Yowie Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Anchored up early near Lilli Pilli, and not much action at all. Tried for tailor, and it was some time before a single bite for the one fish on fish strips. A couple of little reddies but nothing else. The garfish turned up in numbers, and stayed until after sunrise, which usually means not much is chasing them. Fished for them for something to do, but more at bait size than eating size. Pulled out 2 shovel nose sharks and released them, and dropped another under the boat, however, each shovelnose was the same size with the same markings on the back, so I am fairly certain it was the same dopey one coming back for more. I put out a gar as a livie, and it swam about for a while then headed to the bottom. A couple of twitches of the rod tip, then a slow run, so I hooked up, the fish swam about for a short while, then took off on a long run, suspected a ray of some sort. It swam to the bottom and would not budge, so my guess was right. I lifted the rod tip a few times, it swam off the bottom and took another faster and longer run before stopping again. The line was getting low on the reel, so I opened the bail arm, pulled up the anchor and motored over the top of the ray. I was 200 metres or more from where I was anchored. The bloody thing would not move, so I applied pressure to lift it, the rod took the shape of a horseshoe and the thing moved up and took off again. Surprising that the 15 pound mono did not snap. It took a bit more time of effort to get it off the bottom, and an eagle ray came up. My tinnie if 5 and a half foot wide, the ray was about 1 foot less than that across the wing tips, so it was a hefty bastard with a big boof head. Cut it off and headed for home. As I was nearing the mouth of Gunnamatta Bay, the bay surf was working as the photo shows. Good enough to surf on. Must have been a bit lumpy outside to produce waves like that on the top of the tide. Up in Gunnamatta Bay, I saw the mullet swimming upside down on the surface, so I scooped it out for bait. It was missing quite a few scales from the mid body, and when I killed it and cut off the fillets, the back was broken. Something big has given it a good hit to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Yowie... that's a darn good report. So much info to come out of one outing... even a surf report. Also, as usual you've managed a modest feed. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sydney south Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Always welcome your reports - help me get through work :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Good to see we all have them days yowie! Yeah the ground swell was pumping outside. I drifted the bay today for 2hrs for not much at all. A lot of tailor busting up though. At least you picked up some bait! Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) Great little report there Yowie., You know the Hacking is an old haunt of mine and love to hear your varied accounts of the day's fishing. Many a time I have taken a body board out with my kids on those swells that roll in when the seas are up. Cheers Jim Edited May 26, 2016 by fragmeister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewdreamer Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Yes Yowie,its getting to that time of year. I went out in the hacking chasing whiting weekend before last Looked everywhere Nada, squat! Better luck next time ... Good story 'bout the ray though! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Great report once again mate.When I've been out night fishing Iv'e come across plenty of those Gars about a foot under the surface of the water in a trance like state.They must be asleep at that time of night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papafish Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 at least you got something. the last 2 outing. we got nothing but undersize redsssssssssssssss.... maybe the weather are too cold and the fish have moved to else where?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) Good to see we all have them days yowie! Yeah the ground swell was pumping outside. I drifted the bay today for 2hrs for not much at all. A lot of tailor busting up though. At least you picked up some bait! Cheers scratchie!!! The start of the run-up tide, a south-west breeze to ruffle the surface, but only 1 tailor. Not even any tailor jumping that I could see, and the terns are not really working that much looking for bait fish. Edited May 25, 2016 by yowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Great little report there Yowie., You know the Hacking is an old haunt of mine and love to hear your varied accounts of the day's fishing. Many a time I have takes a body board out with my kids on those swells that roll in when the seas are up. Cheers Jim It would be good for a body surf, as the waves break for some distance. Only 1 bloke on a paddle board, usually see a few on surf boards as well during the swell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Yes Yowie,its getting to that time of year. I went out in the hacking chasing whiting weekend before last Looked everywhere Nada, squat! Better luck next time ... Good story 'bout the ray though! Chris There are still whiting about, though have not tried for any lately. Have seen a few in various places, and some would be legal size. At this time of year, they can be a bit finicky about taking a bait. Worms might be better than nippers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Great report once again mate.When I've been out night fishing Iv'e come across plenty of those Gars about a foot under the surface of the water in a trance like state.They must be asleep at that time of night. The gars are usually attacked by tailor and kings, but they kept swimming about the boat for a couple of hours, and nothing to disturb them during that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 at least you got something. the last 2 outing. we got nothing but undersize redsssssssssssssss.... maybe the weather are too cold and the fish have moved to else where?? Still fish about, but they drop off in numbers about this time of year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy ! Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Top report yowie, the gars are thick at the moment, strange that nothing was chasing them. Water is still warm for this time of year still around 20 degrees which is warm enough for the kings to hang around compared to this time last year it was around 17 degrees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 26, 2016 Author Share Posted May 26, 2016 (edited) Top report yowie, the gars are thick at the moment, strange that nothing was chasing them. Water is still warm for this time of year still around 20 degrees which is warm enough for the kings to hang around compared to this time last year it was around 17 degrees Over the last few weeks, the gars have stayed around the boat for a short time then disappear by half light, but yesterday they did not leave. They were swimming down to 2 metres or more to eat the bread burley, dozens of them. As for the eagle ray, it may have been one from the recent photo of 2 dozen or so swimming near Big Turriell Bay. Edited May 26, 2016 by yowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrxter Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 Great report Yowie. What's your technique for catching the Gar as in the rig and bait. Also which locations do they tend to hang around. I live in Yowie Bay and have a small boat; Full of fine bones but great to eat grilled I reckon straight off the bbq. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 27, 2016 Author Share Posted May 27, 2016 (edited) Great report Yowie. What's your technique for catching the Gar as in the rig and bait. Also which locations do they tend to hang around. I live in Yowie Bay and have a small boat; Full of fine bones but great to eat grilled I reckon straight off the bbq. Cheers I use a six pound mono handline, size 10 hook, and a small piece of bread. Reasonably fresh bread, a day or 2 old, or frozen fresh bread then thawed. Stale bread tends to crumble easily and fall off the hook. Break off a piece of about quarter of a slice, dunk it into the water then squeeze out the water. If you squeeze too hard, the bread becomes hard, or if you don't squeeze it enough, the bread contains too much water and becomes too soft and will fall off the hook easily. Use a small piece to cover the curve of the hook, not a lot needed as the gars have small mouths. Just a matter of trial and error as to how much water you squeeze out. Also casting a handline with a small piece of bread requires practice, and needs the wind behind you. Try that into the wind and the hook ends up in your face. Can also try it with a light rod and reel, such as a whiting setup, using a small bubble float about 30 cms above the hook, and adding a bit of water to the bubble float to gain some distance. Gars are where you find them. Usually over shallow water with weed beds about, but these river gars will also swim about in the deeper water of the bays, though they tend to swim in the upper couple of metres of water. Edited May 27, 2016 by yowie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted May 29, 2016 Share Posted May 29, 2016 Was it an out going tide that produced those waves yowie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 Was it an out going tide that produced those waves yowie? Right near the top of the tide, though the waves were there when I first ventured out in the dark, and that was the start of the run-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Ive had those days inside the hacking as well, It can be very frustrating at times. The gars made up for it though, love em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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