Hawkesbury River - a few simple tips for the novice.

[galini09]

Hi Raiders,

I guess this one is for the novices, i hear so many complaints about no good fish in the hawkesbury and im no professional.

I have been succesful in catching quality bream in the hawkesbury on about 80% of my trips these days from a few simple techniques

The key for me is not only finding some good structure and fishing the tides but not being afraid to try all the ideas!

BAITS

- Don't always believe burley is essential, i never use it for bream and have no issues. (it can be useful when the tide slows not in storng current)

- dont be afraid to have 4 rods out with different baits.

- I've always liked chicken gut when the waters murky (not that aniseed infused crap) if you can find it. the bream seem to become.

- In clear water stick to tiny pieces of squid and don't bother with prawns without heads, if it loses the head peel it!

- Tailor arent great on the plate, so float a pilchard get one and cut the chopper up. (fresh bloody baits are literally sushi for bream)

- I've caught them on everything from the prawns and pilchard, to some dough mixed with peanut butter and a wonderfully presented cube of SPAM

- bream are moody fish and they will eat a particular bait over others, i once sat for 4 hours and landed 26 bream on chicken gut whilst all those boats around me at flint and steel caught nothing with their prawns.

-Key: Try every bait you can possibly think of till you find what works. As soon as it does add it to one more rod at a time.

TIDES

- anything that changes more than 1m can be challenging times, in these times you'll find they only bite on the turn of the tide.

- turn of the low seems to be the most succesful for me an a few hours either side.

- use your time mid tide to catch some fresh bait or have a drift for some flatties. Don't waste it sitting there thinking the bream will bite.

Key: Slack Water = Big Lazy Breamies

GEAR

- I use Shimano Sienna Reels and Raider Rods (2-5kg and 1-3kg) about 150 dollar combos.

- 10lb braid with anything between 4-12lb leader depending on conditions.

- 4lb-8lb in clear water - (you will lose some fish but boy will you hook more)

- 10-12lb in Murky Water or on heavy structure. (Helps when a Jew takes your prawn instead of your livie)

- 1/0 Mustad Bait Holders have never let me down, sometimes a long shank helps with presenting baits and is handy if tailor or flathead take the baits

- i use a running ball sinker with a swivel and about 1m of trace. It's the most basic rig ever and works like a charm

- Enough Lead to keep them down, bigger is better than not enough in the current. Bream do feed of the bottoms, and a grey ball isn't really an eye sore if you know what the bottom of most parts of the hawkesbury looks like.

Key: Light as possible but don't give the fish away

LOCATIONS

- there are thousands of bream in the hawkesbury waiting to be caught - oyster leases, the well known reefs, anywhere where they can get out of raging current in and amongst some protection is a good place to start. But when the tide stops don't be afraid to throw one out away from the structure you're fishing, they'll get out there and hunt amongst the Soapies.

Key: Stick to Structure and Hold onTight

One Last Tip

- don't set your drags too tight, use your hands to hold the spool when you need some extra pressure, your line will knick and tick along the bottom but once you get him up a few metres, its okay to let him run when he wants too. Bream don't run 20m in 5 seconds they use short bursts with all their might. I've seen many fish lost at the boat and that last hard run to survive because the little nicks in the line give way when the drags too tight. Also if a Jew picks up a bream outfit (which im sure has happened to every bream fisho) you will lose it all very quickly. Bream outfits have a tendency to fly out boats as those little graphite outfits could go in a gust of wind. a Screaming run on a prawn or piece of squid in the hawkesbury is likely to be a jew. DONT PANIC. Up Anchor and Haul A*. I caught my best jew of about 8 kilos on 10lb braid and leader and its a great ride.

Happy Breaming Everyone

Best of Luck,

Galini

[fishgod]

You really dont have a clue what your talking about, however i hope our next trip is as fruitfull as the last - a few extra tips that we also follow.

- if you fish at night dont bother trying for bream

- 5 catfish in a row change spots ( they will not leave trust me )

- If you are going to use prawns hawkesbury prawns are the go

- If you catch more fish then your mate make him feel better by saying things such as " wow that bream you caught was thick as " or " OMG it has shoulders "

other then that the most important thing is

DONT BE LAZY

if your line needs changing - change it

if your bait needs changing - change it

and so on and so forth.

Best of luck

Bream reaper

Edited March 4, 2014 by pescatore5

[rockfisherman]

Thanks for sharing your tips and secrets.

But I must disagree with you on on one thing. Tailor when bled and iced are great eating.

Harry

If it's to good to be true, it usually is...

[fishgod]

That involves remembering to bring ice though.

[oziodin]

Thank you for the hints always good to get Info on different ways to fish the Hawkesbury. mate it's always appreciated I like to use Blade steak thinly cut as an option for bait. thanks for the sharing.

Cheers Oziodin

[Brian]

You really dont have a clue what your talking about, however i hope our next trip is as fruitfull as the last - a few extra tips that we also follow.

I'm sure you blokes must be mates!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some good little tips in there.

Thanks.

[Scratchie]

I'll add a tip to your generous advise for the hawkesbo!

Tip- bait presentation is always important. During a raging current that the hawkesbo provides, when using hawkesbo prawns or pillies. Half hitch the tail to the hook with your leader and it will prevent it bunching up!

This is a proven method in that area and will result in more bites!

Cheers scratchie!!!

[Devil Ray]

Skirt steak dipped in parmesan cheese is the best bream bait money can buy

[Scratchie]

Skirt steak dipped in parmesan cheese is the best bream bait money can buy

That' sounds more like a main meal. You cook that and I'll catch the bream! Lol

[rockfisherman]

That involves remembering to bring ice though.

Ice pretty much comes with me on every trip, weather it be a bag from the servo for my icebox when I'm out on my tinny, or a 2 litre fruit juice bottle 3/4 filled with water then frozen to be kept in the bucket with the fish... It keeps your fish in good condition.

Harry

If it's to good to be true, it usually is...

[NaClH2OK9]

- If you catch more fish then your mate make him feel better by saying things such as " wow that bream you caught was thick as " or " OMG it has shoulders "

Pmsl

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[fishgod]

I'll add a tip to your generous advise for the hawkesbo!

Tip- bait presentation is always important. During a raging current that the hawkesbo provides, when using hawkesbo prawns or pillies. Half hitch the tail to the hook with your leader and it will prevent it bunching up!

This is a proven method in that area and will result in more bites!

Cheers scratchie!!!

I was just stating that my mate Galini is extremley forgetfull

[fishgod]

That' sounds more like a main meal. You cook that and I'll catch the bream! Lol

- Agreed, i have heard of people using chicken brest & parmeson

[SgtBundy]

Chicken, Garlic and Parmesan - they seem to love it, as do flatties. Unfortunately so do baby snapper and everything else you have to throw back

Any tips on good shore spots? I tried hiring a boat from Brooklyn once but it was a waste of time as the gutless motor could barely move me against the current.

[fishgod]

Chicken, Garlic and Parmesan - they seem to love it, as do flatties. Unfortunately so do baby snapper and everything else you have to throw back

Any tips on good shore spots? I tried hiring a boat from Brooklyn once but it was a waste of time as the gutless motor could barely move me against the current.

Mate if your after a feed you could try Patonga. Walk around the rocks for a few minutes and presto have caught a Bream & flatties. Nice beautifull spot for a relaxing fish also worth while casting and slow retrieving a soft plastic.

good luck.

[Chicken87]

On 3/4/2014 at 7:38 PM, Scratchie said:

I'll add a tip to your generous advise for the hawkesbo!

Tip- bait presentation is always important. During a raging current that the hawkesbo provides, when using hawkesbo prawns or pillies. Half hitch the tail to the hook with your leader and it will prevent it bunching up!

This is a proven method in that area and will result in more bites!

Cheers scratchie!!!

I've used hot dog frankfurt up ther skin off and cut ingo rectangles got me a 4 pound Bream from under the little car bridge. Near the paddle boats.