Blackies Off The Rocks On Cunje In Rough Seas

[arpie]

Hi all

I've been getting a bit of cabin fever here - it has been raining non stop since late Saturday & altho Kim (my buddy from Canberra) would gladly have bottled it all up & taken it back with her (they are still basically in drought conditions there), I am sooooo over the rain!!

Yesterday, my neighbour Gordon (of big bream fame) was going down with his grandson to target blackies on cunje. He has been doing very well over recent weeks, whenever the water is rough for a few consecutive days.

By the time I had got my gear together, Gordon & Alex had about 6 in the bag & were moving spots.

Alex's nice big blackie

Steve & Julio came arrived a short time later & we headed to where Gordon & Alex had caught theirs. Steve had taken young Tom with him to gather some cunje from the beach ...... I bet his mother was pleased with the way he smelled when he got back from that excursion! Into the shower he went, straight away!

Neither Steve or Julio had fished for blackies in this manner, tho both were familiar with regular float fishing with weed/cabbage. We found a nice sheltered spot that gave us access to a nice hole with big waves washing into it & I showed them where to place the bait ........ then I was comprehensively outfished by Julio!! He was using 6lb line on a nice bendy rod, whilst I had gone for 15lb on a stiffer rod (I guess the fish didn't like lime green line, either!) as I know that you can also get good sized drummer in the rough water too! I managed to land one nice blackie. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Julio's rod bends over something chronic & PING! GORN!! Pretty sure it was a drummer. THen, the same happened to Steve too! He was very disappointed & couldn't believe the power of the fish! Steve, in the mean time was getting lots of nibbles & then has a good strike!

Steve's Big cod

Back to fishing again & after numerous wrasse are landed ...... Steve is finally onto a nice blackie.

I left the boys to the rock & I headed back to the beach & tossed into the beach area & thought I'd hooked up onto some kelp, so gave it a yank & it yanked back! I had a nice blackie on myself!

Julio, in the mean time, had landed about 4-5 nice blackies!! My 2 are in the front.

We got rained on a few times, then the sun was out, but the good news was that the fish were biting!

Both boys went home, happy to have learned a new fishing method!

CHeerio for now

Roberta

Looking at the water, I may duck down again today! I need to stock up on blackies for my Famous Smoked Fish Pie!

[ratbag]

Well Roberta (Oh Queen of the dark art)you've done it again.I'd have never had thought to target blackies on cunje.New they'ed things like prawns and cunje at times.But I'll keep it in mined from now on.

[glennmreid]

Nice catch there Roberta, looks like a good spot. when I first read cunji, I was wondering if you fishing the breakwall. Looks like a spot that I don't know. Sounds good if there is a possibility of drummer. Never caught one myself, but have seen people catch them and they pull like freight trains.

[squid hunter]

great looking fish there

regards

Squid Hunter

[arpie]

hehehe Even tho we still have a visitor, I ducked down again for 2hrs this morning (luckily, between squalls.)

I had just arrived when this guy turned up with a young lad & introduced himself! I had just met up with fellow Raider Flanman/Alex, who is holidaying here just now ..... a stones throw from the beach! He'd pm'd me previously saying that he was into blackie fishing, so terrific that we managed to hook up, as I didn't get a phone no!

Alex & Harrison

I was also surprised that Gordon wasn't there, as he often is when the blackies are 'on'. THat was good, as this spot really only comfortably fishes 2 people & is a bit crowded with 3. I also took a much better rod today with lighter line & that is probably why I caught more fish today, altho I dropped a couple because the hook had straightened & I hadn't noticed at the time!! No drummer today tho.

The rock pool was nice & washy & almost immediately, we got hits & then we were both ON!! Over the next 2hrs, we caught about 10 blackies, all up, a couple 'self released' & we put a few back ......keeping 5 for the 'smoked fish pie'.

Alex also caught a couple of nice blackies (plus putbacks & 'self released')& was kind enough to donate them to my bag & a nice cod which went back, as well as an unexpected species in there ..... a mullet!

Alex's cod

THe 'keepers' averaged 35-36cm & were nice & fat.

When I gutted them, they were chock full of maggots, as all the old cunje washed up on to the shore had broken down & been infested with maggots. Every high tide, more maggots get washed from the shore into the wash & the blackies are just sitting there waiting for them!

So glad I left when I did - it is pouring down with rain again now! I didn't even get wet this time!

Cheerio

Roberta

[Juzza]

That is awesome to see them eat maggots, full of them as well. Look at all that protein =p no wonder blackies feel like they're on steriods!

Justin

[Ray R]

Nice going Roberta, rough seas , cunje = blackfish, Hutcho and I have done this at Crescent Head on the advice from an old (now departed ) local chap named Harry Baker, he told us when the seas are rough to collect some rotting cunje that had been washed up on the beach and fish with it on the pebbly beach at the back of the golf course , and he was right , we brained 'em for the 2 days in rough conditions.

Good story and nice pics too..

Cheers..

[slinkymalinky]

Great couple of reports Roberta. Not sure how I feel about your smoked blackie pie recipe after seeing those maggots... ewww!

That's amazing fishing... I'd read somewhere years ago that it was a great way to catch Blackfish after big seas had knocked a lot of cunjie off the rocks but it sounded a little far fetched. You've sure shown how effective it is.

Love the colour of those ocean blackfish. So silvery and with such distinct stripes.

Glad you managed to get out for a fish. The weather up this way is ordinary too and has been for weeks and weeks. Not too much rain but never ending big swells

JH has promised to take me Blackie fishing soon so I'm dusting off the long disused big bendy rods. Hope I can have 1/10 the success you do. Haven't used the smoker since moving up here either so I'll have to dig out your recipe (without the maggot marinade)

Cheers, Slinky

[arpie]

hehe you'll love blackie fishing, Slinky! I put if 'up there' with trout fishing, to be honest - same amount of concentration & learning the habits of the fish & the need for patience! Also the specialised weed/cabbage to find ..... but now we have the weed flies, that may be a lot easier in winter, when the weed all but disappears!

Not that many had the maggots in them, if I am totally honest - why ruin a good story with the truth! I think 2 of them had maggots in their bellies ...... the others had the stinky, smelly old cunje! I know the cunje ones smelled worse when gutting!

I was going to suggest that those who are into coarse fishing to give them a go too! But it would be a bit rough for the type of gear that they use!

THe smoking is sooooo easy now that I don't fillet them! just take off the head & gut cavity, clean it out & whack them in the smoker whole! Turn them at 1/2 time & peel back the skin & remove the flesh! Yum! Or you can just eat them from the skeleton with lots of mashed potato & big salad! Equally YUM!!

It is an exciting form of fishing - no niceties about it - just nibble/WHACK!

Cheerio

Roberta

[Luke K]

Hi Roberta,

Awesome report, and great to see you getting into them in the crappy whether. It's awesome down in sydnet at the moment. I caught about 40 - 50 luderick in 2 days, released most of them .The first lot I caught just before the big swell arrived on friday. The second session involved fishing off a beach in 3-4 metres of swell and pouring rain in about 2 feet of water. I love catching them in the big seas because it's always more of a challenge. I must admitt I've never tried cunjie before, but it makes sense and I must give it a go sometime.

Welldone on your effort

Cheers

Luke