Clifton Gardens

[brettmann86]

Hey Raiders,

sorry it's a day late but flat out at work,

Tuesday night me and the missus headed to chowder bay in clifton gardens to give it a go having seen the reports of the general area, well we were not disappointed first cast in delivered a highly energetic bream of the high 30's category so we were off to a good start, next up was the missus with a very weighty and rather lazy flatty ranking up 53cm but was much heavier than a normal fish of that size.. probably been havin a good feed on all the squid in the area. another few small snapper came to have a nibble but they were promptly thrown back (UNLIKE A COUPLE OF OTHER ANGLERS ON THE WHARF!!!) then without warning my rod completely buckled and started to scream like a banshee after a decent fight which saw a few choice words fly from my mouth after trying to dodge the pilons and land the fish i was exstatic to measure this flatty up and have it reach a whopping 81cm my largest to date by far after a quick couple of snapshots that big girl swam away as you'd be pleased to read, last fish of the night was another very fat flatty which came into measure 61cm, all in all we had a top night even though we were in bed by 12 it was a good night fishing, also the big bream before mentioned was thrown back aswell and swam away quite ok seeing as how we already had a feed from the two flatty's.. the bait we used was hawkesbury prawns on a running sinker rig (although i would reccomend a paternoster) we also fished at the run in of the tide..

also raiders i have been absolutely hankering to eat some fresh shark lately i know this is an odd request but i would really love some help on this fact keeping in mind im a shore based angler without access to a boat.. any help on this would be muchly appreciated..

[zen801]

Hi,

Go fish Long Reef beach for sharks at night.

Chuck out old fish frames etc as burly.

We have got a few there especially if the salmon are biting. Use the salmon as bait as the sharks love em.

Mike

[brettmann86]

Hi,

Go fish Long Reef beach for sharks at night.

Chuck out old fish frames etc as burly.

We have got a few there especially if the salmon are biting. Use the salmon as bait as the sharks love em.

Mike

Thanks mike greatly apprerciate it might head up there tonight then, hopefully something will pop up..

i'm still one of those blokes who loves a fresh fillet of shark,

[st00ge]

sounds like an awesome night!!!

might have to head up there soon!

anyways gratz on the catches and good on you for only taking what you need and letting the rest go! =]

[wannabefisho]

Mate any beach will get you sharks ATM- I get them round Broken Bay every outing almost while fishing for Jewies.

I berley with slimey heads and any old frames and heads. I use slimey fillets or butterflied yakkas for bait- but I have caught them on whole pillies, beach worms and even prawns in the past.

my PB school shark is 1.3m and just on 15kg- out up a good fight too!

BTW- Fresh flake is YUMMO

Good luck on the Noah fishing I will be out this weekend trying for some mre Jewie and Noah

[brettmann86]

Thanks to all of you who are helping me out on this, i really just wanna get amongst the toothy critter action they fight like hell and taste like heaven , i'll definately be out amongst it tonight i'll try my tail off to jag one, any more info from you more experienced fella's would be greatly appreciated.. just as a heads up too to all you guys targeting jewies in around huntleys point wharf on the top of the tide with live squid baits is pretty successful although most i've pulled from there are in the low 70cm range but needless to say still doesnt mean they're arn't monsters to be had there although i don't know if i reccomend eating to many from there myself personally a photo and thats it for me either there or recently i've had great fights from akuna bay area producing school jews still a jew all the same.. as i said guys any tips hints or whatever to target the school sharks would be greatly appreciated and i'll help out any way i can with whatever i've encountered..

cheers guys again and keep them coming

Brett,

[Basil D]

I hear Bronte beach is producing school sharks as well atm at night.

[nghiala]

G'day Brett,

Mate - that's all I bloody catch! Sharks and skate the last couple of months! Been trying all sorts of things and still catching them - below is one off Mona Vale beach (just north infact in Basin Bay - see Google maps). Not sure if it's a school shark or not but it was sure a surprise to the swimmers there! Was using 3 ganged 4/0 hooks on (not so fresh) squid on an incoming. Also used pillies and garfish around dusk and got busted off 7 times (!!) on 30lb braid over 2 sessions. Reeled in 5, 1+ meter skate in the same place - they put up a fair fight so at least that was fun. Have also been fishing the northern rocks off Avalon Beach at the point for another 2 1+ meter wobbys on outgoing at night and another big one in The Basin (bay) off Long Reef on incoming in the morning - not sure if wobbys are there then will school sharks be there also? Anyway, been chucking everything back so still looking for a decent kingy before winter sets in...

Cheers!

[A.dawg]

good job realeasing the fish

U got flatties at nite??/ onli time i ever get flatties at nite is if the area is brightly lit around bridges ( which is really uncommon) or foul hooked

[brettmann86]

good job realeasing the fish

U got flatties at nite??/ onli time i ever get flatties at nite is if the area is brightly lit around bridges ( which is really uncommon) or foul hooked

Yeah mate i actually catch most of mine at night you gotta be patient though they're not as gun ho then but i generally find the flatty's at night are a fair bit larger, im the opposite from you during the day i cant seem to hook a decent one no matter what tricks i try, just as a general rule for myself no matter where i go prawns are the go for flatty's and generally your standard running ball sinker rig is the easiest , just standard size 3 ball sinkers and size 2/0 baitholders does the trick although a heavier leader is useful as the bigger they get the more there mouth chews through line like a hacksaw hope thats some kind of help to you.

[brettmann86]

G'day Brett,

Mate - that's all I bloody catch! Sharks and skate the last couple of months! Been trying all sorts of things and still catching them - below is one off Mona Vale beach (just north infact in Basin Bay - see Google maps). Not sure if it's a school shark or not but it was sure a surprise to the swimmers there! Was using 3 ganged 4/0 hooks on (not so fresh) squid on an incoming. Also used pillies and garfish around dusk and got busted off 7 times (!!) on 30lb braid over 2 sessions. Reeled in 5, 1+ meter skate in the same place - they put up a fair fight so at least that was fun. Have also been fishing the northern rocks off Avalon Beach at the point for another 2 1+ meter wobbys on outgoing at night and another big one in The Basin (bay) off Long Reef on incoming in the morning - not sure if wobbys are there then will school sharks be there also? Anyway, been chucking everything back so still looking for a decent kingy before winter sets in...

Cheers!

Thanks you im actually heading to mona vale tonight hopefully the fishing gods are being kind tonight ha ha your a lucky bloke i can go months without even getting a bite off from a shark , i know this sounds nuts but i seem to be the lucky guy in the jewie department although im still yet to get hooked by a monster, see all previous shark fishing i have done was on a boat as i've grown tired of boat fishing and trying to bring my passion back for hunting out spots on foot and persevering with all the little troubles us land based anglers deal with, i'm a freshwater fisherman at heart but i've done about all i can do there bass, carp, cod, yellow belly, catfish, red fin, trout you name it and i want to keep the challenge up to myself i have a hit list of sorts that i want to target and well school sharks are my new challenge so any and all help is greatly appreciated!!

Great fish by the way what time of day was that?? and wait till you hook one of that guys big cousins you'll know it they'll put any kingfish to shame in the fight department..

[Matho]

Hey Raiders,

sorry it's a day late but flat out at work,

Tuesday night me and the missus headed to chowder bay in clifton gardens to give it a go having seen the reports of the general area, well we were not disappointed first cast in delivered a highly energetic bream of the high 30's category so we were off to a good start, next up was the missus with a very weighty and rather lazy flatty ranking up 53cm but was much heavier than a normal fish of that size.. probably been havin a good feed on all the squid in the area. another few small snapper came to have a nibble but they were promptly thrown back (UNLIKE A COUPLE OF OTHER ANGLERS ON THE WHARF!!!) then without warning my rod completely buckled and started to scream like a banshee after a decent fight which saw a few choice words fly from my mouth after trying to dodge the pilons and land the fish i was exstatic to measure this flatty up and have it reach a whopping 81cm my largest to date by far after a quick couple of snapshots that big girl swam away as you'd be pleased to read, last fish of the night was another very fat flatty which came into measure 61cm, all in all we had a top night even though we were in bed by 12 it was a good night fishing, also the big bream before mentioned was thrown back aswell and swam away quite ok seeing as how we already had a feed from the two flatty's.. the bait we used was hawkesbury prawns on a running sinker rig (although i would reccomend a paternoster) we also fished at the run in of the tide..

also raiders i have been absolutely hankering to eat some fresh shark lately i know this is an odd request but i would really love some help on this fact keeping in mind im a shore based angler without access to a boat.. any help on this would be muchly appreciated..

[Matho]

Mate well done on your catch. Id like to commend you on releasing the female flatty not many would and those idiots that continue to catch undersize fish pull your heads in and think of the future so we can all enjoy fishing for years to come. Hopefully the fisheries or the cops can get them. Undersize fish = $500 fine

Hey Raiders,

sorry it's a day late but flat out at work,

Tuesday night me and the missus headed to chowder bay in clifton gardens to give it a go having seen the reports of the general area, well we were not disappointed first cast in delivered a highly energetic bream of the high 30's category so we were off to a good start, next up was the missus with a very weighty and rather lazy flatty ranking up 53cm but was much heavier than a normal fish of that size.. probably been havin a good feed on all the squid in the area. another few small snapper came to have a nibble but they were promptly thrown back (UNLIKE A COUPLE OF OTHER ANGLERS ON THE WHARF!!!) then without warning my rod completely buckled and started to scream like a banshee after a decent fight which saw a few choice words fly from my mouth after trying to dodge the pilons and land the fish i was exstatic to measure this flatty up and have it reach a whopping 81cm my largest to date by far after a quick couple of snapshots that big girl swam away as you'd be pleased to read, last fish of the night was another very fat flatty which came into measure 61cm, all in all we had a top night even though we were in bed by 12 it was a good night fishing, also the big bream before mentioned was thrown back aswell and swam away quite ok seeing as how we already had a feed from the two flatty's.. the bait we used was hawkesbury prawns on a running sinker rig (although i would reccomend a paternoster) we also fished at the run in of the tide..

also raiders i have been absolutely hankering to eat some fresh shark lately i know this is an odd request but i would really love some help on this fact keeping in mind im a shore based angler without access to a boat.. any help on this would be muchly appreciated..

[brettmann86]

Mate well done on your catch. Id like to commend you on releasing the female flatty not many would and those idiots that continue to catch undersize fish pull your heads in and think of the future so we can all enjoy fishing for years to come. Hopefully the fisheries or the cops can get them. Undersize fish = $500 fine

Thank you, i released her on the basis that she was just too goregeous to kill , she put up a top fight and did not disappoint, it's a natural thing to do release the big females so theres more of them in the future , needless to say i have nothing against ppl who may keep one of that size if its their first or so on but again my personal stretch is to let her go the smaller males of the species taste better anyway..

and well hopefully after someone reading this fisheries would go down there and look at the disgustingly small fish some of the so called anglers are keeping..

[nghiala]

Thanks you im actually heading to mona vale tonight hopefully the fishing gods are being kind tonight ha ha your a lucky bloke i can go months without even getting a bite off from a shark , i know this sounds nuts but i seem to be the lucky guy in the jewie department although im still yet to get hooked by a monster, see all previous shark fishing i have done was on a boat as i've grown tired of boat fishing and trying to bring my passion back for hunting out spots on foot and persevering with all the little troubles us land based anglers deal with, i'm a freshwater fisherman at heart but i've done about all i can do there bass, carp, cod, yellow belly, catfish, red fin, trout you name it and i want to keep the challenge up to myself i have a hit list of sorts that i want to target and well school sharks are my new challenge so any and all help is greatly appreciated!!

Great fish by the way what time of day was that?? and wait till you hook one of that guys big cousins you'll know it they'll put any kingfish to shame in the fight department..

Let us know how you got on last night mate - hope you got luckier for sharks then jewfish! I landed that shark on the second half of an incoming off the rocks in the late afternoon. Had a good look at it when it jump out of the water so had to then steer it towards the beach. It can get pretty active there in the bay as one night had 2 rods in holders on the beach and flicking a metal slice with another then they both went off in quick succession so now I always put the landing net right in the middle sticking up in the sand to grab when running between rods! Lost another one there when the 12 foot beachrod was literally bent in half (don't even dare bend it that much when snagged) and line was spooling off quick smart but as soon as I picked it up *ping* Landbased is definitely a challenge I reckon so guess that keeps the interest and excitement - major restriction for me is finding potential spots in the same area to be able to move about if one place isn't firing...but then that's half the fun isn't it?

[A.dawg]

Yeah mate i actually catch most of mine at night you gotta be patient though they're not as gun ho then but i generally find the flatty's at night are a fair bit larger, im the opposite from you during the day i cant seem to hook a decent one no matter what tricks i try, just as a general rule for myself no matter where i go prawns are the go for flatty's and generally your standard running ball sinker rig is the easiest , just standard size 3 ball sinkers and size 2/0 baitholders does the trick although a heavier leader is useful as the bigger they get the more there mouth chews through line like a hacksaw hope thats some kind of help to you.

I onli target flatties on plastics and other lures and also live baits...

From my understanding flatties are like lizards and are cold blooded and will usually no hunt at nite

Also flatties already have poor eye sight even in the daytime

[brettmann86]

Let us know how you got on last night mate - hope you got luckier for sharks then jewfish! I landed that shark on the second half of an incoming off the rocks in the late afternoon. Had a good look at it when it jump out of the water so had to then steer it towards the beach. It can get pretty active there in the bay as one night had 2 rods in holders on the beach and flicking a metal slice with another then they both went off in quick succession so now I always put the landing net right in the middle sticking up in the sand to grab when running between rods! Lost another one there when the 12 foot beachrod was literally bent in half (don't even dare bend it that much when snagged) and line was spooling off quick smart but as soon as I picked it up *ping* Landbased is definitely a challenge I reckon so guess that keeps the interest and excitement - major restriction for me is finding potential spots in the same area to be able to move about if one place isn't firing...but then that's half the fun isn't it?

Hey,

got out to mona vale last night didnt't do too bad but the sharks illuded me completely,

managed one flatty that would have only been around the 50cm range and didnt even know i had it till it hit the beach ha ha!! the as quickly as i had released that and re-baited my rig while i was actually in the middle of berleying up something hit my rod with a vengance bent my 12 footer like a tooth pick and stripped 250m of 50lb line in about 30 seconds against near maximum drag completely spooled me!! so that was heart breaking and after a few moments of self hate re-spooled the line and went at it again at the begining of the run-in hit a decent jewfish ranking up in the low 80's but after already having a freezer full of them a photo release was the go there.. after that a couple of inquistive bites but that was it, my old trusty rig still works the same on the beach as it does on a boat.. 1m 100lb trace with a size 7/0 free running octopus hook then a fixed size 9/0 octopus hook with slimey fillet as bait all in all for beach fishing for me it was pretty eventful but we were just fishing not to far from the hospital there now hearing that the area near the rocks has produced for you in the past maybe tommorrow arvo/night is the go for me there.. as i said guys keep anything and everything coming as im really teething to land my first shark from land...

[nghiala]

Hey,

got out to mona vale last night didnt't do too bad but the sharks illuded me completely,

managed one flatty that would have only been around the 50cm range and didnt even know i had it till it hit the beach ha ha!! the as quickly as i had released that and re-baited my rig while i was actually in the middle of berleying up something hit my rod with a vengance bent my 12 footer like a tooth pick and stripped 250m of 50lb line in about 30 seconds against near maximum drag completely spooled me!! so that was heart breaking and after a few moments of self hate re-spooled the line and went at it again at the begining of the run-in hit a decent jewfish ranking up in the low 80's but after already having a freezer full of them a photo release was the go there.. after that a couple of inquistive bites but that was it, my old trusty rig still works the same on the beach as it does on a boat.. 1m 100lb trace with a size 7/0 free running octopus hook then a fixed size 9/0 octopus hook with slimey fillet as bait all in all for beach fishing for me it was pretty eventful but we were just fishing not to far from the hospital there now hearing that the area near the rocks has produced for you in the past maybe tommorrow arvo/night is the go for me there.. as i said guys keep anything and everything coming as im really teething to land my first shark from land...

whooaaa! stripped your 50lb?! that would really get the blood pumping geeze!! What do you think it was? Speed like that about 8-10m/s?! It's a bit unfair isn't it as they don't give you much time at all - one session I had a sandwich in one hand - hookup then going going, gone! Classic look - turned to the misses shrugged and kept chewing! haha

you weren't joking on the being lucky with the jewfish were you?! how does your rig work with a free running hook - doesn't it prevent the bait from being stretched and nicely presented?

[brettmann86]

whooaaa! stripped your 50lb?! that would really get the blood pumping geeze!! What do you think it was? Speed like that about 8-10m/s?! It's a bit unfair isn't it as they don't give you much time at all - one session I had a sandwich in one hand - hookup then going going, gone! Classic look - turned to the misses shrugged and kept chewing! haha

you weren't joking on the being lucky with the jewfish were you?! how does your rig work with a free running hook - doesn't it prevent the bait from being stretched and nicely presented?

Mate stripped it and left me standing there like a stunned mullet..

have no idea what it was but judgin what happened with the jewie it had to be a shark and the way it stripped it i'd say it wasn't a regular schoolie, although in hindsight it could have been a large ray as they have the speed and power to strip line like nothing.. yeah i dont brag about the jewies but yeah i've had a fair amount of luck and the funniest thing is not once have i ever set out to catch one but they still keep coming..

and the way the rig works is you present two slightly smaller baits at the same time thus doubling your chances of hook ups but also the free flowing smaller hook once something runs away from you generally jags in the fishes gill or back area depending on the length of your trace with the two hooks in it greatly reduces the chance of loosing your fish.. plus with the two different sized hooks if something smaller comes along you will generally hook it up if it's keen enough.. yes sometimes the rig has it's flaws but in all it has worked for me in the past, whether it works for others well thats a different story..

hope that helps a little there mate.

[nghiala]

Mate stripped it and left me standing there like a stunned mullet..

have no idea what it was but judgin what happened with the jewie it had to be a shark and the way it stripped it i'd say it wasn't a regular schoolie, although in hindsight it could have been a large ray as they have the speed and power to strip line like nothing.. yeah i dont brag about the jewies but yeah i've had a fair amount of luck and the funniest thing is not once have i ever set out to catch one but they still keep coming..

and the way the rig works is you present two slightly smaller baits at the same time thus doubling your chances of hook ups but also the free flowing smaller hook once something runs away from you generally jags in the fishes gill or back area depending on the length of your trace with the two hooks in it greatly reduces the chance of loosing your fish.. plus with the two different sized hooks if something smaller comes along you will generally hook it up if it's keen enough.. yes sometimes the rig has it's flaws but in all it has worked for me in the past, whether it works for others well thats a different story..

hope that helps a little there mate.

Yes, I guess it could have been a big ray as suppose they are very hard to turn once they get going...my 7 bust offs in that area on 30lb was nothing then!!

Sounds like an interesting rig setup there mate - will have to give it a go. Good luck on your shark quest mate and send us the photos (while I continue my own jewfish quest!)

Cheers!

[brettmann86]

Cheering the missus actually wants to go back to mona vale tonight!!!!

seems i wasnt the only one gutted by that huge bust off!! she's keen to get a look at whatever is that big in that area ha ha ha.. hopefully tonight no bust offs