Kingfish In Watsons Bay Pool

[BalmainBob]

Gday Raiders,

Just got a call from a mate who got a call from a mate telling him that there are heaps of kingies traped in the pool at Watsons Bay and to grab my gear and get down there.

But being a Friday I am forced to go to the pub otherwise I would be there.

good luck to anyone who lives near there and checks it out Let us know if it is true

Cheers

Balmain Bob

[vipernut]

Pub will always be there boss.

I agree,why not go catch a kingie and then go to the pub.

If i lived over that way i would be down there in a flash.

Stephen

[D T Wave]

Just had a mate come back from there......

Unfortunatly a hoax. Great thought though

April fools indeed.. He told me he had got 4 kings in rose bay...Wish i could get out there

Happy weekend to all and tight lines

D

[A-OX]

Balmain Bob i travel from Penrith to fish that area and my reply to the king trapped in the pool is dont be fooled by these fish, remembering that they are very good hunters with lots of speed and team up to get a feed even if it means slipping between the gap of the shark bars. Bob i to have seen them in there chasing squid and have watched them enter and leave through the exact same gap as they entered. I also have lost more fish than caught due to them running for the baths when all hell brakes loose with 60kg braid with 80kg leader ripped to shreads around them.

Beer always tastes better with fish

JOHNNO

[Marlin repellent]

Anyone that fishes for Kingies whilst there trapped in a pool is struggling at best in my opinion. Not only is it a fisheries offence but hardly sporting. I think we all agree that the Kingfish is one of the greatest ##### if not the greatest especially in our local waters and they deserve better. If it was purely catch and release into the harbour then maybe that would be a different story, and i stress maybe. I heard from a fisheries officer that it was infact the case that some kings were caught in the Watsons Bay Baths and that a whole heap of poachers were there targeting them. Not a true fishermans proudest moment as far as i am concerned.

[Blood Knot]

Anyone that fishes for Kingies whilst there trapped in a pool is struggling at best in my opinion. Not only is it a fisheries offence but hardly sporting. I think we all agree that the Kingfish is one of the greatest ##### if not the greatest especially in our local waters and they deserve better. If it was purely catch and release into the harbour then maybe that would be a different story, and i stress maybe. I heard from a fisheries officer that it was infact the case that some kings were caught in the Watsons Bay Baths and that a whole heap of poachers were there targeting them. Not a true fishermans proudest moment as far as i am concerned.

Rekon I would take that fisheries guy's story with a dose of salt. Unless someone tossed the Kingies in while they were about 30-40kg. The shark bars on that pool are at least 6 inches (150mm) a part. If a Kingy was to big to swim out of there, I reckon good luck on catching it.

John

[Robbielites]

Bob!

See what ya started

The beer was good in Balmain tonight though

Robbie.

[Fishbits]

On the Tuesday there were about two hundred Kingfish in the baths. They were circling it was quite an amazing sight. I have never seen such a big school. Dont think they were trapped in there just think they made it home for a while. The school was pretty well decimated by Friday, even though I saw about 20 pulled out in the morning. Most were legal, but a lot went in to fight another day. Was a one off event dont think it will be seen again for a while. Even heard one of the doyles was having a go

[Laredo]

On the Tuesday there were about two hundred Kingfish in the baths. They were circling it was quite an amazing sight. I have never seen such a big school. Dont think they were trapped in there just think they made it home for a while. The school was pretty well decimated by Friday, even though I saw about 20 pulled out in the morning. Most were legal, but a lot went in to fight another day. Was a one off event dont think it will be seen again for a while. Even heard one of the doyles was having a go

yeah i was there on tuesday, there were a quite few, but they wern't trapped they were just passing through they did seem to hang around that general vicinity for a day or two though. i live nearby, they seem to have left now. I stopped by after work and there was a couple of fishos on the wharf soaking baits in the harbourside and said that they had caught a rat or two eariler in the day but none in the bath even though they had tried.

just spoke to a nieghbour who saw fisheries officers give people fines for fishing in the pool side of the shark bars. bit harsh if you ask me.

[Penguin]

just spoke to a nieghbour who saw fisheries officers give people fines for fishing in the pool side of the shark bars. bit harsh if you ask me.

I dont think so, its called a swiming pool not a fishing pool.

I wouldnt want my kids in there with all those fishos throwing lures, sp's

and baited hooks around

penguin

[Braidbuster]

I dont think so, its called a swiming pool not a fishing pool.

I wouldnt want my kids in there with all those fishos throwing lures, sp's

and baited hooks around

penguin

Pengy think they're pulling one of your very short legs !

[injay]

the place is now closed from fishing, things just got out of control on the weekend

you can fish there if you'd like to risk a $500 fine

but be warned there are locals there with rangers numbers on speedial

[Blood Knot]

the place is now closed from fishing, things just got out of control on the weekend

you can fish there if you'd like to risk a $500 fine

but be warned there are locals there with rangers numbers on speedial

They could have picked up $2000 from the 4 guys fishing in there this morning.

John

[Penguin]

Pengy think they're pulling one of your very short legs !

Enough already! Stop pulling my very short leg guys

penguin

[Marlin repellent]

Penquin,

No ones pulling your leg. I went down there and saw it for myself. There were alsorts of poachers casting soft plastics, floats and livies inside the pool. Pretty ordinary.

[jewgaffer]

Enough already! Stop pulling my very short leg guys

penguin

John The kingfish story would be pretty dinki di mate.

With some of the information around its a wonder we old fishos don't finish up getting adjusted and used as a tri-pod for rock fishermen I hope they do the adjusting well away from the oysters

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited February 13, 2008 by jewgaffer

[samboy]

Sorry to open up an old thread but just curious if you can fish this wharf at all now? not in the pool just into the harbour?

[Piss'n'Broke]

The same thing happened about 4 years ago, kings busting up inside the pool, it was on for young and old. Great sight to watch, pity about the lack of respect for the rules governing fishing "inside" the baths

Dan

[luderick -angler]

In all my living years you have never been allowed to fish off the baths structure inside or out it harbours all manner of species as most public baths do. People who flaunt the rules are just giving fisher folk a bad name and really if they ignore the signs deserve any fine they get, really irt comes down to a matter of public safety put tit thsi way do want the risk of getting a big live bait hook in one of your limbs whilst swimming frm some hook that has been snagged and busted off or wrapped up in someones snagged braid.

[LBG.]

There was kings rtrapped in there for a few days a few years ago.... Pictures exist, but I'm not at privvy to repost them.

Word got out and they were all removed by the bucketloads, all shapes an sizes, every single one of them. Thank god for ease of communication these days

[issue]

Its true, there was a pod of about 200 of them trapped in there and there was a crowd of people (note I do not call them fishermen) ripping them out on heavy gear with no regard for any bag limits. I called Fisheries as it was a disgrace to see 20 kingfish lying bleeding on the wharf. The good news is they did respond and freed a lot of the fish. The whole swimming complex is now completely redesigned and is a great place to swim.

[samboy]

In all my living years you have never been allowed to fish off the baths structure inside or out it harbours all manner of species as most public baths do. People who flaunt the rules are just giving fisher folk a bad name and really if they ignore the signs deserve any fine they get, really irt comes down to a matter of public safety put tit thsi way do want the risk of getting a big live bait hook in one of your limbs whilst swimming frm some hook that has been snagged and busted off or wrapped up in someones snagged braid.

Yeah thats a fair point didnt think about busted off hooks etc.