Mike Sydney Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 (edited) I headed out to Mort Bay this evening for my first crack at some squid in several months. I enjoy squidding though last time I threw a squid jig in this bay it ended up with me covered in ink. Arriving at the ferry wharf to kick things off around 830pm, I’m not the only person on the wharf tonight - the local drumming circle has set up on the wharf and is thumping away with great joy. Awesome. I join them and as I jig my lure to the almost-rhythmical beats the trepidation of another inking subsides - though so too does my hope of squid as my jig goes untouched. I changed spots to the other side of the water and tied on a Prolure V42 blade in black. Full moon, good silhouette and all that. No scent as I’m sure the drum circle permeated my whole tackle kit though I usually coat my hardbodies too. 6lb braid and leader (a very short one , down to 30cm or so after several lure changes earlier). Nothing happening for a good 20 or so minutes but I persisted with the blade as I couldn’t be bothered tying a new leader. Finally a hit, and it’s a small sand whiting, which was followed quickly by a new species for me - a garfish on lure. (Edit - actually, a snook) All well and good but it was bream I was hunting with the blade. I went to change spots again and I was walking past the high break wall did a lazy walk-n-cast - and got hit on the drop! This fish pulled and pulled, and finally I stared down the wall at a huge bream exhausted at the base. This immediately presented a problem as of course I hadn’t considered how I would land it. The wall was several meters up. Doubting my knot would hold I instead dragged the bream back along the wall 20 meters or so to where I could clamber down and land it. This required navigating the line over several bushes and trees but somehow I got there with the bream still hooked. A nearby basketballer was kind enough to hold the rod while I went down the rocks and netted the bream which came in at 32cm. Finally satisfied it was time to go home, but with the drummers gone I popped back onto the ferry wharf for a quick snoop around and saw chopper tailor darting around everywhere. I know they’re no fight but I can’t resist them - I took a couple off the surface on the Atomic K9 and would’ve had several more but I was interrupted by an enormous party boat disembarking right on top of me. Needless to say I grabbed my gear and jogged off as quick as I could -before the hundred or so drunks could share all their secret spots and show me their photos and regale me with their tales of jewies caught just around the corner by them and their cousin, no joke it was 1.4 mate, you should use pillies that’s how you get the kings, how much was your rod, can I have a go? 😩 Edited December 17, 2021 by Mike Sydney 6 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 A very entertaining post Mike. Well done with persisting until you achieved your fishing goal. A wise decision to "bale out" before you got invaded by the boat load of party goers. Cheers, bn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 Not much of a photo to I.D. the 2nd fish, but it looks like a snook. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfisho7 Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 Great report well done that,s a nice bream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sydney Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 24 minutes ago, Yowie said: Not much of a photo to I.D. the 2nd fish, but it looks like a snook. Oh really? Here’s a better angle of it. I had it in my head snook were much larger fish (the lure is 42mm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 Great report Mike. I know most fisho’s won’t (haven’t) eaten pike as they smell when first caught (but so do Jewfish), they actually eat well fresh, if filleted, skinned and bones removed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 (edited) Nice report Mike, good to see you getting into a few. That's a good bream you had there. 7 hours ago, Mike Sydney said: before the hundred or so drunks could share all their secret spots and show me their photos and regale me with their tales of jewies caught just around the corner by them and their cousin, no joke it was 1.4 mate, you should use pillies that’s how you get the kings, how much was your rod, can I have a go? That is hilarious and literally how the typical drunk random rambles 🤣 I swear I have had that exact conversation a few times in my fishing career! Oh, and if you want to get kingies, you should try off Parramatta wharf - I always get heaps there! On pillies of course! Edited December 17, 2021 by Little_Flatty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekD Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 I call it as a snook too. The tail is yellowish but unfortunately it is not showing up in your photo. Still a new species. Nice report Mike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 1 hour ago, Mike Sydney said: Oh really? Here’s a better angle of it. I had it in my head snook were much larger fish (the lure is 42mm) Bigger snook are found in the south of the country, but that is average for around these areas. Sometimes called a short fin pike, and differ from the yellow fin pike, which is generally called a pike, or stinky pike due it's strong odour. Snook are edible, an average eating fish if filleted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 Great read! Story well told and I cracked up at the disembarking comments of the Christmas drunks! 3 species is good too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfish Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 Great read Mike, oh and you forgot to add ... They all wanted to be my mate. 😄 Also have a look at "Striped Barracuda" that maybe your critter, goes by a few common names. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 Great session and top report. Well written and an enjoyable read. Thanks! cheers Zoran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61 crusher Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 Great read & report, had a good laugh 😆 as I’ve had similar experiences as a young bloke & have learnt to make myself scarce from the over friendly know it all’s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sydney Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 9 minutes ago, 61 crusher said: Great read & report, had a good laugh 😆 as I’ve had similar experiences as a young bloke & have learnt to make myself scarce from the over friendly know it all’s The friendly ones are the worst! I don’t know what it is about anglers but we are irresistible to drunks and dogs alike… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61 crusher Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 7 minutes ago, Mike Sydney said: The friendly ones are the worst! I don’t know what it is about anglers but we are irresistible to drunks and dogs alike… Must be because we’re friendly & smell just right 😆 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted December 17, 2021 Share Posted December 17, 2021 6 minutes ago, Mike Sydney said: The friendly ones are the worst! I don’t know what it is about anglers but we are irresistible to drunks and dogs alike… I think we could start a whole thread on random encounters when fishing. This morning I had this guy pacing up and down behind me as I fished, ringing this little bell...something like one of those jingly little bells you'd hang off your Christmas tree. He did that for something like 40 minutes. Must have been some black magic going on because I donutted 🤣 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted December 18, 2021 Share Posted December 18, 2021 Super report and great photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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