After work Tactics

With a predicted strong northerly and warm weather I decided that it would be good to get out after work and relax down on the foreshore near work. The plan of attack was simple , take the two long rods being my Century TTLDSM and TT Ultra lite matched with the Penn Squall’s and also take the little Century HPR spin stick to work the shallower water and drop off’s close to the shore.

As hoped it was a balmy 24 degree’s with the northerly flattening out the water close to shore , this was good in relation to working the small ( ¼ 0z ) paddle tail soft plastic as it would aid in getting a bit of distance but not the best for the snapper as it makes the water flat and clear. If I was further around the bay it would be different with the wind pushing up a good swell. Still I wasn’t complaining as it was a good evening and there was no need for the wet weather gear and warm clothing that has been the norm for the past few outings.

Setting up the long rods I sent them out with single 4/0 circles baited with some cut Pilchard baits and set them in the tripod. The small pinkies were about and it wasn’t long before I could see the tips registering the pickers tearing the baits to bits. With this happening I up the bait size in the hope of the baits lasting long enough to entice a bigger specimen.

With this happen I then decided to break out the HPR and Daiwa Luvias combo matched the previously mentioned ¼ oz jig head and paddle tail , I was using the a red translucent one with a white underbelly . Casting the outfit is a breeze and I was enjoying the additional distance afforded by the wind, simply putting the cast up higher and allowing the lure to literally float out a bit further. I waited the obligatory time for the jig to float to the bottom and was please to be able to feel the jig as I was holding the rod lightly in the hand and had the bail closed as soon as the jig had hit the water with the 10 pound braid transmitting the vibrations right back through the rod to me.



( A nice Flathead and showing the clear water conditions )

I was working a slow jig retrieve as the paddle tail doesn’t need much speed to start working and it also better emulates a wounded baitfish. On the second lift I was rewarded with a good hit and after a short fight was pleasantly rewarded with the sight of a nice Flathead at the base of the wall. It was pleasing to see that the rod had the stiffness in the butt section to lift the fish, but I must stress that at no time was I high sticking the rod, but getting side on and using the whole length to take the weight and swing the fish up onto the landing. After unhooking the fish and checking my other bait rods I sent out a few more casts working the area slowly to optimise my chances. It wasn’t too long before I was again fast into another flathead and it too joined the first in the esky as they were an excellent eating size and mum would skin me alive if I told her that I was releasing them.



( Another fish at the base of the wall just prior to being swung up on the deck )

The whole session then continued down this path with me taking a break between fish to check and rebait the bigger rods and set them back out in the hope of a snapper, sad to say that I didn’t get a fish on the long rods but was compensated with a good feed of flathead as well as a small Barracouta that was used for bait on the long rods. Normally I have found that a fresh strip of couta to be a sure fire bet of getting any of the better fish in the area but this time was not to be.



( A selection of some of the Flathead and the 4” paddle tail that did the damage )



( The small couta that was turned into strip baits )

I didn’t have the fishing all my own way though as whilst casting I had the misfortune of tangling up with an errant seagull and had a bit of a struggle getting the bird in and up on the deck. That and then having to get the fine braid untangled was a pain. It did however amuse the people walking along the foreshore. I was however assisted by one of the young local lads who got my towel out of the bucket and helped me get it over the birds head.

After the encounter was over with the bird I sorted out the mess and sent another cast off , being rewarded with a good hook up on what felt like a much better class of fish which was taking line and putting a fair bit of pressure on the little outfit . It was at this point that I found that I hit a problem and had the unpleasant occurrence of the line parting just as I was working the fish into the shallow margin. This signalled the stop to my spinning as the light was fast fading and I was deciding to call it an early night.

With the tide falling and the water and wind flattening out I decided that it would be a wise move to pack it in and head home with the plan of fishing again Friday evening when the weather forecast is for a bit rougher conditions and hopefully get onto a few reds. Still for a short session after work it was a great way of unwinding from work.

I’m looking forward to the next session and hope that the tactics employed again prove to be fruitful.

nice report..enjoy reading them reports from down under

Nice session Jeremy... great to get out after work like that..

Mac ,

Hoping to get out again this evening but theweather has turned nasty so will be wearing the wet weathers agin , hopefully the rougher weather will bring on the snapper