Flattie Fiesta Thursday .... Barrenjoey Wide 2.12.2021

[zmk1962]

G'day Raiders,

I've been held up posting this report, but it's a great day when everything comes together ... and it doesn't get better than when you share it with a couple of good Fishraider friends.

Thursday's forecast promised great offshore conditions and finally a break in the wet weather, so I reached out to @kingie chaserand fishraider's own ex-PM Little Johnny (Wayno) but both had other pressing engagements .....  which prompted me to reach out to @Pickles as we had several prior attempts to catchup and head out together again. As it turns out Bob was already in discussion with @GordoRetired so a plan was quickly hatched for the three of us to hit the flattie grounds off Barrenjoey...my last trip was not too successful and I was keen to even the score with Mr Flatthead.  The plan was to push off from Parsley Bay ramp at 545-600am ... right on dawn and head straight to the 40-60m grounds.

Wednesday evening - hitched up, packed up, and ran through the usual test of electronics on Barrycuda ... all good ready to go!!!  Now to try and get some sleep. Thursday 430am, loaded the esky with ice, another check of electronics and bugger the live bait tank pump wouldn't switch on.... hmm not a biggie but it meant no deckwash and no livies for the day. 445am Bob turned up (punctual as always), after a quick discussion we decided to head to the ramp early, beat Gordo there and have a go at fixing the pump issue by swapping fuses once there... so off we went ....reached Parsley Ramp around 530am to find Gordo already having a go for livies off the warf. Now there's a keeeeeen crew member ! 

I had a quick fiddle with the fuses, while the lads stowed the rest of the gear, but to no avail the live bait pump would not co-operate.....we resolved to head out and focus on flatties and if livies turned up we'd resort to good old buckets to keep the live tank fresh. 

Water temp at the 40m grounds was 21.4C. Bait was IQF pillies, and some frozen yakkas... and of course PLASTICS !  The conditions were calm with hardly any drift. After 15min and only juvenile action we motored on to the 50m grounds. Water temp 22.4C.

Then the action started !

Bob was kind enough to keep taking snaps of me ... but we were all catching good fish in the 45-52cm range with a couple in the 60's. The plastics and sinker jigs were doing damage ... even Bob's bananas were irresistible !

I convinced Gordo to give a sinker jig a go .... VOILA !

Overall, the drift was very slow, but we found a productive 400m patch that we worked.  Bob was bitten off a few time and we suspected it was leatheries or tailor, but between the flatties, we managed to pull up a small mako all the way to the surface before he bit through the rig...... and we also boated two school sharks.... and a bunch of banjos which were released.

Here a few snaps of us doing an interim bag count ... 

The floor gets really messy without the deckwash working !!!!!!

Final count bagged out by 10.42am .... 30 keeper flatties ... a real Fishraider Flattie Fiesta !

Here's a short video of what the action was like ...

 

Yes we did go an try for bigger stuff ... a troll past Whale and Bungan Head produced zip ... we then raced to Longreef ... tried for livies and bigger stuff ... boated a couple of pike and small stuff before we called it a day and raced back to Parsley Bay.

Here's Bob manning BARRYCUDA while I fetched the trailer....

A very memorable day for sure ...

 

Tight lines raiders !

Cheers Zoran

 PS - sorted the pump the next day ... corroded connection. 

[GoingFishing]

Absolutely awesome. If fishraider let me like this twice i would.

Cracking write up for a cracking day. Enjoy the quality fish

[masterfisho7]

Great report you have got some top flathead should make some top eating 

[Larkin]

You boys are having too much fun. 👍

 

[Pickles]

Great report Zoran (as always), It was a top day - camaraderie with you and Gordo’ made for a memorable day (at times it felt like a replay of “the three amigos”).

Such a joy to spend time on the water with ‘Raider mates. There is no denying that “Zoran’s magic sinker dropper rig” will out fish bait, plastics, and lures as the pics show - even Gordon is now convinced.

 

[GordoRetired]

Great write up Zoran, I think that you captured the adventures of the day well.

I have to say I was rater skeptical about that sinker rig but after putting one on I caught more on that than I did on Bait... OK, I am convinced and will make up a few of my own before my next trip out.

Catching up with 2 fellow Raiders to spend time out on a great fishing rig made for a memorable day with tales told and a heap of quality fish caught. Life does not get any better. 🙂

Thanks for taking me along. 👍

[61 crusher]

Well done, great read & photos on what looked like another glassed out day on the water. Sounds like an awesome day you guys had bagging out 😎 good to hear the pump issue was only minor, almost didn’t recognise you with the new summer look 😆 

[kingie chaser]

Sounds like I missed out on a cracker of a day & with all the very average weather of recent good to see you had a great day out, even better when you can bag out 

 

I've never believed in the banana superstition(or any other) but I think it only works when you try it with reel banana's not plastic 😅, although its great to hear you have come over to the dark side & are getting a few fish on the plastics 😁

Edited December 4, 2021 by kingie chaser

[mrsswordfisherman]

@zmk1962 I love this post for many reasons but raiders fishing together is just the best. 
The plates of many will enjoy those flathead fillets 👏

[Yowie]

Ah, the 3 Amigos out fishing.

Nice bag of fish, however, I like the way you pull up flatties on plastics, but do  not show dropping the line over. I suspect you hook the flatties before videoing, onto the plastics, then start the film rolling to show a flattie "caught" on the said plastics. 

Good work Zoran, Bob and Gordo.

[big Neil]

I can only read this report with envy. Cod season has opened but the river is unfishable...such is life!

Serious face now: this post endorses the essence of the Fishraider edict to me. Online acquaintances brought together via the site and a shared love of fishing. A great write up Zoran, accompanied by the pictures and video... we can all see the enjoyment in each other's company. A rare break in the very ordinary weather, presenting the opportunity for a great day on the water. Thanks for sharing it. bn

[Rebel]

Super report and Super photos. Well done.

[jenno64]

The 3 Amigos!

Great post guys and I’m sure you had lots of laughs and high fives on the day!

love the pics and vid too!

[zmk1962]

13 hours ago, GoingFishing said:

Absolutely awesome. If fishraider let me like this twice i would.

Cracking write up for a cracking day. Enjoy the quality fish

Thanks so much Sam ... you've got to get some rostered days off up your sleeve .... so we can head out when the conditions suit even if mid week buddy 🤙

13 hours ago, masterfisho7 said:

Great report you have got some top flathead should make some top eating 

Can't complain about flattie fillets. It took us an hour to clean all the fish at the ramp... our production line with two filleting and one skinning was a bit of an attraction ... prompting several queries from other anglers and for Bob to run impromptu lessons on how to fillet and skin flatties ⭐ ... and of course we all mentioned fishraider and pointed to the sticker on Barrycuda.

13 hours ago, Larkin said:

You boys are having too much fun. 👍

 

Can't have enough of that ... life's short. The key for a happy life is to surround yourself with good company and stay in a positive forward thinking state of mind ... I'm already looking at the conditions for the next fishraider trip 😜

12 hours ago, Pickles said:

Great report Zoran (as always), It was a top day - camaraderie with you and Gordo’ made for a memorable day (at times it felt like a replay of “the three amigos”).

Such a joy to spend time on the water with ‘Raider mates. There is no denying that “Zoran’s magic sinker dropper rig” will out fish bait, plastics, and lures as the pics show - even Gordon is now convinced.

 

Thanks Bob, I don't think we stopped chatting the whole trip....  "the three amigos"  eh ... I guess that would make me Martin... the Short 🤣.  Yes from memory the sinker dropper jig accounted for the mako and the school sharks as well. I suspect it will even get a bite from the Yowie-fish at some stage. 🙄   

10 hours ago, GordoRetired said:

Great write up Zoran, I think that you captured the adventures of the day well.

I have to say I was rater skeptical about that sinker rig but after putting one on I caught more on that than I did on Bait... OK, I am convinced and will make up a few of my own before my next trip out.
Catching up with 2 fellow Raiders to spend time out on a great fishing rig made for a memorable day with tales told and a heap of quality fish caught. Life does not get any better. 🙂

Thanks for taking me along. 👍

Thanks Gordo ... it was good to finally catch up. For those that may not know, Gordo and I spent many years working for the same company ...a past life and ever distant memory! As per our messages the sinker jig write up is in the Workshop, making up a few is a worthwhile way to spend a rainy day. 

3 hours ago, 61 crusher said:

Well done, great read & photos on what looked like another glassed out day on the water. Sounds like an awesome day you guys had bagging out 😎 good to hear the pump issue was only minor, almost didn’t recognise you with the new summer look 😆 

Thanks Dieter ... summer look? ... yes the wooly winter beard is long gone ... Maria found and administered a very effective vaccine 🤣.  Happy wife happy life ...

3 hours ago, kingie chaser said:

Sounds like I missed out on a cracker of a day & with all the very average weather of recent good to see you had a great day out, even better when you can bag out 

I've never believed in the banana superstition(or any other) but I think it only works when you try it with reel banana's not plastic 😅, although its great to hear you have come over to the dark side & are getting a few fish on the plastics 😁

Thanks KC, next time ... we'll keep trying to synch up calendars.  Yes the bananas ! ... I can verify I had a real one in my lunch box .. hmmm we had to educate Gordo that bananas are ok on the boat (apparently he'd been mis-trained by game fishermen) ... but that mandarins were NOT OK ! ... you will notice we caught nothing after Gordo said " going to get some big stuff" ... what he didn't say was that he quietly snuck out a mandarin while we were trolling ... if you only saw the look on Bob's and mine face when we smelt the citrus 😳  WTF ! 🤣

3 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said:

@zmk1962 I love this post for many reasons but raiders fishing together is just the best. 
The plates of many will enjoy those flathead fillets 👏

Thanks Donna ... you and Stewy still have a  🎣🎣  date on Barrycuda with Maria and I ... Maria's recovery is almost at the point where she can do an offshore sesh ... we should start meshing the calendars !

2 hours ago, Yowie said:

Ah, the 3 Amigos out fishing.

Nice bag of fish, however, I like the way you pull up flatties on plastics, but do  not show dropping the line over. I suspect you hook the flatties before videoing, onto the plastics, then start the film rolling to show a flattie "caught" on the said plastics. 

Good work Zoran, Bob and Gordo.

Ah ... yes yes ... you want the full surveillance footage ... ofcourse I'll try to provide on the next session. But I would have thought eye witness accounts and the testimony to convert to this practice would be sufficient evidence ... even for a retired detective ! 🧐  BTW, on reflection, I would like to point out that we actually have live footage and photos of fish actually being caught on the boat and on the water.  Not just photos of fish put on display ... this evidence clearly shows we are no-where near Costis reef and that there is no-where to dispose of the paper wrap 😬   

2 hours ago, big Neil said:

I can only read this report with envy. Cod season has opened but the river is unfishable...such is life!

Serious face now: this post endorses the essence of the Fishraider edict to me. Online acquaintances brought together via the site and a shared love of fishing. A great write up Zoran, accompanied by the pictures and video... we can all see the enjoyment in each other's company. A rare break in the very ordinary weather, presenting the opportunity for a great day on the water. Thanks for sharing it. bn

Thanks BN, if the weather had obliged when you were here we would have had you onboard ... stay positive until next time ! Best of luck with the cod mate. 

Cheers Zoran

 

[zmk1962]

22 minutes ago, jenno64 said:

The 3 Amigos!

Great post guys and I’m sure you had lots of laughs and high fives on the day!

love the pics and vid too!

Thanks Rob ... it doesn't get better for sure. 

Cheers Z

[GordoRetired]

4 minutes ago, zmk1962 said:

... what he didn't say was that he quietly snuck out a mandarin while we were trolling ... if you only saw the look on Bob's and mine face when we smelt the citrus 😳  WTF ! 🤣

OK, I confess, after fishing Australian salt water for 30 years I had never heard that before. I only took the Mandarin because we were out of apples 🙂

[zmk1962]

1 minute ago, GordoRetired said:

OK, I confess, after fishing Australian salt water for 30 years I had never heard that before. I only took the Mandarin because we were out of apples 🙂

Hahaha ... all good buddy. Maybe it's just another myth like the bananas ...

Now who's going to volunteer to sacrifice a trip offshore  to bust that myth? Any takers?

Cheers Z

[Yowie]

1 hour ago, zmk1962 said:

 

Ah ... yes yes ... you want the full surveillance footage ... ofcourse I'll try to provide on the next session. But I would have thought eye witness accounts and the testimony to convert to this practice would be sufficient evidence ... even for a retired detective ! 🧐  BTW, on reflection, I would like to point out that we actually have live footage and photos of fish actually being caught on the boat and on the water.  Not just photos of fish put on display ... this evidence clearly shows we are no-where near Costis reef and that there is no-where to dispose of the paper wrap 😬   

Cheers Zoran

 

Yes, full on filming production would be good.

Never been to Costis Reef.

I never wrap anything in paper.  🤣

[zmk1962]

12 minutes ago, Yowie said:

Yes, full on filming production would be good.

Never been to Costis Reef.

I never wrap anything in paper.  🤣

Hmmm ... deny everything -- where have I seen that defence previously ... BTW, we don't plant video evidence either ... as some have suggested 😇 

Cheers Z

[Isaac Ct]

Cracker report mate, lovely feed of flatties there and really nice video. Looks like you enjoyed yourselves!!

[bessell1955]

Well done!  Great to see fellow Fishraiders have such a good time and also catching fish.

[Scratchie]

What a cracking day out on the water. I just love seeing raiders get together and enjoy the day. And good is it when the fish play ball too! Top report Zoran!

cheers scratchie

[zmk1962]

Thanks @Isaac Ct, @bessell1955 and @Scratchie .... it was an awesome and very memorable day! Two tasty meals in the belly already just keep reminding how good it was 😋 😋.

Cheers Z