eagle ray

Squid are tough at the moment. I tried for 3 hours yesterday. ZIP. Pulled into watson bay to have a beer with some mates and 2 guys pulled 2 cuttlefish right infront of my eyes.

No wasnt fishing, just got the returns on the sounder, arches galore.

crazy early mate. Bigger ones generally run first in my experience.

I have been watching them on the surface for the last 3 days. Got the boat back in the water on sunday. They were stacked up from 15 meters to 10 meters. Prob 25-30 hard returns at one spot. Just my luck i have a 4 week contract starting tommorrow. WEekends only and i hate fishing week ends.

Awesome mate. Looking hard at mexico next year for some hardcore panga fishing. So cheap.

kings were caught at birchgrove this am. Fresh cuttle fish land based.

Always chuck a livie out when you are there. Kings like west head and they are there for the same reason that you are. Lots of bait. Quite often get them in your burley trail.

Good sesh. I wish i lived up your way. Marlin , big snaps, kings, cobes, hoo, macks, longtail, the list is to long. Have you fished the Windara yet off Bruns? Its a Good kingie spot.

There were kings on the surface at the boats at Clarevile on Pittwater late this arvo.

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between these 2 models. I cant remeber which one i used to own before it was stolen. Dan

I bought some back from NZ years ago when they first came out then took em down to south oz to sea if they worked. Went on a charter out of Cape Jarvis, i caught a 17lb and a 16lb red and dropped 2 more. I was the only person to catch legal snapper on the charter. Also caught nannys and blue devils nearly every drop. Worked a treat on trout up of cairns and one day in NZ we couldnt make it out to white island so we fished for king terrakai instead. A kiwi guy had a terrakai terror and caught nearly every fish of the trip. I think they work.

Try for Kings and Jew at Yeroulbin Point Wharf (long nose point) Birchgrove. Also good trevors and big bream.

I remember reading Victor Coppleson's book Shark Attack when I was a kid. It documents quite a few shark atacks in the harbour and surrounds. Good read if you can find it. I have seen a few down round Balmain way. Snails bay and Mort Bay especially. A neighbour of ours was bumped twice by a 6 footer while yacking in Snails last summer. There used to be shark signs at Birchgrove Oval but someone either flogged them or the council took them down for some reason only they know about. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoom_eric/526148044/ Here is a video of shark scientists catching bull sharks at Balmain http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/bull-shark-caught-in-sydney-harbour/x0hvf5r

You r one crazy dude. Massive kudos for the entertaining reading and incredible fishing reports. Have fun back in Alaska. If you ever want to chase some kingies on the fly on the harbour when you get back pm me.

As much as i truly dislike Tony and what he stands for, the libs will get my vote this year. I have never voted lib and hopefully will never have to do it again. My vote will not count as i live in a very strong labor/greens electorate. It will just be a protest in regards to fishing and marine parks. My senate vote is undecided with the greens set to hold the balance of power i am unsure what to do. There was a time when the greens got my vote. Not any more. If they backed of the marine park stuff they might get it again but that is highly unlikley. I have no problem with a marine park that DOESNT exclude rec fishos. IMHO the pros have got to go. I told my father this last night at his bday dinner and he refused to speak to me all night.

SE trade winds have ruined many of my trips out there. Good mackies though.

Some guys from sydney were busted earlier this year. They were taking the boats from the burbs and selling them in qld. In court they claimed to do it to feed there gambling addictions. They were not young guys if i recall correctly, 50s or something. There does seem to be a hell of alot of it going around at the moment. The cops need to get some boats that they seize from drug dealers etc and leave them in highly visible locations with gps trackers and catch these guys in the act. Insurance is a must and so is a lo jack style system if you are going to be buying something 30 k plus. I remember when toyota prados were all the rage to be stolen. Lost 3 over 3 years though these were being shipped over seas it seems.

Hi Martin Never fished fraser but have been there and report its very sandy:). Indian Head is loaded with fish, not sure if you can fish there off the rocks though i would hope so. I watched an old video of the tailor run on fraser and all the big ones fell to garfish on gang hooks slowly worked back to the beach pillies acounted for the smaller 2-3 kg fish. I think those days are gone now thanks to the beach netters. If you can get over to Rooneys on the north west side that is where they have caught marlin sight casting on the flats in 6 feet of water. There with the predominate s/e trade wind you could possibly baloon baits out past casting distance in hope of longtails, goldens etc but this is just a theory. Enjoy. Also there are some good guides out of hervey bay who will take you out looking for tuna, trevs, etc. Prob some good snapper and cobes going on in hervey bay at the moment. Big sharks every where as well if you are in need of a work out.

I beleive that the restriction is only for red p. I checked in person at the rta when i went to greens and got the all clear unless i heard them wrong and i do that a bit.

It really is one of the best kept secrets in Australia. I guess Byron Bay and Noosa were like this before the develepers got in and stuffed it right up. I try and tell people that you can watch the sun setting over water on the east coast and people think i am mad. I have been there 3 times now. Been on a live aboard out to the boult and fitzroy reefs etc and the last time i pulled the boat up which took the best part of 2 days. The wind blew and blew but still managed 2 days trolling. 1st day jumped off 2 micro marlin straight out the front and second day got some decent cobes, small macks and jumped off another mini marlin. The girlfriend loves it more than Byron. I think i do too (especially as they banned the fishing out at Julian rocks). Also you are within easy driving distance to the stocked dams of Awonga and the other one which i cant think of at the moment. Also the rock fishing is pretty special. I saw heaps of good longtails hooked and then fought for ages only to be eaten right at the rocks by the taxman who is very common in those waters. What a place. If only i was rich i would keep a nice 30-40 footer on a mooring there and go out to the shelf and chase grander blue marlin between there and break sea spit at Fraser.

My first trip to 1770 was definately one to remember. I had heard about this place for years, marlin just off shore, massive macks, trout , reds, snapper, cobia all waiting for the travelling angler. Plus with a nice beach that could turn on a wave or 2 i was excited as in going. I got a cheap flight up to Hervey Bay and jumped on the greyhound to Agnes Water ariving after dark. I had tried to book at a hostel but they wern't having any of it as I was an Aussie and they seem to have problems with groups of boys coming down from Gladstone and drinking rumbos all night and perving on the euro backpackers that come to stay. To get around this problem i put on my best english accent and booked with another staff member. The staff were cool with me really being an aussie however i was told to keep my mouth shut whenever the boss was around. The great thing about 1770 isnt just the fishing or the beach there are heaps of things to do when the wind blows (and she blows alot). I went on a killer joy flight which included zero gravity drops, landing on a beach up near bustard headland and spotting sharks just cruising right off the beach. Also went on a larc (like a army duck) tour to the light house that was pretty intresting and went snorkling right up pancake creek on a coral reef in an esturary. That was a adventure in itself as the shark cat we were on had both its suzuki 4 strokes break down and had to be rescued by the VMR (it was anzac day and every one was on the sauce so we waited a while for the tow). Also hired myself a little chopper moto bike to cruise around town which was cool. Now for the fishing. I did 4 days offshore in my 10 or so days there and they went from epic to ordinary. The first day we got so many hits on large macks that it was not funny. They were on the chew big time. Only problem was that we couldnt land a single one as they were biting the line where it hit the water, eating the swivels and biting the line where it meets the trace. Second day we had better luck with 2 fish coming over the side at around 20 kg. The third day was the same and we did a run out wide chasing reefies coming up trumps with 2 large trout. The fourth day offshore was very windy but we wanted to get another big mack so we just went out for 2 hours or so. We fished the area around bustard head land and the small islands that break the surface straight out from there. We trolled and trolled and trolled and were going to call it a day when the big swim bait screamed. The bait we used was a big spotty mackerel (60 cm or so) with a 2 hook wire rig. The bait had its mouth tied together with dental floss and some copper wire holding a largish chin sinker in place to keep its head down. I looked at the reel as it had now stopped screaming and started thinking about weather or not this would be our only sniff of the day. Sure enough about 10 seconds later the little tld 15 started screaming like no tomorrow. I did a slow 5 count while we gunned it forward. I wanted to make sure it was hooked well. I struck and the first thing that i could feel was weight. It went absolutely ballistic and dumped nearly the whole reel of the 12lb mono we were fishing with. It was choppy and windy and we had to chase this fish down. We got a bit of line back on the reel (about 3/4s) when the fish went in to hyper drive again this time causing the little reel to start smoking. We continued to chase and chase and got the fish to about 20 meters off the boat. I then had to endure some tense moments as the big girl shook her head like a heavy metal rocker and we just sat there seeing who had the most patience. I had lost some big fish at this stage of the fight before so i was very worried. After a few minutes i started to make some head way when it decided it was going to swim right at the boat. In a mad dash i pulled the rod out of the my gimbal belt and just managed to get the tip of the rod in the water to stop her from busting me off on the boat. A few minutes later we got a gaff shot. We had the girl on the gaff and a second gaff was put in and we heaved the bohemath aboard. I was stuffed, my arms and wrists were cramped and was kind of sad at the same time. She was a stunner of a fish and we quickly called her for around 40kgs. She wasn't all that long but she had some girth on her. A pro mack fisher motored over for a looksey and called right on the nose for 35 kg. We got on the mobile and arranged of a huge esky and digi scaled to come down to the wharf as we thought that we might have had a record. When we weighed her we were all a bit disappointed as the record was 36kg for 6 kg line. We had bleed the fish when she came aboard and placed a wet hessian sack over her but she missed out only weighing 35.15 kg. Close but no cigar. The fish was not wasted and even though i didn't eat any as the fear of ciga poisoning was very real the person who was nice enough to take it off our hands didn't die from eating it. I will remember the day i got my monster mack until the day i die or my memory goes which ever comes first. If any one is thinking about going ti Agnes / 1770 do it you wont be disappointed. agnesscanphotos2.pdf agnescanphotos1.pdf

"going down" or "harbour control, we have a unidentified flying object"

Rezzy I dont think he fishes Augusta. I beleive that there are hot water outlets at the smelter at Pirie itself though i may be wrong. The guy to speak to regarding Cape Jervis was a guy called ben. Call the tavern to find out if he is still running trips. Every one in town said he was the best fisho around. Was out fishing from Cape Jervis one day and we went out to this reef offshore that had kingies written all over it. The reef came straight up out of the depths, it had a large seal colony on it that also looked like it was home to jaws. We trolled little pink squids around and caught heaps of xxxos salmon (salmon schools the size of footy ovals lived here)that would eat our Sydney salmon whole. Occasionally you would get a nice slimy mackerel or a smaller salmon. I was of the opinion that if you rigged up the slimy or smaller salmon on downriggers and trolled the reef you would get big chunky kings. After all salmon is a prime bait for kingies in NZ so why not south oz where they are also in abundance. Of course sammy the seal would make it a bit hard to land one but you never know unless you try. Ben the skipper said i was dreaming but on the east coast this would be a prime kingie hangout. Rezzy have you heard of a land based place on the Fleurieu called "the ledge". It was featured in a south oz fishing mag in 94. Here is a follow up article on it from 2002. Russell Stuart has a lot to answer for. Having purchased a back edition of the SA Angler from GotOne Stepney, I read with bone chilling excitement the 1994 article "The Ledge".The story tells of a land based location on Fleurieu Peninsula which rivals the fishing experience of Eyre Peninsula and Coffin Bay. Throughout the article are vague clues and hints as to where this location might be, and the gripping tale concludes with the authors advice to get your hands on a detailed map, look for the right features, and reap your reward from the rocks. I read the article seven times, studied the photographs, visited "The Map shop" in Adelaide, and phoned my good friend Timothy Moore, a renowned journalist, scholar, keen fisherman and very astute punter. Over the course of three long evenings we pieced the vague clues together, and eventually decided upon three possible locations. The discouraging factor was the arduous 45 minute trek from the car across rough terrain of which Russell Stuart speaks of in no uncertain terms. With three days to spare, Timothy and I wasted no time in stocking up on bait, ice, beer and tackle and exploring our potential sites. As expected, the location was not to be found easily. Infact, it was late on the third day that we realised we may be close. Yes - there was the limestone scrub, "heart break" ridge, and at long last, the lone bush which signifies the entrance to the ledge. By the time we had arrives at this pristine location we were aching, exhausted, grumpy and covered in weeping cuts and abrasions. I sensed a definite feeling of deja vu, as I tossed a handful of berley from the rock platform into 35 feet of still blue water. Tim's reaction was similar to his 1994 counterpart, Jim. Aghast and giddy as the flashing silver and bright colours attacked and engulfed the potent concoction I had dispatched. More surprise was to follow as I spotted a monster Kingfish lurking just metres off the rocks. It was so large that I immediately realised it was not a wild fish but one of the recently escaped Kingies from a nearby breeding stock facility. With trembling hands I tied a halco sparkler to my 30lb monofilament line and lobbed it infront of the snout which resulted in an immediate hook up. I had the beast hooked up for maybe 10 seconds before it lept clear from the water and spat the hooks, then retreated to the heart of the pacific. Before my disappointment could grow, I realised that Timbo was reeling in his second Sweep - a two pound monster which would later become a bench mark as an "Average" sweep for the area. I quickly launched squid and cockle baits and soon had seven rock cod, three sweep and a butterfly gurnard cruising about in the naturally formed keeper pools in the igneous rock. A girlish, high pitched yelp from Tim told me that he was onto something new, and I was right. Ravenous schools of Tommies and Gar had moved in and were destroying every berley and bait we tossed over the ledge. We bagged a dozen of each before the schools drifted by. It was getting dark but neither of us cared. I tossed out a squid jag and soon had two of the ink secreting puppies in a keeper pool before I heard another squeal from Timothy. A quick glance in his direction confirmed my suspicion - the Kingfish had returned. I re-rigged with triple ganged hooks and the biggest pilchard left in the block before plopping the morsel in the general vicinity. The result was again an instant hook up, and my early estimation was that this Kingy was in excess of sixty pounds. Sadly I was broken off within a minute, but my heart was pumping and my adrenaline flowing with gay abandon. It was in pitch darkness that we made our way back to the car, stumbling, panting and cursing. The 4 km hike saw that we returned almost our entire catch to the water, untainted after being captive in large aerated pools. I still feel the aches and pains of scaling the numerous rocky outcrops and the swollen ankle where I twisted my foot in a craggy nook in the volcanic stone. I am still recovering from the three sleepless nights I spent, sipping coffee and redbull and pondering the existence of this fishing oasis, on an otherwise barren peninsula. Timbo tells me that it is his best ever fishing experience, and he's been on a 7 month sailing adventure throughout the top end and Paupa New Guinea - That in itself makes it all worth while. The grim satisfaction we both feel of solving the mystery is equally as rewarding. In hindsight we have both learned a very important lesson - Fish smarter and harder, not longer. Tight lines. Many thanks to Russell Stuart and "Jim" for the interesting and insightful article, their perseverance and knowledge. Written by Ben Townsend I never found the place, but didnt look to hard. Every one I spoke to reckons I was mad. I had a funny feeling that it would be down in the Deep Creek conservation park.

good feed for a 2 hour sesh mate.congrats.