Got A Few Yesterday

[arpie]

Hi guys

Keith was going for a swim again, so I got him to drop me at the breakwall on the turn of the out tide, so I knew I had about 1.5hrs to fish before he came back to pick me up! A buddy had put me onto some good weed the day before & Colleen & I had gathered some & were keen to try it out. I took some cabbage too.

The water is as DIRTY AS!!! Imagine Chocolate Soup & that is what it looks like! After all the rain we had, it'll take weeks before the 'out' tide returns to clear water again! As the tide changed & the fresh sea water entered the systyem, the water gradually cleared & so I tossed in a couple of baits with cabbage on. The cabbage was the best part of 1 week old, so not looking the best, but the fish didn't mind! I'd only taken a few bits too, so was pretty frugal with how much I put on (about a thumb nail size!)

Almost immediately, I was onto a nice fish! He put up a good fight & I brought him to the net. He was about 38cm & had a huge mouth!

Colleen was further down the wall with her husband John, yesterday, using bait & not having any success, so when she saw my fish, she went home & set her rod up for blackies again & returned! By then, I had another fish in the bucket! A bloke just up from me was about to head home & I suggested he try cabbage instead of weed & so he stayed a bit longer too! Up till then, he had hooked & lost one.

He then proceeded to run his float in front of me, catching MY FISH!!! Nah, really - that was OK - I'd told him that was where I'd been hooking mine!! I had Colleen on my left, throwing up past me & the other bloke on my right drifting down past me & I was tossing mine where ever I could see a gap! It was fun & we didn't even get tangled once!

I hooked another good one but it got off before I could net it, Colleen hooked a 'just keeper' which we returned to grow bigger & then she got a little one that was also released. The guy on my right caught 3 & dropped one, so he was very happy! I got another one & made my tally 3 also. Funnily enough, they were nibbling on the weed, but taking the cabbage freely!

We retired to John & Colleen's van for a wine & when it was time to return home, found that the ute wouldn't start, so John & Keith push started us & we headed home. Took the long route home, to give it a chance to chrage, but a couple of km from home, we suddenly started losing power! I changed down a gear & it seemed to pick up a bit, so we limped towards home, eventually getting down to 1st gear! It didn't matter which way we went, there was going to be a hill to climb before we got there & sure enough, we were half way up the hill & it slowly came to a halt!!! We were about 300m from home!!!

Keith ran home to ring the NRMA & before long they were starting the ute with the jump starter & said it sounds like 'intermittent alternator problem'! Bummer! When we got home, I started it again & it started straight up, so hoped it would do so this morning when it was time to go to the garage!

It was dark by the time I came to clean the fish, so the photo is not real good! Smoked fish pie for dinner! YUM!

Rang the garage this morning to make sure I could take it in for the alternator, general service & rego check & then went to start her up - Dead as a DODO!! Tried our Jump Starter, but it was also dead! Once again the NRMA came to our assistance, to take us to the NRMA Workshop, which is where our little ute is now sitting, awaiting a thorough going over!!!

Ah well, it is never convenient to have a motor stuffup, eh?!!

Hope to be back on the road by later today

CHeerio

ROberta

Edited September 9, 2008 by Roberta

[james7]

Hi Roberta. Sorry to hear about the car problems. Hope they get sorted quickly. At least you weren't too far from home. Fortunately you caught a few to make your famous "smoked fish pie".

It was great to read how you, Colleen and that other bloke were able to fish together in "harmony" and not get in each other's way. A win win situation.

As usual your report was a great read.

Cheers

Peter

[luderick59]

hi roberta

sounds like you had another great session up there and should get better as the water clears

have found cabbage getting the bigger fish lately smaller fish seem to pick the weed off

over the last 3 weeks i have caught over 25 fish on a float made from a pelican feather sprayed orange at the tip and weighted on the bottom anyway it bent in the middle after about 10 fish so i used a drinking straw and slipped it over the float glued top and bottom trapping air in the straw

the float is now better as i can weight it a little bit more this float is so sensitive no resistence when you get a down

peter

[arpie]

Hi Peter - I think the fish were some that were hiding from the rough! One bloke also got a couple of big drummer further up the wall, also on cabbage.

I am getting some more Weed flies from Gofish Pete, too Should get them in a few days. Still waiting for the material to make them from! I'll keep one as a 'model' to tie from!

....a float made from a pelican feather sprayed orange...... you are so inventive!! I have picked some up to do the same with, but never gotten around to it. It would be tricky to cast tho, wouldn't it? That would be lighter than the lightest float I have, to be sure!! Great for the lake, not so our breakwall! I now add a bit of red drinking straw to my float so that there is about 2cm 'above' the top of the float & in the sunlight, it is like a red beacon! Makes it so much easier to see. Only problem is that is gets a bit knocked around, but i always have some spare to replace it with. Or use a white straw & use a permanent marker to make it red. Works just as well. I also weight it down a bit more, so it is virtually negatively weighted, so more responsive to bites.

Hi PeterS - funnily enough, we'd been talking about having the ute serviced just a few days ago, so it was fate, I guess! Hopefully we'll have it back today, more likely tomorrow!

There are a bunch of locals here who can fish shoulder to shoulder & have a chat & a laugh (unlike some who are so deadly serious you wouldn't want to crack a funny!)

Roberta

[rickb]

Hi Roberta,

good read as always, sorry about the ute.You are unreal girl when it comes to those blackies.

we still can't get out up here.Anyway I suppose you would have to be a good fisho coming from the mid north coast.{ I wonder how many bites we will get}.

cheers Rick.

[arpie]

Hi Rick

Don't give up on them! :) I only took up fishing for them a few years ago myself! Whilst the water is still so dirty, try the in tide once it clears - I was a bit surprised that we got some big ones yesterday, too!

Cheerio

Roberta

[slinkymalinky]

More fun in Forster! Sounds like a lovely relaxing session up until the ride home.

Maybe your ute is just 'shut down' because of the dirty water. Try it again once the nice looking salt water starts to fill the estuary and have another go. Your ute may be more willing to come on the bite!!

Cheers, Slinky

[Justinc]

hi Roberta,

ive seen you guys fishing in the lake alot

you guys/girls are verry dedicated

i was there on a windy day about 2 weeks ago and i think you and ludrick 59 were down there

wouldnt mind knowing what breakwall you go to it would be nice to have a close spot

because i find myself driving up the coast to get some alright black fishing done

if you could pm me it would be appreciated

thanks

justin

[Guest Ben75]

Gday Roberta

Nice blackies

Cheers Ben

[arpie]

Hi SLinky

Got the diagnosis back on the uet - thought it was the alternator, seems it is the regulator! Should get it back today, minus many $$$$ :( Over $200 for the regulator alone!

Hi Justin to FIshraider!!! WHereabouts do you live? Put it on your profile & then folk know to give you a yahoo if/when they go fishing (if you want company!)!

Luderick59 & I were at Narrabeen lakes a few weeks back on a miserable day for no fish! Same the next day, but I was on my own! The lake has been firing well in recent weeks tho, so give it another go!

I live in Forster, so the breakwall I fish is up here! I am sure there are similar setups in Sydney somewhere, tho, assuming you live down there.

Sounds like you like your blackie fishing - next time you come up to Forster, give me a yahoo & we'll get together to wet a line. Give me some n otive, tho, as I will be 'coming & going' a bit over the next few months.

Cheerio

ROberta

[rattsy]

Hi mate

Great fish! Whereabouts is the breakwall? IS it fishable at night?

Dave

[arpie]

Hi Dave

This one is at FOrster, up the Mid North Coast, but most coastal areas, including Sydney, have something similar to fish from. Whereabouts are you!?

Roberta

Definitely fishable at night, but you just have to be so much more careful. Last thing you want to do is trip or slip on the rocks, busting an ankle or worse, killing yourself! NEver fish a breakwall at night on your own!! Specially if there is a big swell!

[nemo1203]

HI Roberta,

Great report report and well done on the fish, your the BLACK FISH MASTER BY FAR. Sorry to hear about the car prob's, at least u got yourself a lovely feed of blackies.

[arpie]

Thanks guys

Got the car back yesterday ..... stuffed battery & regulator, so got a service done & rego check at the same time!

Major extraction of $$$$ from our bank account tho! GOod to be back on the road again Guess what I'll be doing today? :)

Roberta

[Steve Mc]

Hi Roberta. I love reading your reports because I, along with my wife and kids, have decided to move up to Hallidays Point early next year from the Blue Mountains. Everytime I read one of your reports I tell my wife "Roberta had another good day on the blackies. That will be us soon". Being a keen fisherwoman herself she is actually interested.

Keep those reports coming. It just gets me more excited about the move.

Steve

[arpie]

That's terrific Steve!! Make sure you give me a yahoo when you arrive & we can get together your end of the beach or mine, to wet a line!! :) It'll be great to have some more keen fishos in the area!!

I chatted to another bloke during the week who visited here regularly & has just moved here with his family! I told him about Fishraider & I reckon it won't be long before he is posting some reports too! :)

Cheerio

Roberta

[Steve Mc]

That's terrific Steve!! Make sure you give me a yahoo when you arrive & we can get together your end of the beach or mine, to wet a line!! :) It'll be great to have some more keen fishos in the area!!

I chatted to another bloke during the week who visited here regularly & has just moved here with his family! I told him about Fishraider & I reckon it won't be long before he is posting some reports too! :)

Cheerio

Roberta

I might just do that Roberta. Thanks for the offer.