new south wales Mortlake Point For Mulloway

[lurez]

Thinking of heading out fishing on Parramatta river tomorrow at mortlake point that i scoped out on google maps. Seems like the river is getting alot cleaner nowadays with kingies caught up that way from time to time.

I know the NSW Department of Primary Industries advises anglers not to consume fish caught west of the Harbour Bridge as test results have revealed elevated levels of dioxins in fish so i wouldnt eat anything.

Im thinking of targetting mulloway, whats the best setup for mulloway

thanx

 

[The fessor]

Boat or from the shore ?

I wouldn't bother fishing for jewfish I can't safely eat (but you might decide they are mobile enough to be worth the risk).  I'm talking mega sized jewfish from 40 pound up to 90 pound .

From the shore  my favoured set up is as follows :

Rod

FSU5165 or FSU7165 , both 14.5ft long , for off the rocks , breakwalls and anywhere you want extra casting distance  

FSU7144 or FSU9144 , both 12ft long, for places where you don't need to cast far

Reel

Alvey 650C5 (deep spool version) or 650A5 (deep spool version) loaded with 45 pound Maxima green mono (good compromise for casting and line durability (to abrasion) and breaking strain , if you need to cast further a spare spool for above reel loaded up with 25 pound or 30 pound Maxima mono.

Some guys use AJAX centrepins (loaded with 60 pound mono), others use good overcast reels (3:1 or 4:1 gearing) and other use extra heavy duty eggbeaters.

Hooks

6/0 stainless suicides are the smallest you'll be able to hang a live bait from , I favour 8/0 short shank alloy hooks for live baiting and 8/0 stainless suicide to hang using a 2 hook to hang a strip / side of fish or a whole squid from (top hook is attached to the shock trace (80 pound mono) using a sliding snood knot. I sharpen my hooks to make sure they are needle point sharp !!!

Sinkers

Tidal current dependent , when the tidal flow is slow or off ocean rocks , a 4oz snapper lead is fine to help get the bait out and to the bottom fast .  I've used 8oz snapper lead off walls when there is a strong fresh and a king tide , usually I'll set up using 6oz snapper leads.

The snapper lead is on short leader attached to either a swivel or a brass ring , I do not have a swivel above the termination attached to the shock trace.

I use a leather rod bucket  (those plastic ones are fine too) on a leather belt , saves the balls and spreads the forces out. I also use a shoulder harness that I clip to the rod to help me save my back and shoulders when I'm dealing with a large jew , and allows me to work alone and gaff my own fish.

 

I'm sure boatys will pipe up with their preferred set ups to chase jewfish in a boat.

Using a weighted casting float is an option from a boat (live bait swimming at the appropriate depth) under the float.

I've swum a live bait from the back of a boat occasionally when I've been invited out to fish in boats or hired a boat. A floating bait (live or dead) works well for jewfish in this kind of situation.

A floating bait works well if the current takes the bait away from the shore . Some of my first jewfish were taken  using floating baits from Stockton Wall, Nobbys Wall, the beach (Redhead, Stockton, Myall, Dudley beaches in my case) when fishing for big (2 ft long) tailor.

 

If you are targeting smaller jewfish ( schoolies up to say 30 pound ) you will get away with lighter rods and line , any good beach rod and reel set up to take tailor , salmon, trevally, flathead and the like will suffice , a mega sized jewfish will beat your gear up and be a tough job landing (from the shore) but a bit patience and a mega sized jew can be landed .  More of chance from a boat.
 

My observation is most jewfish are lost because :

> the hooks were blunt / too small

> the sinker was felt

> line twisted ( caused the sinker to stop somewhere it should not have when the fish was running )

> overrun caused by the inertia of the reel when the fish has either slowed or stopped caused a birds nest around the reel and handles (say ta ta to fish)

> too much line resistance during first 2 (or 3 runs) , even the resistance felt pulling the tip of the rod down can be enough

> overzealous / inexperienced fisho wants to set the hook/s too soon (pulled bait out it's mouth , only lip hooked)

> trying to skull drag the fish

> incompetent offsider (messed up with the gaff or landing net).

 

Have fun, but expect a lot water to pass you by between jewfish runs, jewfishing is a very zen activity, you spend a lot of time sitting there next to the rod and reel watching the tip and feeling the line for giveaway touches , watching the world and doing nothing.

Been many a trip when I've counted myself fortunate to have had a good run (despite fishing from dusk to an hour or so after dawn ! and having spent a hour to two before sunset catching my livebaits) , those trips when I've landed a mega jew are few and far between , and those nights when I've bagged out are countable on one hand (my best night I ran out of live yellow and took home 8 fish (all schoolies that night and every bait was hammered almost as soon as it hit the bottom - I was very thankful I had a trolley to carry them back to the car with , it's a LONG walk from the Sharkhole to the carpark at Nobby's Beach)  .

 

Most nights the only bites I get are from

> mosquitos

> pickers (bream) having a go at the bait

> rubbish fish ( eels, hairtails, sharks, rays ).

 

Takes dedication to become successful at regularly bringing home jewfish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The fessor]

I'll add this

 

- it's my practice when fishing for jewfish to lay my rod down on top of the (break/sea) wall , or dyke/jetty, or harbor foreshore (on the grass) and have the alvey set to free spool with the ratchet on (clicker) , drag turned off , and have the tip slightly elevated ( but only to keep the line from drooping into the rocks).

I station myself on a rock a camp chair next to rod , I do not hold the rod , too much temptation to try to set the hook too soon , when the line moves I simply very lightly touch the edge of the spool if it's spinning fast , only to reduce overruns if the fish stops or slows.

Beauty of deep spool yellow Alvey 651C5 or 651A5 reels is huge line capacity ( 600m of 45 pound line !) and it's simply a matter of using a lever to disengage or engage the antireverse / drag , and they are virtually indestructible (I've been using my reels since the 1980s and they've been hammered by the elements. 

 

[John]

great advice @The fessor thanks for sharing 

[Drop Bear]

Nice reply @The fessor. Lots of great info there. 

[The fessor]

So how did the OP go ?

Did he manage to find a nice jewie ? and land it ?

It's not too late in the season to catch jewfish , I've had very productive Aprils and even caught them well into May ( in Port Hunter ).  The sea temp is still pretty good too ( I think about 23 degC ) and if the mullet are still running , there will be jewfish feeding on them .

This is on the proviso the local pro fishers (trawler operators, gill netters and pro long liners haven't been hitting the jewfish hard in the lead up to Easter (to put them on ice for the big prices they'll get for them in the lead up to Easter) , maybe not an issue in Sydney Harbor and the Paramatta River like it has been in the Hunter River, Port Hunter, and off Stockton Beach and the inshore fishing grounds .