arpie Posted July 10, 2007 Posted July 10, 2007 (edited) Hi guys We had the most miserable day ever yesterday - it was blowing a gale, bucketting down with rain & freezing cold, to boot! Neither of us stuck our heads outside the whole day. Luckily, this morning loomed bright & sunny. A quick check of my Casio Fish n Tide watch had me checking the swell - off the rocks here, when there is a bit of a swell you can get into some good blackies & drummer, but if the tide is too high, it can be too dangerous to fish. Perfect condtions later this morning - to fish the last of the out & turn of the in. Big swells, but safe. Went to Spot A (where I got the 8 last time) with no bites other than wrasse. CHecked out Spot B - fishable, but I really prefer to go with someone else, as extra insurance, but my neighbour has a cold & declined! So checked out SPot C .... previously it had too much sand in it, but a big hole had developed where the water rushes in, so I chucked out a bait (cunje.) I could actually see the fish in the gutter in that split moment when the water clears & before 'dirtying up' again with the next wave. I figured they were probably blackies, so was surprised when it took a few casts before getting a hit. At that point in time, they were there but just not biting! Luckily, it wasn't long before I got a hit & I thought DRUMMER!! But no, it was just a very strong 35cm blackie! Using a stiffer rod from the rocks (necessary to skull drag them up the cliff & away from snags) makes them appear to fight harder than the soft tipped, normal blackie rod - they also really do work as a shock absorber! Despatched him & put him in a rock pool, then re-baited & chucked out again. ALmost immediately, another solid fish on .... this time a nice bream, about 33cm. About 15 mins later, got the final fish, another 35cm blackie. Then the swell started coming in again & they went off the bite - it got a bit cold then as we had also had a shower of rain, but not enough to send me home at that point whilst the fish were biting! I have dealt with the bream the same way as the blackies, so next time I have a fish meal, I won't tell Keith which fish he is eating - see if he can tell the difference! Cheerio for now Roberta Just so pleased to get into some fish again!! I am looking at the sea as I type & thinking - gee it looks good! But the rain clouds & cold temps are putting me off going out again! Maybe tomorrow.... Edited December 25, 2008 by Roberta
TheDiko Posted July 10, 2007 Posted July 10, 2007 Cunje is ur new best friend I see. Can't wait to get out for a fish myself, that won't be till Thursday and even then it may be too windy to fish Good work IFS
chocofallon Posted July 10, 2007 Posted July 10, 2007 Hey Roberta nice feed you have there. I'm keen to use some Cunje I've only ever used cabbage weed. Can I ask a quick question, the blackies a cut from the head down is this too bleed them or something? I usually take the stomache lining out of them but is there some other tips you use to prepare them? Great catch, Joe
arpie Posted July 10, 2007 Author Posted July 10, 2007 Hi Gohardorgohome - I usually fish the breakwall here at Forster (the entrance to Wallis Lake) but have had no joy there over the last 2 weeks, so have reverted to fishing the rough water off the rocks near Burgess Beach today (just around the corner from One Mile.) Hi IFishSick - I usually only use it as a last resort, as it is soooo smelly & difficult to get the smell off your hands! However, the blackies love it in the rough & this is the first bream I have caught on it. WHen the fishing gets tough, use the smelly stuff!! (A poet & didn't know it!) Hi chocofallon - I also usually use weed or cabbage for blackies (off the breakwall, anyway) but in the rough water, cunje works a treat! I usually chop them from the head down as, when I fillet them, I just continue down & then along the tummy, taking out all the gut! I found that when I sliced their throats (the normal way) I ended up with cuts & jabs all over my hands & they take ages to heal & hurt like hell! So I changed my method of despatching them!! Hi Claudia - thanks for that - it is always fun when you get a feed - I was beginning to think I had lost my touch!! Cheerio Roberta
aussie big bob Posted July 10, 2007 Posted July 10, 2007 good onya roberta least you where out there catching a feed cheers bob
freshpoint Posted July 10, 2007 Posted July 10, 2007 just wondering why my bream has got yellow tail, different from yours...
coastspinna Posted July 10, 2007 Posted July 10, 2007 well done on the blackies...i fish cunje a lot.......always a nice standard of blackie on the cunji enjoy
arpie Posted July 10, 2007 Author Posted July 10, 2007 Hi FIshing Fan I am sure he had a yellow tail as well as his fins - just didn't show up on the yellow background! I could always check the rubbish to be sure ..... on second thoughts, perhaps not!! The water is looking perfect for another outing today - just washy enough, not too much swell. THere was some bread on the rocks yesterday, so obviously someone had been going for drummer as well. Must take some with me to burley up everything! My neighbour has just walked past our house from having a look at the water & I bet he'll be in it too - bugger the cold!! Cheerio Roberta
sparkles Posted July 11, 2007 Posted July 11, 2007 You are making me hungry with your stories roberta. Nice tough catch. In this weather I mean. Arch
arpie Posted July 11, 2007 Author Posted July 11, 2007 (edited) Hi Gohardorgohome Absolutely!@!! The last of the run out is famous for catching Jew on both sides of the wall. That way, you don't get the full on fast flow. Anyway, our breakwall has the 'out' happening at the same time as the 'in' so by watching the locals, it doesn't take long to work out the rig to use!! Most use the big soft plastics. Some favour Forster wall, others favour Tuncurry! I have been busted off about 3 times on big jew when fishing for bream on the Tuncurry side, using bream gear! I landed a few soapies, tho! But I have seen more hookups on the Forster side. Come on up & give it a go!!! They are here virtually all year round! Cheerio Roberta Edited July 11, 2007 by Roberta
arpie Posted July 12, 2007 Author Posted July 12, 2007 Hi GOhard Off the wall, I'd be going for a longer, stronger rod. You have to be able to turn their heads & then hold them away from the closer rocks, as they wil be trying every trick to bust off before being netted. By 'big' softies, I mean like 30cm or so!! I use the 100mm squidgies for flatties on a flick stick in my yak when I am in the oyster leases! Out off the breakwall you have to make sure the fish can see them & make a quick decision to grab it. I personally use braid with strong mono leader - but talk with the real pros (I haven't landed a big one from the wall yet ..... emphasis on the 'YET"!) I guess it all depends where you are fishing & the strength of the tide run. Every wall fishes differently. That is probably why I got the hits on the 10lb bream gear! You lose a lot of tackle on the walls, but you are more likely to get into a jewie from the wall than many days/weeks of fishing from a beach! (My view only - as I have never had a jewie from the beach in years of fishing, but had heaps on from the wall in the last 5 years, even tho momentarily!!) There is no mistaking them! \ \Cheerio & good luck Roberta
arpie Posted July 13, 2007 Author Posted July 13, 2007 Yep - pretty gradual lean out from the breakwall, but covered in cunje & other people's lines! I usually try elsewhere after I have lost 2 lots of gear already! Doesn't usually take long .... that is why I blackfish. You know they are there & usually you just loose a hook or two, not the whole setup! People livebait & use floats - the channel is not hugely deep, but you always cast out into the middle, so your gear gets to the bottom before hitting the rocks/cunje! And even then you still have to be careful as you have more chance of hooking up onto someone elses busted off line than anything else! Having said that, it is not all doom & gloom. As I said before, if you watch the locals & just repeat what they do, you will end up catching! The locals are usually the ones with little trolleys with everything on it (bucket full of livies, 2 rods, lots of gear, lights, long gaff or net etc.) The holiday makers are the ones with one rod, no gaff or net & frozen prawns! Cheerio Roberta
arpie Posted July 14, 2007 Author Posted July 14, 2007 Hi gohard Yes to all!! However, chances are you will lose your hb on the cunje or line as you retrieve. There are some huge flatties there, the closer you dare to get to the bottom of the wall, the bigger they are! THe biggest flattie I hooked was lost when a bloke tried to gaff it & missed, pulling my flattie off!! Grrrrr! It was on bait tho. Lots of tailor, bream & baitfish around too. Some of the tailor are large on the seaward side (Tuncurry wall.) Like most breakwalls, it is a hive of activity at most points in time! Cheerio Roberta
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