Port Hacking - a bit quiet

[Yowie]

Headed out early this morning. Travelling against the wind, it was cold enough to freeze the jatz crackers on a snowman.

Pumped nippers at Maianbar - standing on the sand that was around 5 degrees. Nothing biting there, so drifted around the ballast heap, nothing there, Lilli Pilli flats, no bites, Grays Point flats, no bites there.

I cruised around the Grays Point flats and saw 1 whiting, a couple of small bream and some blackfish. Also saw a school of sea mullet heading towards Audley.

Headed back to the sand bank in the mouth of S/W Arm for 1 bite only, the bream. Tried a secret spot for not bites. It was the top of the tide so headed home.

Near the ballast heap, a small school of long tom swam past the boat in shallow water, so I slowed down and followed them . I used the nippers for bait on the whiting rod - size 0 ball sinker, size 2 long shank - and cast the nipper out and slowly retrived it along the surface. After a few casts, the nipper was grabbed but no hookup. A new nipper and a few more casts and another hit. This one stayed hooked, jumped a few times, a few speedy runs and into the boat. The jaws snapping away as I grabbed it.

Home after that, one bream would not feed the 2 of us, so the long tom will just be enough. 

[Isaac Ct]

Tough day out, managed something in the end. Hopefully more luck soon.

[Fab1]

You wouldn’t even get me out of bed to go to the fish markets this morning let alone out there trying to catch them.Well done as always mate.You certainly are keener than I’ll ever be.Come spring my boats gone.

[Larkin]

Mate, you covered a lot of ground. Still managed a couple. 👍
How do you rate Long Tom on the plate?

[zmk1962]

2 hours ago, Yowie said:

Home after that, one bream would not feed the 2 of us, so the long tom will just be enough

 Mrs Yowie - not fish again! You didn’t have to try that hard Dave!!!

FishRaiders - 👏Well done Dave. Great perseverance. Nice catch and Nice photos - clearly haven’t seen those before. 

cheers Zoran 🤓😇

[JustJames]

1 hour ago, Larkin said:

...
How do you rate Long Tom on the plate?

Well, you'd need a very long, thin plate.

 

Those things look utterly prehistoric.  If I ever caught one I don't know whether I would be pleased or terrified.

 

Scratch that...I do know I would be terrified.

[Yowie]

5 hours ago, Isaac Ct said:

Tough day out, managed something in the end. Hopefully more luck soon.

Not a big run-up tide, so not much movement Grays Point way. Interesting to see a school of bully mullet heading up river (not a big school, around the 100 mark, and all around the 30cm mark)

4 hours ago, Fab1 said:

You wouldn’t even get me out of bed to go to the fish markets this morning let alone out there trying to catch them.Well done as always mate.You certainly are keener than I’ll ever be.Come spring my boats gone.

It was chilly out there. What is going on with the boat?

4 hours ago, Larkin said:

Mate, you covered a lot of ground. Still managed a couple. 👍
How do you rate Long Tom on the plate?

A lot of ground for not much. Long tom are a bit average, as was this one, but needed a little bit extra with the bream.

2 hours ago, zmk1962 said:

 Mrs Yowie - not fish again! You didn’t have to try that hard Dave!!!

FishRaiders - 👏Well done Dave. Great perseverance. Nice catch and Nice photos - clearly haven’t seen those before. 

cheers Zoran 🤓😇

Long tom are more prevalent than people think. This one is a Slender Long Tom. There is also a Stout Long Tom (a little bit thicker in the body). If I did not head home with much to eat, the wife would be laughing - cannot have that. 🤣

2 hours ago, JustJames said:

Well, you'd need a very long, thin plate.

 

Those things look utterly prehistoric.  If I ever caught one I don't know whether I would be pleased or terrified.

 

Scratch that...I do know I would be terrified.

Bony fillets, just need to cut the bones out. The teeth are murderous - you do not want to be bitten by one. Previous ones have tried to bite me during the unhooking process - they grab on and shake their head, but have not been bitten yet.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Yowie

[fragmeister]

Getting a feed out of the Hacking in winter can be a little tricky.

I have never seen any donuts from you though!

 

[Yowie]

1 hour ago, fragmeister said:

Getting a feed out of the Hacking in winter can be a little tricky.

I have never seen any donuts from you though!

 

Hard to find a feed in winter, just need a bit more time on the water.

If there is a donut, I won't be posting it.  

[Green Hornet]

Tough day on the water, but good result considering. I imagine The Hacking would be clear as glass after this long, dry spell.

How do longtom go on the plate? We get a few down here, but I’ve never thought to keep one.

[Fab1]

12 hours ago, Yowie said:

What is going on with the boat?

It’s just sitting in garage unused mate.Other than it’s 5 meter trip out the roller door to fire her up once a fortnight for a while.If I don’t get a chance to start using it again come spring it’s gonsky.

[Yowie]

2 minutes ago, Fab1 said:

It’s just sitting in garage unused mate.Other than it’s 5 meter trip out the roller door to fire her up once a fortnight for a while.If I don’t get a chance to start using it again come spring it’s gonsky.

That's no good. Not much happening at present on the fishing front.

[Yowie]

32 minutes ago, Green Hornet said:

Tough day on the water, but good result considering. I imagine The Hacking would be clear as glass after this long, dry spell.

How do longtom go on the plate? We get a few down here, but I’ve never thought to keep one.

The Hacking is clear, can see further down than normal.

Long Tom are only average on the plate, as was this one. The wife thought is rather bland.

[Fab1]

2 minutes ago, Yowie said:

That's no good. Not much happening at present on the fishing front.

What happens happens..I’m getting over walking past it looking at it sitting there.I just want to A use it again or B sell it and hopefully someone else enjoys it.

[Fab1]

4 minutes ago, Yowie said:

That's no good. Not much happening at present on the fishing front.

Yeah I know it’s quiet out there.To be expected this time of year.As you know I enjoy being out there regardless.

[Yowie]

1 minute ago, Fab1 said:

Yeah I know it’s quiet out there.To be expected this time of year.As you know I enjoy being out there regardless.

In a couple of months, the fishing will slowly improve.

[Fab1]

19 minutes ago, Yowie said:

In a couple of months, the fishing will slowly improve.

It’s not the fishing I’m worried about is being able to get out there.Will see what eventuates.

[kantong]

persistence pays off. Good on you for wrangling up a feed.

[Rebel]

Top report.

Well done.

[jenno64]

Brave work there Dave!

Wind chill is a real thing at this time of year!

Do you prepare the long tom the same as garfish?

[Yowie]

10 hours ago, kantong said:

persistence pays off. Good on you for wrangling up a feed.

Just a feed, better than a donut.

9 hours ago, Rebel said:

Top report.

Well done.

Thank you.

7 minutes ago, jenno64 said:

Brave work there Dave!

Wind chill is a real thing at this time of year!

Do you prepare the long tom the same as garfish?

Thanks Rob.

The tom was filleted, however, the side rib bones are a bit bigger and don't frizzle up like garfish bones, they were still spikey - that is why I did not give the wife those parts of the fillet. She had the boneless rear of the fillet.

Just an average eating fish, like last time I ate one. At least it is fish protein.

The wind chill in an open boat   .  I can put up with the cold, however, yesterday was f*@*^%@  cold. 😂

Sammy the seal was doing side stroke out from Gymea Bay, just floating on the surface, does not help with the fishing.

[Fried Rice]

Good effort, I reckon that you could rob a bank with a live Longtom. They go well on the plate, I have eaten a couple. The bones are blue or green from memory. 

[Yowie]

12 minutes ago, Fried Rice said:

Good effort, I reckon that you could rob a bank with a live Longtom. They go well on the plate, I have eaten a couple. The bones are blue or green from memory. 

It was edible, though not my favourite. Greeny coloured bones. They do try to bite when being unhooked, I have had a few snap at my fingers at times.

As a kid, I fished Lake Illawarra many times, and one morning I saw a dead fish on the bank of a small island. I rowed over and saw it was a Long Tom. Against my height, I measured the Tom at a minimum of 4 foot long (1.2 metres) and thicker than my legs. Guessing it was a Stout Long Tom. The teeth were a minimum of half an inch long (12mm), they would shred your hand or fingers if you were bitten.