queensland NPD Saratogassssss

[rgcondello]

I headed out to take my little boy for some bait fishing. I haven't been bait fishing in the fresh for years. But we caught plenty of Talapia which i expected. And then BAM a small Saratoga which i was happy with. Then BAM again a massive 70cm Saratoga. Bait fishing isnt so bad after all. I actually rate the big talapia in fighting too. Do they get much larger then the Picture of the one i caught??

[Joe K]

What a great session! And congratulations on the beaut Saratoga. Most of the tillys I've caught have been 500-800g. If a school of bigger tillys appear they are around 1-1.2kg. My heaviest tilly was almost 2.5kg and it took off on a dozen hard runs on a tight drag.

[Binder]

That is about as big as I have seen for the Tilly. They do go very hard, great fighting fish.

[Dinodadog]

I think we seen that second pic around the traps weeks a go,were they all caught the same day.

Dino

[rgcondello]

Hey Dino, Yeah i caught them all on the same day. I showed tackle world lawnton the Sara. I also caught another Talapia the same size as this one in the picture. These fish were caught about 3 to 4 weeks back. Heading out again tonight.

2.5kg Talapia would have been an awesome fight Joe.

[Dinodadog]

Good luck then.

[Joe K]

I usually take my Mum tilly fishing between Forgan Cove and Bullockys Rest.

When the tillys are on the bite they're like tailor in a feeding frenzy. You'll catch them on a whole worm or on 1/3 of a worm. With the 2.5kg whopper at Bullockys Rest, after 8 runs I thought it was beaten so I tightened the drag on the 10lb braid (8lb fluro) to 80%. But whenever it came within sight of my hairy legs it'd take off on another run with its head shaking out of the water. Unbelievable stamina! A fishing mate who catches NPD tillys for his Filipino in-laws landed a 3.2kg tilly a few months before the big 2011 flood. That's the heaviest tilly I have heard caught. Looking forward to your next report.

Cheers... Joe.

[Joe K]

Hi Adrian,

I'm unable to reply to your PM so I hope you can read it here. I use the smallest sinker possible (depending on the wind) above a swivel with a 60cm leader (6-8lbs) and a No 2 suicide hook. Some fishos like to use a float but I prefer simplicity. Tillys love the smell of worms and 1/2 a worm is plenty. Garden worms catch just as many fish as the worms from the bait shop, despite them telling me otherwise. Tillys seem to like bays and often come on the bite 4-5pm, however, once it gets dark they disappear. Good luck and Happy Tillying!

[samsteele115]

Great toga and pest eradication mate! Well done