Fishing The Hawkesbury Tides

[georgieboy]

hey guys

Just wondering what your tactics are for fishing the hawkesbury when the tide is at its strongest. A lot of the time i whack on a big sinker and fish the middle of the river, but sometimes my sinker won't touch bottom, it just gets carried away with the tide.

Do you think i should jst keep adding weight until i hit bottom(and my rod is bending under the weight!!!) or should i b looking for corners sheltered from the current?

Would love to anchor under one of the bridges and try and get a Jew but the tide is always too strong

[slinkymalinky]

G'day Georgieboy,

Jewgaffer is the one to answer this question..... having fished with him on the Hawkesbury I'm convinced that he is on first name speaking terms with every rock, ledge, eddy, snag and reef in the system.

Over to you Byron......

Cheers, Slinky

[flatty hunter626]

hey guys

Just wondering what your tactics are for fishing the hawkesbury when the tide is at its strongest. A lot of the time i whack on a big sinker and fish the middle of the river, but sometimes my sinker won't touch bottom, it just gets carried away with the tide.

Do you think i should jst keep adding weight until i hit bottom(and my rod is bending under the weight!!!) or should i b looking for corners sheltered from the current?

Would love to anchor under one of the bridges and try and get a Jew but the tide is always too strong

some spots in the hawkesbury just arnt worth trying to fish when the tide is running hard. at these times you are just better off finding somewhere with little tidal flow. when fishin for jewies the max weight i ever go up to is a number 4 snapper lead and that is only for fishing somewhere like bar point when it is really running.

[georgieboy]

some spots in the hawkesbury just arnt worth trying to fish when the tide is running hard. at these times you are just better off finding somewhere with little tidal flow. when fishin for jewies the max weight i ever go up to is a number 4 snapper lead and that is only for fishing somewhere like bar point when it is really running.

yeh im not a fan of using heavy weight, mainly cuz my rods are pretty lightweight. The tide is insane sometimes tho in the middle of the river, might try find me some sheltered corners, got an all nighter locked in for next thurs hope the weather clears up!

[jewgaffer]

Hi Georgieboy.

Don't be afraid to fish out in the open with heavy lead in fast currents in rivers such as the Hawkesbury. You've just got to watch for and recognise other bites thru constantly bent rods to know what's happening with the bait situation on the other end of the line.

Jew might either run the drag or you might see a quick headshake or two like a heavy bream bite that you can feel as a heavy shudder at the hand rail that a metal rod holder may be on. That's if your fast enough to notice it or in a position to feel it which I do while holding on the hand rail when I'm sitting on my chair.

Then, as the jew runs off the jew immediately gets hooked up on the very tight drag that I use. Very tight drag so that I can just turn the reel is the way I chose to fish, although I give my larger live baits some leeway and wait until the jew has taken the bait completely as I do with dead baits anyway but using very tight drag as I said above.I never put my hands on a rod or take it out of a metal rod holder until it's all over for the jew.

The sesson to which Slinkymalinky refers, the current was so fast that we had to borrow a buoy at one stage and even the take home fish had not much fight left in them, due to the current, and trying to drag the heavy lead along against the line bloom out with the rod already bent to near hook up force as well.

If one way doesn't work don't wait around, different thinking is just waiting to be tried and is often called for when fishing for jewfish.

When I opted to fish the fast sections of the river, when it did not look right around the points at the time, we still got 5 jew on the day between Arked, Slinky and myself.

Cheers

jewgaffer

EDIT: PS Mind you when I mention very tight drag I use 80lb Braid and 60- 80lbs leader on 50lb fast action but sensitive for line rating, U.S. made ugly stik Tiger rods. Everyone I know used 40lb or 50lbs mono when I was a youth and still do off the rocks, because that was the maximum that would coil off the Alveys without causing some problem or other.

JG

Edited June 19, 2008 by jewgaffer

[georgieboy]

Hi Georgieboy.

Don't be afraid to fish out in the open with heavy lead in fast currents in rivers such as the Hawkesbury. You've just got to watch for and recognise other bites thru constantly bent rods to know what's happening with the bait situation on the other end of the line.

Jew might either run the drag or you might see a quick headshake or two like a heavy bream bite that you can feel as a heavy shudder at the hand rail that a metal rod holder may be on. That's if your fast enough to notice it or in a position to feel it which I do while holding on the hand rail when I'm sitting on my chair.

Then, as the jew runs off the jew immediately gets hooked up on the very tight drag that I use. Very tight drag so that I can just turn the reel is the way I chose to fish, although I give my larger live baits some leeway and wait until the jew has taken the bait completely as I do with dead baits anyway, and I never put my hands on a rod or take it out of a metal rod holder until it's all over for the jew.

The sesson to which Slinkymalinky refers, the current was so fast that we had to borrow a buoy at one stage and even the take home fish had not much fight left in them, due to the current, and trying to drag the heavy lead along against the line bloom out with the rod already bent to near hook up force as well.

If one way doesn't work don't wait around, different thinking is just waiting to be tried and is often called for when fishing for jewfish.

When I opted to fish the fast sections of the river, when it did not look right around the points at the time, we still got 5 jew on the day between Arked, Slinky and myself.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Hey Jewgaffer

Thanks for the great advice, doesnt take a genius to kno that you definetly know everythin there is to know about jewies!! I will try using some heavier lead in more exposed areas and hopefully see some results.

Your advice about a tight drag seems pretty sound considering i lost what i think was jew a few weeks ago when something slammed my bait and my reel ended up bird nesting becuase my drag was on way 2 light. Having said that a few months ago i had the pleasure of seein my unsuspecting mate's rod get pulled from the boat only for the reel to catch on the side of the boat on teh way out and consequently bag a nice 3.5kg schoolie so i wont be puttin my drag on too tight , esp as us boys tend to get a bit distracted when things go quiet!!

thanks again for the advice, much appreciated!!!

georgieboy

Edited June 19, 2008 by georgieboy

[jewgaffer]

Hi Georgieboy I must have been editing while you were replying to my post. Best read my post again. Having solid metal rod holders are the key to using the very tight drag which I use as mentioned.

I will not put my rods and reels in plastic rod holders and especially including rail mounts under any circumstances, no matter what I'm fishing for.

I had also added a note as to my gear as a PS, that so you won't think light gear is anwhere in my equation for fishing for jewfish but a strong and sensitive rod oh yes !!! With a spot on rod, you still get the fish playing fun without losing a good fish on an underweight line on a heavy duty spinning reel with a good spool distance and a heavy line rating for braid lines with their low diametres

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited June 19, 2008 by jewgaffer

[georgieboy]

Hi Georgieboy I must have been editing while you were replying to my post. Best read my post again. Having solid metal rod holders are the key to using the very tight drag which I use as mentioned.

I will not put my rods and reels in plastic rod holders and especially including rail mounts under any circumstances, no matter what I'm fishing for.

I had also added a note as to my gear as a PS, that so you won't think light gear is anwhere in my equation for fishing for jewfish but a strong and sensitive rod oh yes !!! With a spot on rod, you still get the fish playing fun without losing a good fish on an underweight line on a heavy duty spinning reel with a good spool distance and a heavy line rating for braid lines with their low diametres

Cheers

jewgaffer

ahh ok, makes alot of sense, too bad the hire boats we use don't have rod holders Also sounds like i mite need to start updating the old equipment if i'm going to get serious!Thanx again for the info, was just wondering though for got 2 ask, when the tides are strong and ur fishing with 3 other blokes, whats teh best way 2 ensure that all your rigs don't basically get taken to the same spot by teh strong tide?just add more weight? because it seems very futile only having baits down in the one general area instead of 360 degrees around the boat.

thanx again

georgieboy

[jewgaffer]

ahh ok, makes alot of sense, too bad the hire boats we use don't have rod holders Also sounds like i mite need to start updating the old equipment if i'm going to get serious!Thanx again for the info, was just wondering though for got 2 ask, when the tides are strong and ur fishing with 3 other blokes, whats teh best way 2 ensure that all your rigs don't basically get taken to the same spot by teh strong tide?just add more weight? because it seems very futile only having baits down in the one general area instead of 360 degrees around the boat.

thanx again

georgieboy

Hey Georgeboy !!!! I really like the questions !!! Stirred into action at a mile a minute !! Land speed walking stick record coming up

I like your questions because they are obvious questions to be curious about. These are sensible questions which would be asked not only by yourself but many others and they are questions that really do need answers and explanations.

I intended to do a topic soon, perhaps today on the correct way to manage 10 jew rods in the fast Hawkesbury current and as an example for other fast running rivers as well. The topic would assist members like yourself who, under normal logic would quickly dismiss the notion of running so many rods at the one time in a boat, let alone attempting same in a flying current !!!

I understand that even the most intelligent fishermen would not realise that running so many rods is feasible and achievable and new ideas and more chances are always an advantage, and can be done and done well provided of course that everyone on the boat, after instuction, is disciplined and well regimented in what is a complex routine.

When I fished in Slinkymalinky's boat with my Brisbane Waters friend Grant, Arked on Fishraider, we ran 10 rods to catch those five jew, all caught in the fastest of Hawkesbury currents, and Slinky readily adopted to the various methods of casting and carefully positioning each rod, whereas my regular fishing mate Grant is already proficient in this type of rod spreading.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[georgieboy]

yeh i know im eager my old man has no interest in fishing tho, so i don't reli hav anyone to teach me these things

10 rods sounds very impressive and i cant wait to see your article on the matter, will be a very good read im sure!!well all things going to plan should make it out on the water thurs nite,mite try in the faster flowing areas as u mentioned and i'll let u kno if i cath anythin besides the mandatory cattie and eel (my chinese friend's mum swears by eel, will take more than that 2 convince me tho!!!)

Thanks again for your choice advice, really appreciate it

tight lines

georgieboy