Fishing The Hacking River

[zephi]

I know there are a few topics on this already... Anyway I went to fish there just yesterday, fished off Lilli Pilli baths... Didn't get anything at all..

We burleyed using pilchard chunks, prawns, beef. Had it in a burley cage so it would slowly release scent. Shook the contents every now and then...

Anyway, we fished 2 hours before and after high tide. I don't know if its the burley or what, but when we casted about 10 metres out we would hook those little puffers. We hooked a lot of them, occasionally get some tiny trevallys. All day it was like that....

We did see some yakkas in there as well, but impossible to get them. The other fish would rush in and take the hooks first.

We basically used pilchard pieces, prawns, and some trevally fillet. Had 2 thrown out live as well, ended up getting gnawed to death by squids.

There was a small school of about 6 tuna-like fish which chased a few baitfish and darted off in like 5 seconds. Anyone know what these could be? Firgate tuna, bonitos, or something else?

Well first of all, has anybody been getting much action in the past few days? I think its because of the fullmoon, my theory is fullmoon they can see and eat at night, so they can eat 24 hours a day and aren't really hungry during the day.

Or is there something we shouldn't be doing, (ie burleying so close to shore? wrong burley selection etc)

[A.dawg]

Happened to me the last few time i was at lilli pilli baths

The swarms of trevally are so big thats its almost impossible to get your bait throught them

Burley with Mince meat so those swarms will be occupied and have a sabiki rig with a small metal lure on the bottom to get the yakkas you will get 1-2 yakkas nd the out of 10 fish so u must be persistant.

If those swarms of puffers are out is a sign It's time to take out some lures and squid jigs Whenever there are pufferfish there a fish.

Once around this time at lilli pilli last year We were fishing for the bread and butter fish but finding it impossible because of these puffers and trevally . within 30mins we ran out off bait and had to change to lures. 1 rod with a popper 1 with a squid jig between me n ma dad we got 13 tailor 35-40cm 2 salmon 45cm and 57cm and 4 monster squid followed by 14 under 1 kilo's The 4 monsters weighed 2kg ++ But they were there ones day gone the next

Good luck

[zephi]

Happened to me the last few time i was at lilli pilli baths

The swarms of trevally are so big thats its almost impossible to get your bait throught them

Burley with Mince meat so those swarms will be occupied and have a sabiki rig with a small metal lure on the bottom to get the yakkas you will get 1-2 yakkas nd the out of 10 fish so u must be persistant.

If those swarms of puffers are out is a sign It's time to take out some lures and squid jigs Whenever there are pufferfish there a fish.

Once around this time at lilli pilli last year We were fishing for the bread and butter fish but finding it impossible because of these puffers and trevally . within 30mins we ran out off bait and had to change to lures. 1 rod with a popper 1 with a squid jig between me n ma dad we got 13 tailor 35-40cm 2 salmon 45cm and 57cm and 4 monster squid followed by 14 under 1 kilo's The 4 monsters weighed 2kg ++ But they were there ones day gone the next

Good luck

Thanks a lot for the info A.dawg, nice to know there are still fish around even when times look tough.

[monch]

There was a small school of about 6 tuna-like fish which chased a few baitfish and darted off in like 5 seconds. Anyone know what these could be? Firgate tuna, bonitos, or something else?

Most likely candidates would be frigate mackerel and bonito like u said. Did u get a good look at them? If they were fat little bullets with a dark green-blue on top and wavy lines on their flanks then most likely frigates. If they were sleeker and more silver on their flanks with dark horizontal lines then bonito.

I made a topic recently asking about tips to catch frigates, quite a few replies with some good ideas, maybe you should have a look: http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=40554

[zephi]

Most likely candidates would be frigate mackerel and bonito like u said. Did u get a good look at them? If they were fat little bullets with a dark green-blue on top and wavy lines on their flanks then most likely frigates. If they were sleeker and more silver on their flanks with dark horizontal lines then bonito.

I made a topic recently asking about tips to catch frigates, quite a few replies with some good ideas, maybe you should have a look: http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=40554

Yeah its most likely bonito, i saw horizontal stripes.

Anyway, does anyone do float fishing in the Hacking system, have a livebait attached to a float?

Was wondering if this would work or not, since the Hacking has some very shallow spots, and big drops .

And when I see those bonito swim by, they're quite close to the surface.

[A.dawg]

Definateley although the water is very shallow having a float means access to the surface fish

I always have a float with a 1-2m leader for kingies and if you can catch those tiny 10cm under yellowtails having them under a float of abou 30-60cm you will catch yourself some big bonnnies and tailor. But not having a float in the hacking can also be good for fish like jewwies and Dory's so its good to hav 2 rods 1 with and 1 without

[zephi]

Definateley although the water is very shallow having a float means access to the surface fish

I always have a float with a 1-2m leader for kingies and if you can catch those tiny 10cm under yellowtails having them under a float of abou 30-60cm you will catch yourself some big bonnnies and tailor. But not having a float in the hacking can also be good for fish like jewwies and Dory's so its good to hav 2 rods 1 with and 1 without

I'll try with a float next time then.

[fisherboy]

hey zephi

Me and my family went and overnighted on saterday night on the public morings near lilly pilly. I just had a small prawn on a jig head (i was sick of throwing plactics) and while i was having dinner the rod went of twice and the first time i got a 42cm trevaly and the second time was a 31cm bream.

Other than that i had all the litte fish like 6cm snapper and little grinners. The weid thing was when i brang in the grinner up something was chasing it and when i put it back in the other fish came back. My mum caught another grinner and the same thing happend to her so i chucked a prawn at the spot where the fish were and i caught a little leatherjacket.

So it dosnt matter what is leather jackets will still eat it.

Another spot i can sometimes find fish is on the sand bar it self you can sometimes see hundreds of whiting there but you can never catch them. But i found that it has to be a cloudless day and nice and warm weather.

good luck with the fish in port hacking

fisherboy

[zephi]

hey zephi

Me and my family went and overnighted on saterday night on the public morings near lilly pilly. I just had a small prawn on a jig head (i was sick of throwing plactics) and while i was having dinner the rod went of twice and the first time i got a 42cm trevaly and the second time was a 31cm bream.

Other than that i had all the litte fish like 6cm snapper and little grinners. The weid thing was when i brang in the grinner up something was chasing it and when i put it back in the other fish came back. My mum caught another grinner and the same thing happend to her so i chucked a prawn at the spot where the fish were and i caught a little leatherjacket.

So it dosnt matter what is leather jackets will still eat it.

Another spot i can sometimes find fish is on the sand bar it self you can sometimes see hundreds of whiting there but you can never catch them. But i found that it has to be a cloudless day and nice and warm weather.

good luck with the fish in port hacking

fisherboy

Sounds really fun, never thought about camping overnight at the Hacking... its a bit cold right now though, gotta wait till it warms up a bit in summer.

Anyway, that's a very interesting read, every time I throw out a prawn, it's always the tiny ones that get it. The place where I fish, I've never seen or caught a whiting before... Nor a bream. Btw, what's a grinner?