Hottest Hawkesbury Bite in Years

[Brian]

Hi Raiders,

After my post last week “Tough week on the Harbour” I wasn’t too sure if I’d be back on the water so soon. I’d committed to one of my best fishing mates, Chappo that I’d come down and fish in a social fishing comp, “The Predator Classic” held on the Hawkesbury River each year. So in true Aussie form where you don’t let down your fishing, golf or beer drinking mates I hitched on the boat and did the 500km haul back to Sydney again.

I’m lucky as I have two best fishing mates, Chappo and Sean. Sean has the luxury of living at the great coastal location of South West Rocks so he gets a pretty good fill of fishing each year. Chappo and I fish a lot and together, we are what you’d call “The.......", No I won’t say it! But, needless to say when the two of us are in the boat together we have a vibe for what’s going on and both work well together. Same with Sean too and when the three of us are in the boat you’d say we are “The…” No I won’t say that either. For the record they both drink beer, fish and play golf somewhat!

So, Friday morning I’m heading south from the NSW North West Slopes and Plains. Boat in tow and on my way back again. I get over the range at Murrurundi and hit the rain. Rain, rain, rain all the bloody way to Wahroonga. That type of rain when you are driving you think I really should stop but, it’s too dangerous to stop so you plod along. Wish we got that west of the ranges. Got to Sydney and it eases up a bit and made it to Chappo’s house.

After a run to the bait shop, food shop and the beer shop we had to go back to the shops and get ice for the beer, bait and food! Sat up and talked nonsense, ate the best homemade pizza ever, rigged our gear and made up a plan for the weekend which went out the window about 8.00am Sat morning. Launched a Parsley Bay ramp and met up with the remaining 2 boats that came for the comp. 3 boats pulled out due to the ugly weather, which was a shame as it reduced numbers but, given the appalling conditions no-one can blame them.

Out to spot X. I know the rhetoric about spots X’s but it’s not my spot so I can’t give it away. Let’s say it’s between Patonga, West Head and Lion Island somewhere!! We set ourselves up in the RAINNNNNNNNN and the WINDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD and got a berley trail going. Had heaps of liveis up at the boat but, they were yakkas on steroids. Got a slimey mack and dropped him out. We sat there for hours. Tally was 2 flattys and a 51cm salmon. This was all on the bream gear but, at the end of the day it was a bit of dud for the effort with not a sniff on the livie.

Into Pattonga for some hot food and re think. We got in close and found some jelly bean sized yakkas about 4 inches long. Dynamite for big flatties. Hit the drifting ground. The drift is flat. Wind and tide working against each other. Starting to think I should have stayed at the farm.

We call it a day and head back to the ramp and pick up our gear for the run up past Bar Point. Get to our overnight camp and there’s no water to get to the jetty. What do we do? We lugged across the river past Pumpkin Point and found a nice drift going along a mud flat. Out with the soft platsics and in no time we’ve got 4 flatties and 2 flounder in the boat. Turned around a hard day.

We stay at an old Oyster Farmers hut on the water. This is a great place. Jetty out the front, a big dorm type set up for sleeping and a kitchen dining area with an open fire. Having spent fruitless hours last year scrounging around in the dark for wood I decided I’d bring some. So with about 100kg of iron bark and yellow box we were ready to eat drink and be merry and we did. Steak and 3 vege with a glass or two of Koonunga Hill Cab Merlot and a small group of great blokes. We dried out, talked more nonsense and hit the sack about midnight contemplating the next day’s fishing tactics.

Up after dawn and the day looked promising from the protection of the sandstone valley. Yes we are going to get a good day. Pack up and Chappo and I decided to hit the mud flat first. RAINNNNNN. Althoung it was that soft misty type rain and the place was like a post card. Got one quick flatty and not much more going on so we make the call to head back to spot X.

Now the remaining trio on the last boat were only in it for a short run. As I’d done 500ks to fish Chappo graciously decided to stick it out for me and put in the time remaining. We had the berley trail from hell going. Armed with kilo’s of pillies and a tank full of livies we had all guns loaded and out waiting for the hit and then the hits came. In a very short time we had flatties to our left bream to our right, taylor out the back and kingies and bonito down below. Every bait was chance of a blistering run and a great fish. I have to say we had the bite from heaven going. The taylor were in the 40cm range and great fight on the bream gear. We got bream up to 40cm mostly smaller 30’s, a bonito of about 60cm on live bait and two kingies 61 and 63cm (they went back but, on 2 and 4kg gear great fun). I got smoked on my 15ld rig and I must say I’m tired of losing good fish because of braid line. I know it’s stronger but it’s got no abrasive resistance and I’ve lost m+ kings I’m sure, because the braid gives up on the slightest touch on structure. My best 1m king was on 15ld mono a few years ago and it got raked across the floor a few times as I could feel it but, the mono held up? Don’t know but, I’m seriously thinking going back to heavy mono on some of my kingy setups.

So after diving across the boat time and again to grab a rod going off (we had 6 lines out and had a quadruple hookup at one stage) the bite suddenly eased and then died off. We were still buzzing from the 2 hour + frenzy and really couldn’t believe what had just been going on. We saw the fish at the boat at times and the different species would turn up, do their thing and then go. Then the next lot would arrive. 80% of our fish went back and we only kept a nice bag of bream and flatties for immediate use. No freezing in this house.

We were both so happy for sticking it out in the appalling weather and I was glad I’d stuck to my commitment and made the trip. I got my arms stretched and my salt water fix for the year. Thanks guys for a memorable weekend. I’ll be back next year with a load of wood and maybe some Tamworthians in tow too!

A few points of interest.

I was using snelled rigs on my live baits and putting the top hook (6/0) in the grissle of the nose and bottom hook in the middle of the back. That way they’d swim into the current and create no drag and stay fresh. I also trimmed the tail flukes as they were monster yakkas. Otherwise they’d be around the boat and all the lines.

Berley berley berley berley berely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You’ve got to work the current and get the fish to react.

I had a bream rig with a 1/0 circle hook which I left in the holder and let the fish catch themselves. I don’t know how many I missed trying to do the strike set before I remembered it was a circle hook. My other rig had a 2/0 bait keeper, which I kept in my hand. Both loaded with pilly tails and half hitch around the tail to keep them straight. We only used enough lead to get them off the surface. We’d cast wide and let them sink back to where they’d be in the bottom of the berley trail and avoid the pickers.

Change of the tides worked best, including the bottom and with the berley we kept them going for hours after the change.

Some pics of the fish we had time to take photos!

Cheers,

BP.

Lousy weather

Nice fight on the light gear. That's Chappo with my fish by the way.

Sky Patrol.

Sambo on bream gear great fun!

Mad Bonito, 60cm plus

Food for the table.

Oh Yeah, and Chappo cooked up the flatties and fed half his street!

Edited March 3, 2014 by Brian

[jenno64]

Great read....well done on a great fishin mission!

[loxo]

Thats a great report on what sounds like a great weekend. Congrats.

[austral]

thanks for sharing, sounds like a top few days..

[DeanFish]

Great read. I'm heading up to Patonga for a similar weekend this weekend with a good group of mates. This post is certainly motivating.

When you say you were at Patonga and came in close to get 4 inch yakkas...was that in Patonga itself? I'd love to know where as we generally go to west head to get yakkas and having a spot at Patonga would save me some time and fuel. Any pointer would be awesome. No stress if you can't.

[big Neil]

Great report...feel as if I was there with you. Actually, wish I was! Big Neil.

[Brian]

Cheers Guys. Yakkas were in close at Lion Island.

Neil you bring the bottle of red wine and your in next year LOL

Edited March 3, 2014 by Brian

[rockfisherman]

Wow, loads of fun plus a massive feed, pretty much a perfect day.

Harry

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Scratchie]

That's was certainly a great read Brian! Well done to you and your mates for sticking it out and getting your rewards! Don't know how that could do you for the year though??? That would only motivate me for more! Great effort!

Cheers scratchie!!!

[Brian]

Unfortunately Scratchie, when your 500ks from the salty stuff you have to get you fill in big doses. I've just done 10 straight days on the water if I take in last week too. That's with out the hugs and kisses or tackers, so I'm pretty blessed to get a solid go at it a couple of times a year.

[Scratchie]

Unfortunately Scratchie, when your 500ks from the salty stuff you have to get you fill in big doses. I've just done 10 straight days on the water if I take in last week too. That's with out the hugs and kisses or tackers, so I'm pretty blessed to get a solid go at it a couple of times a year.

Fair call mate! Good luck to you! I'm blessed living so close to the water! I used to struggle when I lived in the mtns!

With your great captures, at least you've got something to talk about for the next 12 months!

[Chappo]

Hi Brian.

A very accurate summary of fishing with an obviously a great mate and fisho. Wish I was there. Oh hang on.......I was. You didn't mention cooking up the flathead and chips for half my street. The only way to eat fish is fresh out of the water with some "Mary Macs" instant batter (from Woolies) Glad you made home safe. Chappo

[Yowie]

A good feed of fish, and a good day out.

[Brian]

Hi Brian.

A very accurate summary of fishing with an obviously a great mate and fisho. Wish I was there. Oh hang on.......I was. You didn't mention cooking up the flathead and chips for half my street. The only way to eat fish is fresh out of the water with some "Mary Macs" instant batter (from Woolies) Glad you made home safe. Chappo

Updated for you Chappo.

[DeanFish]

Cheers Guys. Yakkas were in close at Lion Island.

Neil you bring the bottle of red wine and your in next year LOL

Cheers re the above Brian.

[filthmonger]

Cloud cover+ high barometric= good fishing. This week has been awesome.

[Brian]

Cloud cover+ high barometric= good fishing. This week has been awesome.

Yep, that's how I read it. I did a thread last week and someone put a link to it, like a fishing almanac for tides and times moon etc.

http://www.tides4fishing.com/au/new-south-wales/sydney

All indications were it was going to be a hot bite time + the barometer was up.

Sometimes the worst weather makes for the best fishing.

[VBCB]

Sounds like mad fun, these sessions are the ones we are living for

[Day's Fishin]

I have always found the area your talking about fish well after a lot of rain We find the same as you did that its a real mixture of species and as long as the burly trail is kept up the schools come for a feed as their searching for what is been washed in by the rain.

Jeff

[prawn 76]

Hi great read just wondering where the oyster farmers hut is where you stayed I've never heard about it THANKS

[Brian]

Hi great read just wondering where the oyster farmers hut is where you stayed I've never heard about it THANKS

It's up stream from Bar Point. The second last jetty before you swing towards Pumkin Point. There's a big old house up the back on stone piers. I don't know who owns it but you can stay there for $20pp pn. Rough but comfortable enough.