A Solitary Garfish

Rosebud, Tootgarook, Rye, Blairgowrie, Sorrento
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TheGreatestGoat
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A Solitary Garfish

Post by TheGreatestGoat » Sun Feb 12, 2017 2:48 pm

Headed out yesterday morning launching from sorrento at 6.15. First port of call Nepean bay where we tried for some squid and whiting without success. Hooked a silver trevally which wrapped around the burley pot and busted off. At slack water we went into the RIP with a million other boats. Cruised to a few marks I had been given and sounded around. Spend an hour and a half jigging without any success.

Decided to call it on the kings given that the conditions were quite rough and to be honest had no faith in my ability to find any kingfish, was winging it pretty hard.

Cruised over east of Mud Island and found some weed and sand patches in 4 metres, tried for whiting there with no success. Big flock of birds started dive bombing so went to investigate, no salmon. Big school of gars, trolled around some lures in the hope that their might be some kingies harassing the gars, no cigar there. Burleyed up in the hope of getting a few garfish, got one but that was it.

Decided to go over to the Sisters at Sorrento, about 500 metres from the rock outcrops as I'd heard reports of whiting around there. Tried a few sand holes in amongst the weed in 4-7 metres but no cigar.

Saw that there was a bit of a channel west of here where it dropped away from 6 to 12 metres, fished the edge of this. Hooked 1 whiting which we lost at the boat. After that, zip. Decided to call it a day. Went home, ate my solitary garfish and cried myself to sleep.

Nah all in all a good day on the water with a mate. Don't seem to be able to turn a reel on the whiting though. Tried werribee, point cook, black rock, sorrento, portsea and quenscliff over the past couple of weeks with not an iota of success.

Running out of ideas. Might give western port a go instead?

Cheers
Goat

purple5ive
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Re: A Solitary Garfish

Post by purple5ive » Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:27 pm

Damn man that's some effort to find the whiting. Ive never targeted them actively yet either. But looks like a lot of work lol.
Westernport is probably a better place for them.

I was out saturday with dad. Managed a few squid pinkies and red mullet. Was hoping id find some whiting but no luck.

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cahoona
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Re: A Solitary Garfish

Post by cahoona » Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:46 pm

DSC_2815[1].JPG
western port is a better option for whiting ive been getting a few there bagged out friday

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Re: A Solitary Garfish

Post by Lightningx » Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:59 pm

Nice bag of kgw... :thumbsup:

Hydroman
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Re: A Solitary Garfish

Post by Hydroman » Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:06 pm

I was out on Saturday and it was my worst effort for the season! I pulled stumps at about 10.30 as I had only managed to get 2 nibbles (not even a real bite) by then. The wind in the morning was really starting to annoy me anyway....should of put the clears back on.

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Re: A Solitary Garfish

Post by Nude up » Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:14 pm

Bad luck tgg nice bagcahoona. Whiting not something I go out of my way to target. The wind on sat was very changeable non a southwester non again around 12pm then an easterly

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Re: A Solitary Garfish

Post by skronkman » Mon Feb 13, 2017 12:13 pm

Hey goat. The Kings are either there or they're not ive found. Jigging isn't the go to method unless you know they are about. Just a good arm work out. Hit up the the rip on the end of the outgoing tide if possible. Drift through the wall and the elbow (and try everywhere else that isn't marine park!) With big up to 12 inches long fresh baits (lives are best but fresh dead whole squid works fine). If no luck after an hour then they probably aren't there. Look for salmon schools and fish through and around them for the best chances. If Sammy the seal turns up you have to move to the other side of the rip or he will just follow you and if you do get onto one then he will steal it from you.

The sisters have been producing squid but the whiting haven't been around since before Christmas Down there. The word on the street is that they are haunting the Rye wreck area in about 7 meters but I haven't tried for them there yet. There is also whiting grounds just to the northern side of the sorrento channel in about 5 to 7 meter slightly west of the sisters. Look for the boats or I think there is a mark on the AFN map of PPB. again I haven't chased them there so I can't say if they are on or not at the moment.

Try big SP's around the mud islands and you may be surprised at the size of some of the flatties that haunt the area. The squid there can destroy your plastics pretty bad though if they they find Em.

Ive been lucky enough to be a temporary part time local in sorrento since november and fishing there several times a week. Thats pretty much the best bits of what I've learned having never fished PPB before then. All the best mate.

TheGreatestGoat
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Re: A Solitary Garfish

Post by TheGreatestGoat » Mon Feb 13, 2017 1:47 pm

skronkman wrote:Hey goat. The Kings are either there or they're not ive found. Jigging isn't the go to method unless you know they are about. Just a good arm work out. Hit up the the rip on the end of the outgoing tide if possible. Drift through the wall and the elbow (and try everywhere else that isn't marine park!) With big up to 12 inches long fresh baits (lives are best but fresh dead whole squid works fine). If no luck after an hour then they probably aren't there. Look for salmon schools and fish through and around them for the best chances. If Sammy the seal turns up you have to move to the other side of the rip or he will just follow you and if you do get onto one then he will steal it from you.

The sisters have been producing squid but the whiting haven't been around since before Christmas Down there. The word on the street is that they are haunting the Rye wreck area in about 7 meters but I haven't tried for them there yet. There is also whiting grounds just to the northern side of the sorrento channel in about 5 to 7 meter slightly west of the sisters. Look for the boats or I think there is a mark on the AFN map of PPB. again I haven't chased them there so I can't say if they are on or not at the moment.

Try big SP's around the mud islands and you may be surprised at the size of some of the flatties that haunt the area. The squid there can destroy your plastics pretty bad though if they they find Em.

Ive been lucky enough to be a temporary part time local in sorrento since november and fishing there several times a week. Thats pretty much the best bits of what I've learned having never fished PPB before then. All the best mate.
Awesome info there mate! Thanks heaps :-)

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