Port Hacking Sunday

[hookerbruce]

Hi 

Been back in Sydney about 6 weeks from my half lap of Aust Syd to Broome and back via Darwin, King Ash Bay and other fishy places.

Been fishing a few times blackfish in Georges river, whiting bream flathead at South West Rocks  flyfishing for carp at Burrinjuck Dam last week end.

Decided to have a go for crabs in Port Hacking yesterday. Got to the ramp at 3 pm  and found it very busy. Pumped nippers then tried to find somewhere out of the wind and away from the crowds.Found a few spots and put together a mixed catch 6 crabs, 2 whiting and a 55cm flathead.

Best crab was 70cm claw tip to  claw tip, one of the biggest I've caught. Used large pieces of yellow tail for the crabs fished the sandflat dropoffs. Fish were caught on nippers.

[masterfisho7]

Nice flathead and crabs should be a good feed

[GoingFishing]

That will make for a very tasty seafood basket. Yum

Great work!!!

[big Neil]

Hi Bruce. I am interested in learning more about the fly fishing for Carp. Could you provide me with a rundown (in detail) of the gear used and the technique, please. I saw a heap of Carp surface feeding in the Murrumbidgee last week and wish to explore the chances of trying to catch them. bn

[Tdogz]

Bruce mate! How do you go about catching your blue swimmers I would to know your technique, no spots needed just curious as to how you catch em! Cheers tdogz 

[Berleyguts]

Yummo! I love a feed of blue swimmers... I reckon they taste better than muddies. I got a few the other day... the mother-in-law (from Singapore) cooked up  a nice meal of Singapore Chilli Crab. Delightful! Although I have to admit, I like just boiling them up and eating them hot or cold. Might just put the traps in again this week.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Berleyguts

[Blackfish]

Good work Bruce,

Hope the trip went well. 

Edited November 12, 2018 by Blackfish

[kingie chaser]

Nice feed, well done 

[Yowie]

Good work there Bruce, a tasty feed, entrée and main.

[hookerbruce]

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 9:24 PM, big Neil said:

Hi Bruce. I am interested in learning more about the fly fishing for Carp. Could you provide me with a rundown (in detail) of the gear used and the technique, please. I saw a heap of Carp surface feeding in the Murrumbidgee last week and wish to explore the chances of trying to catch them. bn

Hi Neil

Only place I fish for carp is at Burrinjuck Dam we run up the back of the Dam until we come to flat shorelines (how far depends on water height in the dam) get out of the boat and walk sight casting to cruising fish only cast to larger ones. When the breeding aggregations are happening (you see the fish rolling around all over each other on the surface) it is very hard to entice a take. Target the fish working along the shoreline feeding. May have to stalk them a bit as can have surprisingly good eyesight.

I fish with 2kg tippet and dark (black, black/red or brown/grey) flies. the water is usually cloudy and the contrast with the black flies works better. Flies are 2-3 cm long easier to see. Work the fly about 30-40 cm across front of fish.

Last trip landed 8 fish 3.2 - 4.1 kg

Good luck             Bruce

 

 

[hookerbruce]

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 9:53 PM, Tdogz said:

Bruce mate! How do you go about catching your blue swimmers I would to know your technique, no spots needed just curious as to how you catch em! Cheers tdogz 

General technique

I use yellow tail cut in half, head half and tail half when it has aroma to it, it works better. Enough lead to take the bait to the bottom in up to 2 met of water. Anchor up on a sand flat so the current is running into the channel, fish the edge of the channel with a couple of baits if nothing happens move after 40 mins. Try near weed beds and other structure like the ballast heap in the port. While waiting for the crabs I cast unweighted nippers around the sand flats on light lines and target whiting bream flathead.

Plenty of flats to try Gunnamatta, mainbar, lilli pilli, the mouth of south west arm the list is huge. If fishing in port hacking line fishing only. Normally get crabs October to may.

Bruce

[hookerbruce]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Bruce

[hookerbruce]

On Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 5:43 AM, Blackfish said:

Good work Bruce,

Hope the trip went well. 

Hi Gordon 

Did you get over to west. Saw the old pearl farm as we went past in the boat. 

Trip went well King Ash Bay was a bit quiet managed some fingermark and queenies there but the main fishing is about 30km down river, a bit far for my little cartopper. Saw enough crocodiles to make things interesting. Caught a few tarpon and other things in little creeks along the way. 

A decent thredfinat Conway Beach in the Proserpine River. Plenty of  blue salmon at Carmelia Beach. 

Muddies and bream at Rocky creek dam boat ramp. 

Stuck with goinoverseas next year so will have to fish local for a while 

Muddies plus whiting bream flathead at Miara just north of bunderberg 

[Blackfish]

Sounds like a great trip anyway Bruce, always a adventure hey.

Yeah got over West and great time had mate ... as expected.

All the best.

[jenno64]

Bruce

 

That is a quality seafood platter and a corker of a blue swimmer, top stuff!!

[Tdogz]

On 11/14/2018 at 12:08 PM, hookerbruce said:

General technique

I use yellow tail cut in half, head half and tail half when it has aroma to it, it works better. Enough lead to take the bait to the bottom in up to 2 met of water. Anchor up on a sand flat so the current is running into the channel, fish the edge of the channel with a couple of baits if nothing happens move after 40 mins. Try near weed beds and other structure like the ballast heap in the port. While waiting for the crabs I cast unweighted nippers around the sand flats on light lines and target whiting bream flathead.

Plenty of flats to try Gunnamatta, mainbar, lilli pilli, the mouth of south west arm the list is huge. If fishing in port hacking line fishing only. Normally get crabs October to may.

Bruce

Cheers for the feed back Bruce I’ll be sure to give it a go!