Port Hacking

[Yowie]

Fished the deep off Lilli Pilli this morning, one of those days where nothing stayed on the hook at first, the hooks kept missing or pulling out after a couple of seconds.

Eventually pulled out 3 tailor from 42 to 48cm long, plus a stack of reddies but not one over the size limit. They were biting on any bait used. No yellowtail about either.

As I was packing up, I was winding in a handline and a kingie grabbed it, but only about 60cm long. No bait left on the hook, so I threw it out and another kingie grabbed the bare hook but busted off. Managed another 2 kingies on handlines, probably a fraction smaller, but plenty of finger burning action. All returned. Most of my bait was gone by this time, so I threw a handfull of mushy bread over, and watched half a dozen kingies swimming through the bread trail, with the occasional one eating a bit of bread. Headed for home after that.

Yowie.

[Guest hawkesbass]

Kings take bread as i have hooked one off the northern beaches when fishing for drummer on bread bait they go hard on black fish gear but would be a great fight on a hand line well done on landig them

[Plumb]

Hi Yowie, Ive been reading your reports for quite a while. keep them up

i have no luck at all inside any ware in the hacking, I have to head out in to bate bay to get a feed... Ive have heard you and others reffering to the "Deep water" how deep are you talking? if you dont mind me asking.

cheers Luke

[Spooooled]

Fished the deep off Lilli Pilli this morning, one of those days where nothing stayed on the hook at first, the hooks kept missing or pulling out after a couple of seconds.

Eventually pulled out 3 tailor from 42 to 48cm long, plus a stack of reddies but not one over the size limit. They were biting on any bait used. No yellowtail about either.

As I was packing up, I was winding in a handline and a kingie grabbed it, but only about 60cm long. No bait left on the hook, so I threw it out and another kingie grabbed the bare hook but busted off. Managed another 2 kingies on handlines, probably a fraction smaller, but plenty of finger burning action. All returned. Most of my bait was gone by this time, so I threw a handfull of mushy bread over, and watched half a dozen kingies swimming through the bread trail, with the occasional one eating a bit of bread. Headed for home after that.

Yowie.

That must of been some great stuff lol.

[ffallcve]

Yowie,

I'm only new to the area and only have access to land-based fishing...

Could you please advise whether this was land or boat-based...

I also hear many different school of thoughts regarding when to fish; when the tide's going out or when it's coming in...any advice or tips for the Port Hacking area...being a noob, any guidance is welcome...

Cheers,

Big_Al

[Yowie]

Hi Yowie, Ive been reading your reports for quite a while. keep them up

i have no luck at all inside any ware in the hacking, I have to head out in to bate bay to get a feed... Ive have heard you and others reffering to the "Deep water" how deep are you talking? if you dont mind me asking.

cheers Luke

West from Lilli Pilli baths is deep water, including Yowie Bay, Gymea Bay, Big Turriell Bay, and also other areas such as Burraneer Bay, Gunnamatta Bay and South West Arm. Shallow water is the areas over the sand banks and along the main channel east of Lilli Pilli to the entrance.

Fish in the deep water areas along the edges of the bank where the bank drops down and meets the flat bottom, which could be 15 metres (have never measured the depths, though the deepest place is west of the baths. never caught anything decent there because it is just a flat featureless section of mud)

Fish can also be caught in the shallow sections over the banks and along the channel. I have caught fish in water less than knee deep (Port Hacking as well as other locations) so it is a matter or persevering until you find the fish. Early morning or late afternoon into the night are usually better times than the middle of the day.

[Plumb]

Thanks Yowie, I'll give it a go next time I get a chance to get out.

Cheers

[Yowie]

just a question what line were you using ? must have been at least 20lb for a kingie. Just thinkin it might be fun to try get a legal on a 60lb handline

12 pound and 15 pound. Sometimes I use 10 pound line. Have had a few take the 6 pound yellowtail line with a little hook, but they just keep going until you run out of line.

[Yowie]

Yowie,

I'm only new to the area and only have access to land-based fishing...

Could you please advise whether this was land or boat-based...

I also hear many different school of thoughts regarding when to fish; when the tide's going out or when it's coming in...any advice or tips for the Port Hacking area...being a noob, any guidance is welcome...

Cheers,

Big_Al

Boat.

There are a number of wharves in the Port, though they are usually full of fisherman day and night.

Different areas fish better at different tides, though I find low light times (in the early morning or late afternoon into the night) as being needed to be considered more than the tide.

[Krispy !]

Hey yowie, welldone mate hows the water temperature at the moment? is there any warmer water about?

[The Incredible Hull]

Good work as per usual Yowie

FYI - guys you should use Google Maps. This can eliminate a tonne of questions. See below:

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=port+hacking&hl=en&ll=-34.06553,151.120377&spn=0.043443,0.077162&sll=-25.335448,135.745076&sspn=47.442968,79.013672&hnear=Port+Hacking+New+South+Wales&t=h&z=14

It's a satellite image of Port Hacking. You can see the darker waters (deeper) and lighter waters (sandy shallows).

In general, you can also zoom in to find boat ramps, jetties, road names, pathways. You can even punch in cords. I've been using it to find boat ramps, you zoom straight in until you see the street view, which gives you an approximate address. Punch it into your cars gps, and wa la!

Edited April 3, 2012 by The Incredible Hull

[Yowie]

Hey yowie, welldone mate hows the water temperature at the moment? is there any warmer water about?

When I had my hand in the water just after I anchored, it was warmer than the air temperature. Looking at the Weather Bureau website, there is stream of warmer water off the coast, around the 24,25 degree mark heading south, and a larger stream out past the shelf.

When having a swim at Wanda Beach a week or 2 ago, the water was cool, however, in the last couple of days the temperature has risen a bit.

[mark_s]

When I had my hand in the water just after I anchored, it was warmer than the air temperature. Looking at the Weather Bureau website, there is stream of warmer water off the coast, around the 24,25 degree mark heading south, and a larger stream out past the shelf.

When having a swim at Wanda Beach a week or 2 ago, the water was cool, however, in the last couple of days the temperature has risen a bit.

Water was 20 degrees in the hacking on Sunday and pretty much the same out in bate bay. Also the water is deeper than 15m of Lilli pill from memory it gets down to about 25m. The maritime website also has good maps of all of sydney,s waterways, inckuding showing where the deeper water is.

Yowie your reports and catches are consistently very impressive!

[Yowie]

Water was 20 degrees in the hacking on Sunday and pretty much the same out in bate bay. Also the water is deeper than 15m of Lilli pill from memory it gets down to about 25m. The maritime website also has good maps of all of sydney,s waterways, inckuding showing where the deeper water is.

Yowie your reports and catches are consistently very impressive!

I was talking about the areas where I catch a few fish. The hole off Lilli Pilli was measured at 26 metres in the 1980 survey map that I have. I don't always fish at the bottom of the deep water, quite often finding the fish in water about half that depth along the edge of the drop-offs.