Avoca - Rat Central!

[Yeeros]

Hi All

Havn't been on raider for a while but with a few days off and some time up my sleave i can post a report. I went to Avoca yesterday morning and fished the ledges at sun up. Good little trip.

I got a big salmon (live bait thief) about 3-4kg, also got a little rat just over 60cm which i kept for sushi. Also got completely wasted by a nice king that took a prawn on 6kg tackle (I have never caught kings on prawn and this one felt like it might have gone 6kg+).

later on i put on a metal and got 2 little kings about 55cm that went back. Also tried a plastic but no success on that one unfortunately.

I also met these Koreans that had catching rats well worked out. Hats off to em though they measured everything and at the end of the day had about 12 fish between 2+ each to take home and about 5 more each that they let go as they were undersized. not to mention some big bust ups as from what i could tell they were fishing lite as well.

Anyway if i build up some more brownie points with then i can get back into my rock fishing full swing.

I'm really looking forward to hitting the rocks again soon and having Mr Big hit that live bait on ther bigger tackle

[OneLastCast]

Sounds like a good session.

A bustoff from a big king really gets the blood pumping hey

Better luck next time on getting the big one.

[XTR]

it a shame when the rats turn it on so many fisherman have to be told that are not legal ,i was there and spun 8 with all going back only one was legal and that was just ,the down side is there were more than 30 under size fish killed by fisherman that know the size I HAD TO MESUARE AND MAKE PEPOLE PUT BACK A HEAP THAT WERE NEAR ME ,i spoke with the local fisheries officer by phone at 7 am to put in a complaint and pass on the rego numbers of a few cars that they moved the under size fish to ,IF YOU ARE THERE AND SEE THIS HAPPENING SPEAK UP TELL THEM ITS TO SMALL AND PUT IT BACK OR RING THE FISHERIES ON THIS NUMBER IF ITS ON THE CENTRAL COAST 0419185517,

its going to be easy form to close the platform to fishing than inforce the laws of under size fish ,bag limits, rubbish, illegal camping ,and all the other human wast left behind ,when this area is under marine park rule

DONT THINK IT WONT HAPPEN we are fighting now and have been for a few years ,SPEAK UP NOW AS YOU WILL WHEN ITS TO LATE

[namesay]

Those rat kingfish will be hoodlums in a couple years so I am getting really excited. This morning was also kingfish central here in syd heads. Some mates and I got over 20 on lures. The best was just over 76cm Came home before 9am. I keep hearing about kings on prawns and it is killing me...did you hear that Penguin? Cheers Kelvin

Edited December 31, 2006 by namesay

[namesay]

By the way Yeeros, if you find a patch of rats there are almost always some bigger ones around. It is just that the rats get to the bait/lure first.

This is a technique that I and others employ when the rats are around...and that is to keep the hooked fish in the water as LONG as possible. This WILL bring other kings around. Soon you will have a big school of kings around your boat or rock ledge. You'll then see some of the bigger fellas snooping around.

Hopfully you will have a bait or lure onto the big ones or the very least you'll have a double hook up. But try it next time. Even a salmon or a hooked tailer will bring the hoods around. Cheers Kelvin

[domza]

Those rat kingfish will be hoodlums in a couple years so I am getting really excited. This morning was also kingfish central here in syd heads. Some mates and I got over 20 on lures. The best was just over 76cm Came home before 9am. I keep hearing about kings on prawns and it is killing me...did you hear that Penguin? Cheers Kelvin

sounds like an awesome session there.

did they have any size to them? and what kind of sluggo's and poppers are you using?

[namesay]

There are lots of stick baits around but I was using softies slugs in pearl. The poppers were the small yozuris in a green/mackeral colour. The softies tend to last a lot longer than other sluggos and do the job. But the popper was the one that got hammered all the time. Just a couple of bloops and it was on.

The small kings were on the surface ( 55-65cm) but we got a lot of larger kings following hooked fish. Got a few in the 70cm mark by casting to bigger fish. Only wished I had livies as a livie down deep would have probably got us a hood or 2. The action stopped about 8am.CHeers Kelvin

[Penguin]

Those rat kingfish will be hoodlums in a couple years so I am getting really excited. This morning was also kingfish central here in syd heads. Some mates and I got over 20 on lures. The best was just over 76cm Came home before 9am. I keep hearing about kings on prawns and it is killing me...did you hear that Penguin? Cheers Kelvin

I heard it Kelvin and it brought a smile to my face,

well done on the Kings Yeeros,any size King is fun to catch.

penguin

[reefa]

Strangely enough my bro caught three legal kings from the harbour all on small peeled prawns, so weird things do happen.Especially when they refused the livies down for them.Work that out????

[Yeeros]

Hi Guys

Nah the rats were basically just on legal to 55cm or so, most people did throw back the little guys which was good to see. They were deff this and your right it does get the blood pumping.

I know what you mean by keeping one in the water Kelvin. A few years Ago a mate and i used to do it, we used to hold one in the water and drop a livie next to him and more often than not his mate would come and hook that up as well.

anyway i'm going back again this weekend and i'll see if i can get a nicer one for you all

[XTR]

yeeros there is 5 to 6 days of nne winds running that will bring down the water temp off that shelf the only hope is that the swell is meant to turn to the SSE late in the week you may be lucky if you are there on the change

Leigh

[Yeeros]

Still Gonna Try

I have never caught a kingie at home but usually manage to pull a fish of some description for the table when i have a bait in the water

plus after the kingie sushi i am in the good books with and intend to us my brownie points to get

out of the house and get fishy!

[XTR]

I just go some good news ,the fisheries rang me back with a report on the follow up action after my complaints about the under size fish been kept at avoca on Saturday ,

on Sunday they hit the ledge 4 CHAREGED WITH UNDER SIZE KINGS .all fish were removed from them ,there was one that thought to get the filleting knife out so they could not measure ,he was charged and all fillette taken ,they have been back in plane close each day since to see who is keeping the fish and then returning IN UINFORM to lay more charges over 12 have been charged since Sunday THIS IS GOOD it make fisherman understand 59 cm is not 60 as if you have to try and make it mesure 60 its not legal , Leigh

[Penguin]

I just go some good news ,the fisheries rang me back with a report on the follow up action after my complaints about the under size fish been kept at avoca on Saturday ,

on Sunday they hit the ledge 4 CHAREGED WITH UNDER SIZE KINGS .all fish were removed from them ,there was one that thought to get the filleting knife out so they could not measure ,he was charged and all fillette taken ,they have been back in plane close each day since to see who is keeping the fish and then returning IN UINFORM to lay more charges over 12 have been charged since Sunday THIS IS GOOD it make fisherman understand 59 cm is not 60 as if you have to try and make it mesure 60 its not legal , Leigh

Some action at last,I like the sound of that.

penguin

[OneLastCast]

Good to hear charges being brought.

Great work Leigh

[R_Zee]

There are lots of stick baits around but I was using softies slugs in pearl. The poppers were the small yozuris in a green/mackeral colour. The softies tend to last a lot longer than other sluggos and do the job. But the popper was the one that got hammered all the time. Just a couple of bloops and it was on.

The small kings were on the surface ( 55-65cm) but we got a lot of larger kings following hooked fish. Got a few in the 70cm mark by casting to bigger fish. Only wished I had livies as a livie down deep would have probably got us a hood or 2. The action stopped about 8am.CHeers Kelvin

Hey Kelvin,

I had 2 great sessions around the heads last week.

landed close to 60 i'd say between 4 of us.

i got all mine on bass assassin plastics. the plasitcs were getting smashed and i had to change the lure every time.

they even bent my hooks a few times as i was using jig heads i usually use for flatties.

i didnt get anything over 67cm.

thank you for the tip... i will try and get a bigger one next time.

When you say keep the livies down deep do you mean on the bottom?

if not how high off the bottom in say 20m of water?

Cheers,

Tony