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Botany Bay Help


ross patti

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Hi Raiders,

Long time reader, first time poster. Great site with lots of friendly fisho's.

I have a 14ft tinny and have spent the past couple of seasons catching catfish and the odd bream in the Hawkesbury.

I've avoided the Bay because of wind chop, lack of familiarity, etc.

The time has come to give the Bay a red hot go this summer. I'm sick of the hour drive to the HR, and coming home empty handed.

I usually fish live worms or nippers, and can handle a plastics/hard bodies outfit. I'm happy to go home with a few flatties, bream or whiting. Most times, I'm happy just to be out there !. :1fishing1:

I'd love a helping hand with a few spots to start out in the Bay. Everybody says to drift for flatties" off the beach at Brighton" . . . but how far out ? 50m, 100m, 800m ???. And "off Towra" . . . again, how far off ? in the weed, on it's edge, nowhere near it ??

If one of the experienced Bay fisho's could sling me a pm, that'd be great.

Thanks in advance . . . . look forward to posting the story of my first successful trip soon !!

Happy hook-ups . . . Rosco

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Hey Roscoe,

Just some suggestions for you to get started.

You know there is a launching ramp at Kurnell.

I think it is in a good state of repair but I haven't been there in many years.

It's very close to a large expanse of good water to fish in over summer.

If the wind comes up, it's only a 500m drive to the ramp, but nothing stops you venturing out 2 or 3km on a good day. The only headache I can think of is the drive by road along Capt Cook drive, but the advantage is the proximity to the grounds. The mouth of Quibray bay is nearby and fishing anywhere where there is a weed/sand mix on the seabed will have fish on it. You can even fish on the clean sand, so long as weed beds aren't too far away else you will need to have some previous knowledge to fish these marks.

Fish no heavier trace than 3kg and as long a length as you can handle. Early morning does have some catfish but there are always bream, whiting, flathead, trevs and the occasional visitors of kingies, salmon and tailor. Occies and crabs are here and there as well.

Nippers and worms are par for the course. Don't let tide, wind direction, or moon phase stop you from fishing - go anyway and make a note of the conditions and your catch each time. You will begin to form theories on what works and what doesn't. This is how I started 7 years ago and am doing pretty OK these days....

Good luck

Edited by Keflapod
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Thanks for all the tips guys, and the pm's.

In just one day, i've got about 5 areas to explore. Very much appreciated.

A quick story about 6lb trace . . . Sunday arvo went for a quick C&R hardbody session on Parra river near Newington on a mate's boat. He's catching all the fish ( using 6lb trace). I caught 1 flatty ( using 12lb trace).

After I stole a metre of his 6lb off him, I got around 6 fish in the next 10 casts. I'm a convert.

I love how you can fish light in the Bay. No more 3cm ball sinkers !! . I'm looking forward to drifting some well presented baits down a berley trail, and not have them turned inside out by the tidal flow !!!

I do have one of those maps, but usually rely on them as a guide to depths, rather than a fishing bible. I must be getting sceptical.

Of course, once I get spooled by a hoodlum on my 6lb bream gear . . .I'm gonna want to know some kingie spots :biggrin2:

Thanks again everybody . . . I'm looking forward to giving it a bash.

I hope to be posting lots of brag stories real soon !!!

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the kurnell ramp

i wouldnt suggest it unless you have a small boat and 4wd

try the sticks near the oil refinery for flatties and hot water outlet near it aswell

molix for kings

just look for alot of boats or even the drums white if there are no ships docked there

May i ask why a 4wd ??

Might save me a trip :biggrin2:

Also in the same boat as Rosco1... want to venture somewhere else besides the Hawkesbury (even though i love it) as i only have a 4.3m boat... Any help would be greatly appreciated

CHeeRS

Ant

Edited by Anroco
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Shadda,

thanks for the tip about the Kurnell ramp. I was going to have a drive over there sans boat to check it out.

Anroco,

your not in the same boat as me. Yours is much newer :1prop: . Sorry, couldn't resist.

If you like, we could have a race or something to decide the King of the 4.3's on the Bay. Again, kidding.

At least we are all learning a few more spots to try. I'll keep an eye out for you poaching on my new fishing grounds :074:

On the subject of boat ramps, I launched last Saturday at Kogarah Bay. No probs putting in ( high tide ), but when I went to go home, the ramps were high and dry, with a couple of metres of sand between the end of the ramp and the water. The only one that was still in touch with the water was the southern most ramp that is used by the sailing club. They were having their kiddies Xmas party, and cars were parked everywhere, but at least there were no yachts in the water. It was an epic adventure to manouvre the rig between cars parked in the shade, kiddies, nannas, poppies, scooters, etc, etc, etc.

The key is to arrive and depart at half tide. Maybe that is the trick with Kurnell as well.

I think I'll try the shiny new one at Foreshore Drive.

And finally, how far off Brighton do we drift for flatties ???

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Welcome to the BAY!!!

As most Raiders now know the saying--- ITS ON LIKE DONKY KONG!

I have a few spots...

Jewies in the afternoon/night

Kingies mid morning

Bream early morning...

If you need a hand, more than happy to show you,,,

Fresh baot is best...

Next trip Tonight for jewies

Then Saturday and Sunday Morning,,

JFK

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Best baits for botany bay are nippers and prawns for bream whiting but i tend to find i get more flatties on strip baits, this year for me the slimies mac's have been a bit hard to get but yakkas are around. So if you spend a little time in the morning collecting bait becouse the fresher it is the better your fishing experiance is going to be.

Anchor of the second runnway, tight near the yellow markers send down some prawns and nippers on a std beach type rig or a potanoster rig also dont forget a heavier out fit at least 20lb braid and no more that 40lb leader on a strip bait (Mulloway rig).

Drift from hotwater to the sticks or vice versa depending on the current,throw down a couple of Mulloway rigs on strip baits and dont be afraid to do abit of soft plastics while you are at it,becouse theres usally a few surprise.

Also the bay doesnt really get to choppy before 1:30pm again depending what the weather is doing so try and fish as early as you can and stop about midday but the bay is at it's best when its a washing machine.

Hope this help. Cant givaway to many secret. :thumbup:

Cheers

Snooze

Edited by snooze
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I've just moved to south maroubra from the northside. Know the harbour well but need to start from scratch in the bay...

Its been way to long since my last fishing trip and I am gagging to get a couple of kings. Any ideas on good spot to catch live bait???? A heads up on this would be greatly appreciated!!

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I've just moved to south maroubra from the northside. Know the harbour well but need to start from scratch in the bay...

Its been way to long since my last fishing trip and I am gagging to get a couple of kings. Any ideas on good spot to catch live bait???? A heads up on this would be greatly appreciated!!

Unfortunatly with all the work in the bay live bait is a little difficult, but try the drums or close in at watts reef, must burley tho.

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A quick update . . .

I went for a fish in the Bay yesterday ( Monday 21/12). Started at anchor off the runways, then did a few drifts with the gale from the North pushing me along. I'm amazed how bad the Bay gets chopped up.

I finished up taking home a 34cm Whiting, a Trev about the same size, and a 52cm and a 47cm Flathead.

Put back a few undersize pinkies,flathead and whiting as well. 3 or 4 of the juv snapper would have gone 27cm. If they hang around, in a few seasons we'll be catching 1.5kg squire in the Bay !.

Thanks to all who gave me some tips. I hope to put them into action over the next few trips.

I'll keep an eye on the wind forecast. It gets messy out there in 13 - 15 knots !.

Thanks again, hope to post again soon, maybe some pics next time.

Merry Christmas and a very fishy New Year to all :thumbup:

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