Sydney Harbour/ Long Reef Friday 12th June 2015

[fragmeister]

Hi Raiders,

Ducked into Clifton Gardens today and picked up a dozen or so Yakkas using my new method for those sometimes tentative

little buggers.

Burley with bread

Catch a yakka with a small piece of pilly or whatever.

Cut the first yakka up, fillet and skin.

Cut a strip of yakka above the lateral line on both fillets and cut a dozen or so small pieces of bait from each.

Use that to catch the rest of the yakkas because they attack with much more gusto that a pilchard, and it stays on the hook

much better.

Anyway, that done I headed out to Long Reef and got there just before sunrise.

There was no wind the water temperature was 19 dgrees and the swell looked about 1 meter.

It took me no time at all to get there and I anchored up a the edge of a drop off and started burleying with pilchard cubes and some squid pieces.

I was in about 18meters of water.

I dropped one unweighted line down the burley trail with a pilchard bait and the other weighted line with a live yakka I let down about 8 meters.

Not long after both lines were hit simultaneously so I went for the one that looked bigger and tightened the drag on the other reel.

The first one gave a good account of itself and measured up at 64cm while the second ( played it self out on the tightened drag) was unmeasured looked about 55cm

This went on for an hour or so and I landed probably 7 or 8 kings between 55 and 60 cm.

By this time there were 6 or so boats around me. One of them mentioned catching an 80cm specimen.

I wanted to cover more ground and I forgot the down rigger so I weighted a yakka down with a big chunk of lead and trolled very slowly around picking up yet another rat.

I headed back to Sydney Harbour at about 10 am and picked up a squid just inside South Head. I cut it up into strips and drifted past the wedding cakes and a few other markers but no takers.

I took a quick look at Sow & Pigs at the start of the run in tide and there were a few trevally around.

I looked for surface action between Middle Head and Cremorne Point but there was none to be seen.

I only actually spent a few hours in the Harbour today but I am going to call a little slow at the moment.

Better luck on the weekend boys and girls.

Cheers

Jim

Edited June 12, 2015 by fragmeister

[GoingFishing]

Its always good to have a tangle with those kings, whatever size they are !.

too bad you didn't get any keepers, but I guess 8 kings has got to be satisfying to some extent

good work

[fragmeister]

Yes mate,

I had a ball! The seas were pretty flat, it wasn't cold and I caught some fish.

No keepers but that just means dinner is a big fat juicy T-Bone instead!

Cheers

JIm

[Guest no one]

Jim, for all those times you missed out on the kings in summer, you bagged out on them in the middle of winter! Good going!

[saltrix]

Thanks for the report, that method for catching yellowtail sounds like a good idea as pilchards and prawns sometimes dont last long.

While you enjoyed the tussle with rats I dont like catching them if there are no legals so I will give Long Reef a miss and instead give the flathead a go at DY wide.

[Yowie]

Jim,

With a fresh yakka fillet, I cut 2 slices lengthways. The first piece is above the lateral line (the sharp scutes). This is the prime section of the fillet as it is thick.

This leaves the second piece with the scutes. I cut off the tail section, around 1 to 2 cms longs (depending on the size of the fillet) then remove the meat from the skin. This section of meat is fairly tough, and I cut it into small pieces for yakka bait. The same bait might catch 2 or 3 yakkas before it becomes damaged too much.

This second piece of the fillet is much thinner.

Dave.

[VBCB]

Looks like Hiramasa, small head small mouth, weird.

Seems like it was good fun! well done.

[fragmeister]

Thanks for the report, that method for catching yellowtail sounds like a good idea as pilchards and prawns sometimes dont last long.

While you enjoyed the tussle with rats I dont like catching them if there are no legals so I will give Long Reef a miss and instead give the flathead a go at DY wide.

Yes, I think that I am a little over rat kings for the year but I am a bit of a stranger to the Long Reef area.

I have all the marks and I have decided to concentrate on the area and get to know it better.

Might have to pick the brains of the Fishraider community!

Cheers Jim

[fragmeister]

Jim,

With a fresh yakka fillet, I cut 2 slices lengthways. The first piece is above the lateral line (the sharp scutes). This is the prime section of the fillet as it is thick.

This leaves the second piece with the scutes. I cut off the tail section, around 1 to 2 cms longs (depending on the size of the fillet) then remove the meat from the skin. This section of meat is fairly tough, and I cut it into small pieces for yakka bait. The same bait might catch 2 or 3 yakkas before it becomes damaged too much.

This second piece of the fillet is much thinner.

Dave.

Hi Dave,

Sounds like a very similar strategy. Certainly seems to work especially when it seems they are just mouthing the pilchard or prawn bait.

They certainly seem to turn on when you use the fresh yakka for bait... I guess they are a little like me in one way...

they like having their friends for dinner!