Botany Bay Sunday

[Beach Fisho]

Headed out to Botany Bay on Sunday, haven’t been down there for ages and was sick of ready reports, so had to appease my fishing gods by wetting a line or two.

7am start. Lots of boats out already, tried both runways with no luck, couple of throwbacks. The birds were working the surface all morning, could see small baitfish, Most of the morning I thought they were just having a burley breakfast but when all the boats went and they were still bombing the surface, it was a safe bet they’re feeding on bait.

The wind really picked up so we ended up on a Northern marker, was allot more sheltered. There were lots of boats already anchored there, so we assumed something was biting. Put a few baits out, bottom, mid and top water, to try and cover all bases. Fishing the bottom got a 30cm flounder and couple of undersize Flathead (Expected more flathead). Lost interest, so burleyed up and fished the surface with fresh whitebait with a couple of split shots.

First bite after 2 minutes and the reel was screaming, thought it was a very nice bream until it got to the surface and realized it was a nice 33cm Slimy Mackerel, put up a great fight. The next hour was the kind of fast passed fishing you wake up early for, 8 slimy’s and 4 Trevaly, for some reason no one else was picking up the slimmys, must have been hanging around my burley trail.

To finish up, burleyed with what had left and floated my last whitebait, bang, reel went banana’s, thought I was finally onto my first Kingy (but thought again when I realized I was fishing with whitebait ) when it took 2 big runs and a third when I could just see some colour. I was pumped!! Took my time and when I got it up, got a surprise (disappointment) it was a 40cm Frigate Mackeral (I think, see photo and let me know if you think it’s a tuna)

Session was lots of fun on 6lbs gear; I always come home satisfied from a day on Botany Bay. Pitty not to come home with more dinner, but with 6 Slimy’s 4 Trevors and a Frigate, a freezer full of strip bait was fell forth getting up early.

I'll try to get some photo's up, getting some errors.

Cheers, BJ

Edited May 9, 2006 by Beach Fisho

[keenist]

Prob frigate mackeral. there have been a heap around lately. We spotted a small patch of them feeding between the bridges at the mouth of georges river. hard nuts to crack when they are up top for 2-5 seconds at a time as they were yesterday. good fun on bream gear and 6 weight fly.

[Beach Fisho]

Here is the Pic.

So what do you think, Slimy or Frigate mackral?

Also, you rekon the bottom one is a Tuna?

[phild]

You have slimy Mackreal and a lone frigate mackreal (tuna looking one)

[Penguin]

penguin.