Outstanding land based success - SP's

[coolfish]

Long time reader but first time post. Hopefully this will give hope to all land based fishers!

I own a boat but still love to fish various land based sites such as lota, manly harbour and other secrect locations. I am a soft plastic fanatic and love the "hunt" for the fish with colour, size and retrieval techniques. Recent weeks have seen absolutely adrenhaline pumping success for what I am usually content with at a super secret location that I am reluctant to disclose. sorry

This is just a quick brief of the more memorable fish of the past fortnight. Plastics definately catch more fish! Last thursday I landed a new PB Flathed for the bay region of 660mm, on the same day first brim on plastics 340mm and a tailor 480mm. Also 14 other more than legal flathead. All were returned to fight another day less one of the smaller 'good feed' size flatties and the Tailor. I was stoked and couldn't have wanted more.

Returned to the same spot thursday 8th and scored a new pb flathead @ 760 mm! Went back Friday to jackpot on 4 all over 700mm!!! I have never even caught flatties like this anywhere in the bay region. And on light gear the adrenhaline pumps something chronic when that spool keeps peeling like it did over and over again! A mate also stiked 5 keeper Mud crabs in 30 mins using a piece of dead pilchard (that he couldn't catch any fish on) on a bit of fishing line and dragging them up the bank! He was like a little kid cathcing yabbies in a dam and has since sworn to secrecy for the location.

I use 6lb braid with 8lb leader of Berkley Dropshot 6 foot 8" rod with Daiwia Kastor 1500 reel. Light gear makes a phenominal difference for casting distances and strike sensitivity. All fish have be caught using varing retrieval techniques and different plastics & jig weights. Good success has been had on various watermelon Gulps and 1/8th and 1/12th jigs, but plenty of other plastics have had their fair smashing. Some of the biggest fish I have caught have been on the smallest palstics, and vice versa.

To those who don't commit to giving plastics a good go are missing out. Here is one photo of many that hopefully won't give my position away. Mind you I have fished this spot a dozen times before without anywhere near this success, that is if I caught any fish at all. Now I've got the gear and the retrievals right hits and hook ups are as good as double or nothing and have given me a whole hew level of motivation to go fishing. Now I just have to curb the spending on different types of plastics. Can't wait till next week!

[7dan7]

hi cool fish

havent done much fishing with sp + without a boat at the moment so not much fishing getting done but am keen to give this sort of fishing a go havent had any success yet but have learnt heaps from this site + get excited when i read posts like yours i know it is practice that gets it but its easy to lose confidence when you dont get a hit. glad to hear you cleaned up + great to see you only keep enough for a feed.keep it up. keep posting it helps guys like me

cheers dan

[coolfish]

The only photo that doesn't disclose my location!

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[coolfish]

Try again

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[coolfish]

Try again

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[Blackened]

G'day
I am a local here and i know EXACTLY where that is. Have fun with the plastics.
Dave

[coolfish]

Hey mr blakened

I f'd up the first pick - wrong one!!!
Sorry mate to discolse the holy grail
C you there sometime (Although I've never seen anyone there before)

[coolfish]

ONe beer too many . . . one last try . . .

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[Fishin_Dan]

Gday Coolfish. Congrats on the great fun of fishing! And great to hear there's another SP fanatic out there too...

That's a stonker flatty too. Gotta be happy about that!

Can I please ask one big favour though... When catching flattys you're going to release, please support their body weight by their stomachs, and be gentle on their mouths with those pliers...

Not trying to be mean about it, but holding them like you are is very bad for them. Not having a go, just a friendly message to help.


Congrats on all the fish again though, sounds like you've got the SP fishing sorted pretty well.

Dan

[keen_as_mustard]

Coolfish,

Congrats on your great sessions. SP's are definitely addictive and I know they outfish bait in most cases - once you sort out retrieves, etc. As you said, your spending habits have now changed due to sp's - it is amazing how quickly they pile up!

You have stated you have released most your fish and I applaud you for that - I too usually only take a smaller fish for tea that night and release all others. However, I couldn't help but notice how you are holding that flattie in the pic and what you are holding it with.

To hold a large flattie with pliers would mean you would have to apply a reasonable amount of force, and I imagine that would crush part of mouth/teeth (which they use to catch baitfish with). Also, holding a large fish by the mouth without supporting its weight further down will most likely put stress on the spine, etc.

As I said, I also release most of the fish I catch, so also like to take a pic or two. But I always support their weight with both hands. With flatties, I hold them in their mouth, but I use a glove (which I believe does not damage the fish) and always support their weight when I lift them.

Anyway, just thought I would offer a bit of advice - it is up to you if you decide to take it on. Good luck with your future fishing - hope to see further posts from you with similar results.

Marty

[White_Steenbras]

Yeah nice fish, I would have to agree with Dan and Marty regarding looking after fish for release.

I usually use a glove that I wet and handle most of my fish with this especially the flattys, grazed plenty of skin off the old thumb before.

Maybe you could consider the lip grip's from most tackle stores, good luck.

[Krazi-kev]

Great fishing on plastics. I am a bait fisherman but you have got me interested in this soft plastic business. I need to study up on SP's to give myself some sort of chance. I am only landbased and my rods all seem to long..........I am afraid of casting into the trees etc

Great flattie

Look after your catch and agree with others, look after those that you want to release.

[Wilson]

Coolfish, totally uncool on the handling techniques if for release, but if taking it home for the fry pan totally cool. Gees those flatties are on the chew at the moment, seem to be smashing anything that gets put in front of them. Bagged out on them last weekend at corio bay using ganged pillies, had to throw back the other dozen or so, they were evertwhere!!!!

[richieboy]

I think he gets the idea on handling fish in the future fellas. Nice lizard and well done coolfish. Love them plastics.

Rich

[Dylan_Rylatt]

yeah top fish mate.... At least the bigger ones were released!@!@ if people stop being criticle it might scare people off this site...

the lip plyers a good idea

Dylan