Balmoral Sunday 24th

[mike2153]

So woke up today pretty dusty after trying to drink half the beers in australia last night. Saw it was finally A nice day weather wise and decided to try and kill a hangover throwing a line in and laying in the sun.

Couldn't be bothered rigging the boat up to the car so decided to just grab 2 light rods and a few hooks and head towards middle harbour.

Ended up going to balmoral since I had forgot about bait and knew there's the boat hire place there who would have to sell bait.

Got there about 1030 or so haha when I could get myself out of bed. Bought a bag of mushy pillies and took a walk down the wharf.

Found the fishing wharf there had lets just say non English speaking Aussies all with about 3 rods each forming a spread across the wharf so no one else could have a fish. Rude but expected.

Decided to fish about 20m away from the fishing wharf on the walkway. Rigged the light gear rod up with a small circle hook and began throwing a few cubes off the wharf watching everyone else fish to see if anyone was catching, didn't see anything much happening.

Dropped a cube down and hooked up a nice 35cm trevally or so didn't bother measuring as wasn't taking anything today. Then one bloke decided to cast his line to the pylon I was dropping down at, literally casting his line right my feet. Anyway not fussed by that and by now had an audience of about 10 people watching me trying to keep my second trevally off the pylons haha. Landed him a nice size again, back in he went to join his mates.

Somehow hooked a yakka and brought him in lol perfect I thought rigged the heavier rod with 20lb on and sent the unweighted yakka out into the moorings for whatever was hungry for some yakka.

Got talking to a nice bloke in the wharf talking about fishing and how things have changed over time etc. The yakka rod buckles over and thinking I was into a nice salmon or something then nothing? Started to reel the line in the fish comes alive again haha it was a flatty about 50cm or so.

Then this bloke who was casting at me sends his son of about 8 years old or so running over to ask for my flathead!! I've never been in such a weird situation lol.

Told the kid that his going back in and this kid must have asked me a good 10 times for this fish after explaining it's my fish and my decision what I choose to do with it.

Anyway back in the flathead went and a few angry looks came my way. Decided shortly after that to pack it up as is had a date with missus. Ended up giving my bait to nice bloke with his young daughter who were also pushed off the fishing wharf to main wharf due to the longliners on the fishing wharf. Have him some tips as to what I was doing which he was pretty thankful and seemed pretty green to fishing but having fun with his daughter which is what it's all abou.

So for the hour or so I was there was good kill some time and finally get some fun. I love a quick unplanned session of just simple fishing and releasing a few fish back. There's something about releasing well over legal size fish, makes ya feel good about not needing to take everything you catch.

[mike2153]

Got a couple of quick snaps of trevally

[Scratchie]

Good stuff mike. Don't know how you can handle fishing in the city on those wharves with such congestion. Especially with a hangover the size of the harbour bridge! But at least you got into a few, that would have made the head feel a little better. Well done

Cheers scratchie!!!

[mike2153]

Haha mate I take what I can get, I

Love fishing up port Stevens which I believe is your local haunt? Got into some good squid up there recently, pretty easy to get a bag of 20 squid/cuttles up there for bait, wish the harbour was that easy if clean up on the kings every time.

[thefisherman6784]

Good little outing there mate producing some great fish

Last time I was at balmoral, I got 7 tiny perfect bait size yakkas and that's it

Great job on the trevally and flatty

I'm sure it was fun on the light tackle

Can't beat it

I'm sure it made you feel better to

Cheers thefisherman6784

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cameldownunder]

Nice Write. So you had a hell of a party, to get you a hangover, then you went fishing, and later on you had a date with your Miss. You lucky ... man.

[Scratchie]

Haha mate I take what I can get, I

Love fishing up port Stevens which I believe is your local haunt? Got into some good squid up there recently, pretty easy to get a bag of 20 squid/cuttles up there for bait, wish the harbour was that easy if clean up on the kings every time.

Yes mike it is! I now live within almost casting distance from the rocks. I've picked up some good squid lately too. I'm still waiting for the kings to show up though. Generally in November up here!

[Holls]

Reminds me of the time I went to fish off the pier at Portarlington but the pier was crowded with people catching nothing. I was desperate so I put on a fresh mullet and tossed it out on a surf rod, right over the heads of all the fisherman. Next thing, whack, away it went. Brought in a big sambo which tangled around about six other lines. Got it up, untangled the mess and just nicked off with my fish, leaving them all staring after me. I was only there about ten minutes LOL.

[Sydneyfisher12]

Great work mike that wharf can be really crowded or as you found one person casting their lines all over the place. Live bait is the best there for flathead I've caught plenty on the micro yakkas. Once when I was there I was fishing in the lower platform and somebody on the high platform with about 20 rods decided to cast right over my head tangling my yakka and expected me to cut my line because it was my fault wasn't going to take that and just cut his line and left and fished off the rocks around the corner.

Cheers sydneyfisher12

[fragmeister]

Good read!

Don't you just love the guys who cast at your feet.

Cheers

Jim

[mike2153]

Good work syd fisher, gotta stand up for yourself sometimes with people like that. Generally I find most people who are like this at wharves and rocks etc they count on people not saying anything so if I'm that bothered ill just ask politely they fish away from me and In turn ill do the same, if the don't that's when I will be a little more aggressive in tone and they will back off.

People just get a bit to desperate to catch a fish the forget there manners, just the same as rock fisherman who will take silly risks landing a fish they forget there safety etc.

It's a nice have a quiet fish but if you don't feel like taking the boat and just want to wet a line.

[PRED-ATOR]

good on ya mate.

I see this happen at so many spots i fish along the parra river. The amount of rods they bring, its like they are supplying to pyrmont or something lmao.

Cheers