All Nighter At Windang

[PJ Garn]

Hi Raiders

Me and a mate (Johnny VD) decided late yesterday arvo that a virginal trip to Windang was do-able... so after a couple of phone calls to tee things up we hit the road from my home just gone 10.30pm for fairly uncharted waters for us. Now, I know Wollongong is a fairly big place but somehow we missed the turn off on the Hume Highway and ended up doing the scenic route via the Illawarra Highway!!! (Bloody signposts are atroshus in some parts of this great country of ours!!! It's amazing that some places can be sign posted on one sign only to absent from any signs further on down the road... great job RTA!!!)

Well, we finally made it to Windang at somewhere around 12.30AM... about half an hour behind schedule according to my calculations. Having outfitted myself with a new prawning light and net we headed for the Southern/Ocean side of the lake to rummage for bait. Now, I know the new moon was last week but going on reports that arvo at my local tackle shop, I was holding out some hope for a few stragglers!!! With Johnny moaning "There'll be no prawns in THERE!!!" we donned our waders and ventured into the sandy shallow flats... almost immediately I spot a victim that slipped through my nets' holes!!!

For the next two and a half hours we tediously patrolled the shores like a couple of crazed boys on summer holidays... with my waders gradually letting on water we collected approximately three dozen of our Shrimpy prey and five Poddies that would become our weapons of choice. At about 3am with the 12 volt finally failing we decide to head back over the bridge to fish the jetty adjacent to the caravan park.

Things started fairly slowly!!! The run in tide gradually ground to a halt and the slack water suddenly livened up!!! (at least for me) Within a fifteen minute period I had missed a couple of small bites and landed a nice Bream and stonker KG Whiting all on the live prawns!!!! (Live baited Poddies failed to get a sniff!!!!) Then as quickly as they came on... they went away leaving me rather happy with my small catch and Johnny rather frustrated with a blank session, punctuated with only a couple of bites!!!! With the wind and currents picking up and the dawn breaking we decided to call things quits and head for home just on 6am!!!

We took the easy way home (without getting lost!!!) and made it back to my place for 7.30am. Plenty of time to spare to make my dentists appointment and for Johnny to take the kids to school!!! Not a bad nights reckie and work in anyone's book I reckon!!!

Cheers as always

PJ Garn

Edited February 14, 2008 by PJ Garn

[Tony Soprano]

Good report mate, as always.

Either you have a pretty small esky or that's a huge whiting!

Out of curiousity, what makes you think it's a KG whiting?

Cheers

Tony

[PJ Garn]

Good report mate, as always.

Either you have a pretty small esky or that's a huge whiting!

Out of curiousity, what makes you think it's a KG whiting?

Cheers

Tony

Thanks Tony

The esky lid measures 425mm across, so I guess that makes that Whiting around about a 40cm model!!! Sorry I didn't measure it!!!

With regard the KG, I assumed it was one as I thought they are the main species that are taken here on the East coast but may I stand to be corrected!!! On consultation with my books it is probably more likely a Sand Whiting??? I've not caught many Whiting they all look the same to me!!!

Cheers

PJ

[mrmoshe]

Great report PJ and not a bad result.

Nothing like a lightning fishing trip and back home before work to get the blood pumping.

Well done fellas.

Cheers,

Pete.

[bjneville]

Standard sand whiting (or at that size AKA blue nose whiting or elbow slapper).

Never seen a KG on the NSW coast in 35 years fishing.

[jewgaffer]

Nicely done PJ Garn Having a proper game plan, taking time out to catch prawns, a timed hit at the fish and getting results is what good fishing is all about.

Cheers

jewgaffer