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Harbour rocks blackfish report


Ozzybass

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After mainly fishing for bream from the yak and other people's boats in the last month, the forecast for yesterday was absolutely perfect for my favourite semi-ocean rock spot.  I haven't fished there so far this winter and only once this year in March.  Midday high tide, 0.8/0.9m S/SE swell, gentle W winds.  That means no wind problems, should be some good wash without it being dangerous.  This time of year there should also be plenty of bait underfoot.

Solo session as it turned out.  I meant to be on the water by around 10am to fish the last 2hrs of the runup and then 2hrs of the runout.  That didn't happen as I was vacillating between doing another yak bream session like I did on Tuesday.  Finally decided conditions were too perfect to not go blackfishing and I eventually got my first bait in the water around 1130.  Only half an hour until the top of the tide.  Plenty of cabbage around, kicking burley in the water.  Water was pretty clear but there was plenty of wash and it was very overcast.  In fact, it rained through most of my session.  Started with 10lb FC leader.  Often drummer at this spot and 10lb leader gives me a chance of landing the odd legal drummer.

Took a long while before I landed a fish.  By 1.30pm I only had 2 fish in the bag and it was well into the runout.  I decided to change to 6lb FC leader and first cast with it, I get a bite and land an undersized drummer in the high-20's.  From then on, the bites came steadily and I started to land some fish.  When I busted off at 3pm, I decided to call it quits as I had fish to clean and I said that I'd be home around 4pm.  Left them biting!!  Ended up with 6 keepers, nothing huge around the 30cm mark but they fight twice as hard as the much bigger upriver fish I had been catching of late.  2 throwbacks (the drummer & a borderline blacky), a few dropped fish and the one bustoff.  Interesting and very enjoyable session.  Normally I fish the 4 or 5hrs around the top of the tide, but on this day, they didn't start biting until1.5/2hrs into the runout.  It was probably the leader change and that is what the Macman reckons.  By the time I had filleted and skinned the fish and got home, it was after 5pm.  I love blackfishing the rocks!

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I've been unemployed for many months.  Start new job next week!  Good.  No more midweek fishing & back to being a weekend warrior.  Bad!

Edited by Ozzybass
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Nice catch!

Something my local tackle shop owner told me is that filleting your fish while at the rocks can be risky, cause if a fishing inspector comes there is no way to measure your catch which could result in a fine. 

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8 hours ago, whiskey299 said:

Nice catch!

Something my local tackle shop owner told me is that filleting your fish while at the rocks can be risky, cause if a fishing inspector comes there is no way to measure your catch which could result in a fine. 

This is true, but SWMBO prohibits fish cleaning at home.  I'd rather risk the wrath of the fishing inspector!! :-rolleyes  

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On 30/06/2017 at 11:46 PM, Ozzybass said:

This is true, but SWMBO prohibits fish cleaning at home.  I'd rather risk the wrath of the fishing inspector!! :-rolleyes  

My understanding was that provided you leave the head and spine intact, that it is okay, as the fish can still be measured. That may apply to gilling, gutting and scaling only though! I'm not sure how this rule applies to something like mullet, where it wouldn't be unusual to fillet it for strip baits... 

Great to hear about the luderick though! I am yet to get out to the rocks, as I'm not keen to go solo and the friends I used to go with have recently got married and are figuring out how to do married life - fishing is the last thing on the agenda!

Best, Adam

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1 minute ago, 8ron.davis said:

My understanding was that provided you leave the head and spine intact, that it is okay, as the fish can still be measured. That may apply to gilling, gutting and scaling only though! I'm not sure how this rule applies to something like mullet, where it wouldn't be unusual to fillet it for strip baits... 

Great to hear about the luderick though! I am yet to get out to the rocks, as I'm not keen to go solo and the friends I used to go with have recently got married and are figuring out how to do married life - fishing is the last thing on the agenda!

Best, Adam

Answered my own question:

"

  • Alter the length of a fish or invertebrate by filleting/ shucking and/ or removing the head/ shell until well away from the water. This rule does not apply at areas normally used for cleaning fish such as boat ramp cleaning tables, if the fish are for immediate consumption or immediate use as bait, or for fish that do not have a legal length. You may clean fish by gilling and gutting only.

"

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs/perm-prohib-saltwater

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Its all in the last line of that verse.  You can't fillet even if the head & skeleton is still intact.  I understand the rationale of such a rule, but its still silly unless there are fish cleaning facilities everywhere!

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