Weekend 3/11 - 4/11 - Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay

[anthman]

Hi guys, this is a two day report from the weekend.

Part 1: Saturday Sydney Harbour - boat
Great conditions forecasted though the morning wind at home suggested otherwise! Glad dad and i went out, as conditions became truer to forecast as the morning woke up.

We worked the stretch between Grotto Point all the way to Cremorne Point - no bustups, a few sitting birds and a nice encounter of some big swirls - resulting in soft plastics missing their rear end and lots of frustration. Time to move on!

Based on previous reports of Goat Island kingies, we headed towards the Harbour Bridge. What a sight when we arrived! Of course there was just under a hundred seagulls picking the remains of what was being torn up beneath the surface RIGHT under the Harbour Bridge. Moving past the bridge , towards Goat Island, we worked the area all for nought, fish getting busted all around us and not a bite on a full assortment of soft plastics, metals, hard bodied and even flies! Having given up hope in the increasingly hot weather, told dad to pack it up, who was working a 6" white slapstix off the bottom, when I heard the sound of reel screammmmmm! A few precarious moments later, dad boarded a fat 69cm kingie! What was a jovial moment quickly turned as a police boat told us off for being in a channel zone - a new lesson learned which i've taken onboard, though I wonder how many of the other 5-6 boats who were closeby and some UNDER the bridge took on the same lesson. 

Its been a while since the last king, am absolutely invigorated to chase them again!

Gear used for the kingie: 6-8kg 7' Shimano sonic , sienna 4000, 20LB kastking mega8, 30lb leader, 5/8oz 3/0 jighead, 6" white slapstix.

Part 2: Sunday Botany Bay - kayak
Near perfect conditions in the early morning - ready to go with live nippers and two bream rods, was going out with whiting in mind, targetting 2-5m deep water, flats.

Lots of tiny snapper later, wind starting to pickup, decided to work the launch area one last time - just off the beach, falling tide, along the dropoff ridge. Cast out and sat back - then reel starts peeling - a nice trevally. Cast out a few times, changed anchor positions (getting tough with winds increasing), nothing. Start reeling in  one rod and hits a snag - the snag proceeds to shake and pull drag like no snag before! A few moments later, a fat 50cm flattie in the net! That's dinner!

After that, the wind was really going - I think it was blowing against current which made the kayak turn one way, then another, then back again - no amount of adjusting the anchor trolley and rudder could stabilise the yak. Bring the lines in and pack it up! Oh man, I was not prepared - the same rod that picked up the nice flattie earlier had a real bad snag on it - then it absolutely screammmed! The third physical force on the kayak, after the wind and current, was whatever was on the end of the line! Now, I'm using 6lb braid, 8lb fluoro so of course I had take it easy but being anchored and with turbulent conditions, had to put as much drag as I could. Lots of spinning the rod around the yak like a lasoo and splashing - a 70-80cm flattie appeared! Warning: heartbreaking section coming now. I had netted the flattie, though only less than half its front fitted the net - its tail sticking out. Then it started to thrash. Slapping the net, slapping the yak ( I copped one as well) and SNAP! the leader broke and it fell into the water and got away! I'm sure everyone in a 500m radius, on land and on water, could hear my profanities. After that I rage quit and headed beached the yak to begin the packup and cleaning. With a few nippers left over, I fished the drop off, land based, landed a 35cm flattie first cast and not much else after - trying for a hail Mary to get that monster flattie but I'm sure it was playing it safe after almost being caught !

Gear used: 

Rod 1 - a cheap cheap 2-4kg 6'6 Okuma rod (caught all the fish though), 2000 kastking Sharky ii, 6lb kastking superpower braid and 8lb fluoro.

Rod 2 - 2-4kg 7' Shimano catana, 1000 Sedona FD, 4lb gallant braid, 8lb fluoro leader.

Rig used: running sinker rig, to a 1/0 circle hook.

Overall a great weekend - fish caught, lessons learned, venting in nature and endless biat and yak cleaning.

Can't wait to do it all again next weekend!

Edited November 5, 2018 by anthman

[sam bros]

Unlucky on the big flathead

But got a good feed regardless,

Im sure it would make a good feed, thanks for sharing

[masterfisho7]

Another great report top stuff 

[mrsswordfisherman]

Another excellent report and thanks

[GoingFishing]

Great report mate ! Thats fishing...taketh with one hand (flatty) and giveth with the other (kingy) ??

[anthman]

2 minutes ago, GoingFishing said:

Great report mate ! Thats fishing...taketh with one hand (flatty) and giveth with the other (kingy) ??

Very true, it's the fishy equilibrium?

[Oz98]

Great trip mate loved reading the report!

Wouldn't it be a laugh if you found that flatty with the lure still stuck in its mouth next time! 

 

[zmk1962]

Excellent report. Felt like I was there. Thanks for sharing. Flatties are somewhat territorial bet I know where you will be heading out soon. 

Best of luck. 

Zoran

[Caple666]

great report loved all the detail. spewing about big mumma Flathead getting off but what a fight it must have been on light gear. better luck next time.

 

cheers caple