Whole day at Clifton Gardens

[notoriousTASH]

Evening raiders,

Here to report quite an unsuccessful trip to Clifton Gardens, though it's a report nonetheless. Beautiful, picturesque spot. Unbeknowns to me, I was actually familiar with the spot and recognised it when I got there. There's a gorgeous function centre on the other side of the wharf there where I attended a wedding reception, so thanks for suggesting the spot as it was really a great view to enjoy while fishing. No snags and water was quite clear. Also what was great was the amount of facilities provided there. What was not so great was the parking prices, but I guess you can't have everything!

The drive there was horrible with traffic, but we ended up arriving around 8am. Surprisingly there were already quite a few anglers when we got there, but we got a spot.

After setting up, nobody had any action there for a few hours. Then a couple of guys turn up and catch a huge trevally. Then... Fisheries Officers rock up. And guess who didn't pay for a recreational fishing fee? Dude and his mate with the big trevally. After a little interrogation, $200 fine each and a seized fish later, they packed up. Take this as a warning to any of you who may not have a recreational licence, fisheries officers are out there, A LOT, I've been checked by them twice now in the last month in two different locations. You will get busted. A $35, 1yr licence is better than a $200 ticket.

Anyway, after fisheries left, a couple of guys ended up hooking something huge! It took two of them to reel it in over a span of about 20 minutes. Guy was using a 20lb rod with 80lb braided line, so this thing was going nowhere. Turned out to be, by far, the biggest stingray ive ever seen. It ended up getting away sadly, breaking the hook off. 

Still no action for my partner, myself and fishermansteve who joined us shortly before the ray was caught, and had no action for a majority of the day until it hit about 3pm. This, my friends, is when I caught my PB and possibly even a FR record. A gargantuan pufferfish ?. Weighing in at 3kg and measuring in at 46cm, from memory. 

A little further in to the day other people seemed to be having more luck than us. Plenty of trevally and even an itsy bitsy port Jackson - it had to be no longer than 30cm.

Day progressed further and I hook something massive again, but it was just pulling, not thrashing around like a regular fish. After seeing what the two guys went through earlier in the day I thought it had to be a ray, for sure. It dragged me to the end of the wharf and ended up breaking off my hook - understandably so, as I was only using very light gear. Happened three times, and was surprisingly fun even though I knew I'd never bring it in lol. Definitely put my new rod to the test and must say I was very impressed. 

Fishermansteve caught his first baby snapper and my partner caught a baby tarwhine around dusk (she was very annoyed she hadn't caught anything all day). After work hours the wharf was absolutely packed. Plenty of people pulling up heaps of yakkas and baby snapper. Another memorable part of the day was when one of those birds that dive down and eat baitfish ended up having a game of tug 'o' war with a lady reeling in her fish which was absolutely hilarious. 

So although the day was quite unsuccessful, it was interesting to say the very least.

Hopefully others will have more success than us. 

[Regan]

great reportas usual

[Blackfish]

Great report NT, seems like a great day was had. 

[Howdoweplaythis]

That wharf starts getting filled at about 5am, even earlier on weekends.

Good to see fisheries out. I've never been checked before in the ~5 years I've been fishing, not even at the regular haunts.

Looks like a nice mix bag of fish caught. I've learned that burley makes a big difference at Clifton. Kings should be around now 

[notoriousTASH]

35 minutes ago, Howdoweplaythis said:

That wharf starts getting filled at about 5am, even earlier on weekends.

Good to see fisheries out. I've never been checked before in the ~5 years I've been fishing, not even at the regular haunts.

Looks like a nice mix bag of fish caught. I've learned that burley makes a big difference at Clifton. Kings should be around now 

We had burley going, along with most, if not all anglers literally the entire day... It attracted things but not the things we wanted lol

[big Neil]

Another great report Tash and cohorts. You certainly must love your angling. To stay the entire day with very little action, is the epitome of dedication. Very nice puffer fish. The diving bird is a Cormorant (aka Shag). Don't wish to be rude but it's probably not a good idea putting fish down on what could be hot /warm surfaces. I used to put fish down on a measure attached to the metal boat bench seat, until I realised how hot it was. Keep up the good work and the exciting reports, they are a joy to read. bn

[rickmarlin62]

a bad days fishin is still a good day...your luck will come round soon..effort is usually rewarded and you are certainly putting in the time...keep the reports comin  rick

[nutsaboutfishing]

Good report.  I guess you get good and bad days. A tip with the parking. Park at the top of the hill before the hairpin turn, it's free.

cheers

Richard

[notoriousTASH]

2 hours ago, big Neil said:

Another great report Tash and cohorts. You certainly must love your angling. To stay the entire day with very little action, is the epitome of dedication. Very nice puffer fish. The diving bird is a Cormorant (aka Shag). Don't wish to be rude but it's probably not a good idea putting fish down on what could be hot /warm surfaces. I used to put fish down on a measure attached to the metal boat bench seat, until I realised how hot it was. Keep up the good work and the exciting reports, they are a joy to read. bn

Hey big Neil thanks for the compliments. Not rude at all about putting the fish on the ground, I agree, but the puffer unhooked himself and then I asked fishermansteve if I could use his lip grips as I didn't want to touch it with my bare hands. When Steve went to grab them, I snapped this pic. He wasn't on the ground very long... But I agree 100% with you. 

[FishermanSteve]

Indeed a very enjoyable day, my first Snapper I wasn't even bothered that it was a baby. It made my day and was added to my list of species I've caught since arriving in Australia. Plus it was great seeing Fisheries out enforcing. The UK should take note. Although there are bag limits it is never enforced and NO licence is required for salt water fishing. 

Australia should applaud itself on concentrating on the well being of future fish stocks. Also the facilities provided like measure/fish species charts and fish cleaning tables are a great idea.

[big Neil]

15 hours ago, FishermanSteve said:

Indeed a very enjoyable day, my first Snapper I wasn't even bothered that it was a baby. It made my day and was added to my list of species I've caught since arriving in Australia. Plus it was great seeing Fisheries out enforcing. The UK should take note. Although there are bag limits it is never enforced and NO licence is required for salt water fishing. 

Australia should applaud itself on concentrating on the well being of future fish stocks. Also the facilities provided like measure/fish species charts and fish cleaning tables are a great idea.

Good to see you ticking off the species here in Oz Steve. As an ex Pom I can say with certainty that the fishing here is far better than the UK. It is inexpensive and you can usually catch something...we just need to get everyone doing the right thing. bn

[BIGG DADDA TREVS]

Should have hit me up, I went to Clifton yesterday and got a leatherjacket, trevally and flounder, not to mention a heap of little dink snapper. Clifton is a really weird spot, there's some little secrets of fishing that place. Lots of fish there tho

[notoriousTASH]

18 hours ago, BIGG DADDA TREVS said:

Should have hit me up, I went to Clifton yesterday and got a leatherjacket, trevally and flounder, not to mention a heap of little dink snapper. Clifton is a really weird spot, there's some little secrets of fishing that place. Lots of fish there tho

I'll hit you up next time! I saw a couple flounders get landed while we were there actually, forgot about those guys. How big was your leather jacket?

[BIGG DADDA TREVS]

medium sized, 40cm round about

[notoriousTASH]

Nice!

[Aussie_fisher]

Heard good reports about Clifton gardens, and even had a mate who went there and said it was good. Personally however, the spot didn’t turn out that great for me. It was heavily crowded, and the older fishos kept trying to snatch my spot, getting our lines tangled and then blaming me. In terms of fishing, I’ve been there about 6-7 times. Most times there was nothing, the only half decent fish I ever caught there was a 27cm bream. Once a school of slimies appeared and for 20 minutes there was tonnes of action. Only caught 3 tho, as I was alone and hadn’t taken any family or mates to help with the fishing. Other than that only ever caught tiny trevallies and rat snapper maybe around 20cm. Wasn’t even able to manage yakkas, despite using sabiki rigs and burley. The other fishos however, mainly the older ones were catching a yakka literally every second, and using the exact same things as me, and standing right next to me as well. I was using tiny pieces of chicken crumbed in flour to make them more tough when cut very small. Perhaps that was the problem? I had used that bait on the advice of a fisho who caught maybe 30-40 yakkas in just an hour, so I’m not sure why it didn’t work for me. Heard reports of kingies, bonito and salmon being caught there, but all I ever saw were yakkas and dink snapper. Perhaps that was because I went in winter. Is summer a better season? Maybe I’m doing something wrong? I usually just use a running sinker rig, and sabiki for smaller mackerels and yakkas.

 

[Pickles]

Great report Tash - good to hear from the girls. Next time you go, take some squid jigs with you and flick over the weed patch half way along the wharf and towards the cafe / naval base on Nth side, there are often arrow squid there and Kingies cruise by there and with a live squid under a float, you’d have some hard pulling fun. (Hope you were able to get a park away from the paid parking - super expensive if land based)

[Aussie_fisher]

Great spot with great scenery. Would be a top spot for a family outing, or picnic with friends. The fishing like I said didn’t turn out that well for me though. Might give it another chance in the summer, perhaps I just went in the wrong season

[Pickles]

11 hours ago, Aussie_fisher said:

Heard good reports about Clifton gardens, and even had a mate who went there and said it was good. Personally however, the spot didn’t turn out that great for me. It was heavily crowded, and the older fishos kept trying to snatch my spot, getting our lines tangled and then blaming me. In terms of fishing, I’ve been there about 6-7 times. Most times there was nothing, the only half decent fish I ever caught there was a 27cm bream. Once a school of slimies appeared and for 20 minutes there was tonnes of action. Only caught 3 tho, as I was alone and hadn’t taken any family or mates to help with the fishing. Other than that only ever caught tiny trevallies and rat snapper maybe around 20cm. Wasn’t even able to manage yakkas, despite using sabiki rigs and burley. The other fishos however, mainly the older ones were catching a yakka literally every second, and using the exact same things as me, and standing right next to me as well. I was using tiny pieces of chicken crumbed in flour to make them more tough when cut very small. Perhaps that was the problem? I had used that bait on the advice of a fisho who caught maybe 30-40 yakkas in just an hour, so I’m not sure why it didn’t work for me. Heard reports of kingies, bonito and salmon being caught there, but all I ever saw were yakkas and dink snapper. Perhaps that was because I went in winter. Is summer a better season? Maybe I’m doing something wrong? I usually just use a running sinker rig, and sabiki for smaller mackerels and yakkas.

 

Hey @Aussie_fisher, the key to Yakkas at Clifton (and Balmoral) is a no 10 or 12 Owner “Mosquito hook” on 4 or 6lb line (I use a hand line in the boat, but 1-3kg rod 6’ to 7 1/2 foot rod off the wharf) will get you heaps of Yakkas if you burley and only a tiny bit of squid or yellowtail on the tip of the hook. Most fishos use line and hooks that are too big. I’d also give the multiple hook jigs a miss - by the time you get them untangled you’ll have 3 or 4 Yakkas in the bucket.

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Pickles

[Little_Flatty]

53 minutes ago, Pickles said:

Hey @Aussie_fisher, the key to Yakkas at Clifton (and Balmoral) is a no 10 or 12 Owner “Mosquito hook” on 4 or 6lb line (I use a hand line in the boat, but 1-3kg rod 6’ to 7 1/2 foot rod off the wharf) will get you heaps of Yakkas if you burley and only a tiny bit of squid or yellowtail on the tip of the hook. Most fishos use line and hooks that are too big. I’d also give the multiple hook jigs a miss - by the time you get them untangled you’ll have 3 or 4 Yakkas in the bucket.

 

Bob I was thinking about this tip today when supervising my kids and their cousins having a fish at Narrabeen. We berleyed up a big school of poddies and they couldn't even hook one, even after the change to size 14 hooks. I then took the rod off one of them and I only managed to catch one after a protracted period of trying!

I might try to get my hands on some of these hooks for the kids' kit and catching gars.

[Aussie_fisher]

@Picklesthanks for the advice mate. Will definitely try that. The sabiki rigs drive me crazy with the amount of times they tangle 🤣.  What kind of sinker should I use for this type of rigging(if a sinker is required at all)? Also wondering if there are any good land based spots around Sydney and middle harbour for kingies, preferably wharves or jetties as rock fishing isn’t really my thing. Am relatively new to this kind of fishing since most of my life I’ve only gone fishing for fish like bream or small flatties in places like the entrance or upper reaches of the parra, so would really appreciate any advice.

[Pickles]

I generally only use a swivel and no sinker, but depends on current flow. The leader from swivel to hook is about 300-400mm long and I use a uni knot to hold hook on, but mosquito hooks have a tiny eye, so 6lb is the biggest mono you can get through the eye, but snoozing heavier line works.

I don’t fish land based as I have a boat (you’re welcome out, but need you to tow the boat as I don’t drive - explain if you pm me). However Kingies are a lot more common than folks think and I’ve caught and seen them around most wharves and structures around Lane Cove, Gladesville, Middle Harbour, The Heads and heaps around Clifton and the Piers (Pier1, 2 etc) and around opera house and Kirribilli.  My experience is they are always on the prowl and if you hold position long enough they will cruise by. 
Having the bait they are feeding on is the key. Live squid or cuttlefish are their preferred food, then Slimies and then Yakkas. I’ve even caught them on swell and mado’s when they are really hungry and also caught them on bread when burleying for Yakkas (rarely ever land them on anything less than 20lb line).

Kingies like structure and current, when you get these together they will cruise past at some stage, but they can be extremely frustrating at times as they will be feeding on jelly prawns or tiny “eyes” and just will not take a bait. Other times, they will smash anything that hits the water (I caught 86 at Longie mid summer, just before aa southerly blow and had to stop fishing as my mate and I were cramping up - only kept 3 fish).

My favourite lures are white and pink 6” Sluggos and Atomis Plazos. Generally don’t have much success on hardbodies or metals.

hope this helps.

Bob

[Pickles]

9 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Bob I was thinking about this tip today when supervising my kids and their cousins having a fish at Narrabeen. We berleyed up a big school of poddies and they couldn't even hook one, even after the change to size 14 hooks. I then took the rod off one of them and I only managed to catch one after a protracted period of trying!

I might try to get my hands on some of these hooks for the kids' kit and catching gars.

 

9 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Bob I was thinking about this tip today when supervising my kids and their cousins having a fish at Narrabeen. We berleyed up a big school of poddies and they couldn't even hook one, even after the change to size 14 hooks. I then took the rod off one of them and I only managed to catch one after a protracted period of trying!

I might try to get my hands on some of these hooks for the kids' kit and catching gars.

 

[Pickles]

9 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Bob I was thinking about this tip today when supervising my kids and their cousins having a fish at Narrabeen. We berleyed up a big school of poddies and they couldn't even hook one, even after the change to size 14 hooks. I then took the rod off one of them and I only managed to catch one after a protracted period of trying!

I might try to get my hands on some of these hooks for the kids' kit and catching gars.

Hey Mike, the Mosquito hooks are hard to find in size 12, but 8 & 10 work well also, but on those days when you can see swarms of the little “ Kingie candy” size, the 12s are deadly. Other days they will take hooks as big as no1. EBay might be the place to look, but specialty fishing tackle shops should have them, my closest is in Penrith (can’t use name as against the rules), but if you pm me, I’ll pass it on as they blokes there are excellent. Only disadvantage is if you start off with the small hooks and they are hungry, you gut hook rather than lip hook them, so I usually start with a no 6 and work back from there if needed.

[Aussie_fisher]

@Picklesthe advice really helps mate. Might go to clifton gardens soon, as summer is starting, and try for kingies. Like maybe I’ll try catch some yakkas or squid and use them as live bait. I assume the best time would be the early morning, as by the afternoon clifton gets extremely crowded and is a waste. Might even try the piers in Walsh bay, but they are like 3m high which may be a bit of an issue, and I also don’t know how much yakka or squid action goes on there. Will send an update when I go. Cheers.