Fun weekend exploring Pittwater (long post)

[jgrant666]

Morning Raiders!

Since we had a rare kidless weekend the mrs and I decided to spend it exploring pittwater, since she was on call and we needed to ensure we stayed within mobile range, plus I've never fished it before, even as a kid!

Saturday morning we took out 2 friends who had been dying to come out on the new boat, managed to get to the ramp by about 6:30am (don't you just hate waiting for other people when you want to make an early start!). Decided to hit up the basin since it was pretty deserted, got a good mooring in close to the sandbank and a jetty. got a good burley trail going but after 2hrs only had a couple of very small juvenile snapper (plus plenty of pickers nickin' our bait). we had a mix of normal bream rigs (size 4 hook on a 50cm leader to swivel then a running sinker) plus a paternoster out with a mixture of squid, worms, and prawns for bait but no real luck. I was flicking a couple of different size squid jigs round the structures and over the flats too whilst I waited and hoped for something to grab one of our baits, but not even the squid were about.

With no luck there we decided to try our luck drifting for flatties over the weed beds along barrenjoey beach. by this time the tide was well and truly on the run in. We were drifting about 200m off the beach in about 3m of water and did 2 slow passes right along 'joey beach but again no takers, saw a couple of other boats with the same idea but none of them seemed to be having much luck either!

After a quick stop at palm beach boaties for a coffee (first time beaching the new boat so was a tad nervous!), the wind & swell looked favourable and it was a bit over an hour from the top of the tide so we decided to try our luck off lion island. Spent a good 2hrs drifting the southern side of the island, had 4 rods bottom bashing plus I'd rigged a pilly on a gang hook with no weight free floating. We'd had a few good solid bites but unfortunately both our passengers had lost their sea legs and by about the 3rd drift were helping with a nice 'burley trail' off the side of the boat . It must have helped as not long after the pilly goes off and I hooked into a nice tailor probably around the 40cm mark. Almost had him to the boat when the bugger bit me off! Oh well it was a good solid fight and loads of fun. My wife also managed to hook up a beautiful Crimson-banded Wrasse (thanks Raiders for the quick ID!) but we had to let it go as we had no idea what it was and didn't want to inadvertently take something protected or undersized.

By now our passengers had suffered enough so it was back to the basin for lunch and a swim, plus a bit of time just chillin and listening to tunes whilst they found their stomachs again Decided to troll a couple of Lures on the way back to the ramp, and literally just as my wife was winding the last one in as we rounded the last sandbank a few hundred metres away from the bayview ramp - ZZZZZZZ! what looked to be a monster Tailor at least 60cms took off with the last lure. My wife put in a valiant effort but again unfortunately it bit us off just as it was nearing the boat. My wife loved the thrill though and we've learnt our lesson - next purchase will definitely be some wire traces!

Next day sunday was just the two of us. After our Tailor near misses on Saturday we were very keen to try again so went via flick 'n fish in thornleigh hoping to grab some wire traces & snap swivels before setting out, but they were closed!!! They usually open 4:30am on Weekend mornings though I spose I can't blame the poor bloke for wanting a sleep in occasionally. The diversion had us miss the really early start we'd wanted but were still in the boat by 7am. Trolled a couple of lures round scotland island but no takes so decided to try for lion island. It became clear as we passed Careel bay though that the wind (which was blowing pretty strongly and swirling around from S to slightly NE but prevailing SE) and the chop were not going to be kind to us, and still being new to the boat decided that discretion was going to be the better part of valor so stayed in Pittwater. Found a nice little hole at the southern end of Portuguese Bay that was somewhat protected from the wind so anchored up but it was pretty pointless. the wind and current were both pulling strongly in opposite directions making it very hard to keep a bait down anywhere.

We got jack of it after 45mins so pulled up and headed back into Morning bay and anchored in a sheltered spot off a ledge just inside off woody point. By now the wind had mostly settled into a sou'easter and being about 90mins out from the top of the tide the current had slacked right off so we started burley trail with the last of the day before's burley and had instant results. For the next hour and a half we pulled in at least 10 juvenile snapper, including a couple that were just under size (if only the DPI would let you off for 2~3cms!) and a few small bream as well, but still nothing legal. At the top of the tide we tried one last drift for flatties over the flats up the end of Morning Bay but no takers so we decided to call it a day.

All in all a great weekend out on the water, despite dropping those Tailor and the otherwise just undersized fish. We're getting closer though and I'm sure it won't be long before we're finally putting something on the table that hasn't come from the local (and luckily very decent) fish monger at Top Ryde!

Now we'll just need to decide if we launch at pittwater again next weekend since it's closer to Lion Island, or back to apple tree bay since the current is less there and the bays are sheltered if the weather doesn't play nice for us to get back out to the island / broken bay. Decisions Decisions eh?

Edited October 18, 2015 by jgrant666

[Guest 4myson]

Great read mate .... Pity about the bite offs ....

[jgrant666]

Yeah it sucked a bit, but I spose that's fishing and we're keen to try again. First time fishing an unweighted pilly so was glad to pick something up with it!

Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

[amkr]

Good read! Hope you can land something plate-worthy soon!

[Twinfisher 4.9]

Just a suggestion, unless targeting Spanish Mackerel, you do not need to use wire trace for tailor. It will restrict your strikes. If using lures, a 30lb leader or similar with a 6 inch lure or a four hook rig in a pilly or garfish.. The wire will spook them.