Sydney Harbour 6thJan

[Keofferam]

Headed out today with youngest daughter looking for some Bonito and( for me) some Kings. I'd been up to the Complete Angler in George St and they suggested 12" Slugo's would kill the Kingfish so a few hundred dollars dropped on gear and out we went. The best result was some small Bonito for my daughter(her first) which was great fun and they were caught on a red head Rapala. We tried the maingreen channel buoys with the Slugo but no action. Headed back home without a King and we released the Bonito's on the insistance of my daughter but it looks like she's hooked .

Any suggestions about how to catch Kings welcome.

[fshn4fn]

Headed out today with youngest daughter looking for some Bonito and( for me) some Kings. I'd been up to the Complete Angler in George St and they suggested 12" Slugo's would kill the Kingfish so a few hundred dollars dropped on gear and out we went. The best result was some small Bonito for my daughter(her first) which was great fun and they were caught on a red head Rapala. We tried the maingreen channel buoys with the Slugo but no action. Headed back home without a King and we released the Bonito's on the insistance of my daughter but it looks like she's hooked .

Any suggestions about how to catch Kings welcome.

Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Heading out to Sydney Harbour tomorrow morning also trying to track down a Kingy. Have been out 3 times over past 4 weeks. Have seen the Kings in the water next to the boat, have had my lure chased all the way to the boat only to be rejected and during last session was anchored close to someone landing a nice Kingy (at Flint & Steel). What does a bloke have to do to land his first Kingy? Like you I will take any advice. Better luck next time.

[adzzy]

Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Heading out to Sydney Harbour tomorrow morning also trying to track down a Kingy. Have been out 3 times over past 4 weeks. Have seen the Kings in the water next to the boat, have had my lure chased all the way to the boat only to be rejected and during last session was anchored close to someone landing a nice Kingy (at Flint & Steel). What does a bloke have to do to land his first Kingy? Like you I will take any advice. Better luck next time.

Hey fshn4fn

If the kings are following your sp's to the boat and not taking have a squid or yakka preferably live rigged and ready waiting in your live bait well (if you have one)and drop it in front of them they will not resist

[sanger]

Guys im no expert, but happy to give you a few trips,

Sluggos will definitely catch you fish but not all the time. If you hae pulled up at a spot and seem fish on the sounder but had no takes within the first 5 or 10 minutes try something else, something smaller especially if your using the 12 inch sluggos. try more like 6 -9inches max for the average calibre of fish we have in the harbour at the moment. Also try poppers and other top water lures like the xrap walk if you really wanna catch them on the surface. But as with most fish they will go off the surface bite not long after the sun is up so the top water stuff usually gets a lot harder after 8 or 9 in the morning.

Also if your just after a king any way you can get it and it doesnt have to be on a lure ill let you in on a big secret which you wont have heard from anywhere else in this site, Live or just killed fresh squid...... Pull up somewhere like one of the wedding cakes or other well known spot in the harbour and just soke a live/strip squid about 1/2 to 3/4 down and eventually you will get a king!!!! Try to use little or no weight and it will increase your odds somewhat.

Third and finally, forget everything i've just said and what every other person has told you and just try some different things Because what works for kings one day might not work tomorrow. So try using skirts fo kings.... trust me it doesnt always work but it does sometimes. Use a pour mans down rigger if you dont have the real thing and toe some yakka's around, even toe them round on the surface if its early in the morning.

The other next best thing to do is go out on a charter, the knowledge you get from one day on the water with someone who is more experienced than you will be more than worth the money!

Lastly... Dont give up! Keep trying and it will happen. you think geting your first kingy is hard wait till you have a crack at your first marlin!

[Mr Squidy]

Hey fshn4fn

If the kings are following your sp's to the boat and not taking have a squid or yakka preferably live rigged and ready waiting in your live bait well (if you have one)and drop it in front of them they will not resist

Can also be worth dropping a small bait infront of them sometimes. Had some great fun with a few rats in the Hacking by dropping a live nipper on a handline in front of them after they followed the lures into the boat.

[Keofferam]

Thanks for that feedback, much appreciated. I have in fact booked no no no to learn from a master fisher this month. Meanwhile we shall plug away and try our best. Pittwater next week so ive got a bunch of Gulp baits and we shall see how we go. Sailing so it'll just be pot luck fishing.

p.s Are the crabs in season at the moment?

[fshn4fn]

Guys im no expert, but happy to give you a few trips,

Sluggos will definitely catch you fish but not all the time. If you hae pulled up at a spot and seem fish on the sounder but had no takes within the first 5 or 10 minutes try something else, something smaller especially if your using the 12 inch sluggos. try more like 6 -9inches max for the average calibre of fish we have in the harbour at the moment. Also try poppers and other top water lures like the xrap walk if you really wanna catch them on the surface. But as with most fish they will go off the surface bite not long after the sun is up so the top water stuff usually gets a lot harder after 8 or 9 in the morning.

Also if your just after a king any way you can get it and it doesnt have to be on a lure ill let you in on a big secret which you wont have heard from anywhere else in this site, Live or just killed fresh squid...... Pull up somewhere like one of the wedding cakes or other well known spot in the harbour and just soke a live/strip squid about 1/2 to 3/4 down and eventually you will get a king!!!! Try to use little or no weight and it will increase your odds somewhat.

Third and finally, forget everything i've just said and what every other person has told you and just try some different things Because what works for kings one day might not work tomorrow. So try using skirts fo kings.... trust me it doesnt always work but it does sometimes. Use a pour mans down rigger if you dont have the real thing and toe some yakka's around, even toe them round on the surface if its early in the morning.

The other next best thing to do is go out on a charter, the knowledge you get from one day on the water with someone who is more experienced than you will be more than worth the money!

Cheers to everyone for the feedback, went out in the harbour early this morning and finally landed my first King, it was an undersize rat at 60cm but fun none the less. Had the boat surrounded by quite a few kings only a metre below the surface, they were not interested in the live yellow tail although they did give it a nudge. Finally dropped an unweighted pilly tail over the side and was nailed before it hit the water (only had 2m of line out so a very short fight!). Also picked up a personal best flathead at 85cm which was released after a quick happy snap. No keepers today but a useful day in understanding how to catch kings. Thanks again.

Lastly... Dont give up! Keep trying and it will happen. you think geting your first kingy is hard wait till you have a crack at your first marlin!

[fshn4fn]

Guys im no expert, but happy to give you a few trips,

Sluggos will definitely catch you fish but not all the time. If you hae pulled up at a spot and seem fish on the sounder but had no takes within the first 5 or 10 minutes try something else, something smaller especially if your using the 12 inch sluggos. try more like 6 -9inches max for the average calibre of fish we have in the harbour at the moment. Also try poppers and other top water lures like the xrap walk if you really wanna catch them on the surface. But as with most fish they will go off the surface bite not long after the sun is up so the top water stuff usually gets a lot harder after 8 or 9 in the morning.

Also if your just after a king any way you can get it and it doesnt have to be on a lure ill let you in on a big secret which you wont have heard from anywhere else in this site, Live or just killed fresh squid...... Pull up somewhere like one of the wedding cakes or other well known spot in the harbour and just soke a live/strip squid about 1/2 to 3/4 down and eventually you will get a king!!!! Try to use little or no weight and it will increase your odds somewhat.

Third and finally, forget everything i've just said and what every other person has told you and just try some different things Because what works for kings one day might not work tomorrow. So try using skirts fo kings.... trust me it doesnt always work but it does sometimes. Use a pour mans down rigger if you dont have the real thing and toe some yakka's around, even toe them round on the surface if its early in the morning.

The other next best thing to do is go out on a charter, the knowledge you get from one day on the water with someone who is more experienced than you will be more than worth the money!

Lastly... Dont give up! Keep trying and it will happen. you think geting your first kingy is hard wait till you have a crack at your first marlin!

Cheers everyone for all the advice, having fished fresh water all my life I am finding getting amongst the quality fish a challenge. This morning the hard work paid off and I landed my first King, a 60cm rat which was happy to pose for a quick photo before being returned to grow a few more inches. The day got better as I caught a personal best flathead at 85cm, also caught on camera as proof to my wife who normally takes great delight in mocking my terrible strike rate. The King fell to an unweighted pilly tail on the surface after even a live yellow tail did not take their interest as they surrounded the boat cleaning up the berley trail.