Little_Flatty Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Went down to Hunters Hill Wharf this afternoon with my two daughters. This is a real nice wharf to fish on with kids. My eldest (6) and I have entered the Pirtek challenge and she has been hounding me to take her for a 'training' session. Over the past couple of weeks, we've been working on her casting in the backyard and I have to admit that she's doing quite well for a newbie. We're both looking forward to getting a couple of good sessions in together. Our goal is to enter at least one fish each. Anyhow, being an impromptu trip, we only had some pillies in the freezer that I had salted over a year ago! Cut them into small cutlets and we were in business. I didn't have high hopes but I know that bream don't mind the odd salted pilly, no matter how stinky they are. We had a simple rig of a small ball sinker down to a swivel, then a 30cm trace and a size 6 hook. I wasn't expecting much, but we did lose a few baits early on. We also had a bit of a laugh when she caught a 'leaf fish' and my daughter insisted that she have a photo with it. Next thing we know, she's onto a fish and the (lightly set) drag starts singing. She starts panicking a bit (this has never happened to her before), so I ask her to stop for a bit, I tighten the drag a touch and tell her to keep winding. It was evident that this was quite a decent fish. Eventually, a decent whiting surfaces! I'd say that would have been the first whiting we've ever caught on pillies! After a happy snap, the fish was sent back on its way to become a true elbow slapper. It's funny - I had to explain to her that this was actually quite a nice fish and that I would have been happy with it myself. We're hopefully going to get in a few more practice sessions between now and the comp. It's going to be fun. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Ct Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Great job @Little_Flatty, I love to see you older raiders teaching your kids how to fish. Your daughter should be very proud with that whiting, it is a very nice fish. Good luck in the Pirtek Fishing Challenge!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Well done to her! That’s a cracking catch. Some kids will get the fishing bug, and others won’t. Later in life they will all reminisce of the times they used to go fishing with their father. 👍 I did the same with my kids at that age, now they just prefer to sit on the computer playing games & yelling with their friends. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted March 20, 2022 Author Share Posted March 20, 2022 1 hour ago, Isaac Ct said: Great job @Little_Flatty, I love to see you older raiders teaching your kids how to fish. Your daughter should be very proud with that whiting, it is a very nice fish. Good luck in the Pirtek Fishing Challenge!! Teaching a kid to fish is one of life's great joys. Young kids see the world in a way that adults have long forgotten how. 8 minutes ago, Larkin said: Well done to her! That’s a cracking catch. Some kids will get the fishing bug, and others won’t. Later in life they will all reminisce of the times they used to go fishing with their father. 👍 I did the same with my kids at that age, now they just prefer to sit on the computer playing games & yelling with their friends. Thanks @Larkin. Hopefully the girls will continue to join me. If not, I might end up zipping about on a jetski like you, with rods in tow. Either way, here's to hoping! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted March 20, 2022 Author Share Posted March 20, 2022 7 minutes ago, maccapacca said: Is it a good spot? Never been there before but am close to it so Can check it out sometime It’s worth a try. @motiondave put us on it. Pretty consistent for bream and flathead from what I’ve seen. Your new blade will be safe there, provided you don’t cast it into the powerlines or pylons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Fantastic! Tell her mrsswordie is very proud of her! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Great work!! Tell your daughter that's a bigger whiting than all the fish one of the idiots you know on here has ever caught. Nothing like taking them out and teaching them mate. Now where's that idiot... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted March 20, 2022 Author Share Posted March 20, 2022 53 minutes ago, maccapacca said: Ended up not buying the blade, just going to grab some sharp circles and octopus hooks and keep it simple as that’s what has been working. Any other gear you’d reccomend for flathead? Nothing else Macca, you've got enough things already, keep it simple. All you need to do now is put in the time. One more tip for Hunters Hill Wharf: the fish are as likely to hang out in the shallows as they are out deeper. The four pylons out from the wharf seem to hold a fair few fish, as do the flats on the other side. I'm actually putting together a little tackle box for my daughter right now, it's really quite simple. A few hooks, a few sinkers, a float or two and some swivels. In time I'll add a lure or two. It's not so much for her, but more so whenever we go together, I don't need to bring all of my gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 A proud dad moment there for sure Little_Flatty, that's a great fish. Well done to your little girl. Its funny how often good fish are caught when you're not expecting much. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfisho7 Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 nice report great to see her got a nice fish too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted March 20, 2022 Author Share Posted March 20, 2022 11 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said: Fantastic! Tell her mrsswordie is very proud of her! Thanks. She certainly is chuffed that other fishos think this is a good fish. 10 hours ago, Fab1 said: Great work!! Tell your daughter that's a bigger whiting than all the fish one of the idiots you know on here has ever caught. Nothing like taking them out and teaching them mate. Now where's that idiot... It’s bigger than most of the whiting I catch! I’m looking forward to her out-fishing me. 10 hours ago, motiondave said: Good stuff, I take a kid with me, but he does not fish, just enjoying the outing more than anything, even if he is watching YouTube on the phone sometime....no he's not interested in fishing, I have tried, it's more like getting him out of the house and giving mum a break.. The older kid wants to go but rather stays home, let's dad catch the fish and bring them home...for him to eat... We were giving mum a break as well - a win-win situation. If they don’t fish, that’s ok; I’m just happy that they’re growing their appreciation of the great outdoors. My youngest spent the whole session blowing bubbles over the water They had their eyes on the sand flats next to the wharf. Next time we might fish the flats, but I’m not sure how much fishing will actually get done…more likely sand toys and swimmers 25 minutes ago, Green Hornet said: A proud dad moment there for sure Little_Flatty, that's a great fish. Well done to your little girl. Its funny how often good fish are caught when you're not expecting much. It certainly was a surprise! I think my daughter was a little shocked as well. I just wanted to give her a chance to practice casting in a more realistic environment. Now she knows she’s capable of catching decent fish, she’s really keen to take home a feed, so we got to plan another trip when we get the chance, maybe with cousins or friends in tow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Definitely a proud dad moment. You’ve stoked the passion 👍 best of luck with the comp preparation and comp itself. cheers Zoran 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennyg78 Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 nice report! What a fish @Little_Flattyt I am killing to get a whiting on a topwater lure so may have to have a look at the flats there 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Well done. Nice whiting. Your Daughter will be teaching you before long. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nutsaboutfishing Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Mate, I'm so jealous, when my kids were young I tried to steer them into the love of fishing. No such luck. I'm still the only fisher in my family. Don't suppose you'd be interested in swapping kids one day??!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Always great to read about getting the kids into fishing! Keep the opportunities up and hopefully you'll have a fishing buddy for life:) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 On 3/21/2022 at 10:17 AM, Bennyg78 said: nice report! What a fish @Little_Flattyt I am killing to get a whiting on a topwater lure so may have to have a look at the flats there I did have that thought when I first fished that spot. Let us know how you get on! On 3/21/2022 at 11:38 AM, Rebel said: Well done. Nice whiting. Your Daughter will be teaching you before long. I’m looking forward to that day! I’m hoping she becomes a mulloway expert…that’s my unreasonable parental expectation 3 hours ago, nutsaboutfishing said: Mate, I'm so jealous, when my kids were young I tried to steer them into the love of fishing. No such luck. I'm still the only fisher in my family. Don't suppose you'd be interested in swapping kids one day??!! I still have a long way to go. It’s been a steep learning curve…basically I need to stop caring about fishing and focus on having fun outside. So sand toys and bubbles go into the tackle bag. Only then do they get interested🤣 10 minutes ago, jenno64 said: Always great to read about getting the kids into fishing! Keep the opportunities up and hopefully you'll have a fishing buddy for life:) Here’s to hoping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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