Rodd Point Delivers

[pmak]

I've been hitting Port Hacking of late trying to snare Frigate Mackerel since my never repeated success at the end of February. Realised that they were a bit of a hit & miss proposition for me. Dropped by at Como on the way back from the Royal National Park last week and really enjoyed soft plastic and hardbodied lure fishing (see report at http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/inde...howtopic=19915)

I had to work this weekend and would have missed out on some fishing time but decided to squeeze in time in the early morning at a location close to work. I told the it was catch and release fishing only as I don't seem to perform well and enjoy myself so much when I'm under pressure to bring home fish for dinner. That plus it was a spot "west of the harbour bridge"

As a land based lure fisho, I've found the bays around Sydney Harbour productive and easily accessible and have fished Hen & Chicken Bay and Kissing Point/Kissing Point Bay with some success with SPs. Inspired by Ronald's (crystalliser) and other Raider's reports of the area, I decided to try out Iron Cove - in particular Rodd Point.

Arrived ready to start at 6.30am. The sun was just rising, the tide was high, the water still and just the faintest hint of a breeze - perfect! I started at the front of the Dobroyd Aquatic Club building (Spot 1). Had rigged up half a Gulp Camo worm on a 1.5gram #4 hook jighead and cast along the wharf. Been using a jiggle retrive with the worm to give it a sexy wriggle action by letting it drop, waiting a second or two, slow lift off the bottom and then jiggle again for 3-4 seconds while slowly reeling in. My target is bream so my hook and baits are small.

On the third cycle of the retrieve, I feel some weight as I started the slow lift and struck. Not long later a 35m flathead is on the deck. Not a bad start to the day!

Continued at the area for a little while and kept getting nibbles from chopper Tailor. They seem to like hanging around the wharf and they can't resist the jiggle retrieve and the Camo worm. Moved to the east and round the Point. Lost my Camo worm to pickers and lost a couple of jigheads in the rocks (quite a rocky shoreline).

Moved to a high rock ledge on the south side of the Point (Spot 2). Rigged up an old red coloured Squidgy wriggler that I had left in a packet of Gulp 4inch turtleback worms in pumpkinseed to marinade and soak in all the goodness of the Gulp smell/flavour. I had cut a turtleback worm in half and used the tail section earlier. It was picked to bits. Second cast with the squidgy and I was on! Not much weight or fight and a flathead is pulled from the depths and hoisted to the top for a quick photo. I was using 8lb fluorocarbon leader and was confident the 35cm flathead could be hoisted up to the ledge.

[pmak]

(post continued ...)

I moved to Spot 3 next which was on a beach. The Squidgy wriggler was gone, tail nibbled off by pickers again. I rigged up half a Gulp ragworm in Glow colour. Got this item in the bargain bin at my local tackle store at $3.50 a packet. Hmm, if they're getting rid of them they must not work too well but at that price, what the heck!. The worm is whitish and has a vinegarish smell, quite different to the pumpkinseed and camo smells in the Gulp range. This worm comes out when I get a bit tired of losing stuff to pickers and want to chuck something out that I'm not too worried of losing/wasting. Have not caught anything subtantial with it before but who knows??

Second cast out and I feel some weight at the end of the line. I strike and my drag tells me it's a heavy fish! I start reeling in - pump and wind, maintian tension in the line. I tighten the drag just a little and saw another flathead coming in. Bigger than the other two definitely. My heart started to race as I got it closer to the shore - it looked half decent from a distance under water but as it got closer I realised it was going to be my biggest yet! I was glad I was down at the shore and not up at the earlier rock ledge. The flathead had given up the fight at this stage as I beached it. It gave one last thrash when it was on the sand and my leader was gone! Took it up to the grass for a quick measure and photo. 62cm, a new PB on a rubbish lure!

It was 8.30am at this stage. I was feeling quite happy with myself with the new PB and had another half hour to kill before I had to pack up. I went to Spot 4 next and rigged up the other half of the turtleback worm I had cut earlier. The head half that I had remaining is a stiff 2 inch piece of Gulp with the only thing going for it was its strong scent and a miserly fisho who did not want to waste it! I had switched to a 1 gram jighead at this stage again with a #4 hook. I could cast this a fair distance as the half turtleback was in itself quite heavy. Out comes the jiggle retrieve again. Pretty soon I was on again. This this was a fighter. Was not heavy at the end of the line but was a strong swimmer with short bursts beating my reel's drag every time I got it closer. I saw a flash of silver and smiled. I had finally got my target quarry. It looked decent as well and on measurement came to 32cm another PB! How's that for a wasted bit of a lure!

I called it quits soon after. Quite a day! As I pack up, people stream past for their morning walk or cycle. As I drive to work, I resolve to post the day on Fishraider and put a bit of detail in it. It's been about 7 months since I started fishing and I owe a lot of my fun today on what I've learnt through Fishraider. Enjoy ...

[Flightmanager]

What a cracker of a report!! Scored some great fish there , congrats on the PB lizard !

Ross

[Chris 55]

Pmak great to hear you got a double PB

You showed that not only have you learnt how to

improve your fishing from your fellow Raiders and

their willingness to share information but you have

continued that standard but the concise quality of

your detailed post and willingness to detail a spot

that will produce

Hats off to you

Chris

[mrsswordfisherman]

Pmak great to hear you got a double PB

You showed that not only have you learnt how to

improve your fishing from your fellow Raiders and

their willingness to share information but you have

continued that standard but the concise quality of

your detailed post and willingness to detail a spot

that will produce

Hats off to you

Chris

Very well said Chris

Your reports are excellent pmak and a great contribution to our site.

You have learned lots in 7 months.

Thank you for sharing with us.

Cheers mrsswordfisherman

[Guest rzep]

Well done on a top session there pmak.

Some nice fish there and a top report mate.

It is the members willingness to share info, like your post, that makes this a great site.

[crystalliser]

Top report pmak! Well bloody done on your pbs! That 62 sure looks huge. Cheapies are good lures too mate, and it's good to hear u're reycling your softies as well. Yeah, rodd point is quite a good place for luring, particularly ideal for any type of wind conditions IMO, but it does gets a little snaggy. Well, that's why there are fishes there, isn't it? Once again, u did well mate, keep the reports coming in.

Cheers

Ronald