Botany Bay mixed bag and lost the big one

[Botany Bay Fishing]

Hey everyone, managed to head out on thursday for a nice change being one of the only times going out during the week thats not in the holidays.

Our plan was to target kingfish and hopefully bag a few keepers, so started out nice and early hitting squid an hour before dark at watts reefs, didnt catch any. We moved over to our usual spot at kurnell at first light and boated 4 live squid perfect for kingys. We decided to anchor at the drums with a strong burley trail to start catching some nice fish (which usually works well for us this time of year) after 30mins with no takers or even fish on the sounder we pulled anchor and re positioned still within the drums but closer to the channel stayed for another 30 and no takers.

 

So we moved again, we decided to go to molineaux point being that there wouldnt be 20 boats to compete with. We lost two live squid to leather jackets before we changed tactics and actually started targetting the leathers managing to catch 7 with 3 over 30cm biggest going 37cm which were all turned into an amazing seafood risotto (highly highly recommend).

With 2 live squid left we started fishing the top of the water column where 2 rat kings were landed one on live squid the other on a squid head. Then we hooked the big one on 50lb gear with drag near 70% spat the hooks after a 5 minute fight.

To put that into perspective the two rat kings 62 and 64cm were caught with the same setup and drag setting and were boated within a minute or two.

Then the storm picked up around 10:30ish so we headed for the boat ramp with a feed of leather jackets and a good days fish

[Blackfish]

Nice feed of Jackets, bad luck about the Kings though.

[masterfisho7]

Some nice L eather Jackets top eating well done

[hookerbruce]

May used to be the best month for the jackets close in to wall. I used to target them about 40 years ago. Dropped an anchor out wide clear of the concrete blocks then run in close and use a couple of plastic bottles thrown up in the blocks as a back anchor. When it was time to go just start the motor and pull the bottles out then retrieve the front anchor.

Used the same method to fish the wall for blackfish. Anchor with boats bow facing out. Only on days without a big swell.

Nice jackets might try it again. Also used to get odd groper bream etc

[61 crusher]

Good report of your day & nice feed of jackets, shame about the hooks pulling on the good one