Big Duskies.... without a net?

[Peter K]

Good Afternoon Everybody.

I went for an evening fish last night, approx 8 PM, and was using 2.5 inch grubs. I landed a bream which was just legal and a the same for a flathead. Then I didn't seem to get a hit for 30-45 minutes before I this happened.

 

Cast into 1 - 2m deep water between pontoons. Rocky and oyster infested bottoms. letting is drop slowly then a quick jig and small reel back in. Within a few seconds of sinking under the pontoon I wen't to flick the lure off the bottom, however, it felt like it was snagged, after trying a bit to get it 'unsnagged' I felt a few head shakes. The battle began, reeling it in but away from the oysters. It didn't give to much of a crazy fight but was quite weighty. Got the flathead to to the surface, only having a headtorch on but I could clearly see this was a new PB for me, it was well over 60cm. I saw the hookup was good so my only option was to try and lift it out of the water onto the pontoon, then tragedy struck, my 10lb fluro leader was snapped/shreaded, knots were fine though..... 

So, this is the 2nd time in a month I've had a decent flatty and not landed it. I'm privileged enough to live water front in Sydney and have access to approx, 150-200m of sea wall/water fronts my neighbours have allowed me to fishing along. I'm lazy and only have a big landing net I use mainly for on the tinny and for jews. Carrying it around back and forth gets annoying. I'm wonder if you have any suggestions for smaller nets I could clip onto my pants and let it hang from my shorts I could quickly grab off and scoop a fish out of the river??

 

All suggestions are greatly appreciated, I'm devastated I lost a great fish and am looking for ways to ensure this isn't likely to occur again.

 

Regards,

Peter

[ellicat]

Depends on how long you need the handle to be, really.

Here's two that you could hang off yourself -

https://www.amazon.com.au/Collapsible-Telescopic-Steelhead-Releasing-to73-92CM/dp/B0CK1LHSB8/ref=asc_df_B0CK1LHSB8/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=649960977051&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4322046249799951749&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9068968&hvtargid=pla-2264682984386&psc=1&mcid=e3ca3ca216b93c4ab352464070ea4f13

 

https://www.bcf.com.au/p/pryml-kayak-landing-net-60cm/293197.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoeGuBhCBARIsAGfKY7ztlb2isO-9u08mZ5ASyWxDe1q8qFPx8MTcBEaiDCeU3b_zWkz1ZZ8aAgw3EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

That's tragic to have lost the one last night, let alone it being the second time ! Third time lucky.

[mangajack]

Telescopic folding nets are ok but difficult to use solo when fighting a fish.

I suggest something like a squid gaff you can slip under it's chin....these can be one handedly operated easily.

https://www.hookem.com.au/product-page/telescopic-squid-gaff

it is usually safer with big flathead to lead them to a landing point....don't muscle it, guide it, they will comply nearly always.

Every flathead over 60cm is female so take good care of them.

Can you leave a cheap landing net at your neighbors wall?

[Noah Fitzpatrick]

2 hours ago, Peter K said:

Good Afternoon Everybody.

I went for an evening fish last night, approx 8 PM, and was using 2.5 inch grubs. I landed a bream which was just legal and a the same for a flathead. Then I didn't seem to get a hit for 30-45 minutes before I this happened.

 

Cast into 1 - 2m deep water between pontoons. Rocky and oyster infested bottoms. letting is drop slowly then a quick jig and small reel back in. Within a few seconds of sinking under the pontoon I wen't to flick the lure off the bottom, however, it felt like it was snagged, after trying a bit to get it 'unsnagged' I felt a few head shakes. The battle began, reeling it in but away from the oysters. It didn't give to much of a crazy fight but was quite weighty. Got the flathead to to the surface, only having a headtorch on but I could clearly see this was a new PB for me, it was well over 60cm. I saw the hookup was good so my only option was to try and lift it out of the water onto the pontoon, then tragedy struck, my 10lb fluro leader was snapped/shreaded, knots were fine though..... 

So, this is the 2nd time in a month I've had a decent flatty and not landed it. I'm privileged enough to live water front in Sydney and have access to approx, 150-200m of sea wall/water fronts my neighbours have allowed me to fishing along. I'm lazy and only have a big landing net I use mainly for on the tinny and for jews. Carrying it around back and forth gets annoying. I'm wonder if you have any suggestions for smaller nets I could clip onto my pants and let it hang from my shorts I could quickly grab off and scoop a fish out of the river??

 

All suggestions are greatly appreciated, I'm devastated I lost a great fish and am looking for ways to ensure this isn't likely to occur again.

 

Regards,

Peter

Whenever I go out landbased I never have a net with me. In those situations best bet is to hold the leader with the fish in the water and grab the jighead if your game haha. Might end up with a hook in the finger if your not careful but i guess if you want it bad enough aha......

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

I would suggest trying to beach it or grabbing it quickly in the mouth, netting solo can be quite tricky. 

[tiotony]

Lip grips so long as you can reach the waterline on those sea walls. I have one hooked to my tackle bag but never use them because these days I'm always fishing the beach. And recently definitely not a need - the beach is shark city since the floods in Cairns  

[Peter K]

Thanks for all the replies.

I problem is the sea walls are all about 2 metres above the water mark. The pontoons for each house are about 1/2 a metre above the water, there isn't anywhere I could "beach" the fish. For lighter smaller fish lifting it out has worked 90% of the time. However in this case the line just snapped. Using lip grips or grabbing the fish by hand doesn't seem like a way I would be successful with. As for gaffs I have two at home but I have never tried using them on a fish like that. Nets seem like the most straightforward answer to me.  I was able to get the fish to the surface and guide it to the most suitable landing spot, end of the pontoon, I can get the fishing close enough just couldn't get it out of the water...

work best as I'm fishing up and down across approx 15 waterfront houses. Leaving the net in one spot seems like I would still end up with the fish but the net being to far away. 

Cheers all. Peter

[Rebel]

Hi,

I fish a lot of break walls around the Central Coast NSW. Always use a gaff. That way I will never end up in the drink.

My parents had a house onthe water at Sylvania Waters years ago. Allthe houses had rock walls. I always used a gaff.

Cheers.

[Peter K]

Alright, thanks for the insight, I'll have to look into gaffs a bit more. Cheers.

[Hweebe]

Used to fish canal bridges on the goldie just at or around this height. 

The compromise we made (at the loss of "feel") was to go heavier rods and try to pendulum swing them over the bridge railings. You will definitely lose some this way but it beat carrying around a net/gaffe.

It always made for some good banter if the mates, stuffed up the swing and hit the railing (and lost the fish) or vice versa, some over the top swings saw "flying" fish up and over onto the adjacent bridge road. hahahahaha

 

 

[Peter K]

Thanks Hweebe, that's an interesting suggestion. "the pendulum swinging motion" is something that always seems to work for me with the flatties under 40cm but any larger and they come off, perhaps a heavier rod weighting might be the solution, I'll have a try next time I'm out. 

[Hweebe]

There is a knack to it.

Once you have the flatty on the water surface you start the swing....you have to commit to getting it over the railing   in one go.

As soon as the water is not holding the fishes weight - Gravity is your enemy and that is when hooks get pulled.

So its a swing from the water surface (almost sling shoting it) straight up and over.

With a softer rod this isn't possible to sling shot over. You really are just scull dragging the fish out of the water.

[Peter K]

I have learnt the art of swinging from my DIY rod, a dried bamboo pole with a few zip ties and about 2 metres of line with a float. Landing many blackfish/luderick, best was 23 luderick in 1 hour, biggest was 43 cm. All of the sea walls and pontoons in my area. The bamboo rod has no reel so you just have to fling the fish out of the water, it seems to always work no matter the size, but when I try with big flatties, it's just not the same. I'm sure with more practice and experience I'll get the hang of it.

[mangajack]

Poling luderick....good to hear.

As a kid in the 70's I did the same with a bamboo pole for bream at Deepwater Bend on the Pine.

Just proof that you should not cast out when standing on a rock wall...the fish are actually within three metres of you.

I advise people to fish the rock walls unweighted regularly....yet they still anchor their baits in the channel desert....just as much luck there of hooking a camel.

I imagine someone will read this thread and try with a graphite blank soon....