Oz 2013 Report 1

[Snatcher]

We have been out in Australia now for 3 weeks and I have just had my first fishing session in Sydney harbour. This is due to a combination of babysitting duties/my location and horrendous unseasonal weather !!!!

 

I picked a spot where I had done well last year for bonito,salmon and kingfish. My ozzie mate had also had a bronze whaler shark there last year and I had been bust off by something big.

 

This was my fishing spot at Little Manly Point Park .About a mile to the left in this first picture in the entrance to Sydney Harbour.

 

 

This was my view straight ahead - some VERY expensive real estate

 

 

This was the view to my right. You can make out the protective shark netted area on the beach. Also any large fish have to be "walked" to the right were it is a scramble down some rocks to lift them out.

 

 

The way to fish here is to livebait with yellowtail - and that is the first job to catch them on small hooks and baits. Sods law - the yellowtail did not make a show but I did manage to catch a new species for me,a male senator wrasse (34 ozzie species to date) I could have livebaited with this fish but decided to return it.

 

 

I then decided to try a bit float fishing with squid for bait. I just had the one take which I missed but did have 3 remoras have a go at the float !!!!

 

After this I decided to try a few lures and after about 5 minutes something smashed into my sidewinder. Woohoo what a scrap and after a few minutes a very large flathead came into view. It was another new species for me and a whopper at about 30" long. I was on a real adrenalin rush as I started to steer it to the right when disaster struck - the hook pulled out. To say I was gutted is an understatement !!!!

 

At least a passing paddle boarder lifted my spirits a bit lol

 

 

I then tried the plastic lures again hoping for a flathead but by this time a shoal of chinaman leatherjackets had moved in and were tearing every lure to bits.

 

 

I decided to pack in at this point and try again another day. As I was tackling down a penguin went swimming past which was nice to see. Its the first one I have seen inside the harbour before. Hope my next report includes a few more fish !!!

 

John

Edited December 5, 2014 by Snatcher

[Newt]

Fish are great but just getting out for the fishing ain't bad either.