Sydney harbour landbased yakkas

[Hyles]

Hey guys, 

I have recently tried to catch some yakkas on public wharves in the Sydney harbour- but with no luck, and I was wondering if anyone could give some advice on the time, bait and set up that will ensure a catch. 

Problem: I have tried using beef mince rolled in bread crumb on a size 8 red worm hook, attached in dropper loop to 6lb line from a kid’s rod. It seems like the bait doesn’t stay on the hook well ( sometimes it detaches as soon as it hits the water surface) 

I have gone fishing a few times around 7:30pm to night (9:00pm) at a few wharves to the east of the harbour bridge, but could never find the yakkas. 
Please suggest the set up, bait that I should use, also what time of the day I should go to target yakkas. If you could give any lands based locations, it will be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks in advance.

[XD351]

The rig: 8-10 size long shank hook on the end of the line and if there is a little breeze or the yakkas are sitting deep  a very small split shot about 30cm up from the hook - sometimes they will come up to the surface sometimes they stay a little deeper .

Bait : I prefer peeled prawn but mince works as well , you don’t want the really fine ground type like premium  mince as it has no body to put on the hook - it is almost like a paste and will fall off . And this video will show you how to put it on the Hook https://youtu.be/r1w0bZhp-_Q

Berly : a few slices of white bread in a bucket and mix in some water and mash everything up really well almost like a thick soup and scoop a small handful up and chuck it in where your bait is  or you can add some water to some bread crumbs to form a damp mix and lob small balls of it into the water  - a little bit of berly every so often will help to bring the yakkas to you .

Locations : pier 9 / towns wharf is where I see a lot of yakkas especially of a night - right up near the boom gates in the entrance and around on towns wharf itself - they like the light shining in the water - see map below .

Also pretty much any wharf in the harbour , I used to fish Luna park , Jeffery st , kirribilli wharf and Neutral bay wharf but sometimes they would be at one wharf and not the other so be prepared to move around - even pier 9 can be quiet .

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

Check out the maps on our Deckee app. Gives all the info about restricted areas, wharves etc

 

[campr]

I find the most reliable bait for yellowtail and mullet is chicken cut into little cubes a little smaller than a quarter of an inch.  This stays on the hook pretty good and yakkas and mullet love it.  I freeze little balĺs about the size of a golf ball and find this plenty for a bait catching session.  I either buy a breast fillet and cut it up or keep trimmings from chicken being prepared for dinner.   Ron 

[DerekD]

Most of the ferry wharves at dawn or dusk should hold some.

When I used to chase them I used to go into the butchers and ask for coarse mince. The great stuff from the seventies that could clog your arteries just by looking at it. I keep them in golf ball sized clumps and unfreeze them before I use them the next day. The mince is both the burley and the bait. The fact that it is coarse means it sits on the hook better.

I used either a handline on the old cork cylinder or a fishing rod. I prefer size 12 long shank hooks as they can swallow the shorter shanked hooks and that gets annoying. I use a small sinker to help it get down. Unweighted works really well but I find it takes too long to get down. The trick is to find the depth they are at. I like using the rod because I can lift them out quickly in one smooth motion but I often have to use a technique with small lifts to try and set the hook. The advantage of the handline is that it is a little more sensitive and thus easier to feel when they hit the bait.

If they are being picky I drop down a small clump of mince to fire them up and then send down some on the hook in amongst the burley and they usually hit it as they are feeding.