Harbour Blackfish

[andrew399]

Iv never fished for blackfish before but i always see heaps of bigguns under my moored boat so i was thinking of giving them a crack. Just thought id ask for some advice off the people that know what they are doing... First off, is 4lb main line with 8lb flourocarbon trace ok or is that main line too light? Also wha tsize hooks are the go, about a 10? And lasly where is a reliable place to get green weed and cabbage from? I was going to get some from the fairlight pool as throughout summer the green weed was running wild in there, so much that it was a bit seedy to swim in it, but they must have cleaned it all out because i went down today and it was clean as! Thanks in advance for any tips guys!

[ophet]

Iv never fished for blackfish before but i always see heaps of bigguns under my moored boat so i was thinking of giving them a crack. Just thought id ask for some advice off the people that know what they are doing... First off, is 4lb main line with 8lb flourocarbon trace ok or is that main line too light? Also wha tsize hooks are the go, about a 10? And lasly where is a reliable place to get green weed and cabbage from? I was going to get some from the fairlight pool as throughout summer the green weed was running wild in there, so much that it was a bit seedy to swim in it, but they must have cleaned it all out because i went down today and it was clean as! Thanks in advance for any tips guys!

Mate, I would personally go 8lb main, and 6lb mono. There is no need for fluoro for blackfish, they do not have sharp teeth, and rarely do they brick you - unless fishing from the rocks and you tangle with drummer.

Size 10 is good, as well as size 8. Depends on the weed you use and the size of dish.

I would try to find weed near where you are fishing. Normally scrape off weed from the rocks you are fishing for berley (berley is key when niggering)/

When fishing from a boat, you need to have a bucket of sand and mix in the weed for berley.

I hear Narrabeen lake is good for weed, although I have never gotten any from there.

Haven't niggered for over ten years, so have no idea where to get the weed.

Another important thing is to get the weight of the float correct, try to weight it so the tip of the float is just above the water, the blackfish are sensitive to heavy floats - again depends on where you are fishing.

Good luck, they are great fun to catch on light gear and flexible rod.

[twoducks]

Mate, I would personally go 8lb main, and 6lb mono. There is no need for fluoro for blackfish, they do not have sharp teeth, and rarely do they brick you - unless fishing from the rocks and you tangle with drummer.

Size 10 is good, as well as size 8. Depends on the weed you use and the size of dish.

I would try to find weed near where you are fishing. Normally scrape off weed from the rocks you are fishing for berley (berley is key when niggering)/

When fishing from a boat, you need to have a bucket of sand and mix in the weed for berley.

I hear Narrabeen lake is good for weed, although I have never gotten any from there.

Haven't niggered for over ten years, so have no idea where to get the weed.

Another important thing is to get the weight of the float correct, try to weight it so the tip of the float is just above the water, the blackfish are sensitive to heavy floats - again depends on where you are fishing.

Good luck, they are great fun to catch on light gear and flexible rod.

Some of the best advice ive heard.

Father inlaw is a gun as is the wife, All ill add is dont be afraid to use bucket of sand burley mix for bank or shore fishing as well.

And if nothings happening throw a rock in, and wait 2 minutes and they will come and investigate.

How do i know ive seen my father in law do it, and we have come home with a feed or two for sure

Cheers

Twoducks

[roosterman]

hi dicko,

i grew up fishing for blackfish,they are great fighters and top table tucker if caught yourself cleaned and bled properly. i used to go 10lb mono main with a 4 - 6lb trace/leader. very very important as said above to keep float as close to neutral boyancy as conditions allow.i use a cedar pencil type float,cedar gives the float weight so you can cast and a size 10 hook,sometimes 2 hooks. blackfish can be very timmid at times so if they feel the weight of the float you can miss the downs.burly is a must to keep them interested, chop up weed fine and add to sand and bobs your uncle.. you need to vary the depth to find where they are feeding and once you get downs/bites your on . if your float rises your fishing too deep so adjust depth a little as fish swims down grabs bait then lifts float as he has weight of sinker.. when to strike is a matter to be tried on the day and usually let them take it down for a bit but may vary dep if they like the weed or just play around.keep baits thin and not clumpy and if they tail you [bite off just under hook] try giving longer down or shorter bait.give me a buzz if you want to go out and target them as i intend to start getting back into them as im going up forster for the social. as for weed,i would try to get a selection of weed if the spot has different colors and types.i usually get mine from mona vale but alot of the rock platforms have cabbage type at the least but string type is generally better in harbour/rivers but ive seen cabbage outfish string at times,l like to offer whatever i target some variety. i have also caught them about 20yrs ago using green wool as a fly but they were pretty thick back then so a nice little fly might be worth a go,i know you like your lures... catch ya, steve

[ophet]

hi dicko,

i grew up fishing for blackfish,they are great fighters and top table tucker if caught yourself cleaned and bled properly. i used to go 10lb mono main with a 4 - 6lb trace/leader. very very important as said above to keep float as close to neutral boyancy as conditions allow.i use a cedar pencil type float,cedar gives the float weight so you can cast and a size 10 hook,sometimes 2 hooks. blackfish can be very timmid at times so if they feel the weight of the float you can miss the downs.burly is a must to keep them interested, chop up weed fine and add to sand and bobs your uncle.. you need to vary the depth to find where they are feeding and once you get downs/bites your on . if your float rises your fishing too deep so adjust depth a little as fish swims down grabs bait then lifts float as he has weight of sinker.. when to strike is a matter to be tried on the day and usually let them take it down for a bit but may vary dep if they like the weed or just play around.keep baits thin and not clumpy and if they tail you [bite off just under hook] try giving longer down or shorter bait.give me a buzz if you want to go out and target them as i intend to start getting back into them as im going up forster for the social. as for weed,i would try to get a selection of weed if the spot has different colors and types.i usually get mine from mona vale but alot of the rock platforms have cabbage type at the least but string type is generally better in harbour/rivers but ive seen cabbage outfish string at times,l like to offer whatever i target some variety. i have also caught them about 20yrs ago using green wool as a fly but they were pretty thick back then so a nice little fly might be worth a go,i know you like your lures... catch ya, steve

Some great advice Steve. I find getting the depth right very important. Generally they bite near the bottom (as this is where the weed and burley tend to be) so I always let out my float stopper to find how deep it is (you hit the bottom when your float become horizontal). I then start by fishing a metre and a half above it. Sometimes the floor is uneven, and your float will get snagged along the drift, so keep changing the depth of the float until your drift does not get snagged. BTW - you need to have a running float, ie a stopper knot on the line to engage the float, if you do not use a running float (ie fixed float) it makes it very difficult to cast - also the strike is not very good, as you strike the float first in this instance - Arrgghhhh, there are so many little things to luderick fishing, it does take a while to get used to, but is worth it. This used to be the only type of fishing I did, until I start chasing pelagics.

Best you read a book about it, or even better take Steve up on his offer to show you the ropes, it will save you months of trial and error. Hell, I have not fished blackfish for so long I may need to get some lessons from Stve

Hey Steve, I am a mad Roosters supporter too, thank god they finally won their 1000th game on Wednesday. We will get through this rough patch, a lot of good youngsters coming up, we will be up there again very soon.

[namesay]

Lots of sound advice on these fish. I grew up on these fellas and learnt how to fish catching blackies. Sydney harbour by the way has some of the strongest blackfish anywhere!! I have fished all around including the rocks for over 20 years for these fish and the fish you catch in the harbour always put up a great fight.

ONe of the things I would like to mention is that you MUST burley with the same weed as you put on as bait. No good using cabbage and burlying with string weed..etc.

The harbour is normally devoid of much current which makes catching these fish a challenge. Where there is strong current, the fish just wolf the baits down but they have a lot of time to scrutinise your baits in the harbour.If you learn to catch these vary fish then ALL other types of fishing is a piece of cake.

They are not targeted much these days but are not short in numbers. When the kings stop biting , I might have to bring out the old GP3145 and have a go myself. Cheers kelvin

[andrew399]

Thanks everyone! That was heaps more tips then i expected! I will definately try and have ago later this week if i can get organised... Steve I completely forgot that you used to fish for blackfish alot, I remember you talking about it the other week when we were out after kings! I will definatley take you up on the offer to! Do you normally fish for them in the harbour or the hawkesbury? Either way i am keen as I have alot to learn! Thanks for all the information guys, I'l post up a report if i manage to get any!

[gretsch]

I tried to catch a few blackfish yesterday. Had cabbage and bought a new rod etc.. I was getting heaps of bites but the float was not going down. I think the fish were chomping at the weed hanging down but not actually mouthing the whole bait. The westerly was making it a little difficult as the wind would blow the float and make the bites harder to detect.

I am going to lighten up the float a bit. Maybe use a pencil float which equires less lead.

I was using No.6 hooks. Are these too big?

Was Harbour fishing.. not off the stones.

Edited April 29, 2007 by Ceph

[namesay]

A size 6 hook is WAAAY too big for blackfish. You are looking at 8,10 or even 12!

As for floats, I don't like to talk about weights like light or heavy but rather the buoyancy of the float. Use the least buoyant float you can for the conditions and weight it so that only a small part of the stem is showing. Fish as light a line as you can and you are in with a chance. Cheers kelvin

[kingpig]

Hear are a couple of tips that will also help:-

Hooks:- I use mustard 540 hooks in no8 for all types blackfishing except rock were I go to a No6 in the same style.

Line:- 10lb - 12lb main and then 6lb leaders.

Leaders:- I use two leaders one short about 30cm and one long about 40cm this can help to get the depth fish are sitting at well.

Stopper:- I tie a stopper knot on my main line with 6lb mono. Create a loop in the 6lb mono like you want to tie a granny knot. Then pass one of the tag ends around your main line and through the loop three or four times wet this and pull it tight. You should end up with a knot that slides up and down the main line to set the depth you want. Put a small bead on the main line between the stopper knot and the float. This sounds crazy but the small stopper helps casting a lot.

Greese your main line. Use vasoline to grease your main line from stopper to us much as you like. This will stop the line sinking during your drift and helps a lot when you strike at a bite. If the line sinks you need to pull it clear of the water before you get a good strike. This takes to long and you will most likely miss the fish.

Berley heeps.

In my opinion float size does not matter unless you fish rock. You need digger floats for rock fishing then iwould use in the harbour or the river. Getting the weight correct is the key. You need enough o fthe float out of the water to see and that is all. I use about 70mm.

Good luck

Kingpig

[roosterman]

I tried to catch a few blackfish yesterday. Had cabbage and bought a new rod etc.. I was getting heaps of bites but the float was not going down. I think the fish were chomping at the weed hanging down but not actually mouthing the whole bait. The westerly was making it a little difficult as the wind would blow the float and make the bites harder to detect.

I am going to lighten up the float a bit. Maybe use a pencil float which equires less lead.

I was using No.6 hooks. Are these too big?

Was Harbour fishing.. not off the stones.

i agree with kelvin, make your float as neutral boyancy as you can,the least amount of resistance a fish feels when he takes the bait the better,adjust as conditions allow.. if using cabbage only use one small leaf , no clumps.. blackfish have very small soft mouths so strike firm but not so you rip hook right through its mouth.i gen use a size 10 hook but if there big blackfish a size 8 is ok, must not let bait clump up,presentation is a must and have seen it proved over and over again.fishing for blackfish is great as your always adjusting depth/ burly/ working your floats/etc and once mastered you feel like a king ..

if your getting baited and your floats not moving you could also be getting hounded by black trevally[magic moments] ive been hounded by those pesky bloody things many times in the harbour,mainly east of the bridge and especially towards taronga zoo area.may not be your case but food for thought. anyway get back into it as they should be starting to school up in the harbour shortly to spawn so its your best chance to get them soon.. steve...

ps if it is those pesky black trevs DO NOT touch them otherwise severe pain,they have poison on there slimy covered body..

Edited April 30, 2007 by roosterman

[arpie]

Hi Ceph

Have you checked that your float is correctly weighted? Only the top inch or so should be showing - not even the top metal loop that the line goes thru. To test for correct weight, put the float in the water & let it settle. Then give it a little 'jerk' - it should pop up, then submerge completely, then come up again, showing just the top bit.

If too much of the actual float is showing, the fish will feel the 'resistance or weight' of the float & will be able to get the weed/cabbage off without the float even dipping - to them, it would be like nibbling bits off the rocks, which they are readily used to!

8 or 10 hooks are better than 6 - I go by my sister-in-law's saying ...... BIG HOOK, BIG FISH. SMALL HOOK, ALL FISH (for blackies, anyway!) The pencil float may be too light for the conditions you are fishing. You must be able to differentiate between the movement of the float by tide, wind, snag & fish. Each affects it differently! If your float is correctly weighted, it should be fine, unless the fish are spooked by the sound of the float landing! However, having snorkelled around the leases up here, like Twoducks says, they are incredibly nosey!! When you approach them (snorkelling) they will scatter & then come back in even greater numbers!

Check out this thread:

http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/inde...c=17350&hl=

We are having a Blackie Social & it is my personal desire to get all newbies into fish!! So, if you have nothing already planned for the first weekend in June, come on up!! Give it a go! We will have all levels fishing for blackies (and other species if so desired!)

Hope to see you here!

Cheers

Roberta

As Roosterman says, if you catch a 'blackfish' that is a mottly brown/cream & blotchy - DONT TOUCH IT! IT HURTS LIKE HELL!

[roosterman]

Thanks everyone! That was heaps more tips then i expected! I will definately try and have ago later this week if i can get organised... Steve I completely forgot that you used to fish for blackfish alot, I remember you talking about it the other week when we were out after kings! I will definatley take you up on the offer to! Do you normally fish for them in the harbour or the hawkesbury? Either way i am keen as I have alot to learn! Thanks for all the information guys, I'l post up a report if i manage to get any!

hi dicko check your pm buddy,

well guys if anyone wants to try for some blackfish i plan to head out to taronga zoo off the wall next to the ferry wharf from sunday sun up till about lunchtime. all welcome especially any newbies as i get a good buzz seeing someone land there first luderick , especially big brutes as they go hard. pm me if interested guys. im hoping to sharpen my luderick skills for the forster social as there a bit rusty but ill pass on any knowledge i have to anyone wanting to listen[my doesnt listen too me so would be nice] .. cheers ..... steve....

[arpie]

Hi Steve,

I'll listen, promise!!! I've only been at it for less than 2 years now, & am totally addicted! Wish I was in Sydney to wet a line with you! Those big fish can give you grief, eh??

Cheers

Roberta

PS Look forward to meeting you in Forster! Give me a yahoo if you come up before!

[roosterman]

Hi Steve,

I'll listen, promise!!! I've only been at it for less than 2 years now, & am totally addicted! Wish I was in Sydney to wet a line with you! Those big fish can give you grief, eh??

Cheers

Roberta

PS Look forward to meeting you in Forster! Give me a yahoo if you come up before!

yeh those big ones can give you grief if you can't steer them outa the kelp.at taronga zoo you get the big drummer schooling with them at times and is always handy to have spare floats as those brutes steal your bait and head for new zealand ..ive also been plagued there more than anywhere else in the harbour by those pesky black trevally/[magic moments/melting moments/mi mi] they can get your bait off without touching your float and quicker than any school of jackets could ever attack a bait but boy when hooked they sure fight great.but no touching OUCH.. my pb for a harbour luderick is 6.5 lb in the late 80's and if i can remember back that far there was alot of heart stopping moments and big .. will be great to catch up when i get to forster, hopefully for a fish the friday before the social.. you can introduce me to some local blackfish.when i was up there last i only got little ones to 30cm,but was great fun.. cheers .... steve

ps well done on that salmon up the entrance,the big ones sure fight well in the surf don't they.

Edited May 3, 2007 by roosterman

[arpie]

Hi Steve

...head for new zealand.... Funny that - I have had a few of my floats head that way in the last 2 years!! I will upgrade to 30lb braid (at Stewy's suggestion) & it shouldn't happen again! Was thinking of putting a rubber 'stopper knot' below the float as well as above (but above the swivel, cos that is where it is likely to break) & see if that helps retain the float! The 30lb braid should fix that!

I had a big 'Happy Moment' on & I thought it was a drummer it fought so hard - it was also foul hooked! Would love to wet a line with you any time you are up here!!

MY GAWD - 6.5lb That is amazing!!! I have heard of 3-4lbers up here (you can see the mongrels patrolling the wall, especially the Tuncurry side) & I've been busted off by one (in particular) that I reckon was close to that!

We all had fun in the surf down the coast - I had forgotten how much fun Beach fishing was! Had been concentrating on the blackies, cos you know they are there!!!

Cheers

Roberta

[DaveD]

Hey, I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it earlier, but I'm really unfamiliar with blackfish fishing aswell so this is all quite new to me and I'm learning a lot. Not sure when I'll be going out for a fish next, but for when I do, I might try giving these blackies a go sometime. Just extremely curious about the whole 'weed' and 'cabbage' as people are mentioning as bait and burley. Cabbage, do you guys/gals literally mean cabbage, like lettuce? As with the weed, what type of weed, I'm thinking the last thing I wanna do is go trying to scavenging for some weed off rocks or wharves and know that it's simply pointless. Hopefully these questions are some things that other blackfish noobs are wondering about also. Thanks guys.

[arpie]

Hey Dave

The 'cabbage' isn't your cook & eat variety - it is just the green leafy stuff you have seen growing on the rocks around beache headlands for years & just ignored as a bait source! Pull some off (leaving the little tough bit on that it grabs to the rock with if possible) & put a small one on a hook (or even a leaf if it is a big one ...) & suspend under a bobby cork off the rocks. Use a stopper knot above the cork so you can adjust the depth (do a search on 'stopper knot') and have a sinker below the cork , so only the very top of the cork (or tip of the float if you buy one) is showing. Vary the depth if you have no bites, & kick some of the cabbage into the white water to bring them on the chew!

The weed is sometimes growing around the rocks, more likely in creeks & storm water drains near the beach - or even in your local salt water swimming pool! Not as easy to put on as cabbage, but not difficult either!

Good luck! Some of the best info I have ever read is in this thread! If you want to learn even more, come up to Forster on the First weekend in June - we plan to get all newbies into at least one fish! Check out the thread mentioned above by me!! If you sign up for Forster, I will email you heaps of info on the whole setup (setting up your rod, etc!)

Cheers

Roebrta