Cheeky session before work

[kiwicraig]

Was working at home today so decided to get up before dawn and get out on the water for a fish before work.  I launched at Blackwall about 5am and motored sedately out towards Ettalong Channel in the dark.  On the way I passed a channel marker with the light out and made a mental note to get the number off the chart later and notify someone as if someone were to cut the corner and do a straight line between the two working markers either side they would disturb all the seagulls that were sitting on the top of the exposed sandbank between them...

I got to Ettalong channel and it was still dark and there were not other boats about so I tried a big soft plastic in an 11m hole in the hopes that there might be a jew around.  I drifted over it an managed a couple of casts but then a couple of other boats started to approach so I decided it was not the best place to be drifting in the dark so I motored further up the channel and put some baits out for flathead and started a drift back up.  Just on first light I hooked into my first fish and pulled up a flathead.  Thinking it was a bit small I casually lifted it in, not bothering with the net.  Then I thought - you know I reckon he's legal...  So I held him up to the lie detector and sure enough he was well legal at 39. 

On the next drift I picked up two more flatties in quick succession but both definitely undersized and they were flipped back into the water.  I had caught all three fish in roughly the same part of the drift so I made my next one shorter and picked up another undersized fish.  I had barely gotten the bait back in and I was into another one, and once landed this one proved to be about the same size as the first at 39.

I decided to start working my way back to the Blackwall ramp with a few drifts along the way.  The first was along the sandbank in front of Hardy's Bay.  I picked up a pinkie that measured 28cm and went back and a grinner.  I love those guys - they always look so happy being caught.  He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

My next drift was a bit further up towards Rip Bridge.  Another little pinkie.  I was running out of time so I pulled in the baits and headed back to the ramp.

I don't know why, but in the channel leading back to the ramp I decided almost on a whim to kill the motor and drop for one more quick drift on the way in.  I bait must have fairly landed on his head because all I felt was the slightest bite.  I lifted the rod tip and felt a decent weight on there, but not a lot of fight.  I thought maybe I had a small stingray for a sec.  Then it woke up and realised it was hooked and started pulling a bit of line.  A short fight later I brought up a slightly bigger flathead and for the first time all morning I opted for the net.  Just as well.  He thrashed hard when I netted him and the hook came flinging back over my shoulder and wrapped around the other rod.  The last minute flattie came in at about 45cm - so no monsters but I've got lunch and dinner sorted so pretty good way to start the day.  

[Wellzy94]

Good stuff mate!

It's always a good feeling to produce in a session on a work day  

Cheers,

Wellzy

[LuckyFil]

Thats interesting as I fished the same area last weekend flicking SPs over the broken weedbeds on the run out and didn't get a touch over a couple of hours. What bait were you using?

Cheers

Phil 

[kiwicraig]

1 hour ago, LuckyFil said:

Thats interesting as I fished the same area last weekend flicking SPs over the broken weedbeds on the run out and didn't get a touch over a couple of hours. What bait were you using?

Cheers

Phil 

Today it was the pillies that were working.  I was using two rods, one with 6lb leader and one with 8lb.  I chose a packet with small pillies and then cut them in half and fished either the head or the tail on a single hook below a small running bean sinker.

I will quite often work soft plastics actively while I have a bait on the rod or rods in the holder.  I did try that on a couple of drifts today whenever I drifted in range of the sandbank but didn't get a touch.  I gave up on it because the bait was getting the bites and I missed a decent bite on a rod in the holder.  Other times in the same place I have caught everything on plastics and the bait does not get touched.  You just need to go with whatever is working on the day.

I will say though that while a lot of people like the run out tide for flatties in that particular channel I favour the run in.  Flatties will lie in wait for fish coming in from the ocean to feed at high tide.  On the run out I have other drifts I would go to first.

[Guest Guest123456789]

Thanks for sharing Craig.

 

I reckon I have a recipe for your kids who you mentioned are fussy, non fish eaters. Buy a packet of smiths salt n pepper chips. Crush them up. Fillet and skin the flathead. Give the kids just the tails and you and your wife eat the fillets with rib cages(you can remove them but my wife and I just eat them then spit out the bones). Beat 4 egg yolks, dip the fillets in the egg, then roll in the smashed chips, then shallow fry. Tell the kids they're 'chicken fingers' I absolutely guarantee they'll love it.

[kiwicraig]

Thanks @flatheadluke I'll try that for sure.  Tonight I've said I'll do fish and chips which is never too hard a sell, but is certainly more work than your recipe  

[kiwicraig]

4 hours ago, flatheadluke said:

Give the kids just the tails and you and your wife eat the fillets with rib cages(you can remove them but my wife and I just eat them then spit out the bones).

I do like to take the bones out. I've got a tip for getting the three that most people miss or ignore.  I wrote it up in The Kitchen forum.

[kiwicraig]

there weren't too many complaints from the kids tonight. ?

[Guest Guest123456789]

9 hours ago, kiwicraig said:

there weren't too many complaints from the kids tonight. ?

Yummy! Beer batter?

[Stimo1076]

Looks Beautiful Mate!!!

[kiwicraig]

3 hours ago, flatheadluke said:

Yummy! Beer batter?

Yep was a beer batter. I posted my recipe and method in the kitchen forum a while back. Always comes out light and crispy.

[LuckyFil]

22 hours ago, kiwicraig said:

Today it was the pillies that were working.  I was using two rods, one with 6lb leader and one with 8lb.  I chose a packet with small pillies and then cut them in half and fished either the head or the tail on a single hook below a small running bean sinker.

I will quite often work soft plastics actively while I have a bait on the rod or rods in the holder.  I did try that on a couple of drifts today whenever I drifted in range of the sandbank but didn't get a touch.  I gave up on it because the bait was getting the bites and I missed a decent bite on a rod in the holder.  Other times in the same place I have caught everything on plastics and the bait does not get touched.  You just need to go with whatever is working on the day.

I will say though that while a lot of people like the run out tide for flatties in that particular channel I favour the run in.  Flatties will lie in wait for fish coming in from the ocean to feed at high tide.  On the run out I have other drifts I would go to first.

Thanks for that info Craig. I haven't used bait for a while up there as the pickers tend to steal it. I just keep the bait for any after dark sessions when the little fellas (usually cockney bream and trumpeter) have gone to bed , but I must try both as you suggest.

Cheers

Phil