3 Nice Blackies To Go With Yesterday's 2

[arpie]

Hi guys

Spent some hours yesterday afternoon fishing Tuncurry SPot X on the last of the runout & turn of the in - landed 3 & kept 2 (30 & 32cm) & was about to leave when I looked back at the water & saw literally hundreds of blackies marauding along the wall by the swimming enclosure! One was huge! It would have been well over 50cm - shooing all other fish away from his 'territory'! Needless to say, i felt obliged to throw some weed & cabbage at them ..... but had to be really careful, as I didn't want to hook the net!

They were eating the growth from the net that protects the swimming beach there & on occassion, en masse, would head off along the wall! I couldn't believe that at least one wouldn't take a bait as they swam past it! But they didn't. I virtually stayed there till dark, trying to get a hit! Very exciting stuff.

Had a funny occurrence earlier in the morning ... was fishing from one of the wharves & the tip of my rod came adrift! Just the tip - the shaft was still attached & only the runner bit had fallen down the line to the float! I had some spare line & thought I'd just tie it back on & continue fishing (hadn't caught anything at that stage, anyway!)

Moral of the story ...... don't try & repair a rod tip whilst still on the jetty!!! You guessed it, I had it all in place & was about to start tying it on & the rod shifted, the tip fell between the jetty planks & landed in the drink! I could see it amongst the rocks, so tried to spear it with the rod tip ..... then it fell between the rocks & into oblivion!!

Took it home & found another tip which I tied & glued on so it should never fall off!!

However, I digress ..... I had to go to Tuncurry this morning, so thought it would be a wasted trip if I didn't include my fishing gear ..... went to one of the jetties where I had heard of many fine fish being landed (including up to 3-4lbers in the past!) I had only ever caught 'just keepers' there in the past, & keep going back in the hope of getting better ones!! Didn't bother with a bucket or a net, due to my previous poor results there ..... First cast & I got a nibble & Whack! Onto a beautie!!

My little kayak rod (re-tipped) was almost bent in half with the effort & the 6lb fireline stretched to the max! I didn't want to risk lifting it on the dreaded jetty, so played it out & then managed to pull it up the rocks in the shallows & only then reefed it onto land! At last, a decent fish!! It would have been at least 40cm! My best ever from that spot! It took a small bit of cabbage. Popped a bit of weed & cabbage on the hooks & then got a double header!! Both a bit small, so they went back into the drink.

At times you could see the fish 'turning' near the poles & over the next hour, I caught 2 more good fish - about 35cm each. Seeing as how I was supposed to be doing the shopping I gutted & beheaded them at the cleaning tables down there, then snuck them into the fridge at home before heading out again for the shopping ..... hence no pics! They will be smoked tonight & enjoyed for dinner (along with the 2 from yesterday.)

Yippee!! So pleased to see a couple of decent fish in the system. There have been a few complaints from locals that the season started late & finished early this year! I think they packed their gear up too early!

I hope to get the yak out tomorrow & try near the leases, where there are always some monster! I am assuming the weather is going to be OK. It is a bit windy & overcast today & they are threatening rain .... but Hey! The fish are wet already ....

Cheerio for now

Roberta

There were a stack of fine mullet there today, too! They would be just as nice, smoked, too! I keep forgetting to take some bread along tho! Perhaps I could approach someone in their home & offer a trade .... fish for bread??

Edited October 25, 2007 by Roberta

[bart]

Hi Roberta,

I know what you are taking about re those blackfish at Tuncurry.When we were up there for the Fishraider weekend in June we spotted those monsters feeding on the swimming pool net. There were literally hundreds and some I would say over 45-50cm. It was a great sight watching them, however we continued on our sunday walk and let them be. Obviously they had no intention of looking for greenweed on the end of the hook at that stage of the year. Good to see you are still at em. Leave some for next year eh!.

Cheers Bart

[arpie]

Hi Bart

THe day after the blackie social, my brother Sails & I were out in our yaks & couldn't believe the size of the ones hanging around the leases!!! I would advise anyone attending the next blackie social to try & be in a boat/yak on at least one of the days & stick close to the leases! They are humongous! You may lose a bit of tackle, but you may catch a whopper!

Cheerio

Roberta

[luderick59]

hi roberta

fished mona vale rocks today with mate after 1hr he caught a blackie about 30cm next hour not a down

tried 5 different spots still nothing at one spot float got snagged as i was pulling it free, line was wrapped around rod tip as i pulled off came the tip lucky i retrieved my float

thought i would try again without missing tip 1st cast huge down and im on said to mate this is a big blackie as i played it closer to the edge down itwent on a big run drummer . another few minutes i was winning and then snap ah well

next cast on again this time alarge blackie as i was sliding him up the rocks noticed pelicanright

behind me ready to grab fish so eased off pressure you guessed it snap

anyway turned out a fun day

peter

[arpie]

Hi Peter

At least you were getting the downs & hooking them ..... shame about losing all those big ones tho!! Specially the big drummer on the rod with no tip! Got your float back tho!

I know what you are saying about fishing all your spots till you find one that is firing! All the more reason to get the yak out! I know they are there!!

Found a nice spot for good cabbage that no-one else seems to know about just now .... I wonder for how long!! Nice long leafy unchewed stuff!! I actually let it dry out a bit - it rehydrates as soon as it hits the water .... just like the Japanese & their dried seaweed & mushies!

Better luck next time .... or upgrade to 15lb tippet!

Cheerio

Roberta

[luderick59]

hi roberta

try putting cabbage in egg cartons it dries it out slowly and rehydrateswhen wet and it dosent smell

peter