Didn't realise Alan Fishing Mad posted a YouTube of him catching few fish there few days ago. So I got there early morning and it was like a fishing farm, people everywhere, from newbies with kmart rods to experienced fishos with shiny gears.
Great to see few kids with shiny gears (they looked like locals) and fishing with lures with confidence. Some with their father, flicking plastics.
The morning was cold and frosty, grass was crisp. But there's definitely something magical during that golden hour of sunrise. Unfortunately there wasn't many fish caught. It was just "too nice" to be out fishing and usually the fishing is hard in that condition.
Time fished: 7am-9:15am
Weather: near 0° to about 7°
Moon: 3% full, rise at 8:30am
Tide: running out, lowest 10am
Wind: almost none, was like 3-5km N wind
Water clarity: superb. I could see all sorts of stuff on the bottom, from Coles' trolleys to bicycle, car tyre to plastic buckets.
Apart from a guy fishing with 4 rods (pilchard cube bait, 8-9ft rods, 4/0 baitholder hook, 2 oz sinker) caught about 4-5 pinkies, I didn't see anyone else with much luck. One man caught a small salmon and another man with a small pinkie.
That guy with 4 rods definitely landed undersized pinkies and put them all into a plastic bag. I went there and asked if they were a good size. He said 28-30cm. I saw, and one was about the border of 28cm, the rest definitely smaller than 28cm.
He knew the minimum size, so he definitely knew what he was doing. I told him fisheries often come around and check (to scare him), he gave advise to me to fish diff spots in response to my comment.
Soon I walked away, he was on a phone and a Mercedes SUV came minutes later (probably his mate). He passed on a the plastic bag with fish in it and back fishing.
I was gonna call 13FISH and capture the number plate of the Merc, but the car drove away quickly. Fisheries won't make it in time. Oh well, at least I did scare him off, seemed to be working. Pretty sure he'd be careful with his next catches knowing someone can always keep a look out and can report him anytime.
Apart from that, I landed a 26cm pinkie on my bream gear. 1-3kg rod, 2000 reel, 6lb line. 20mm plastic with 1/20 jighead head. Coffee for me and bought one my for my mate, and drove back home in time to take Mrs to go shopping.
