KevSydney Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 I have plans to fish Bradley Head to Clifton Garden (shore based) next w/end and I'm wondering how that area is fishing or anywhere else that is fishing well in the Harbour or Middle Harbour? Thank you Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marks1984 Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Kev, I went to Clifton gardens on a Sunday on a ferry a few years ago and there was a few blokes were fishing I asked them what they were catching according to them they were using live yakkas to catch John Dory?? off the wharf? not sure how true that is but I was like yeah sweet ok good luck with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codymanly Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Harbour very quiet at the moment mate. Pretty much shuts down for winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 Kev, I went to Clifton gardens on a Sunday on a ferry a few years ago and there was a few blokes were fishing I asked them what they were catching according to them they were using live yakkas to catch John Dory?? off the wharf? not sure how true that is but I was like yeah sweet ok good luck with that Clifton gardens wharf is a good winter spot for John Dory and small live yakkas are great bait for them so they weren't spinning you a yarn. Give it a try on the high tide after dark. Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricko4 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Clifton gardens wharf is a good winter spot for John Dory and small live yakkas are great bait for them so they weren't spinning you a yarn. Give it a try on the high tide after dark. Cheers Jim Fished Clifton thousands of times & never seen a JD caught there. Just about everything else but though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Fished Clifton thousands of times & never seen a JD caught there. Just about everything else but though Didn't say it was easy!... but here is the general recommended technique and its pretty different to how most would fish the wharf so its not surprising that you wont see many caught unless specifically targeted. Use a live yakka with its tail trimmed to slow it down. Rig it with a sinker below the hook and suspend it close in to the wharf about a meter off the bottom. No guarantees but this will give you the best chance. Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam bros Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Fished Clifton thousands of times & never seen a JD caught there. Just about everything else but though Very hard fish to catch But they have been caught at clifton. Search John dory on fishraider, there have been a couple raiders that have caught them in the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Ranger Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 My son hooked into yellowtail and undersized Trevally 2 weeks ago on salted cuttlefish as bait. It is also a good spot for squid. We love going there for a fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricko4 Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Didn't say it was easy!... but here is the general recommended technique and its pretty different to how most would fish the wharf so its not surprising that you wont see many caught unless specifically targeted. Use a live yakka with its tail trimmed to slow it down. Rig it with a sinker below the hook and suspend it close in to the wharf about a meter off the bottom. No guarantees but this will give you the best chance. Cheers Jim Hi jim, Many species mush easier to chase even in winter than Dory at Clifton. But yes I know they are there & I've chased them with a number of different rigs over the years usually with live yakka. I've hooked more big flathead & flounder than anything else even picked up a few hairtail. But no luck with Dory as yet. Kingys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marks1984 Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 dead set I always thought they were a dead water fish there you go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted August 25, 2016 Share Posted August 25, 2016 Hi jim, Many species mush easier to chase even in winter than Dory at Clifton. But yes I know they are there & I've chased them with a number of different rigs over the years usually with live yakka. I've hooked more big flathead & flounder than anything else even picked up a few hairtail. But no luck with Dory as yet. Kingys Wouldn't argue with that mate!... certainly not an easy fish to find nowadays. Looks like you are the same vintage as me so I am not sure how far you go back fishing Clifton Gardens but by my recollection as a young fella its nothing like it was 50 years ago... OMG did I just say 50 years ago! Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricko4 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Wouldn't argue with that mate!... certainly not an easy fish to find nowadays. Looks like you are the same vintage as me so I am not sure how far you go back fishing Clifton Gardens but by my recollection as a young fella its nothing like it was 50 years ago... OMG did I just say 50 years ago! Cheers Jim Hi Jim, No I'm a recent convert to the Clifton Wharf. Only been going for 15 years or so. hahaha Kingys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 (edited) use to catch heaps of John Dory from Manly wharf using live yellowtail-about 40 years ago Jim... Edited August 31, 2016 by jot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricko4 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 use to catch heaps of John Dory from Manly wharf using live yellowtail-about 40 years ago Jim... The statement I've heard untold number of times has always been... "you should have been here yesterday...." but now it's "you should have been here 40 years ago......." We must be getting old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike89 Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 Didn't say it was easy!... but here is the general recommended technique and its pretty different to how most would fish the wharf so its not surprising that you wont see many caught unless specifically targeted. Use a live yakka with its tail trimmed to slow it down. Rig it with a sinker below the hook and suspend it close in to the wharf about a meter off the bottom. No guarantees but this will give you the best chance. Cheers Jim Is this a dropper type setup? Would you let the sinker hit the bottom? Also, what type of hook would you use? Standard livey hook for kingies/salmon or something smaller? A bloke I know bagged a nice JD around the corner at Balmoral last winter using a small livey under a float. He wasn't targeting JD so I think he was a bit lucky. I'd love to go after them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike89 Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 On topic - I haven't fished there recently but there are some real monster trevally that come in during the winter. Use a float and try and get yourself a spot at the front of the wharf (I know that can be pretty difficult at times) as the trev sometimes won't venture too close to the bath structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 The statement I've heard untold number of times has always been... "you should have been here yesterday...." but now it's "you should have been here 40 years ago......." We must be getting old Yes mate. Certainly Sydney harbour was a different fishery 50 years ago. Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 Is this a dropper type setup? Would you let the sinker hit the bottom? Also, what type of hook would you use? Standard livey hook for kingies/salmon or something smaller? A bloke I know bagged a nice JD around the corner at Balmoral last winter using a small livey under a float. He wasn't targeting JD so I think he was a bit lucky. I'd love to go after them. Yes, Sinker on the bottom and say a 4/0 hook... they have a pretty big gob on them! Cheers Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike89 Posted September 4, 2016 Share Posted September 4, 2016 Cheers Jim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevSydney Posted September 4, 2016 Author Share Posted September 4, 2016 As a teen 40 years ago, you could put a yakka out at Clifton Gardens anytime of the year and I always caught something, from kings, tailor, salmon, JD to the big bite off. It was a location if you had live bait you caught fish, but this winter is very poor. As far as using yakkas I cut the top part of the tail off so the fish would swim irregularly, rather than shortening the tail to slow the fish. Thank you everyone for your replys. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMG Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 went there a couple of months ago with a mate. we caught a few bream and a Trevally. I want to try that spot with live bait but Yellowtail are a pain in the behind to get when you need them. Very crowded spot on weekends day and night There are better spots around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMBERJACK Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Bradley's Head: I went fishing there after no luck with Clifton Gardens. There weren't many people there but they were all using HUGE 12 foot rods. Even though they were using long rods, they only caught bream (probably because they used chicken as bait), I cast out a line repeatedly until night and couldn't get a bite but it is sure nice to feel a nibble ! Clifton Gardens: Disastrous. Too many people fishing so I ended up near the swimming pool side . I didn't catch anything, not even a nibble! Anyways good luck fishing! amberjack out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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