Sunday 30/10/2011 SP and blade bash

[Kaktis]

Hiya!

Weather was all over the place in the morning on the northern beaches, which actually suited me just fine as I don’t like crowds, and hoped the rain, clouds and only occasional bursts of sun would keep them away, but the idea of holding a rod when there may be storms lurking gives me the willies, so I hid at home til about 2 in the afternoon when things looked a little more settled.

Hit up my favourite patch of broken weed & sand on the eastern side of Pittwater, hopeful for a feed of bream &/or flatties (or whatever was around) on SPs and blades. Still on my L plates with these forms of fishing, but find them relaxing and exciting regardless of what’s caught.

Water was 2.5m deep max, and getting skinnier on 2nd half of run out tide… thankfully the unsettled weather had indeed scared everyone else off, so I had my solitude as well, (well as close as one can get to it in Sydney).

Struck out on the former species, but got 2 decent sized flatties, first falling to a gulp 2” prawn in molting colour on a 1/8 bream pro jighead, just twitch, lift, wind, pause retrieve.

Spat the jighead on the sand, and tried to shimmy back into the drink, but I had a better idea.

She went 47cm & was destined for my boy’s (and ex’s) dinner table, when about 20 minutes later I hooked up to her boyfriend on a 1/4oz green slimey TT switchblade on a lift, wind and drop retrieve, he was about 51cm and somehow I got him in on one prong of one treble through the lip.

Could see the water boil just slightly every few minutes before and where I’d nail this guy, and wondered if it was him the baitfish were fleeing, does anyone know how high off the floor flathead will launch for a feed?

Both caught on 6lb braid and 6lb fluoro leader.

Gave the bigger of the 2 to the ex and son, and I kept the other.

Apologies for dodgy pics.... phone camera no good.

(Oh, and he was more excited than the pic suggests, trust me.. haha)

Catch y'all!

[Guest]

Nice to see you using lures and not bait and the more you use the lures the better the catch rate will become as your retreives start to be more exciting to the fish.

Next time you are out try some of the bigger 5 inch plastics in the jerk shad variety and you will attract a better class of flattie and maybe even a kingie or 2. Make sure you beef up the gear a bit with a 12 lb leader for a bit more security if your big plastics gets inhaled by a crocodile

Cheers Stewy

[Koalaboi]

Could see the water boil just slightly every few minutes before and where I’d nail this guy, and wondered if it was him the baitfish were fleeing, does anyone know how high off the floor flathead will launch for a feed?

Both caught on 6lb braid and 6lb fluoro leader.

Gave the bigger of the 2 to the ex and son, and I kept the other.

Apologies for dodgy pics.... phone camera no good.

(Oh, and he was more excited than the pic suggests, trust me.. haha)

Catch y'all!

HI Katkis,

Well done...I'm only picking up littlies at the moment.

I've seen flatties chase my plastic up to the surface and nail it with a dramatic splash. It doesn't happen too often though.

In Tuggerah Lakes when I see baitfish running scared I usually end up finding my plastics hit by little tailor. In Pittwater though as Stewy says you could end up with something far more serious. Good luck!

KB

[bassboy888]

Nice Flatties, its always nice to go out when there is little boat traffic around keep up the good work, as the water gets warmer the fishing should pick up which should help give you a bit of confidence with the lures

Agree with Swordy if you want the bigger flatties, But if you want some more consistency with bream try to go lighter in the jig head if you can and 1/8th Oz blades or even ghost blades.

[Mondo Rock]

Hi Kaktis

I've heard it reported that flatties will hit poppers in the right conditions - so it would seem that they'll come all the way up to the surface to get to a bait.

I've certainly had them follow baits all the way up to a boat before.

Edited October 31, 2011 by Mondo