Hawkesbury Sat 23rd

[bc560kk]

With school holidays nearly over I offered to take my two 10 year old twin nephews for a bream bash and crabbing session in the hawkesbury. The boys arrive promptly at 6.30 with mum and dad in tow. Loaded them into the cruiiser and up to Mooney Monney we headed. Got there to find a howling wind with whitecaps in the river. None the less we launched and pushed my Barcrusher up onto the plane and headed towards Bar point. We deployed ten witches hats on the way in a couple of locations. We headed down to the vines for a fish while the crab baits soaked. Well an hour later we had caught one catfish. So we pulled up and went to check out dilly nets. a bit disappointing there as well, one crab and one dilly with a massive hole in it and the bait gone. I suspect a muddy.

Left half a dozen hats in the spot where we caught the first crab and then put out 4 mre in a couple of other locations. Anchored up at Bar point and the boys had a ball pulling in undersized beam. We did manage a keeper silver bream and a flounder. The boys got one each so they were stoked. By now it was 12.00 and we headed off the check the crab nets again. Nothing at two locations and then at the same location where we caught our first crab we managed another. Unfortunately some bugger decided to steal two of our nets, we assume they had crabs in them and off they went. We can't understand why people have no respect for others these days. Most fishos I've encountered over the years have been pretty good blokes. What motivates someone to pull up someone else's crab trap and steal it along with the catch. This is the second time this has happed on our previous trip we lost two nets as well.

Anyway whilst the boys had a ball, I was a bit disappointed for them as they were having great time pulling up the crab pots. The two nets that went missing would have certainly made their day.

I think I will stop using floats that can be seen from a distance from now on and just use a bit of stick that floats.

We were hoping to do better on the crabs. If anyone has had success latel;y and is willing to share some tips on bait and locations, and depths that would be most appreciated.

Cheers

James

[delta hbar]

Hi James,

Shame about those pots being taken. I didn't think a lot of that kind of stuff happened these days.

At least you got out and the kids had some fun.

Dave.

[Longy]

Hi James,

Sorry to hear about the theft of 2 of your crab pots, you are quite right, not much respect shown these days for peoples property.

I think we saw you on the water, we were fishing in that corner (in a small brooker tinnie). First time we fished the Hawkesbury in a year, been going to Botany Bay of late. But we only ended up with one keeper bream of 30cm, and plenty of catfish (which all went back) and got busted once by something big.

Haven't really tried crabbing before, but accidently caught a few blue swimmers in the Hawkesbury over the years while fishing for bream or flatties, but I heard that bait that works best are things like smelly fish heads (left in the sun a day or so) or full mullet (same again, left in the sun for a day before heading out), apperently the stinkier the better.

My sister has had some success crabbing down at Windang (down Wollongong way), she get decent size blue swimmers (and that is by throwing the crab traps out from the shore).

Next time we head out will be mid Feb now.

Good luck next time.

Regards,

Long

[spence]

Unfornately I find this happens all the time.......... I sometimes used to float my nets with clear bottles but worried about someone running over them and getting the rope around the prop. I like to stay nearby now, can't tell you how many times lost nets and crabs