jaysondanielgraham Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 (edited) Hay all, Went for a session last night at Woy Woy railway bridge. Managed to catch some squid last night so from asking a local found out this is a great spot to head. Loaded up the 10kg Tcurve and off i went. First bait in the water nothing for like a hour or more, not even on soft plastics. Then i noticed the rod tip slightly bouncing slowly lifted the rod just to see. Head shake and a lot off weight after a short fight my personal best Flathead came to the surface. She went 74cm oh happy days. Next bait instant hit but this time a lot bigger. Saw a big silver flash in the water and that is all i got busted off against the pylons on the bridge. Would like to think a nice big jew. anyway the big girl went back into the drink and i went to sleep a happy man. Can not wait to get back hear soon. Wish I had of got that guys name who told me about that spot because if he didn't tell me bout it I would never have gone there. I wish more people were like this because I know if a young guy came up to me in the future and I can help him catch a fish that he will remember for the rest of his life then it is worth sharing a spot or two. Edited December 5, 2011 by jaysondanielgraham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishingmik Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Nice fladdie mate bummer about the jew mik.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul.kenny Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Great croc there mate and good on you for releasing the big breeding girl . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Cracker! Well done on the release!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poacher Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Well done on the PB, and must feel great to let the big girl go. Sure you will get the jewy next time. See you on the water, The Poacher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aero.gard Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Awsome live to fight another day. Always next week for that jewie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issue Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Good croc, kudos on the release ! Bummer about the jew, makes it sweeter when you get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaysondanielgraham Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 Good croc, kudos on the release ! Bummer about the jew, makes it sweeter when you get it. Yeah cant wait to get back there to chase those Jewfish should be fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Great lizard cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Congratulations on a nice big flatty. Woy Woy was famous for big lizards and in my childhood the boat sheds, jetties and telegraph poles were adorned with the dinner plate size heads of the many that were taken. My grandfather's PB was a 14 lb model taken not far from the bridges. That's a great catch at the spot where I spent most of my childhood fishing from the shore. You'd be surprised at the number of different things you can catch right there. Luderick, Bream, Jew, Jackets, obviously flatties and even Cobia have been caught right there. The calm shallow water on either side were the best producing Blue Swimmer spots I have ever found. I once lost a rod and reel to a big silver flash there. A Jarvis Walker Little Jim Deluxe fitted with a 4 inch left-handed Cedar Alvey Sidecast reel which I had won on the chocolate wheel at the old Christams Carnival that used to set up next to the OB pub. I was more upset about losing the fish than the gear though. As I make this next comment I apologise to the mods and inform that my intention is not to incite another locked thread, BUT, I am sick to death of the BS that comes up immediatley every time someone catches a flathead above 60cm and either releases it or keeps it. This has been going on since fishing forums began and it is in no way restricted to this forum. There are 2 locked threads in the last week over this issue and already there are multiple comments right here with biased opinion clearly stated for all to see. This will only generate the rubbish that will eventually have the thread locked and deny the original poster the chance to have his catch duly appreciated. I am not going to give my personal opinion about this here and neither should anybody else. Do the owners of the site have to make it a RULE that larger flathead must be left out of the forum altogether? or perhaps any posting that even hints at a personal opinion on "C&R V's Keep to eat" be removed immediately. Talk about the fish and how it was caught, where, on what bait or lure and using what gear. What was the tide doing? What moon phase was it. Congratulate or bag the angler as is appropriate in fun for friends or with respect if your a stranger but keep your own opinions on what to do with a "legal flathead" to yourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaysondanielgraham Posted December 6, 2011 Author Share Posted December 6, 2011 Congratulations on a nice big flatty. Woy Woy was famous for big lizards and in my childhood the boat sheds, jetties and telegraph poles were adorned with the dinner plate size heads of the many that were taken. My grandfather's PB was a 14 lb model taken not far from the bridges. That's a great catch at the spot where I spent most of my childhood fishing from the shore. You'd be surprised at the number of different things you can catch right there. Luderick, Bream, Jew, Jackets, obviously flatties and even Cobia have been caught right there. The calm shallow water on either side were the best producing Blue Swimmer spots I have ever found. I once lost a rod and reel to a big silver flash there. A Jarvis Walker Little Jim Deluxe fitted with a 4 inch left-handed Cedar Alvey Sidecast reel which I had won on the chocolate wheel at the old Christams Carnival that used to set up next to the OB pub. I was more upset about losing the fish than the gear though. As I make this next comment I apologise to the mods and inform that my intention is not to incite another locked thread, BUT, I am sick to death of the BS that comes up immediatley every time someone catches a flathead above 60cm and either releases it or keeps it. This has been going on since fishing forums began and it is in no way restricted to this forum. There are 2 locked threads in the last week over this issue and already there are multiple comments right here with biased opinion clearly stated for all to see. This will only generate the rubbish that will eventually have the thread locked and deny the original poster the chance to have his catch duly appreciated. I am not going to give my personal opinion about this here and neither should anybody else. Do the owners of the site have to make it a RULE that larger flathead must be left out of the forum altogether? or perhaps any posting that even hints at a personal opinion on "C&R V's Keep to eat" be removed immediately. Talk about the fish and how it was caught, where, on what bait or lure and using what gear. What was the tide doing? What moon phase was it. Congratulate or bag the angler as is appropriate in fun for friends or with respect if your a stranger but keep your own opinions on what to do with a "legal flathead" to yourselves. Sound like you had a great childhood growing up i would have loved to grow up around there. Didn't get into fishing until i was about 10 years old. Mate i think ill be making a few trips back to that bridge it was so much fun and just a nice place to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) Congratulations on a nice big flatty. Woy Woy was famous for big lizards and in my childhood the boat sheds, jetties and telegraph poles were adorned with the dinner plate size heads of the many that were taken. My grandfather's PB was a 14 lb model taken not far from the bridges. That's a great catch at the spot where I spent most of my childhood fishing from the shore. You'd be surprised at the number of different things you can catch right there. Luderick, Bream, Jew, Jackets, obviously flatties and even Cobia have been caught right there. The calm shallow water on either side were the best producing Blue Swimmer spots I have ever found. I once lost a rod and reel to a big silver flash there. A Jarvis Walker Little Jim Deluxe fitted with a 4 inch left-handed Cedar Alvey Sidecast reel which I had won on the chocolate wheel at the old Christams Carnival that used to set up next to the OB pub. I was more upset about losing the fish than the gear though. As I make this next comment I apologise to the mods and inform that my intention is not to incite another locked thread, BUT, I am sick to death of the BS that comes up immediatley every time someone catches a flathead above 60cm and either releases it or keeps it. This has been going on since fishing forums began and it is in no way restricted to this forum. There are 2 locked threads in the last week over this issue and already there are multiple comments right here with biased opinion clearly stated for all to see. This will only generate the rubbish that will eventually have the thread locked and deny the original poster the chance to have his catch duly appreciated. I am not going to give my personal opinion about this here and neither should anybody else. Do the owners of the site have to make it a RULE that larger flathead must be left out of the forum altogether? or perhaps any posting that even hints at a personal opinion on "C&R V's Keep to eat" be removed immediately. Talk about the fish and how it was caught, where, on what bait or lure and using what gear. What was the tide doing? What moon phase was it. Congratulate or bag the angler as is appropriate in fun for friends or with respect if your a stranger but keep your own opinions on what to do with a "legal flathead" to yourselves. Hi Noodles, This thread is actually quite calm and composed compared to some. I think people cross the line when they begin to question the captor about their decision or they make negative remarks about their decision. I didn't think there were any instances of the above (unless I missed something), so I thought it was OK (and that's coming from a big fish eater, let me tell you). The following can be applied to any poster and is not just directed to noodles. People will always have a different opinion to eachother and are entitled to it..... but.... people will seldom consider the impact that the of voicing of that opinion will have on the captor and on rest of the reader base. People will only want to 'vent' their anger right then and there. Anger is the strongest emotion and will cloud your judgement at that moment when it is strongest. That's when we lash out in posts, the proverbial hits the fan and the thread gets closed and people get banned. In a general sense, each person does not appreciate or understand the fact that people are all very different to eachother. They expect others to think like they do, and so get annoyed when someone does something or says something that goes against their personal thinking. So what should we do about voicing opinions ? Stop and think about what you want to say. Write your comments into the text window and sit and think about them. Relax and calm down and re-read your remarks. Your anger will have diffused and you will be able to think straight again. Then make your changes to your remarks, before you click that 'Add Reply" button at the bottom of the posting page. Argue calmly. It will save you many headaches in your life. Trust me on this. Tony Edited December 6, 2011 by Keflapod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omg_the_funky_shit@hotmail.com Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 i have been fishing there on and off since about 93 and never really caught anything there..had the odd leather jacket or tailor and a couple of big bust offs...good catch mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) Yes, I was blessed with a childhood with parents and grandparents who fished, took me fishing and we lived where there were always fish to catch and there still are, although definately not as many. But as you have shown they are still around. Anybody of my vintage or older who ever went crabbing in the Kooliwong crab hole will tell you about the croc that lived there and would calmly swim to the surface with your bait in it's mouth and then blow it right at you once you'd grabbed the net. My mother's uncle owned and operated the Woy Woy fish shop and most of the fish through it was locally caught. There were times when legal snapper were not uncommon especially from The Rip and the Bridge. Gosford Rail bridge was a well known spot for big jew and massive bream were taken at the rock reef of Point Frederick. @keflapod - you are correct in saying that this thread is tame at the moment, but what I was pointing out (and hopefully preventing) is that it appears that nearly every time a larger Flatty is posted the usual S*&^fight starts straight up. Out of the first 6 posts responding in this thread 4 people had already made comment about the fact that it was released, presenting the view that it it is either in some way expected or to be rewarded. I am a fish eater but I know people who fish for sport alone. I have caught fish both for the table and for fun and I have released plenty. However, for some reason the humble flatty attracts more emotion and debate than it rightfully deserves, particularly since in this state big flatties are legal to keep or you can release them if you so choose. The same thing applies to large Bream, which we all now know are very old, up to 40 or 50 years in fact and sometimes this species attracts the same argument from differing opinion. The fact is that keeping them is legal and releasing them is not compulsory. It should be left at that. Most people who post these opinionated views are completely uneducated about the breeding cycle and maturation of flathead and go off half-cocked because of something they heard somebody else say. I'll ask a simple question. What does more damage, catching a bag limit of 10 45cm Dusky Flathead or 1 75cm specimin? You don't know, I don't know. Nobody knows, but both are legal catches. End of Story. Edited December 6, 2011 by Noodles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amatuer Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Nice fish mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PM79 Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Awesome lizard! I hope to catch one like that some day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plazmaman Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Nice fish bud, bad luck about the bust off at least you got a glimpse of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Yes, I was blessed with a childhood with parents and grandparents who fished, took me fishing and we lived where there were always fish to catch and there still are, although definately not as many. But as you have shown they are still around. Anybody of my vintage or older who ever went crabbing in the Kooliwong crab hole will tell you about the croc that lived there and would calmly swim to the surface with your bait in it's mouth and then blow it right at you once you'd grabbed the net. My mother's uncle owned and operated the Woy Woy fish shop and most of the fish through it was locally caught. There were times when legal snapper were not uncommon especially from The Rip and the Bridge. Gosford Rail bridge was a well known spot for big jew and massive bream were taken at the rock reef of Point Frederick. @keflapod - you are correct in saying that this thread is tame at the moment, but what I was pointing out (and hopefully preventing) is that it appears that nearly every time a larger Flatty is posted the usual S*&^fight starts straight up. Out of the first 6 posts responding in this thread 4 people had already made comment about the fact that it was released, presenting the view that it it is either in some way expected or to be rewarded. I am a fish eater but I know people who fish for sport alone. I have caught fish both for the table and for fun and I have released plenty. However, for some reason the humble flatty attracts more emotion and debate than it rightfully deserves, particularly since in this state big flatties are legal to keep or you can release them if you so choose. The same thing applies to large Bream, which we all now know are very old, up to 40 or 50 years in fact and sometimes this species attracts the same argument from differing opinion. The fact is that keeping them is legal and releasing them is not compulsory. It should be left at that. Most people who post these opinionated views are completely uneducated about the breeding cycle and maturation of flathead and go off half-cocked because of something they heard somebody else say. I'll ask a simple question. What does more damage, catching a bag limit of 10 45cm Dusky Flathead or 1 75cm specimin? You don't know, I don't know. Nobody knows, but both are legal catches. End of Story. Hi Noodles, Yes I agree. People somehow develop an affinity towards a certain species and encourage their release. Some of these people are influential and are succesful in creating a "socially accepted norm". Others are sheep and just join the bandwagon. The people that start these ideas may do so because of previous mass killings of fish in days gone by so their sense of guilt drives them towards saying these things, while others are financially motivated (eg a charter flattie fisherman wants you to release the fish so their next client can catch it). The reasons are many and varied. The marlin is certainly in the glamour species list. If I caught a 50kg fish I would eat it too. Take that marlin back to the ramp and people will bag you but hey I will still take it. I'm allowed. Pity my back can't handle a short stroker anymore - too many yellowfin in my younger days... My rules are as simple as yours mate. If I'm allowed to take it, I will because my family will eat it and enjoy it. I may not keep a 1m flattie purely because it may be high in toxins, and I don't fish in spots where I know the bream start at 40cm because I won't eat them for the same reason, but if I get one incidental fish each month, then OK I will eat it... Now let me check the weather for this weekend... By the way, shame about that jewie - I would be crying, while I'm ordering Pizza Hut instead.... Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchin Jack Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Interesting read, keep it within site rules and it won't get locked. I have only one thing to say, if I want to keep a fish or release it, its my business, nobody else's. As long as its within DPI rules its all good, I don't need or want anyone telling me or suggesting what I should and shouldn't keep, my fish my problem. Thank you & goodnight, I'm off fishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formosan Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Nice flatty.. What a croc! !. I would of kept it as I consider the bigger ones taste better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musty Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Nice flatty.. What a croc! !. I would of kept it as I consider the bigger ones taste better. I think they ALL taste awesome and a big one like that contains "more meat less fat- yummy flathead you cant beat that!" Also, my theory is your better of eating a 1m fish (provided u can appreciate and consume it while fresh) rather than a 60cm fish which will be in its prime of breeding. Fish arnt immortal and a flatty in its extreme limits isnt going to live forever! Enjoy it mate well done. You dont ever see anyone worried about a 1.2m king or a 42cm bream, or a 45cm whiting. So seriously, enough with the media hype, stay within fisheries rules (which have research and stats behind them) and everyone just stay civilised, enjoy fishing and dont hate on one another! Musty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) Here is a very interesting and informative report from a study performed on NSW Dusky Flathead in 2008. It is well worth reading if you want to be more informed about this species and it's maturation and breeding patterns along with other good facts. This is the type of research that out authorities do in order to set the size and bag limits of fish at levels that are believed to be sustainable. I found it particularly enlightening especially since it was conducted in our local area. Sorry but unable to insert link that works. Must be a restriction on the forum to this document. Just do a google on "Flathead Breeding Cycle" and go to the one by CA Gray titled "Reproduction and growth of dusky flathead in NSW estuaries". It's at %^&*(pdf/WF-2008_Gray-et-al_Dusky-Flathead-Final-Report.pdf Click on link in post below Edited December 6, 2011 by Catchin Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchin Jack Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 NOODLES LINK This link above should work Noodles, enjoy the read raiders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifisho Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Cheers Noodles - that looks like a good read and I'll have to have a proper look later. However, at first glance I couldnt see anything that indicated that very large flatties retained fecundity towards the end of their natural lifespan. That would be the one key arguement against retaining the really big fish. This seems to suggest (and as I said I havent had the chance to read it properly yet), there would be far more damage to the population in retaining something say 60cm rather than 1m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Thanks for doing that Catchin Jack. It is a very good document. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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