Botanty Bay / Georges River 24/4/12

[reubs]

So the day was off to a good start with clear skies and an early morning to boot. had the day off work so decided to take a mate out for a fishing trip and see if we could land a keeper or 3.. Never fished botany bay so thought it might be a good move to have a crack and see how it goes! Got onto the water at about 7am launching just as the sun was coming up from the dover park boat ramp. Not a bad spot but the ramp is a bit steep for my tow rig especially when its a bit wet and slippery! but the good news is we didn't end up in the drink so I was happy about that. Headed across the bay and had a flick around the moored boats and put out some bread and tried to perhaps burley up some bait...there was action on the sounder bit not much on the bite other than the odd small snapper. Decided to move on and head out into the more open waters while it was calm and before the tide turned (so I wouldnt have to push the old motor too hard!) anchored up just past taren point bridge (i dont know what its called) where there were some tailor causing a bit of a stir in the water but only managed to pull one out..though it was a bit on the small side at about 23cm, so back into the drink he went.Had a bit of a drift session from the bridge back towards quibray bay and managed to boat a 23cm snapper and got a bit excited that a larger number might be lurking around so back he went but not much more. Anchored up near the drop off and soaked some prawns with no luck, onward we went when we see a guy out on his own wrestling with a fish of some description from his boat in the shallows around the first bay of carters island so we motor around close by to see what hes gonna bring up from the depths but it looked like he was using really light gear and was taking him a while and I was drifting inshore close to where the waves were starting to pick up a bit which is always a big NO NO in my shallow tinny! So off we went not knowing what he was fighting with but with a hope that there was something out there for us!.. So again we motored up to the green buoy off the first groyne and anchor up, chuck out some bread and some tuna oil but theres a bit of a current running so out go the baits and up comes a 30cm tarwhine so into the esky he goes! Saw another boat not too far off from us around the markers anchored up but didn't look like it was happening for them either so after a bit more of a wait and no bites decided it was time to move on again...I was keen to have a crack at heading to the runways or the tanker but my mate wasnt too keen on the idea so we decided to up anchor and move....Next spot is just off the sandringham baths got up close to the nets and just drifted with the current for a bit but nothing.. UNTIL I SAW A SQUID! and I just had to have it!.. Now I know what you are thinking...KINGY BAIT!..but alas I think it was actually the smallest squid known to man just having a gander at my boat...so I get a cut open plastic bottle and next thing I know hes in! My first squid and what a beauty! Measuring in at a whopping 15mm yep millimetres I think hes almost worthy of catch of the month.. so into a V can with some fresh sea water he went so I could take him home for show and tell haha.. Back to the bridge and nothing was on the bite so off to tom uglys it was! There was a school of tailor causing a stir in the water and about 10 people going hard land based so anchored up and got a small 10cm tailor to the boat but couldnt get anything else to bite after that not on prawn or squid or pilchard! by this time was dying for a leek so hijacked my way onto a private jetty just so i could get to the shore and do my business then we were back on our way to the rocky headland closest to tom uglies to anchor up in the hope of catching SOMETHING! but nope again no luck...and now theres some rainclouds not too far off and the clouds are moving from behind where I couldnt see off into the distance so it was time to move...back to ulgies and the winds had picked up putting some chop on the surface so decide to get the boat back to the ramp and get some shelter. No sooner than I had set foot on the jetty and BANG the rain was ON like donkey kong and we were getting soaked...as I fumbled the keys to the car and catch an older couple having a makeout sesh in their car about 20 meters away from me..who knows what they were upto but it was steamy in there and they looked like they were hiding something! haha anyway thats a story for later.. boat is on the trailer and out of the water and we are soaked already so I say stuff it im already soaked im taking the rods and the bait and going off the jetty...but there was nothing to be had haha shortly after though the rain stopped and up comes a double rainbow and the munchies had set in and it was now about 2pm.. off to get some chips and since its early in the afternoon and I had nothing better to do it was off to the georges river national park to see what the hype was all about on the georges...get there and theres a couple of blokes testing their jetski put the boat in the water amongst the rubbish and logs and trees and bucketloads of crap in the water and theres no joke a 20cm bream floating dead amongst the trash so I wasnt keen on eating anything out of here anyway but thought i'd go for a flick to have some fun and get rid of some bait.. headed up to the closest overpass with pylons hoping something was lurking in the depths but nothing was even having a crack at the bait.. went around to the next spot where there was a creek mouth with some rocks and mangroves around and a bunch of pylons but nothing was on the bite and nothing went for a SP or a hardbody at all so decided to call it a day and emptied a couple of packs of squid and bread into the water to feed whatever surviving fish population there might be in those waters and headed home with half a tank of fuel a 30 cm tarwhine and the smallest squid known to man!

that is my report, twas a fun day none the less but I definitely need a deeper hull and a bigger motor!

Reubs + TINY TIN!

[Blood Knot]

Great report reubs - better luck next time.

Cheer Blood Knot

[reubs]

I got a photo of little squiddy with a coke can so I'll have to upload that for catch of the month!! Haha...smallest squid ever!! Unfortunately he didn't make it through but after doing some googling I think he might have been an adult Pygmy squid so quite a rare catch if anything also

Thanks bloodknot! Unfortunately tonight was no better it was actually worse....need to setup the boat for night fishing methinks

[J Hooked]

Cracker story mate. Better luck next time.

Seems that I wasn't the only one to catch undersized fish.

[Leonidis]

Some nice shots there well done.