Pigs

[Reeso]

Where are some good spots for pigs in the harbour on the north shore or northern beaches that are reasonably safe to climb down to? Ive read that some of the blokes get them at middle head, is this a reliable spot for them? Also, what about Bluefish point or North Head, and are these two spots easy to get to?

Cheers.

[Bashir]

You will find them at every rock platform that has a bit of wash, shelter for the fish and food. All those spots you mention will hold drummer. On the northern beaches I have done well at dee why and warriewood rocks, but seriously there are drummer everywhere, just find a nice bit of wash, get a good bread berley going constantly and you will get fish.

[appoooh]

I've had the most success at Turimetta, Dee Why and Mona Vale. None of these spots involve any climbing at all. Cabbage or bread is the best bait.

Mona Vale can be quite dangerous when there's a reasonable swell running - I was once washed off the platform while wearing cleats. I instinctively tried to hang on by pawing at the ground, but I only succeeded in ripping all the skin off my fingertips.

But its an easy swim back to the beach if the worst happens.

[Reeso]

one other thing, is it important to hide the whole hook with the bait or is a bit of doe just on the tip good.

[Hooch]

The way most fish smack a bait in the wash I don't reckon a visible hook shank would turn them off the bait, but you're going to want that bait on pretty solid so after threading the hook through and in and out and half hitching the ab gut or whatever the shanks going to be well covered anyway and theres nothing wrong with a big bait for a big pig. I don't reckon there's anything to gain by putting bread on the tip only, it'll probably make it wash off the hook quicker, just mould the bread around the length of the hook. You don't have to worry about the hook point being exposed either it seems, pig just slices through the soft bread and the strike comes up solid.

If you haven't done any rock fishing before get a copy of Al Bellismios rock fishing sydney dvd, called something like fishing with Al, Pete and Louise. It's a good intro to bread and butter fishing and has sections on pigs, blackfish etc and will cover the right tackle, bait and safety.

[Cameron]

Another tip for getting the pigs on the bite is plenty of burley. Get along to your local bakery and see if you can get them to sell you old bread cheaply. My son and I regularly get a big bag full for $3.00. Take along a bucket, mush the bread up and burley heavily when you first arrive, then a handful every so often. Sometimes you will see the drummer up on top smashing into the breadcrusts.

It also can attract other fish such as bream, blackfish and trevally.

Some days you can burley with bread but catch more on cabbage weed. Don't ask me why it happens that way, but it has been my experience

[saltyhook]

Last week, there were heaps hanging around Avoca rock platform, towards to Winnie Bay corner. bread and burley would do the trick.

I was disgusted though, that some inconsidered fishmen left a long trail of guts, scales, fishing line along. They could not be !@#@! bother to throw these guts back to the system and take away those messy fishing line.

[Cameron]

I know that we are getting off the topic here, but that big ledge at Avoca has had a litter problem for a long time. If anything is going to give us fishos a bad name, it is performances like that. If we want to influence public opinion on matters to do with fisheries management, then we do not do ourselves any good in the public eye by creating the impression that we are a bunch of uncaring slobs.

While fish gut is normally cleaned up by the seagulls, it can at least be thrown back in the water so that the fish get an equal shot at it. It is plastic bags, fishing line and newspaper used to wrap bait that seem to be the main problem. Some people also seem to have a problem with unwanted fish such as cockies as well. Rather than throw them back in, they want to leave them to die on the rocks!

[Guest madsmc]

I agree wholeheartedly on that last point Cameron. I am a landbased fisho and nothing gets me more angry than seeing yobbo's leaving their rubbish behind.

On topic though, cheers for the pig tips guys. I've been pretty keen to give them a crack. Caught a few luderick before but never any pigs....yet

madsmc