Lilli Pilli Suicidal Bonito

[SCOTTYB]

Went out for a few hours with Dad and little bro - were going to try the harbour, but didn't like the look of the clouds, so opted for somewhere closer and tried Lilli Pilli wharf. My brother used to live close by, so years back used to cruise past often - love the Hacking. Figured the wharf might be alright with the weather (ie not crowded) and were right - no one around for the first few hours (when the rain stopped).

Overall a number of undersize snapper, no squid, one just legal but very fat bream, a lot of lines bitten through (leatherjackets? would only feel the slightest bite and check the bait to find no hook, and in one case an entire trace 'snipped' off), and one monster salmon which Dad got to the wharf and....'ping' just as I asked him what strength leader he had (ie so I could lift onto the wharf for him).

Oh, the suicidal bonito - this was tops! My second cast, watched the bait fly off the hook (tried to belt it out and belted too hard!) so got cranky with myself and as soon as the unbaited rig hit the water, started to reel back in at pace. BANG! about 30m from the wharf, something had smashed my hook which had nothing on it. Great little fight, especially as I got the fish closer to the wharf, and Watson's Leaping Bonito! The hook was new, but was black - not really what you would call shiny, and the sinker was a smallish dropper sinker. My brother put on a metal slice and got another one about half a dozen casts later, and that was it for the day, with the exception of a starfish, and the bite-offs that we think might have been leatherjackets. When I did change the rig to try and target the supposed jackets, all I got were very undersized snapper.

Still, a great day, even though it was a bit windy and although it was only light, the rain didn't stop for the first couple of hours. But then, the fish are already wet...

Tried attaching pic after a number of resizing attempts based on the how to post, but not getting any joy here. Will have another go later. [EDIT - tried the MS Office Picture Manager and selected 'Compress for Web', and seems to have worked]

Cheers,

Scott

Edited May 20, 2012 by SCOTTYB

[Krispy !]

Thats a nice watson mate welldone, looks like they're coming in late this year.

[The Incredible Hull]

lol thats an awesome surprise

[SCOTTYB]

Thanks guys,

Hull - yes it was a surprise, I'm sure we've all done the cranky retrieve when a cast doesn't go the way you like, I never expected to get smashed on one!

Nick, we originally thought some type of tuna also, but searched through the fish id section and did a bit of general googling - apparently commonly mistaken for a Frigate Mackeral, or a Mack Tuna, but is known as a 'Watsons Leaping Bonito'. I know where you are coming from though, all the other bonito I've caught haven't had the spots, which is why I went hunting for answers.

[A.dawg]

That's not a bonito mate , not too familiar with te other tuna but bonitos don't have the spots

Watsons leaping bonito is the main bonito species you catch in the hacking in the harbour it's almost 99 ozy Bonnie's to one Watsons. It's reversed in the hacking

[Nick1987k]

Friget mackerel

[chriseels2010]

Watsons leaping bonito for sure

[Marcel]

Definitely a watsons leaping bonito

[Twinfisher 4.9]

When they are hungry, they will grab anything. Once fishing for blackfish at Avoca, was winding in a bait-less rig and was hit by a bonito. On 6ld line and a blackfish rod and centre-pin reel, that was a handful!

[SCOTTYB]

On 6ld line and a blackfish rod and centre-pin reel, that was a handful!

I can imagine!