Botany Bay in April

Phone calls made, locations discussed and a launch site decided. We're off to Towra! Larry, Andrew, Stewart and myself met at the western end of Silver Beach at Kurnell and launched from the boat ramp. Conditions were great but the swell created a nasty shore break that would be tricky coming back in.

Neither of us had been here for over a month, so it'd be interesting to see if a few kings were over the flats, or maybe even a school of bonito, but with me in tow, it was unlikely any bonito would show up within coo-ee. We were pretty confident there'd be a few big bream about as the tides were good for some action over the weed beds.

I started off with some surface lures and soon switched to un-weighted SP's. Not even a touch. I slow rolled a Chubby mid-diver and couldn't even raise a pike. The other boys had moved out into deeper water (2.5-3.5 meters) and on approach I could see Andrew hooked up. In comes a trevally and over his shoulder I can see Stewart hooked up, too. His is also a trevally and it's not too long before we all get involved.

I rig up with an Atomic 3" paddle tail (flecked motor oil with a chartreuse tail) on a 1/24th jighead and get monstered on the first cast. That happens sometimes with 2lb leader. On goes anotrher one and this time I keep it under control and bring in my first treva of the day. As I slip mine into the live well, I can see Larry is on for his first, too.

The next hour saw us all land fish, with multiple hook ups a common thing. Andrew was the standout today though and landed over a dozen cracking fish. Stewart did see one king but couldn't tempt him and Larry was the only one that could get a bream into the kayak. Still, when the trevally are on, it's a great session. I left the fish still biting and the boys went back the next day and although not as many fish were caught, the size was noticably bigger.

A week later, Stewart and I gave the HWO a try. It's been very lack-lustre at this spot lately and we weren't that confident of getting much there, in fact it was really the Drums in the middle of the Bay we were going to have a crack at for kings. Still it's always worth a throw and the first casts with our Waxwings saw us both hook up. Woohooo! The tailor are here and they were a good size, too. At between 45-50 cms, they had a bit of grunt and we probably landed a dozen each before we decided to continue out to the Drums. Of course, we lost a good deal more as they jumped and threw our hooks and the main reason we moved on was because a bigger specimen had taken my waxwing as a souvenier. It's hard to leave when they're biting like this, but we had bigger fish to fry, so to speak!

But as our luck would have it, as we neared the Drums, the tugs moved in with a tanker and that was our chance gone. 'Back to see if the tailor are still there?' said Stewart. Why not?

Fifty meters away Stewarts sounder lights up and he reckons they're bream, so he stops to drop a blade down. I continue and have now rigged up an old blue/silver metal slug that's been laying in my tackle box for years. Out she goes into the middle of the churning water. A few cranks of the handle and it's hit. "The tailor are still here,' I yell back to Stewie and then all of a sudden, things change. The spool starts singing and I quickly realise that this isn't a tailor!

It makes a 50 meter run towards the beach and I think 'Thank God it didn't head towards the oil jetty.' But this fish can read my mind and on cue, takes a left and races off again. I'm chasing it now and there is considerable weight on the other end of my line. I'm only using 10lb leader and can't put too much pressure on it. More tug of war between us and then another 30 meter run before I stop it again.

Now we're only 20 meters from the jetty and I decided to try the gently-gently approach. Sometimes with Kings, if you just keep gentle pressure on them, you can guide them with you. I start to move away and 'YES', it's following me. And it did for 5 meters before it decides that enough is enough and it does a screaming run to the jetty and ping!, it's all over. Ooh, that was a big fish, easily the biggest king I've hooked (my best to date is 89cms). In fact, I don't think he was even that troubled by me. If only I'd hooked him on the heavier gear. Ah well, that's fishin'.

From there we headed into the shallows and picked a a few bream and trevally on a range of HB's and SP's. I landed one good bream of 38cms on a Saku lure and after a quick photo, back he went. The next report I put up will be on the Squidgy Shoalhaven round that was on the other week. You know that weekend, it was the one when the southerly blew all sunday while we were out trying to fish the racks. LOL Happy fishin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid