Hawkesbury River on the weekend

[seasponge]

Spent a few days on the Hawkesbury over the weekend with mild success.

The tide and weather conditions were perfect for an early morning fish on Saturday morning, but my 8 yr old son had his last game of soccer for the year. I made the decision to go watch his soccer instead, and was rewarded by seeing him score a goal for the first time J

Ended up out on the water about midday, well after the morning low tide. Headed out to Flint and Steel. Plenty of boats were on the reef, but we were just drifting in the bay. Picked up a few undersized flatties and one keeper on whole pilchards on ganged hooks. Kept bringing squid to the surface on the bait. Tried to sneak the net underneath them a few times while my wife kept them interested in the bait, but couldn’t bag one. I ended up getting a squid jig in the water, and after a few failed hook ups, finally managed to land a squid. By the time we’d landed him and bagged him, we must’ve drifted off their area as we didn’t see any more after that. Also manage to lean on one of my rods and snapped the top half of it off @#@$#@%@!!!!!

We headed over to Patonga and drifted along the rock wall on the outgoing tide. Again picked up a few undersized flathead, and landed another keeper, this time on the nuclear chicken gulp nemesis. After the first drift though things quietened right down. Then I managed to snap the tip of my wife’s graphite rod – more @#@!$#@%@#%!!! Two rods down in a matter of hours.

We’d spotted a couple fishing on the little beach to the west of the rock wall, and on our last drift witnessed the noble lad get down on one knee and pop the question. Well played mate.

On Sunday, again was hoping to fish the morning low tide, but it never eventuated and we ended up getting out on the water mid morning, well into the incoming tide. Headed to Juno Point with low expectations but on the first cast pulled in a nice flounder on prawn, drifting in from the point. Persisted there for another hour and half for nothing. Was going to call it a day, but decided to do a few drifts in our bankable spot near Dangar Island before finishing. By now it should’ve been a run in tide, but the water in that area does weird things. Managed to pull in a few flathead though, with a couple of legal ones to provide dinner. Also got another squid, again on the bait but this time managed to get the net under it without spooking it.

So over the weekend, we took home 4 flathead, a flounder and 2 squid, saw my son’s first goal, a proposal and snapped 2 rods. Mixed results, but managed a decent feed and was so good to be out on the water again. It had been almost 2 months since we’d been out, and with my wife about to give birth any day now, it could be a while before I get back out again.

Never got a pic of Saturdays catch, but this was Sundays results.

Am now in the market for a new rod to replace the 1-3kg graphite one that was snapped (after convincing the wife last friday not to get me anything for father's day!). Will repair this one and keep it as a spare boat rod. The wife's one will just need the tip replaced.

[jed38]

^{A good read, very interesting weekend though. always nice to get something in the bag!!}

[Yowie]

Squid can be hard to net, when they are hanging onto a bait.

I try to coax them to just under the surface, then quickly push a net into the water right behind them. Usually a squid will quickly swim off tail first, and they are very quick, so you need the net right behind them.

Some of the newer eco-type nets have small mesh, so they are harder to quickly push through the water. A net with a larger mesh is better, but too big a mesh, and the smaller squid will swim through. Some landing nets have large mesh gaps, whereas prawn nets have a small mesh. The only problem with prawn nets is if you net a squid that is hanging onto a squid jig, the multiple hooks on the jig become entangled in the net, and it will take much time to untangle.

[fragmeister]

"So over the weekend, we took home 4 flathead, a flounder and 2 squid, saw my son’s first goal, a proposal and snapped 2 rods."

Sound like a good 'effin good day ... A Feed, a First and a Fiancee and a Fail.

Bad luck about the rods mate but I bet both you and the boy were rapt with the first goal.

Cheers

Jim

Edited August 26, 2015 by fragmeister

[seasponge]

Bad luck about the rods mate but I bet both you and the boy were rapt with the first goal.

Yeah, it sure vindicated my decision to go watch his soccer instead of an early morning fish

I try to coax them to just under the surface, then quickly push a net into the water right behind them. Usually a squid will quickly swim off tail first, and they are very quick, so you need the net right behind them.

Some of the newer eco-type nets have small mesh, so they are harder to quickly push through the water. A net with a larger mesh is better, but too big a mesh, and the smaller squid will swim through. Some landing nets have large mesh gaps, whereas prawn nets have a small mesh. The only problem with prawn nets is if you net a squid that is hanging onto a squid jig, the multiple hooks on the jig become entangled in the net, and it will take much time to untangle.

I was using an old style landing net - large mouth, large mesh. Ended up having the net in the water before it came to the surface so it didn't get spooked by the net suddenly appearing, then getting the wife to move the bait and squid passed the net, then coming at it from below and behind. It took off backwards, straight into the open net!

[Guest 4myson]

Are you guys SURE he was proposing ??? Maybe he was on his knee "BEGGING" his misses he could go fishing as well after seeing you guys catching fish ....(LOL) ....Either way great read mate ..

Edited August 26, 2015 by 4myson

[harold]

Great to hear of your sons goal. Fishing in the Hawkesbury this time of year is a bit hit and miss. Squid are there most of the time so we keep a rod with a squid jig on it ready at all times. One of the better squid places we have found is the mouth of the basin, it holds some good sized squid and there is usually a lot of them.