DarkHorse Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 G'Day Crew, Checked the forecast last night and woke up at 4.00am and checked again for Botany Bay. Wind was NE at 6 knots. Perfect. Loaded everything up, attached the boat and on my way. Got to Foreshore boat ramp at 5.15am Two other boats launching and wind was calm, great considering the wind and weather for the rest of the week. This is how it looked on the way out past the dredge: Went straight to Kurnell, nothing. Went to Towra Point, flick flick and this little fellow decided to grab my sp: Continued for the next hour, another 6 about the same size (or the same one 6 times). I was really hoping for something bigger. Decided to move to another location suggested to me by a fellow fishraider, nice shallows, then drop off to 2 meters. Again a few casts and this bloke decided to hop on 48cm, not bad! He was going to be joining me for dinner. Next cast and a 38cm specimen, just above legal, but in the live well he went. Got a few more littlies, so decided to move out wide off Towra. Changed to a squidgee fish in grasshopper. Flick it out, started the retrieve and boojah, it was taken and actually starting peeling off line. I knew it was a flatty and a decent one at that. Lot of head shakes and taking line. As I was boating by myself, loosened the drag and played it a bit. Got it near the boat, and it took another run. Boy I was nervous when it surfaced, it was the biggest flatty I had ever hooked. Some head shakes on the surface, so I remembered to lower my rod, grabbed the net and missed! Oh no. It took another run on seeing the net. Got it back and managed to slip the net underneath and boat it! Woohoo! I was in shock, I have never boated such a large flatty. My PB at 59.5cm! Oh and ALL fish were taken on my new rod, the Burkley Venom, Mexican Racer teamed up with my stella 2500. The drag on this baby is sweet. The rod is beautiful, light and sensitive. Nice tip and heaps of grunt down in the butt. After removing the sp, noticed that I was pretty close to losing my fish, it nearly straightened the hook. What a fantastic day. Probably my best days fishing. Everything came together, especially my replacement rod, it is an awesome rod. Do yourself a favour, call purefishing and organise one you wont regret it. Regards, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.kenny Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Rob - Great flattie session and congratulations on your PB flattie . The conditions looked perfect....I love fishing mid-week and I am very jealous of you . I can't wait for my boat to come out of the shop and my Minn Kota to come back from Brisbane, hopefully I will have them back in the water by the last weekend of November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sienna2500 Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 very nice flatties! I really like that picture that you captured of botany bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Well done Rob, and congrats on a new PB! That is an impressive outfit you have. Great to hear that it lived up to your expectations. Sounds like you had a very memorable bay. Catch up with you soon! Cheers Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgs84 Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Nice Work ! It was nearly the one that got away judging by that hook Morgs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captin Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Well done, great report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hatte Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 How good is that!!!!! Good to see you got into a few fish mate, 60cm lizard is a cracker fish for those areas you fished!!!!!! Ps, Try and get some TT jig heads mate, they are a little more pricey than your average jig head but i guarantee they will never open up like the one in the pic.. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musty Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Ps, Try and get some TT jig heads mate, they are a little more pricey than your average jig head but i guarantee they will never open up like the one in the pic.. Mick Exactly what I was going to tell you the next time we catch up Rob! I started off using those squidgy brand heads and got turned off really quick when i found that the little keeper hook tears the pastic up or even off when wacked. Also on larger fish i found they very often opened up. TT's are the only jig heads i will use and go the heavy gauge ones denoted by a "H" after the hook size. Well done on the PB mate thats only a taste of things to come! Musty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHorse Posted November 18, 2010 Author Share Posted November 18, 2010 Thank you ALL for your kind replies and for all your help and encouragement! I am not very happy with the Squidgy heads. As mentioned by Musty, the little wire keeper kept ripping the plastic and then they would just slide down the hook effectively ruining the plastic. Will look at getting some TT heads instead. What head weight do you suggest? What about the Nitro heads by Berkley? Will also need to get some more killer tomato squidgy fish as well, thanks Musty Bloopin, it was the positions that you told/shared with me that had me hooking up today, especially my PB, so a big thanks to you Looking forward now to bettering my PB and getting a bream or two on soft plastics. Regards, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Iceman Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Great session Rob Some nice flatties there Nitros and TTs are very good jigheads but squidgy jigheads are good as well for fish with soft mouths Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Well done Darkhorse, I hope you sent that monkey north! Seriously good fish mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musty Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Thank you ALL for your kind replies and for all your help and encouragement! I am not very happy with the Squidgy heads. As mentioned by Musty, the little wire keeper kept ripping the plastic and then they would just slide down the hook effectively ruining the plastic. Will look at getting some TT heads instead. What head weight do you suggest? What about the Nitro heads by Berkley? Will also need to get some more killer tomato squidgy fish as well, thanks Musty Bloopin, it was the positions that you told/shared with me that had me hooking up today, especially my PB, so a big thanks to you Looking forward now to bettering my PB and getting a bream or two on soft plastics. Regards, Rob For flatty or general plastics fishing off the flats a 1/8th, 1/6th, or even 1/4 ounce jig head in a size to suit your selected plastic will do the job fine. Flathead arnt very finnacky and niether are trevally, flounder, tailor ot the odd salmon or king that can occassionally zip past and grab your plastic while waking you up good and proper for the morning! The bream will require a little more finesse though in most conditions. While your at it get yourself some pumkinseed turtleback worms, dont be put off by their length bream love them and flatty's take anything anyway so you will cover more bases 1/6th ounce TT in a 2/0H suits them perfectly. Goodluck! Musty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adkel53 Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 I use Gamakatsu Darter 26 jig heads in 1/4 oz and 3/8 oz with 3/0 hooks. I have never had one of them open up and have caught heaps of lizards of all sizes on them. They have a bullet shaped head and sink quite quickly, which I feel is an advantage when lizard fishing. they will handle plastics up too 100 mm without a problem. Here is a tip to stop the plastic being torn off the jighead - apply a small drop of supaglue between the head of the jig and the plastic. Works every time, no matter what style of jighead you are using. Cheers Kel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusky_Chaser Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Great stuff mate....I still remember my first 60 and how excited I was ,,,,you are hooked now. Keep at it and a monster will come your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hatte Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Thank you ALL for your kind replies and for all your help and encouragement! I am not very happy with the Squidgy heads. As mentioned by Musty, the little wire keeper kept ripping the plastic and then they would just slide down the hook effectively ruining the plastic. Will look at getting some TT heads instead. What head weight do you suggest? What about the Nitro heads by Berkley? Will also need to get some more killer tomato squidgy fish as well, thanks Musty Bloopin, it was the positions that you told/shared with me that had me hooking up today, especially my PB, so a big thanks to you Looking forward now to bettering my PB and getting a bream or two on soft plastics. Regards, 1/8 head, 2-0 and 3-0 hook size seems to be a good all round size for water 2-4m and if your up in the shallows try 1/16 and slow your technique right down, you wont the hook coming out of the plastic between half way and a quater of the way back from the jig head, that allows for maximum movement of the plastic. The areas you fished also has bream and trev's patrolling but you may wont to change to a wriggler or grub style plastic for regular catchs and as the water warms even try some surface lures right up in the shallows areas on a high tide. Id just stick to the TT's mate, ive never had one let go and they keep a sticky hook point fish after fish Keep the posts coming!!! Mick Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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