Jervis Bay Middle Grounds

[squidboy]

This might sound silly to ask but where about is the middle ground? Is there something close by? or is it just in the middle of the bay?

I have a 4.35m runabout which is good in bays and so on and would it be ok to venture so far in JB with this sort of boat?

Thanks for any help.

Squidboy

[rodidas]

This might sound silly to ask but where about is the middle ground? Is there something close by? or is it just in the middle of the bay?

I have a 4.35m runabout which is good in bays and so on and would it be ok to venture so far in JB with this sort of boat?

Thanks for any help.

Squidboy

Hey, first post here and long time fisher of jb.

The attached document is a map of jb and i have marked roughly where middle ground is. Form experience it is roughly 2 thirds the way across form longnose point to bowen island. If you have a depth sounder you wont be able to miss it. Also, if the swell is no more than 1-1.5 meters, your boat will be more than capable of venturing out to it. Furthermore, use a reef anchor as it is a very rocky bottom and you don't want to lose an anchor.

However, over the years i have had much more success around the bombora at longnose point and at a secret spot i call coffin rock. Both of which have produced many sizeable snapper on fresh caught squid baits, and kingfish up to 15kgs on live yakkas. I find that these spots produce many more quality fish than middle ground and are more protected in ugly seas. Too many rubish fish at middle ground.

Oh btw, just in case you do not already know, if you want to catch a bucket load of beautiful squid, for bait or to eat, do the drift 50m off the shore with the old prawn shaped squid jig from honeymoon bay to about a third of the way up long beach.

Now, go and catch some beauts

[squidboy]

Thanks alot for the advice there. I will be heading down there some time in two weeks so I want to give it all a go. Do you catch these kings off the bottom slowly drifting or just anchored?

[Seagoon]

Very interesting thread! Thanks i really enjoyed reading it.

[rodidas]

Thanks alot for the advice there. I will be heading down there some time in two weeks so I want to give it all a go. Do you catch these kings off the bottom slowly drifting or just anchored?

Once i have found the right ground i always anchor up. From there i have usually 3-4 rods set up with baits at different depths. For example, I may have a live yakka or live/dead squid under a balloon (to a depth of around 5m) and then a couple of more squid baits down below, one around 10m and another at around 20m (near the bottom bot not on it - to avoid the likes of those red rock cods).

However, a very important thing to keep in mind is that you should NOT anchor up on the reef itself, unless you want to lose all your hard earned fresh bait to pickers like wrass, sweep, rock cod etc. Find out which direction the current is flowing and position your boat away from the reef so that your baits float back towards the edge of the reef. And lastly, a berley trail is very important. by having a constant berley trail spanning from your boat to the edge of the reef, you will enchorage inquisative predators to follow it only to find your tasty fresh squid. I myself prefer to use a concoction of chicken pellets, tuna oil and small chunks of pilchard. Oh, and use berley in moderation, you want to get the fish interested, not give them a 3 course meal.

happy fishing to all

Edited January 2, 2008 by rodidas

[robeebee]

Dad and I got some nice snapper off Middle ground

we kept drifting over it , depth going from 110 feet to around 50

just using 1/4 ounce jigheads and gulps slowly getting to the bottom

i wouldn't go any heavier as sometimes the snapper hit it on the way down