Deckee Community Monthly Wrap - Fishing and Boating News

[Little_Flatty]

One of the great privileges of being a moderator on the Deckee community is really having your finger on the pulse with regard to what is happening on the water. The Deckee community has its roots as a fishing forum but we welcome all who love the water, most especially those who enjoy it from watercraft. If you aren't already a member, you are missing out. Here is what has been happening over the past month on the fishing and boating fronts.

Fishing report

It would appear that the fishing is warming up quickly for summer, with all of our usual summer species starting to appear. It would be remiss to talk about summer fishing without mentioning the mighty kingfish. It appears they are starting to be found in all their usual haunts.

Deckee community kayak angler @whiskey299 scored a fantastic 69cm kingfish on Sydney Harbour on a live yellowtail. Whilst this wasn't a competition winner for him, he and his wife outed themselves as wonderful fish processors/chefs, producing an amazing cerviche recipe. See his report here.

Meanwhile, in Port hacking, member @jenno64 and his son scored a nice 72cm kingfish after a long hiatus getting boat problems sorted. See his report here.

Other notable captures include @MaxiTroll's 1m+ kingfish caught offshore:

@Pickles and a few friends have been cleaning up on the rat kingfish off Long Reef recently. Whilst there weren't any keepers amongst his catch, this was well and truly made up in numbers, with him and his crew boating and releasing 55 fish. However, they did have a few problems with sharks, so it may serve one well to fish with heavier tackle to give you and the fish a fighting chance.

Pickles' report: Kingies go krazy at longie, so do the sharks

Another notable capture was from resident jetski angler @Larkin, who scored an amazing 115cm Mahi Mahi from the FADs off south Sydney. 

At the top of many anglers' list is the humble but mighty whiting, with Deckee community members @Yowie and @Mass scoring large catches of whiting from Port Hacking on the flats, along with bream, trevally and flathead in the mix as well.

Yowie's report: Port Hacking

Mass's report: Cracking Day on the Hacking

In both cases, live yabbies were key to their success, and I cannot think of any better activity in summer than wading the flats with the kids pumping this magical bait. Just be sure to read up on the bait collection rules for your local waterway on the DPI fishing website.

Lure throwers are also in on the action, with the summer shaping up to be a hot bream and whiting surface luring season. I know from speaking to volunteer fishing coach @DerekD that he is starting to score some nice bream on the flats, and his super keen protege @AlbertWrecently scored a stonker of a whiting on a Slippery Dog surface lure.

AlbertW's report: My first elbow slapper

In the Hawkesbury system, @FishingFables managed to put down his fly rod for long enough to score himself and a mate a fantastic bag of whiting and was kind enough to video his experiences in yet another fantastic fishing report.

FishingFables' report: Memorable surface lure whiting session in my canoe

Resident kayak angler @Bennyg78 scored a commendable 6th place in the recent Action Fishing Tournament round based on the Georges river. It seemed a tough day, but all the same, Benny scored a fantastic 36cm bream on a mussel vibe, along with a couple of other smaller fish. Benny is yet another one of Derek's proteges and is starting to make a name for himself in the bream luring world.

The freshwater scene is also warming up. Moderator @dirvin21 started his open season with a few beautiful New England cod on lures.

Meanwhile in the Riverina, @big Neil has been scoring some big yellowbelly and nice cod with mate Larry, on both lures and bait.

Back in Sydney, member @bobthelob2341 has been finding a few urban bass in the Chipping Norton lakes system on cicada lures. It is amazing how many quality fish can be found in Sydney, when you go looking for them.

Over the summer, a fantastic family fishing option is to chase the humble mullet and bream using bread baits. Member @kantong recently scored some mullet with some advice from the community and had a fun session with his son. I have to say this is one of my favourite forms of fishing and will certainly be doing this with my family this summer, along with joining a couple of other members to chase mullet on fly.

That's a wrap for the Deckee community fishing highlights, and I've only barely scratched the surface with all the fishing options being pursued by members this summer. There were plenty that I missed. If you are a keen angler and haven't joined the Deckee community do yourself a favour and join by visiting https://community.deckee.com/. All anglers on this community are generous with their sharing of intel and knowledge and will most definitely help you along in your fishing journey, whether you are a novice or expert.

Boating highlights

Do you have a boat and are handy on the tools? Are you an experienced boater with tips for novices? Do you need advice on what to do with a particular boat issue? Then the Deckee Community boating and workshop forums are for you!

The boating forum in particular is one of the more active forums on the community and connects boaters of all levels of experience with each other. Amongst this group, there are few problems that cannot be solved.

One of the more interesting projects in recent years is @frankS' boat trailer build for his 14 foot Quintrex:

Read Frank's story here.

Deckee staff member and avid boat adventurer @riveRecon built a casting deck for his boat and videoed his experience for the benefit of the community in this fantastic report. 

If you have any amazing boating projects for adventures to share, what are you waiting for? Get over to the boating forum on the Deckee Community and introduce yourself!

Fishing and boating the silly season

The warmer months coincide with holidays and as a result, our waterways start to get busier. For many, this is their one chance to get time on the water for an extended stint, and who could blame them for taking this opportunity?

The most important tip is to get there early. It is not unheard of for Deckee community members to get to the boat ramp before sunrise, lest the parking lots get full and the line for the ramp gets long. Apart from the ramp and waterway itself getting busy, it is also good to be on the water before the sun reaches its peak.

When at the ramp or on the water, please be patient. There will be many first time boaters (Christmas present?) or once-a-year boaters trying to get out onto the water. Give them plenty of space and help them if asked.

While we are on the topic of boating, be sure to download the Deckee app from the Apple and Android stores and use its features to plan your trip: Free Boating and Fishing App - DECKEE

The 'get there early' rule also applies to fishing. I recently had a fascinating experience on the sand flats at a Sydney dog beach. On a warm summer's day, this expanse of water is full of swimmers, paddlers, dogs and anglers. As a result, any aquatic life is quick to clear out. However, one morning I was on the water shortly after sunrise, and the flats were alive with mullet, whiting, bream, jelly prawns, stingrays and flathead. The early bird doesn't just get the worm, they often get the fish as well.

Wishing you all a wonderful festive season

We at the Deckee Community wish you all a wonderful festive season and a summer filled with happy memories. Stay sun safe and be sure to look after each other on the roads and on the water and share the Christmas cheer by being patient and kind to each other.

 

Edited December 19, 2023 by Little_Flatty
Grammar

[Little_Flatty]

Hi all,

Those who use Deckee (if you don't, you should) will notice that some of our community posts have been featured in their recent newsletter.

On discussing with @Mike from DECKEE and the mods, we decided to experiment with the idea of a monthly report wrapping up the main fishing and boating news happening in the forum.

Now, as this will be published in the Deckee newsletter, I need to give Mike and team full editorial control of this content so that it is appropriate for publication. So we might be experimenting with the format to optimise engagement with our wonderful community.

Apart from the newsletter itself, we were wondering if there was value to you as members to reading this aggregated content.

Thanks to all the members who contributed articles over the past month. For all that I missed, I'm sorry...it's not about the quality of the content, it's just about available time and article length!

Tight lines!

Mike

[Blackfish]

That’s fantastic Mike.  Thanks for taking the time to compile all that.

[DerekD]

Hi @Little_Flatty

That was an awesome summary and a joy to read. Really appreciate you putting that together.

Hope to see you on or by the water soon.

Regards,

Derek

[whiskey299]

What a great summary report! 
well done

[mrsswordfisherman]

This is fantastic @Little_Flatty

Thanks for your effort

[big Neil]

Well, what a fantastic initiative this is Mike Top marks for compiling this for Deckee. The combination of Deckee and Fishraider is covering more and more relevant issues applicable to boaters and anglers. This can only be beneficial to the wider audience as time moves on.

You moderators are the absolute best and I wish to thank you all for going that extra distance and keeping the joint forum running like a well oiled machine.

bn

[Pickles]

Brilliant initiative Jason - giving a fishing report to keep all Raiders upto date is a champion idea 👏👏👏

[FishingFables]

10 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

One of the great privileges of being a moderator on the Deckee community is really having your finger on the pulse with regard to what is happening on the water. The Deckee community has its roots as a fishing forum but we welcome all who love the water, most especially those who enjoy it from watercraft. If you aren't already a member, you are missing out. Here is what has been happening over the past month on the fishing and boating fronts.

Fishing report

It would appear that the fishing is warming up quickly for summer, with all of our usual summer species starting to appear. It would be remiss to talk about summer fishing without mentioning the mighty kingfish. It appears they are starting to be found in all their usual haunts.

Deckee community kayak angler @whiskey299 scored a fantastic 69cm kingfish on Sydney Harbour on a live yellowtail. Whilst this wasn't a competition winner for him, he and his wife outed themselves as wonderful fish processors/chefs, producing an amazing cerviche recipe. See his report here.

Meanwhile, in Port hacking, member @jenno64 and his son scored a nice 72cm kingfish after a long hiatus getting boat problems sorted. See his report here.

Other notable captures include @MaxiTroll's 1m+ kingfish caught offshore:

@Pickles and a few friends have been cleaning up on the rat kingfish off Long Reef recently. Whilst there weren't any keepers amongst his catch, this was well and truly made up in numbers, with him and his crew boating and releasing 55 fish. However, they did have a few problems with sharks, so it may serve one well to fish with heavier tackle to give you and the fish a fighting chance.

Pickles' report: Kingies go krazy at longie, so do the sharks

Another notable capture was from resident jetski angler @Larkin, who scored an amazing 115cm Mahi Mahi from the FADs off south Sydney. 

At the top of many anglers' list is the humble but mighty whiting, with Deckee community members @Yowie and @Mass scoring large catches of whiting from Port Hacking on the flats, along with bream, trevally and flathead in the mix as well.

Yowie's report: Port Hacking

Mass's report: Cracking Day on the Hacking

In both cases, live yabbies were key to their success, and I cannot think of any better activity in summer than wading the flats with the kids pumping this magical bait. Just be sure to read up on the bait collection rules for your local waterway on the DPI fishing website.

Lure throwers are also in on the action, with the summer shaping up to be a hot bream and whiting surface luring season. I know from speaking to volunteer fishing coach @DerekD that he is starting to score some nice bream on the flats, and his super keen protege @AlbertWrecently scored a stonker of a whiting on a Slippery Dog surface lure.

AlbertW's report: My first elbow slapper

In the Hawkesbury system, @FishingFables managed to put down his fly rod for long enough to score himself and a mate a fantastic bag of whiting and was kind enough to video his experiences in yet another fantastic fishing report.

FishingFables' report: Memorable surface lure whiting session in my canoe

Resident kayak angler @Bennyg78 scored a commendable 6th place in the recent Action Fishing Tournament round based on the Georges river. It seemed a tough day, but all the same, Benny scored a fantastic 36cm bream on a mussel vibe, along with a couple of other smaller fish. Benny is yet another one of Derek's proteges and is starting to make a name for himself in the bream luring world.

The freshwater scene is also warming up. Moderator @dirvin21 started his open season with a few beautiful New England cod on lures.

Meanwhile in the Riverina, @big Neil has been scoring some big yellowbelly and nice cod with mate Larry, on both lures and bait.

Back in Sydney, member @bobthelob2341 has been finding a few urban bass in the Chipping Norton lakes system on cicada lures. It is amazing how many quality fish can be found in Sydney, when you go looking for them.

Over the summer, a fantastic family fishing option is to chase the humble mullet and bream using bread baits. Member @kantong recently scored some mullet with some advice from the community and had a fun session with his son. I have to say this is one of my favourite forms of fishing and will certainly be doing this with my family this summer, along with joining a couple of other members to chase mullet on fly.

That's a wrap for the Deckee community fishing highlights, and I've only barely scratched the surface with all the fishing options being pursued by members this summer. There were plenty that I missed. If you are a keen angler and haven't joined the Deckee community do yourself a favour and join by visiting https://community.deckee.com/. All anglers on this community are generous with their sharing of intel and knowledge and will most definitely help you along in your fishing journey, whether you are a novice or expert.

Boating highlights

Do you have a boat and are handy on the tools? Are you an experienced boater with tips for novices? Do you need advice on what to do with a particular boat issue? Then the Deckee Community boating and workshop forums are for you!

The boating forum in particular is one of the more active forums on the community and connects boaters of all levels of experience with each other. Amongst this group, there are few problems that cannot be solved.

One of the more interesting projects in recent years is @frankS' boat trailer build for his 14 foot Quintrex:

Read Frank's story here.

Deckee staff member and avid boat adventurer @riveRecon built a casting deck for his boat and videoed his experience for the benefit of the community in this fantastic report. 

If you have any amazing boating projects for adventures to share, what are you waiting for? Get over to the boating forum on the Deckee Community and introduce yourself!

Fishing and boating the silly season

The warmer months coincide with holidays and as a result, our waterways start to get busier. For many, this is their one chance to get time on the water for an extended stint, and who could blame them for taking this opportunity?

The most important tip is to get there early. It is not unheard of for Deckee community members to get to the boat ramp before sunrise, lest the parking lots get full and the line for the ramp gets long. Apart from the ramp and waterway itself getting busy, it is also good to be on the water before the sun reaches its peak.

When at the ramp or on the water, please be patient. There will be many first time boaters (Christmas present?) or once-a-year boaters trying to get out onto the water. Give them plenty of space and help them if asked.

While we are on the topic of boating, be sure to download the Deckee app from the Apple and Android stores and use its features to plan your trip: Free Boating and Fishing App - DECKEE

The 'get there early' rule also applies to fishing. I recently had a fascinating experience on the sand flats at a Sydney dog beach. On a warm summer's day, this expanse of water is full of swimmers, paddlers, dogs and anglers. As a result, any aquatic life is quick to clear out. However, one morning I was on the water shortly after sunrise, and the flats were alive with mullet, whiting, bream, jelly prawns, stingrays and flathead. The early bird doesn't just get the worm, they often get the fish as well.

Wishing you all a wonderful festive season

We at the Deckee Community wish you all a wonderful festive season and a summer filled with happy memories. Stay sun safe and be sure to look after each other on the roads and on the water and share the Christmas cheer by being patient and kind to each other.

 

What a wonderful report summary Mike.
Thanks so much for taking the effort to compile this - it provides a brilliant summary of all the fishing adventures across our fishing community.

[Restyle]

awesome summary. those long posts do indeed take a good chunk of time. Would be great to see them continue into the future