Shorncliffe pier Sun 17 Sept

[chrisfish]

I was up at dawn to give the shorncliffe pier another go. First thing I did when I got there was to pick up two shopping bags full of rubbish - empty bait packets, coke cans, old hooks, old bait, a stubby (surpised there was only one actually), chip packets, a small kitchen knife, some toados that people must have caught, old soggy newspaper - grubby people!! > > >

Once the pier was tidy, I wet my line! Lots of small bites but nothing much. Eventually I moved on to the nearby rockwall and got better bites and small bream but still nothing much until ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ - out goes the line. "Flathead" I think happily, but eventually excitement turns to disappoint as the fight goes on and on and it becomes apparent I've got a stingray on. Man, it went out to sea, back in again, close to shore, out again, flopped down and stopped then ran again, a great fight but ultimately something I had to cut the line on and watch swim off. Watching it rest in the water next to the rock wall, it had me stuffed why anyone would mutilate one. Maybe the same reason people would leave their rubbish on the pier after a nights fishing?

[Fishin_Dan]

Good on you for cleaning up! Hopefully someone from the local council will see fisho's doing it one day, and stop locking us out of everywhere...

The rockwall - Is that the one to the right of it (when standing on land looking at the pier) that runs out into the water, or the one that runs along the edge of the water? There are some big flatties to be had off the one that goes out into the water. Go right out to the end. The one that runs along the edge (goes for ages around past the retirment village) has heaps of big bream hanging around it at high tide. Fish the last 2 hours of run in, and first 1-2 hours of run out.

[chrisfish]

Yeah, the one to the right when standing on shore that goes out into the water. I was at the end of it, casting to the side and also out towards the pillars off the end of it. It looks like it should produce good fish and I got a lot more bites there than on the pier itself. I haven't tried the other rock wall but I think I know where you mean - in front of the car park to the left of the pier? There was one fisho on the pier with two rods set up fishing towards it. He was settled in sitting on a big old bucket! Seems like he should invest in a folding chair

[fishingbarry]

Thanks for the clean up mate its my local area,I dont use the jetty to fish but am a regular when walking. Some days the balloon fishermen leave all there busted ballons on the deck so its a bit of a job. Its the same when we go camping clean area before and after setting up ,even my three daughters and wifey when they go walking always return with armfulls of crap. You have to wonder why the grubs leave there crap everywhere. All we can do is continue on our merry way give it tidy up and feel good within ourselves.Again well done mate.
Cheers
Barry

[JasonT]

Congrats on your clean up...
My daughter has fun scooping bags bottles, etc up as we motor past...
Amazing how much you can accumulate!

Jason!

Ps: Anyone contemplating letting their kids do the same should tie a float to their net! A good float. Securely!

[Feral]

Mate I used to clean up wherever I went, but with the council charging to dump, I cant afford to put that much rubbish in my bin, coz if I fill it early, I have to pay to dump any rubbish I pick up.

[BR65]

Nice report and good on ya Crisfish for cleaning up after the grubs. Guess they are just plain old lazy bast**ds.
Pity there were no keepers today, but thats fishin.

For the life of me I cant understand why people will catch toadfish and then leave them on the jetty to die a miserable death.
They are part of the eco system as well, even if they are an unwelcome bycatch.
Unfortunately, to some people (danglers, not anglers), a 5 cent hook is more important than the wasted life of a marine creature.
Now dont get me started on beam trawler by catch in the Pine, my head will explode.
We used to fish the pier as kids, and did ok in the winter months working over the first 50 yards of rubble ground useing soldier crabs for bait, flicking in under the pier structure on a early morning high tide.
Have you tried softies around the corner in the mouth of Cabbage Tree Ck, I reckon that might produce a lizard or two on the ebb.
regards
Brian

[T1]

Hey CHRIS

Is that a real pic of you in your Avitar?

Take Care T

[chrisfish]

yes it is, I just used a work photo when I set up my profile. I've been thinking of changing to something fishy now that I can resize pics to use on the site. Ummm, why do you ask?

[chrisfish]

How's that? Cheers again to BR65 for the tip on photo resizing software. My trying to do anything remotely fancy on a computer is just painful.

[BR65]

Mate, its a toss up between your new and old piccys. I think your new one adds a touch of class to your profile.
Looking forward to seeing some pics of those land based Pine River flathead now.
regards
Brian