Wanda Beach Last Night

[james7]

Got a call from Alan late yesterday for a quick session at the beach. Quickly grabbed the gear and headed off to Cronulla for the first time in years.

Arrived right on dusk to find beautiful conditions, a gentle breeze and a small swell.

In the car park at Wanda, a nice bloke who was just leaving, told me he’d caught a few whiting, but most importantly, he gave me his left over worms. (Thanks mate!) When I got down to the beach, Alan had a few pilchards out, but not a touch in the hour he’d been there. It was only my second cast when a nice whiting struck. Things were looking good.

After a while, Alan’s new rod started to bend and a nice tailor is finally dragged up the sand.

I gave Al one of my whiting rigs and he soon put it to good use bringing in a fat 33cm beauty.

It continued like that for a couple of hours. Another nice tailor, a few rays, a shovel nose and I managed some more keeper whiting.

The final tally, 2 tailor and 7 whiting (5 keepers). Not bad for a last minute decision to hit the beach.

Thanks for the invite Al. It was a great evening, very relaxing and most importantly, I’m looking forward to eating those whiting fillets tonight.

Also, there was an amazing electrical storm out to sea (south east of Cronulla) which provided a great lightning show. Did anyone else see it?

Cheers

Peter

[jewgaffer]

Nice Wanda session PeterS and some good table fish to show! The presence of shovel nose was a promising sign, their feeding times are very compatiable with jew and jew become active at the same time. Catching a shovel nose at any time has always been a signal to put on a larger bait and wait.

Peter did you get a chance to fish the high tide rollover till around 2am?

Cheers

jewgaffer

[james7]

Nice Wanda session PeterS and some good table fish to show! The presence of shovel nose was a promising sign, their feeding times are very compatiable with jew and jew become active at the same time. Catching a shovel nose at any time has always been a signal to put on a larger bait and wait.

Peter did you get a chance to fish the high tide rollover till around 2am?

Cheers

jewgaffer

Hi Byron

We only fished until about 10.30pm last night. It was when the moon was just up above the clouds and the sea had calmed down quite a bit when the rays moved in. They certainly love the calm water.

Before we left, Alan had suggested that we should have put a whiting out as live bait. After reading what you said, it may have been a good idea.

There were very few people that I could see down the beach after dark. When I left, I only noticed one other person fishing. They had arrived between 9.30 and 10pm, so perhaps they were going to try for a jewie later on towards the high tide.

Do you think that “high tide rollover” would have been the best time for a jewie? Was it the right moon? Also, I would find it hard to use a legal whiting as live bait! They taste too good! That’s a big decision, whiting fillets … or … a chance of a jewie???? Mmmmmm????

I may have to try beach fishing for a jew one night. Do you suggest an evening high tide and full moon?

Cheers

Peter

[Floating_Medic]

Great photos Pete!! I see the auto focus was on when you thought it wasnt!!

Yeah it was an awesome night, nothing like relaxing with a line in after a crap day at work!!

Ive filleted the tailor, and look forward to smashing them down tonight for dinner, hope the whiting are nice for you Pete!!

[jewgaffer]

.......Do you think that “high tide rollover” would have been the best time for a jewie? Was it the right moon? Also, I would find it hard to use a legal whiting as live bait! They taste too good! That’s a big decision, whiting fillets … or … a chance of a jewie???? Mmmmmm????

I may have to try beach fishing for a jew one night. Do you suggest an evening high tide and full moon?

Cheers

Peter

Hi peterS.

As to live whiting they are natural food not only for jew but other predators as well. Even Chopper tailor tear into whiting schools and bream and other estuary fish too many to name, will hit a whiting that's struggling under a rig or when injured or out in the open etc. without the cover of the main school.

It's important to remember that fish live off other fish one way or another and large numbers of each species are sacrificial anyway !!

In down river estuaries and beach areas the jew are top of the tide and run out predators, though you can catch them unexpectedly at any time day or night when the conditions may suit them.

In fact, in inclement weather when other fish shut down jew come out of nowhere on the rampage.

I've found you have to be there at the start of it, and moreso as the inclement weather beats hard at the next high tide, after which jew themselves shut down until the next change which means when a barometer rises out of a low if applicable, the skies start to clear and fish come out to feed again progreesively according to species and swim bladders. Natural deep water dwellers like jew ar not affected to the same extent.

When the wind is coming towards the shore the jew will come into shallower water to intercept whiting, other baitfish, other fish and other marine species for that matter. Don't be afraid to fish in the shallower areas out o the gutters, especially in the white water areas where the surf washes meet rocky headlands and points.

When the wind is coming at your back and going out to sea, you should cast out further or wade out and cast during the run out as the jew often sit behind the gutters and out of range, waiting for baitfish to come out into depths to suit. The baitfish are forced out with both wind and tide.

For example one month you will find yakkas at Gymea baths and next the same fish will be joining their ilk swarming around the shelf.

As to the moons, dark eery nights nights with little moon and no wind are......

Other than that I have never been able to get a constant on the phases of the moon, except when it is waning down to a fine sickle shape, which I've mainly found to be the prime time for catching squid as well as in ongoing southerly shutdowns for other species.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited March 27, 2008 by jewgaffer

[Jewhunter]

Well done fellas. Sounds & looks like a fun night.

If you don't feel like sacrificing a whiting then a nice trimmed slab of tailor will do just fine.

I've always found that if fish like whiting, tailor, bream & salmon are feeding in a gutter that the Jew will be in that same gutter at some stage of the tide feeding on those very fish.

Well worth a big bait speculator.

Some good advice there Jewgaffer. It would serve members well to read your response carefully.

My preference for moon phases are 4 days after the new & 4 days before the full. I've never done that well on a waning moon. Of course other factors such as barometric pressure apply.

Nice report & pic peterS.

Cheers,

Grant.

[Floating_Medic]

MMMMMM tailor was awesome!!

Slow baked fillets with salt, pepper, lemon, oregano and a pinch of crushed dried chilli.

Bloody awesome!!

You know what else are awesome? you're replies there Jewgaffer!!

[james7]

Thanks for the informative replies Byron and jewhunter. I appreciate your comments. I may have to upgrade my gear so I can at least have a chance of catching a jew down the beach. I have only ever targeted bream, whiting, flathead and tailor down at Wanda. If the conditions are right, I may as well be set up correctly to have at least a chance of getting a jew.

Do you recommend a particular rig jewhunter and Byron? i.e. long leader?, size and type of sinker? Single hook, snell or gang? Tight drag? Also, what set up would you recommend for live bait off the beach as opposed to a slab of tailor?

Any information would be appreciated.

MMMMMM tailor was awesome!!

Slow baked fillets with salt, pepper, lemon, oregano and a pinch of crushed dried chilli.

Bloody awesome!!

Hi Alan, I’ll might try some tailor like that next time, although I do love them smoked. The whiting fillets were delicious last night! (cooked in butter with a pinch of lemon pepper)

Cheers

Peter

[jewgaffer]

Thanks for the informative replies Byron and jewhunter. I appreciate your comments.

.......Do you recommend a particular rig jewhunter and Byron? i.e. long leader?, size and type of sinker? Single hook, snell or gang? Tight drag? Also, what set up would you recommend for live bait off the beach as opposed to a slab of tailor?

......Any information would be appreciated.

Cheers

Peter

http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.ph...c=29216&hl=

Hi Peter, I'll leave the rest up to Jewhunter, Grant and I generally concur on jewfish methods. Perhaps Grant might like to edit my topic above, add to it etc and consider doing an article on the subject if appropriate, so that it will be on hand and easier for all members to access.

Cheers Peter

jewgaffer

[heavy]

well done....tof effort boys

[Jewhunter]

http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.ph...c=29216&hl=

Hi Peter, I'll leave the rest up to Jewhunter, Grant and I generally concur on jewfish methods. Perhaps Grant might like to edit my topic above, add to it etc and consider doing an article on the subject if appropriate, so that it will be on hand and easier for all members to access.

Cheers Peter

jewgaffer

I certainly wouldn't want to edit one of your posts Byron. Where would I start?!!!

I am more than happy to share any knowledge I have with fellow Raiders.

Unfortunately there are alot of people who just troll the forums for info, never become members & never give anything back to the site. For that reason I like to keep most of my tips to members who P.M me.

As many of you would know I'm very helpful over the p.m system so if anyone has any questions then please feel free to drop me a p.m.

Cheers,

Grant.