snuggles Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 (edited) Hi all, I have been targeting Drummer of the rocks at Kurnel over the past 4 months with little success. I managed to jag these two guys last session ... It was high tide going out and i fished for about 1-1/2 hours. I am using the green cabage of the rocks there and have found the pigs to be tempremental. I have not used anything else at this point I am using 6 pound dango wax to a float with about 20cm of running sinker line, then to about 30cm of 7 pound leader to a small 12' hook. i am fishing the middle to lower 1/4 of the water column. I was hoping for some adivce on the right bait/ depth/ tide/ berley/ rig to boost up the catch next time around Edited March 21, 2013 by snuggles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Bread burley. Bread or peeled banana prawns as bait works with and no sinkers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidanhoh Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 As the previous post said, bread or prawn baits work well, especially with bread burley. Also, you should use a larger hook as their mouth is quite strong and can easily crush/bend small/light hooks. I'd use at least size 6 and normally size 2s or even larger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigbutcher Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hi Mate, Your only dilema will be stopping an XL PIG in light string, it's certainly acheivable, however, many times the XL will the tussle. The big ones destroy light gear champ! I have caught em up around the 50cm mark and I have been struggling to keep them out of the reef at times, even on 30lb leader! They respond well to berley bread and also take bread baits very consistantly. Squeeze fresh white bread around a 1/0 hook and hold on mate. You will slam the odd groper around the stones too using these methods,I have caught both browns and blues in the mix! Butch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuggles Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 many thanks guys, think i might upgrade the line strength! at this point i have not been slammed to the point where i am regreting the light line. though it seems a bread/ prawn mix will help the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaners Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 What I do. 10ft beach rod,Shimano fj 4000,good 20lb mono,size 1or 2 hook,small pea sinker running to hook,peeled prawn as bait, burley mushed bread and a tin of pilchards in oil every other cast. Then HANG ON,,,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benm Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 +1 peeled banana prawn, cut in half or two thirds on a decent hook (1/0+). Biggest I've caught was 53cm and pulled like a truck! Don't underestimate these fish, they are nothing like luderick. They will probably cut your line in the rocks if you fish too light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I haven't targeted pigs for a while because I usually fish alone from the stones and my wife likes to have a live husband. Any drummer post gets me excited as I think they are one of the most challenging and rewarding fish to target. Great stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt84 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 (edited) Don't nesseisarily need heavy gear, have got pleany of pigs over 50cm and also a 4kg groper on my blackfish gear, less the 10lb line. Do have the chance of stopping a few bigger fish on heavier gear though lots of bread burley, bait with bread, banana/cooked prawns, cunji, crabs.... mix it up somedays they will go off on bread n wont touch prawns n vice versa. Edited March 21, 2013 by matt84 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Awsome photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mousse Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I find that Cunje works best for me, then Banana Prawns second. As the Guys said above, burley with bread, and also use a simple rig of sinker straight down to a mustad 540 / 542 Hook. Keep the sinker as small as the conditions will allow you - you want your bait to swirl around the wash naturally. Start with no sinker or a small 00 sinker and if you find your bait washes away with the current then upsize your sinker. Fish in close, in between bommies and keep your bait just above the bottom in and around the zone. Don't be afraid to get snagged - you won't catch big drummer without quite a few snags. Morning rising tide seems to work best for me, but I've caught them at all times of the day. If the seas are flat, ie very little swell and no wash things can get very quiet. Look for washy areas with that milky frothy coloured water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macman Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Bagged iqf royal red prawn meat is very good and fairly cheap per KG, excellent bait for drummer. Any drummer landed on blackfish gear is a good drummer, so you have actually done very well. All of the advice about small sinkers or no sinkers is excellent, difference between catching drummer/bream and catching kelpies. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuggles Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 Fantastic help gents... im heading out tomorrow morning with a mate to test the theories put forward. conditions look solid with a 2 foot NE swell and light winds high at 6am ... look out for some drummer pics on the follow up post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hundgie Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Royal red prawns, pick them up in the frozen section of the supermarket, or at a fish market, drummer love em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuggles Posted March 22, 2013 Author Share Posted March 22, 2013 DRUMMER!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuggles Posted March 22, 2013 Author Share Posted March 22, 2013 DRUMMER!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JET01 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Cockie!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisho.sid Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hi all these posts excites me. I'm looking for someone to head out and tackle one of these fellas. Is anyone willing to head out Sundays? I'm from north west of sydney and usually hit the northern beaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuggles Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hi all, well i did head out on Saturday morning, fished the outgoing for 2.5 hours. berlied up with bread. NO JOY.. managed 5 kelp fish one after the other ... switched to cabage for something different... NO LUCK... i was no doubt fishing too deep, but tried to fish a little shalower and still NO LUCK.. I have only ever managerd a DRUMMER on cabage at this spot, i have not tried prawn yet so i guess thats the next step.. HELP... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mousse Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Hi Mate, With the berley, try throwing much smaller amounts every 5 - 10 minutes instead of larger amounts just when you start or every half hour. I have two bait buckets on the same belt - one for bait and one for berley. Smallest possible sinker to get your bait down but still keep it moving around the wash, and just straight down to the hook. Did you get many snags? If not - your bait could be in the wrong spot! I never catch drummer without a few snags - as you need to put your bait right infront of their home which is usually rocky outcrops, caves or bommies. It doesn't matter whether it's deep or shallow - what's important is finding that spot that they're hiding in. Throw your bait around a few areas close in until you feel that heavy tap, tap, tap on your line - and then concentrate your efforts there. While I have caught drummer on outgoing tide - I find that the rising tide seems to coax them out of their hiding spots a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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