stick and soft plastics and decided to try for some drummer off the rocks at south Maroubra today. Got out the Alvey and some cunjevoi, and in between re-rigging hooks and sinkers (the joys of rock fishing!), I didn't crack a drummer but caught four of these blokes. I'm guessing they were red rock cods, but would like some help from raiders in identifying. If so, are they worth eating - and what's the best way to prepare and cook them? I threw back three, but kept this bloke as he was the biggest (about 35cm) and had inhaled the hook, so I would have had to perform open-heart surgery to get him back in. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

Lads, Thanks for the advice. Cheers

Gday Raiders, Got a week off soon, so was thinking about a day trip on the train to Brooklyn while tin lids are at school. My target of choice is flatheads on SP, so any advice about spots around Brooklyn - east, west side of bridge or Parsley Bay - would be much appreciated. Cheers

Went down to Dolls Point at dawn on Sunday morning. Absolutely glorious weather, slight breeze, sun peaking over some light cloud on the horizon. Must be honest that I thought if didn't catch anything it woudn't matter as the weather was terrific and it was pure pleasure just walking along the shoreline. About 20 minutes into the session felt the familiar 'tunk' on the end of the line (had a 4inch gulp in nuclear chicken on 1/8 jighead) and landed a nice flathead. Only the one, but a great way to spend a couple of hours.

Thanks Tiger. I've never used the turtle back design - do you use it mainly for bream?

Hi all, Haven't posted for a while, as I've been too lazy! Went down to Clovelly beach last night for quick flick. Tried a prawnstar for about 15 minutes hoping for a bream, but not inquiries. Changed up to a gulp six inch worm in bloodworm colour and got a little flatty (about 20cm) which went back in the drink and then to my surprise hooked a nice 30cm whiting. I know poppers have been flavour of the month for whiting, but I'd like to know if any other raiders target whiting with sp's, and if so what sort of jighead, rig they use. Cheers

Great vision Rod, looked like you had a heap of fun. What outfit and what size popper were you using/ Cheers

Had my first go with them three weeks ago - 4" inch minnows in pink colour - and nailed two nice eating size flatheads. Used them again last week but had no joy!

Hi Roberta, Great fish, report and photos. Can I ask, what sort of retrieve did you get the whiting on with the poppers? Did you pause in-between 'bloops' or was it a fast, constant retrieve?

Down to Dolls Point about 6.30am - had to miss out on the Fishraider soft plastic outing because of Xmas shopping for kids - for a quick flick with a bag of new Slam soft plastics. Had the 4" minnows in Tickled Pink colour on at 1/16th size 1 jighead. Nothing for about 30minutes then one nice flattie. Next cast and another one straight away! Stayed for another 30minutes before heading home with dinner. Slam baits obviously worked well and they seem a bit more hardy than Gulp Alive - I only used one for both fish and it was still usable after that. Hope everyone who went to the soft plastic class had a good time.

Yep. That was me. I saw you drop another one really close to the shore - unlucky!