Ozzybass Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 (edited) Summer blackfishing is a new thing for me and I've just had 2 donut days in a row. The first is OK and can probably be explained, but today was annoying and I hope the awesome blackfishos on this forum can help. Sunday Parra River at one of the spots I reported on last week. I had cabin fever and left home around 4:30pm with some frozen string weed from many weeks ago. Water was fairly discoloured from all these weeks of rain and I used 6lb FC leader. A couple of small downs early on then nothing. The fish were either not there or they don't like frozen weed. Q's - anyone else had success in the last few days upriver? Is frozen weed useless? Today Went to one of my fave Botany Bay spots this arvo, arriving about an hour after high tide. I managed to find some weed there, but that spot has always fished better with cabbage. Usually not much cabbage there in winter, none there now. Water was surprisingly clear. I used 6lb FC leader like yesterday. I started at my fave possie there and had enough weed for bait and burley. Usual burley - sand, chopped up weed and bread. Nothing. Moved about 20m away and started again. I kept getting either quick, small downs that sprung up again or good downs that never went solid. I was plagued by these downs and NOT ONCE did I even felt a hookup, let alone dropped a fish. After nearly 2hr of this I went back to my original spot and had a couple fo downs like I described. Moved to a 3rd possie about 30m away and never got a bite. Went back to 2nd spot where the frustrating downs continued for a while until I gave up. 4hrs I spent for a donut. Q's - what do you think those downs were from? Very small blackfish? Tiny picker species? Very timid blackfish? I wanted to change to 4lb leader, but found I had left that at home. Doh! Help! Edited March 20, 2017 by Ozzybass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDory Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Dude You were Luderick fishing in the right spot .. wrong day! Ask them? Happens.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burger Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 How long did you wait on the 'good downs' ??? Sounds like you were doing everything pretty much right . . . Had a slow patch last year that went for about 6 weeks . . . at least you were getting downs to keep you interested! btw, I am by no means a guru . . . cheers, stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike89 Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 (edited) I would agree that you were doing the right thing at the wrong time. In my experience blackfishing is often like this. If there is no school hanging around the area, you're unlikely to get consistent downs. I've had some advice from some very experienced blackie fishos here on getting my depth and burley right to achieve more consistency. One thing is to pay attention to where your burley is moving to in the current and fish that zone. Another is to try fishing deeper and further out where the fish might be holding better. As far as the downs you are getting: if it is quick rapid downs that quickly come up again, it is probably small fish. As exciting as it is to see the float go down, you are probably looking at fish under 25cm that you wouldn't be keeping anyhow. It may also be the way the fish are biting on the day. This is also true for the solid downs that never seem to result in a hookup. Some days you may just need to wait a bit longer for the strike. Experiment and see what works on the day. I'm definitely no expert but only speaking from my own experience of frustrated days chasing the blacks! Edited March 21, 2017 by Mike89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elferoz777 Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Sounds familiar mate. In these days i usually pull in small ones. Where i fish they go off weed until feb march. Prior to this they prefer worms or other bait so i luck out. Follow the advice above. Sometimes they are just picky or maybe a bloke before you burleyed like demon and fed them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzybass Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 7 hours ago, Burger said: How long did you wait on the 'good downs' ??? Sounds like you were doing everything pretty much right . . . Had a slow patch last year that went for about 6 weeks . . . at least you were getting downs to keep you interested! btw, I am by no means a guru . . . cheers, stu. Hah! Anyone who has a blackfish as his avatar is a guru! I did try waiting for a long time before lifting. Maybe I could have waited longer... Some of the times I waited, the float just went back up again. Maybe they didn't like the weed. There are so many different types. I just like it when I just have to bend down and pick some cabbage where I'm fishing! But I am trying to learn more about flat water blackfishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 I feel for you, we all have days like that. Frozen weed, I'd put it in the berley but wouldn't use it as bait. Persistant downs and no fish I would usually put down to small fish. If you do hook one you're lucky if they are over 12cm. Then again if they're stripping the bait too it could be black trevally. If the small move doesn't pay, the fish aren't there. Make a big move. Don't flog a dead horse. You could be surprised at the success you get at a totally new spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzybass Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Thanks Ryder. 2 things you said that is interesting - black trevally. Dunno what they are, but interesting nonetheless. Bait was definitely being stripped or snipped. Moving. Macman doesn't persist if not biting too. I am either stubborn, lazy or just stupid! If there were no bites I would have moved or gone home, but the downs kept me interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzybass Posted March 21, 2017 Author Share Posted March 21, 2017 Is this the black trevally referred to as weed stealers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burger Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 If you waited so long that float was coming back up, it's probably long enough. I'm with Ryder on the small fish. I haven't caught or seen any 'Happy Moments' caught so can't comment on them. Though apparantly they are not much fun if they spike you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macman Posted March 22, 2017 Share Posted March 22, 2017 If you berley with bread you are liable to attract stuff you don't want. If you were fishing with me I'd give you a giant boot up the arse for berleying with bread It attracts butterfish for a start, the biggest bait stealers ever. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzybass Posted March 25, 2017 Author Share Posted March 25, 2017 I usually put in a slice or 2 of bread if I make a sand burley. You haven't complained before when we have fished together Matt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macman Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 OK stop that, besides I leave the complaining to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luderick -angler Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 On 23/03/2017 at 10:32 AM, macman said: If you berley with bread you are liable to attract stuff you don't want. If you were fishing with me I'd give you a giant boot up the arse for berleying with bread It attracts butterfish for a start, the biggest bait stealers ever. Matt There's a few blokes long gone and still alive me included that would have a word with him about bread in the burley! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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