South West Rocks family holiday

[Oscarthebeagle]

Just got back from a weeks holiday at SWR. Trip was more a family holiday with my wife and two young kids, but still managed a little bit of fishing.

All fishing would be land based, with the boat left in Sydney. First trip I fished at Jerseyville boat ramp at first light. Having zero experience at land based SP fishing for Jewfish I thought I would give it a go. 8lb braid, 30lb trace and 120 red rum wriggler.

Cast from the ramp down to the bridge for no hits. The first pylon can be cast to from shore so this was going to be my target area. After 20min got first hook up reasonable weight good flash of silver thought maybe it was the target fish, got it back to the surface and its a nice tailor 43cm. Not the target but a good start on the fish dinner I promised. A couple of casts later and another hookup, this time more weight and a fish that holds deep swimming up and down the oyster covered rocks at my feet, with the occasional big head shake. A couple of minutes of this than it's beaten and on the surface. Grap a wrap of the trace and swing it up on the shore. A Jewfish, 61cm, not big, but my first on SP so it counts. A quick photo and it's released.

A few more casts result in a bream 30cm and a Pike 42( different species to down south looks more like a barracuda) this finishes off dinner.

Tried fishing up stream of the ramp which looked good for flathead but only managed to spook a few red belly black snakes. Back home in time for breakfast.

Next trip was to back Creek with the kids little girl manage 5 fish ( bream, tarwhine, sweep, butterfish and a wrasse) before she lost interest .

Next trip after that was family fishing at main river boat ramp. Fishing off the new pontoon, bread burley and and unweighted baits drifted on the current result in 20 or so bream with a few legal size all released before the kids lost interest. Another family turned up and as we were fishing I could hear their kids getting annoyed at catching no fish while we caught. So as we left I offered our spot and explained to the dad what I was doing and by the time I reached the car they were on to fish.

As a final trip I went back to the bridge again but only caught and released a 42cm flathead. And cleaned up the mess some other "fisherman" had left behind line, bottles, plastic bags, bait, hook packets lolly wrappers and more.

The rest of the time was spent at the playgrounds, beaches, eating ice ceams, whale watching (saw heaps) and all the other holiday things you do.

Thanks for reading

Ashley

PS Dad the holiday house now has two fan heaters, a kiddies table, kiddies toys, a pram, a filleting knife in the draw and I replaced the broken runner on your blackfish rod you leave at the house.

[Scratchie]

Great write up Ashley. Any holiday with the family is good when you can sneak a bit of fishing time in! Well done

Cheers scratchie!!!

[Burger]

Looks like a great spot Ashley! Nice read and well done on helping out the other dad!!

[Yowie]

A few fish, including enough for a feed, is better than nothing.

The fish you called a pike may be a Snook.

[Rock&Beach]

Great write up. Love spending time with the family. Nice first up Jewie on SP. love that feeling

[Paddy454]

Good read mate,

Sounds like a great family holiday and some fishing in the mix.

Hope your dad read this as it sounds like you did a bit of maintenance also.

Tight lines,

Paddy

[Oscarthebeagle]

Cheers for the replying

SRW is a great place for a holiday, very lucky to have free accommodation there (just have to do a few chores while I'm there).

Yowie the fish was probably a snook, it's just called Pike locally, to confuse things more if I said snook to a local they would assume I'm talking about Spotted Mackerel.

Dad/hookerbruce should read this, he is caravaning somewhere near 1770 in nth qld currently.

[Demon]

Your Dad"s living the dream. Living SWR, Holidaying 1770.