So how did everyone go at the Pirtek Fishing Challenge?

[Little_Flatty]

This year I entered my daughter and included her in most of my fishing activities.

Saturday afternoon we headed down to Berowra Waters and combined it with a catchup with friends, whilst trying to snare a legal bream along the way. Unfortunately things didn't go as planned, as my friend's son caught the first fish, which put my daughter off fishing for most of the afternoon (some work to do on her sporting etiquette!). Meanwhile, amongst helping the other kids fish, I struggled to find a bream that would take my white bread. However, the ever-present river gars were around, so I pulled out my ned kelly pole and caught a modest feed of them for my grandmother:

Whilst chasing the gars, I did however catch a target species for the challenge...a tiny tailor! Maybe the first ever PFC entry caught on a ned kelly pole!🤣

Later in the afternoon, I popped down to Meadowbank for a further cast. Got a couple of suspected hits from flatties, but failed to connect. Then sunset arrived quickly and it was time to call it a day.

Day two saw me set off early in the morning on my own on the parra to my sure-fire bream and flatty spot. Started throwing crankas around structure for only leatherjackets, then plastics over flats for flathead, but nothing came out to play. So much for sure-fire! I think I peaked too early...had a really good run of fishing the past few months and I've just run out of steam!  

Later in the morning my daughter joined myself and my father to have a go at Hen and Chicken Bay. The tides weren't right, but we had to get back for lunch. I was casting lures, and she was on bait, with the hope of getting a little bream as her entry. Alas, her favourite target species (toads!) turned up, and all competition fishing was forgotten. I think kids like catching toads because they can watch them take the bait. Competition aside, I don't mind her having a go for them - I think it is good for developing her skills. By the end of the session she was baiting up and casting herself, as well as being happy to hold a fish to pose for a photo. She got about five of them, insisting on getting every one measured up. So I did:

Today I had a post-competition fish down at Meadowbank to try out a new sinking stickbait over the flats. I was convinced sinking stickbaits would be effective there, and they were:

No giant, but it proved that the sinking stickbaits work!

So a lot of fishing for not very much fish, but a very enjoyable set of sessions nonetheless.

How did everyone else go? Hopefully you all had more success than we did!

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

35 minutes ago, motiondave said:

I didn't know it was even on.....

Well done on your efforts though.

Um yes I think you missed the memo.

It was posted here a couple of times  

[masterfisho7]

Love your report Little Flatty and the top photos top stuff

[Pickles]

Great report - always good spending time with friends and family. I avoid public holidays now as I am too challenged by the ramp traffic.

A pity there wasn't a class for puffer fish - that’s a beauty and a great feed of gars (or Kingie bait).

well done

[Rebel]

Great report.

Well done.

Super photos.

[Restyle]

Didn’t enter it this year, I knew I wouldn’t be out anyway. I try to avoid the weekends, especially long weekends.

[NoMoreDonuts]

Great post. Love the toadfish on the brag mat… not something you see everyday. My mate’s kids love catching toadies too, they call them ‘Banana fish’ because apparently they feel like banana skin.

[Bennyg78]

Well done @Little_Flatty!

My kids and I plans went to crapola when my son failed to listen to his parents warning about climbing on oyster clustered rocks which resulted in him slicing his hand open and embedding oyster fragments inside his hand.

A couple of days later and a visit to Westmead childrens hospital to remove oyster fragments and sew up his hand and lesson learnt.

There’s alway next year and fingers crossed for the boat!

[Little_Flatty]

11 hours ago, Pickles said:

Great report - always good spending time with friends and family. I avoid public holidays now as I am too challenged by the ramp traffic.

A pity there wasn't a class for puffer fish - that’s a beauty and a great feed of gars (or Kingie bait).

well done

Time with the family is good indeed!

A pufferfish category would be good for novice juniors! My daughter had no interest in bream or any other species as soon as the toads turned up! Not as spiky and interesting to a kid, when they puff up.

It has occurred to me that the gars would make good bait. I've seen them in Hen and Chicken bay - might see if I can catch a few there because I really enjoy fishing for them.

3 hours ago, NoMoreDonuts said:

Great post. Love the toadfish on the brag mat… not something you see everyday. My mate’s kids love catching toadies too, they call them ‘Banana fish’ because apparently they feel like banana skin.

Yep, now I've set a precedent, every toad is going to get measured. Might as well use it as a chance to grow her STEM and diary keeping skills

15 minutes ago, Bennyg78 said:

Well done @Little_Flatty!

My kids and I plans went to crapola when my son failed to listen to his parents warning about climbing on oyster clustered rocks which resulted in him slicing his hand open and embedding oyster fragments inside his hand.

A couple of days later and a visit to Westmead childrens hospital to remove oyster fragments and sew up his hand and lesson learnt.

There’s alway next year and fingers crossed for the boat!

Sorry to hear that Benny. I had money on your crew for the juniors category! Hope the boy recovers quickly and hasn't been put off by the experience.

My daughter really wants to win the boat as well and cannot comprehend why mum and dad aren't quite as keen 🤣 It's nice to think about boat ownership when you don't need to worry about everything else associated with it!  That said, I did tell her that this might be the only chance we could become a boating family...by winning one! (I kind of secretly wouldn't mind, even though I'd be slightly freaked by the prospect).

[HawkesburyParadise]

Nice report. What part of Berowra Waters do you fish in?

 

I've seen gars around Bobbin Head. Are they edible? and what tackle/bait did you use for them?

Edited April 27, 2022 by HawkesburyParadise

[Little_Flatty]

2 hours ago, HawkesburyParadise said:

Nice report. What part of Berowra Waters do you fish in?

 

I've seen gars around Bobbin Head. Are they edible? and what tackle/bait did you use for them?

Hi Manish,

I just fish in the park opposite the marina on the western side. Basically any space I can get, but generally I prefer to fish the top of the tide over the flats (the shallow side, closest to the marina), mainly because most punters will want to fish deeper water (the fish are there also, it's just busier). Used to do this a lot when I was younger, but these days it's a real hike for me to get out that way.

As far as bait is concerned, fresh, cheap white bread. The tiniest piece you can knead onto a hook. I'll often pinch out a piece of bread and make several tiny 'pellets'. Use one for each hook and then throw the rest out as berley.

For rigs, I use the smallest float I can find (max 1cm diameter bobby cork, or maybe a quill float) and fix the float about 20-40cm above a size 10-14 hook (I often tie a second on a dropper). The gars have tiny mouths, so this is necessary. Maybe a tiny split shot to help the bait get to depth a little quicker, or if the float needs balancing.

Use the lightest outfit you have. A 2-4kg or 1-3kg rod will be ideal. I'll often use a 3lb flurocarbon or 1kg straight through mono, but you can probably get away with 4-8lb. I've been experimenting with cheap carbon fibre  'ned kelly' poles from China where you just tie the line to the end of the pole. I feel that they are very effective for this kind of fishing and also adds a level of challenge that I enjoy.

Getting a solid hookup is kind of tricky. I find it more difficult than I'd like to admit! When the float goes under, I count to five before tightening up. If you are too fast, you'll often pull the bait out of their mouths. Often I'm watching the bait (though polarised sunglasses), rather than the float and if that disappears, that generally means a fish has it. In that scenario I'll generally tighten up to see if something is there. Once you get into the swing of things, you can catch quite a lot of fish (keep an eye on bag limits). Often they don't release well, so when I have enough, I just stop fishing, or target something else.

There's various permutations and combinations of rigs you can use. For instance, you can use a bubble float (half filled with water) + fly fishing strike indicator (to indicate bites, set about 20-40cm above the hooks again) to get a little extra casting weight.

Or if you up the hook to a size 6 and set the bait 1.5m under the float in the deeper water, you have a chance at a decent bream. Why are the hooks still small? Because in the off chance a gar takes your bait when it is set down deep, you still have a fighting chance of hooking it.

Apart from that, I have my eye on the shoreline along the road (parallel to the marina). I can't help but think that crab lures will work under the structure there. But I normally have the family with me when I'm down there, so running off to cast lures isn't an option.

Garfish are superb eating with sweet white flesh, but at the small size of river gars, you'll need to fry them whole and work through the bones. It's no problem for me. They are also top class bait. And a lot more fun to catch than many people realise. Sometimes they are called 'mini marlin' with good reason.

Interesting you've seen them at Bobbin Head. Might warrant a reccy at some point. I'm sure my daughter will love fishing for the abundant mini snapper there as much as she likes targeting toads.

If I can find the time, I'll take some pictures of rigs or source some off the net to help you further.

Any more questions, feel free to ask.

Mike

Edited April 27, 2022 by Little_Flatty

[Larkin]

Never caught garfish before, but from the technique your describing sounds the same as fishing for poddies.

seen them around in port hacking, but not large numbers. 

[Little_Flatty]

@HawkesburyParadise I also noticed this in the articles, written by former forum owner, @Ken A.