Robinsoi Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 How are things Raiders! After seeing some solid looking bream in Hawthorne canal at the back of Leichhardt I thought I would try my luck and see if I could tempt one onto the end of my line. So I headed down there on the weekend with my soft plastic outfit and started to throw around a 80mm squidgy wriggler in bloodworm colour on a light 1.5g jig head attached to 6lb braid and 6lb leader. After a several casts and while carefully watching my braid for that 'tick' in the line indicating a take that I have been reading about I finally noticed a 'tick' and I struck and came up tight. After a good fight for its size I landed a 25cm bream. Didn't bother with a photo as it was too small and released him to fight another day. I then noticed a school of predatory fish smashing up what looked like fry of some kind a few cm in length on the surface in the canal. There was literally thousands of these fry or whatever they were in the vicinity. The sea gulls were going mad following the school of hunting fish and picked up the scraps left behind. I then cast over to where the action was hoping to hook up to one of those unidentified hunting fish and not a sea gull. I got a good hit with only 5m left on my retrieve and got a glimpse of a longish looking fish about 60cm in length with a dark back and white side and belly trying to throw the hook. It went on a short brief run towards the mouth of the canal taking line before spitting the hook If only I could have gotten a better look at him before departing from my line, I was going to release him anyway. Any suggestions as to what these predatory fish may be? It certainly wasn't a bream and the fact that my soft plastic and line weren't chewed up indicated to me that it wasn't a tailor. I continued on for a little while longer and was surprised to hook up with this very dark looking flatty that went 42cm, it also gave a good fight and was well hooked on his top right hand lip. After a quick photo I sent him on his way to fight another day ..... didn't think that flathead would be in the canal. So all in all quite an eventful little session especially for a canal or overgrown drain of all places. Might have to make a few more trips down there and hopefully land and identify one of those mysterious fish. Many thanks in advance for any comments posted. All the best Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-ster Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Nice catch I live within walking distance of that canal and was down there about a month ago. I noticed the bream and mullet but didn't expect to see much else. Sorry but can't help you with the mystery fish. Salmon perhaps? I caught one in Balmain last year on a small blade and they have been known to venture further up river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph2593 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I wouldn't even have thought the canal or bay would hold fish down there since the water is so polluted and shallow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griffox Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Definately Aussie Salmon. I was down at Cooks River entrance in the Bay a few weeks ago and a gang came thru causing havoc! Wherever there's bait there's predators! The dark colouring (silver/grey/black) seems to be the trend in the estuaries lately, one I caught in Middle Harbour a couple of weeks ago being the same, have a look at photos in Keflapods' post: http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=64406 Look the same?! Nice Flatty too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph2593 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 What side were you fishing from btw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Bad luck about the salmon mate At least you got a couple of nice fish for your troubles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Great spot. Yes it is polluted but it's all catch & release up in the west harbour bays. No way the fish busting up were salmon. I grew up in the area & fished all of those bays for years. NEVER hooked a salmon. You do get some school jew up & if the bait was there it may have been them. You also get plenty of tailor in the bays so they are another option. Keep fishing there & let us know how you go. Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazza3006 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) I don't know how Bull Sharks breed but WE all know they are in that area. Could it be a fingling little bliter on the loose? BTW mack attack 79 Any chance of you changing to a smaller font and saving the fluro for your braid to protect us PILCHARDS from eye damage??? Wazza Edited August 1, 2012 by wazza3006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rigga Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 how fair down the canal where you flicking i live locally aswell and never tried. and were you on le montage side? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimyo Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Only way to definitely find out what it was is to catch it.... I'll have to put my money on salmon thou. Lot more of them around these days than there were years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sika Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 My money would be on Salmon as well. I was in the car last week waiting at the lights to change at the intersection of Timbrell Drive and Dobroyd Parade not far from your spot (right were the canal comes out to the bay and is netted off). I allways look at the water (as fishos do ) and saw some surface getting busted up and seagulls getting all excited. I parked the car and across the road and walked back to check it out but didn't have any gear . The action continued for a bit and some guy who was walking came up and was watching with me said they were salmon as the day before one guy caught 2 of them on lure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinsoi Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Thanks for all your replies guys much appreciated. Joseph: I was fishing on the western/Haberfield side, only to get away from the all the people walking their dogs on the other side... getting sick of dogs sniffing around my fishing bag and getting tangled in the line, but I don't think it would matter what side as the canal is very narrow anyway. Grant: It's an honour to get a reply from you, I will have a few more cracks down there and report back. Rigga: I was just behind Balckmore oval. Yes I suppose the only way to find out what it is is to catch one and I'll let you all know. Best Regards Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph2593 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 How Do the bridge pylons produce at the entrance of that canal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinsoi Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Never tried at the bridge pylons but I can't see why they wouldn't produce something. I have noticed that there are a few sunken trees, a shopping trolley and even an old fridge of all things around there to add to the structure! Why not give it a crack and see how you go. All the best Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I don't know how Bull Sharks breed but WE all know they are in that area. Could it be a fingling little bliter on the loose? BTW mack attack 79 Any chance of you changing to a smaller font and saving the fluro for your braid to protect us PILCHARDS from eye damage??? Wazza Not a bull shark mate. Would have mangled the SP plus they aren't really around in numbers at this time of the year. When the warmer water comes in that might be a possibility but there would have to be some damage to the lure to consider it. Might change the font....... but how is a smaller font going to make it easier to see...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph2593 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Yeah I'll most likely give it a go tomorrow morning with sp's and lures and let everyone no how I went! Any tips for fishing the entrance to the canal, bridge pylons and infront of le montage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Yeah I'll most likely give it a go tomorrow morning with sp's and lures and let everyone no how I went! Any tips for fishing the entrance to the canal, bridge pylons and infront of le montage? Plenty of tips! Also try walking from Haberfield rowers to the next canal around to the left. All of those walls produce plenty of fish. What is great around that ay is that you can always find any spot with the wind behind you to fish. Usually I would fish a wall with the wind blowing onto it but for some reason those walls in that bay work just as well with the wind behind you. Winter is one of the best times for stonker bream. A big high tide is a must. Fish the last hour of the run up & 2 hrs of the runout. Stick with it & you will catch plenty. Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinsoi Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Thanks Grant for those great tips, very much appreciated. Regarding wind direction and fishing on the wall that the wind is blowing against ie. casting into the wind, is this because bait fish would be pushed against the wall by the wind action on the water and the predators would be on their heels nearby? Sorry just want to understand the theory behind this. Also, would fishing the mouth of the canals immediately after rain be work a crack do you think, maybe bigger predators prowling this area waiting for bait fish to be flushed out of the canal? Thanks so much for sharing your experiences in this area. All the best Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Thanks Grant for those great tips, very much appreciated. Regarding wind direction and fishing on the wall that the wind is blowing against ie. casting into the wind, is this because bait fish would be pushed against the wall by the wind action on the water and the predators would be on their heels nearby? Sorry just want to understand the theory behind this. Also, would fishing the mouth of the canals immediately after rain be work a crack do you think, maybe bigger predators prowling this area waiting for bait fish to be flushed out of the canal? Thanks so much for sharing your experiences in this area. All the best Ian Spot on mate. If you have days of constant wind blowing on to a shoreline it will usually push any bait to that shore. Mind you I have has cracking sessions in Iron Cove & Hen & Chicken bays with the wind at my back. I think these bays are different as in winter the water is warmer up in the shallows & would attract more bait. Hence why fishing the big tides is important & good fish can be had in the middle of day if you fish light. Most of the spots I used to fish you could walk on at low tide. I would always scout around at low tide & if it had scattered rocks to hold crabs, weed to hide small bait fish & mud with worm holes then I would fish there at high tide. I also had many memorable sessions at the entrance to canals at the start of the run out tide after rain. The bream would go nuts & there were some bloody big fish in with them as well. I've also caught jew in 5ft of water from the shore, bream to 46cm's & flathead up to 80cms. Stick to the biggest tides of the month with a good barometer (1010 & up ) & you will catch plenty. Good luck & I hope you get into a few. Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph2593 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 What's more effective in Iron cove, bait, sp or lures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinsoi Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 Spot on mate. If you have days of constant wind blowing on to a shoreline it will usually push any bait to that shore. Mind you I have has cracking sessions in Iron Cove & Hen & Chicken bays with the wind at my back. I think these bays are different as in winter the water is warmer up in the shallows & would attract more bait. Hence why fishing the big tides is important & good fish can be had in the middle of day if you fish light. Most of the spots I used to fish you could walk on at low tide. I would always scout around at low tide & if it had scattered rocks to hold crabs, weed to hide small bait fish & mud with worm holes then I would fish there at high tide. I also had many memorable sessions at the entrance to canals at the start of the run out tide after rain. The bream would go nuts & there were some bloody big fish in with them as well. I've also caught jew in 5ft of water from the shore, bream to 46cm's & flathead up to 80cms. Stick to the biggest tides of the month with a good barometer (1010 & up ) & you will catch plenty. Good luck & I hope you get into a few. Cheers, Grant. Thanks a lot Grant for those additional tips. Will have to put them into practice in the near future. Sounds like you know this area like the back of your hand. Yeah I was reading a post on this site maybe from Jewgaffer if I remember correctly (don't know him but love reading his posts) refering to some monster mulloway you caught on poppers near the mouth of an estuary after significant rain .... I suppose fishing the mouth of a canal after rain is a scaled down version of this even if it is only catch & release. Did you ever try fishing the wall in front of the old Balmain power station or the one opposite at Birkenhead leading up to the marina from the bridge, the water appears deeper there. I've tried flicking a plastic a few times there only to get the odd flathead. Thanks once again Have a great weekend Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph2593 Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Fished the entrance of Hawthorne canal and the wharf in front of le montage this morning for a donught Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Thanks a lot Grant for those additional tips. Will have to put them into practice in the near future. Sounds like you know this area like the back of your hand. Yeah I was reading a post on this site maybe from Jewgaffer if I remember correctly (don't know him but love reading his posts) refering to some monster mulloway you caught on poppers near the mouth of an estuary after significant rain .... I suppose fishing the mouth of a canal after rain is a scaled down version of this even if it is only catch & release. Did you ever try fishing the wall in front of the old Balmain power station or the one opposite at Birkenhead leading up to the marina from the bridge, the water appears deeper there. I've tried flicking a plastic a few times there only to get the odd flathead. Thanks once again Have a great weekend Ian Try not to over complicate matters when fishing in the bays. Those deep water spots are good luderick spots in winter. Remember the reasons why & what to look for in the shallows. Have a close read of what I have said & try figure out why it works. I'm not 100% sure why it works & I don't really care. All I know is that it does & when you get it you will have more good sessions than bad. Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Fished the entrance of Hawthorne canal and the wharf in front of le montage this morning for a donught What tide did you fish? What was your outfit? What did you use? Bait or lure? What was the barometer? What was the wind? The more info we get the more we can help! Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph2593 Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 What tide did you fish? What was your outfit? What did you use? Bait or lure? What was the barometer? What was the wind? The more info we get the more we can help! Cheers, Grant. i fished the last hour of the run in and first hour of the run out tide. 2-4kg 7ft berkley rod with a sedona 2500 with 4 pound braid 4 pound leader. (not 100% sure about the rod and reel specs) i was using sp, wriggler blood worm colour 80mm the wind was between 5-8km/h and not to sure about the barometer. any help would be appreciated cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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