SgtBundy Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 All week my boys wanted to go night fishing so on friday I took them to Balmoral with a plan to try and get some yakkas and squid for another session while they soaked some prawns to keep them amused. Only got one yakka which we tried live on the high tide but it got tangled and didnt last long. My son got a puffer fish which amused him and to my surprise he fished through the whole 3 hour session. So today with a lot of left over bait, a yakka to fillet and no fixed plans I felt like having a crack on dusk off a beach. I went to Stanwell park just for a change and got there around 4:30. A few other guys were there but aside from a salmon and a missed flathead it was now all quiet. Setup into a hole but spent most of the session gardening as loose weed was snagging the line constantly. I had pilchards and yakka fillets out on my surf rod while my 8ft rod had a light rig with prawns. Just before dark I finally got a break from weed and got some actual fish taps on the prawn. Got the bite and struck onto a 27cm bream. I kept him as my daughter likes them and it felt like a while since I had a take home. Kept on into dark but still no touches on the pilchard. I moved up the beach just to try getting away from the weed but didnt expect much as earlier the gutter didnt seem to extend further up. It stayed quiet but was a pleasant night with clear skies, the milky way, satellites and shooting stars. Around 7:30 I figured now the tide had turned and it was still quiet it was time to pack it in. But that one last cast of course was the one that got hit - it was a strange fight with what seemed like really fast headshakes and not a lot of run, and at one point it ran at me and I had to scramble to pick up line. With a brief fight and the right wave I had a thick 65cm salmon. Tried with another pillie but I had lost a few gang hooks and this rig was only made of two instead of three - if it had the third it looked like I would have had another fish as the pillie came back bit just shy of the last hook. As it was past the time I said I would come home I called it a night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandad Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 That famous last cast, if we could just string a few of those together. Well done on the fish, makes that extra bit of effort worthwhile. Always good if the kids don't get bored, and could have been a lot better if it hadn't been for the weed. Grandad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Mate you certainly get around! Balmoral one day and Stanwell Park on another. Nice lump of a salmon there dwarfing the bream. Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 Anywhere I go is an hour so direction doesnt really matter I managed to knock some solid fillets off the salmon and with a bit of cleaning up (remove the red meat) they were ready for frying. Did half in normal breadcrumbs and half in salt and vinegar chip crumbs just to try it. Went down well with the family. Even managed to fillet that little bream and turn that into some fish coctails for my daughter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT137 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 That's a horse of a salmon must of pulled hard. Makes the salmon I been catching off the northern beaches look tiny. Well done again on the nice catch. Always good to bring home a feed for the family to. Never really tried eating salmon I just like to catch most fish and release if I can. Is salmon any good for bait? I know was good up port Stephens way for snapper... But never tried it down this way always tend to use tailor slabs for bait with good results so just stick to that and squid most times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Well played Sarge. Big fish often run straight back at you off the beach. I guess it's the path of least resistance. You did the right thing, wind like crazy and hope. I'm glad the trip paid off, smashing fat sambo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 That's a horse of a salmon must of pulled hard. Makes the salmon I been catching off the northern beaches look tiny. Well done again on the nice catch. Always good to bring home a feed for the family to. Never really tried eating salmon I just like to catch most fish and release if I can. Is salmon any good for bait? I know was good up port Stephens way for snapper... But never tried it down this way always tend to use tailor slabs for bait with good results so just stick to that and squid most times. It surprised me because it was in fairly quickly - he had a bit of go but I don't think it even bothered the drag (maybe because I had done it up with the earlier weed). The only other salmon I have caught was about the same size and I got that up at Narrabeen last year. Not sure how they go for bait - tried a slab off the one at Narrabeen but no results. Well played Sarge. Big fish often run straight back at you off the beach. I guess it's the path of least resistance. You did the right thing, wind like crazy and hope. I'm glad the trip paid off, smashing fat sambo! Thanks - it was good to come back with a result for an impromptu session like that, although it was looking like another donut for a while there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT137 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Might try couple slabs of salmon see how they. I definitely know that tailor slabs work really well u should give that a go sarge. That reminds me gonna hav to hit northern beaches up again soon to stock up on some tailor been catching some really big tailor last couple weeks but been too lazy too post any of my recent trips. Waiting for that big Jewie off the beach to to post up on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest no one Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Salmon as bait is awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT137 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Awesome to know tef1on! I will definitely be trying out some of those salmon slabs very soon. Wanted to get out today but just checked willy weather and noticed wind isn't too bad today but the swell is ridiculous it's over 3m, really don't like fishing off the surf with those swells. I tend not too have much luck off the beach when the swells up. Is this normally the case when beach fishing with other fishos? Was thinking of getting out for a crack still, got sum pretty big surf sinkers although don't really like chucking out heavy sinkers cause my bait slabs are normally pretty solid, starts adding a lot of weight when going for a cast. Decisions decisions. Might give it a go this arvo and if swells to annoying il head back west way try catch some squid for bait along the way it all sound good in theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyJT Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I got these the other day using (only) salmon strips for bait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyJT Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Forgot to attach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT137 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Nice catch there JT! Good to know that salmon is a good reliable bait to use. Was hoping to catch a salmon yesterday to use. Went to one of my normal beach fishing spots yesterday tho the current was pretty strong and not many fish on the bite, caught some nice squid tho on the way home including a massive calamari that was a about 33cm and that was just the hood. Will put a post soon at work now Unfortunatley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest no one Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I usually target salmon when low on bait...catch a couple then continue bait fishing with the fresh salmon. In NZ ive caught bigger Salmon and Snapper using fresh Kawahai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazzie Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 With regards to gang hooks, i am a long time beach fisho and an even older fisho showed me a great rig. i either use 4/0 or 5/0's but only 2 of them, i rig them with a ball bearing swivel between them and cut my pilchards in 1/2 . twice the amount of bait and very rarely miss a hook up. A cut bait pilchard attracts all sorts of fish from bream to tailor and salmon and flathead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 I normally use a snelled 2 hook rig but I have trouble keeping pilchards on them (yet to try bait mate string though). I prefer gang hooks for pilchards and I use the self joined gamakatsu gangster ones but clearly I am not closing the eyes right because I keep loosing the trailing hooks. Can you diagram this two hook rig because I would not mind trying it. Also I wish I could target salmon easily enough to make them a bait source. As above it was only the special "last cast" that got me one that trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT137 Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I use a 2 hook snell most times as well or sometimes 2 hooks with one hook running free being the top hook I find this rig easier to rig pilchards. Though do use snell hook set up mostly last few sessions. I put the bottom hook through the eye of pilchard and the top hook up near the tail through the back bone, then tie a loop around the tail of the pilchard this normally keeps the bait on pretty solid. I also use a gang hook at times. Would be great to have a diagram of that ball bearing swivel rig to... im struggling to figure out how it works. Sounds interesting. Also wouldn't mind giving it a go from the beach if looks easy enough to rig up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleB Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 I might head down to stanwell park, impressed with these catches any tips on the best spots down there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 On dark last time the south end was lit up with everyone down there so that end seems popular. I was on the north end just past the creek mouth and while there was a hole there as per the report it was fairly quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazzie Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Re the hook setup, i just use Mustard open eye ganging hooks in either 3/0, 4/0, 5/0. i put the swivel on through the open eye and let it hang on the bottom of the hook, i then put the other hook eye through the swivel and close the eye. Also with this rig, fish lie salmon and tailor that twist and jump cant use the leverage of the other hook as it is free moving on the swivel. Give me a cpl of days and i will take a pic and put it up here. when i getting ready for winter beach fishing, i usually make up a few sets of each size so depending on the pilchard size , i have hooks for all sizes.I cut the pillie on and angle and put the top hook though the pillie eye and the bottom hook through the bottom of the sliced pillie. with the other piece , i put the top hook through the hard bit of the tail and the bottom hook through the bottom. The advantage is you dont waste as much bait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krause Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Just as a quick one. The post about losing gamakatsu gang hooks. But mustad gangs instead. Im not a very 'brand' based person, but the mustad hooks hold together sooooo much better than the gamakatsu. Dont know why but ill never buy them again. Its much more economical. Swivels are a good idea, im just to lazy. Might try it. I also have started using standard j hooks as the top hook. Just attach a gang to it. I think they are that bit better and the eye cant open and fall off the line. Better bait presentation too, not that it matters with salmon or tailor! If youre looking for a quick spot corimal beach is in fine shape at the moment, nice gutter there. Got salmon and tailor there yesterday. But im not sure what the big seas will do to that structure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krause Posted April 18, 2015 Share Posted April 18, 2015 Also Tazzie, very clever with the 'no leverage' concept when using Swivels. What brand do you use? Because i assume they're quote small but still have reasonable strength Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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