I caught my Holy Grail finally (with pictures)

[land_based]

Nice soapies mate top effort, where abouts where you???

[matthill80]

well done alex good feeling aint it couldnt wipe the smile off my facer with my first on a placcie either
again well done mate


cheers matt

[ba229]

Ohhh and to answer a few questions...

1.What does ba stand for?

A. Some say busted a$re and others just believe there is no significance behind it. In fact there is and both of the last answers are incorrect. Only a select few know the truth and if you hit the inner circle you may one day know the truth too :-)

2.Where were they caught?

A. Newcastle (NSW) harbour. Exact location only available to those who can "show me the fish"

3. etc etc etc

[fritzy]

Mate,
congratulations - that is a sensational effort. You have done extremely well to nail two of the buggers within minutes of one another.
Also congratulations on being a self taught fisherman, that is bloody difficult to do. I gained 99% of my knowledge and skills through my father and grandfathers all of whom are and were fishing addicts. Sure i have added some skills through magazines, (and i have learned a hell of a lot on this site), but I gained the most important basics from them. I dare say, without their influence i would have never taken up fishing. Dad taking me out as a 3 and 4 year old - teaching me how to pump yabbies and fish for bream and whiting in the southport seaway - you learn so much on these early adventures. They are also the times i have felt closest to my dad and grandfathers, when they teach you a skill which with practice you are then able to master.
For you to have gained the skills to pin fish like that (especially on soft plastics) from reading magazines etc says something about how dedicated you are to fishing. All i can say is "Look out fish!!"
Cheers Fritzy

[straddie]

Heya ba229

Why anyone would want to catch those dirty smelly worm ridden croakers I don't know I can also see why you used to black out your head and heres hoping you return to that for future captures

Nice fish by the way

[outsiderskip]

hi alex
glad u finally caught your 1st jewies
u looked a proud bloke showing off u catch
hope they taste good watch out for the worms


cheers pete

[thumps]

exellent effort...and good to see your achieved a goal

i too have the desire to catch my first jew

been an obsession for a long ime now

never been in the right place at the right time


i still hope it will happen soon

(have a plan for this year)

[ba229]

See? I told you the photoshop boys would be busy.

One of me holding a dream fish, one of my head on Jays mumma and then the plain old picture of me with no shirt on

For those chasing their first don't give up. You can't believe they exist till you catch one sometimes.

Fritzy you are right about the learning things off Dads and Grandparents at a young age. At the age of 25 I taught myself how to find Yabbies in my local area for pumping. Took a few trips and some research but the results begin to show through.

One of my biggest disappointments about fishing is that I didn't have someone to show me even the basics. I have caught some amazing fish (for me anyway) just by doing little bits here and there.

My kids will get more info out of me at a young age than they will out of years of reading mags and watching Rex Hunt.

To the photoshop boys (not the name of a band either :-) ) do you worse.

[Bream_Reaper01]

Gidday BA,
Nice fish there mate,i know and share your excitment as my first fish on sp was New Years eve,2 nice flattie (both not size),5th trip with sp's for me and finally it's all coming good.I have next week off so guess i'll be in the boat again trying for more on sp.

[Commodore]

, you guys with the photoshop, it was always going to happen BA, nice fish and well done, hope you get plenty more. Cheech was also a novice a way back, gave him a few tips and now he out fishes me , sometimes always something to learn when fishing.
Cheers,
Chong

[szopen]

Well done.
You sound like a happy man.

I have taught myself fishing as well, only that this was when I was 11 or so.

[Billo]

Congrats ...they are one of the holy grails that most people wish to get .
I have been chasing them for around 15 years , only gotten a few soapies , and only crackedc my first plastic jew a few months back ..although it was only on 4lb so i was STOKED to say the least .

Lost one that would have pushed around 35lb a month back down at port maquarie ...still kicking myself ..15 minutes blew , just outside gaff reach and the hook pulled ....and a circle hook at that .
STILL cursing myself !

well done ...i am sure there will be more to come !

[BrandonH]

Good work!! I am still waiting to get one in to the boat I have had one around a snag that i was playing for around 10 mins up the pine one day, I could see it just under the water right next to the bank the snag was hanging from!! It looked quite large about 4 foot long or so, was the hardest fighting fish i have ever hooked on a plastic a little bit big for my 10lb fireline! well if it didn't wrap itself around the tree i would have had it! Lol. I will land one sooner or later i am sure, if you put in the time and use what you know you get rewarded i think its as simple as that

[flickflack]

Well done on your first mate, Congrats

[theoldlegend]

Well done ba229 !!

I've been after them for about four years now, listening to all the old locals' secret tips about tides, moons, winter, summer, bait, daylight, after dark, etc and it hasn't happened yet, but it will, I just know it.

About two years ago we were on the wall at Iluka after tailor just on dusk and things were quiet, real quiet. There was a lady about 30 metres away, also after tailor and she threw in on the river side out of boredom and about five minutes later hooked and landed a 24kilo jewie on a 9kilo line with 3 ganged hooks and a pilly!!

We know it went 24 kilos because we measured it (5' 4" in the old scale) and her hubby told us he got it weighed at the Co-op that night. If only I had thrown in on the river side??

TOL