Plenty of hezzas around
Managed to get out for a quick bread and butter fish on Saturday and the herring were thick as around the Sound.
We started off doing a drift for squid and while we were doing this I like to drop the odd bit of berley in the water to see if there are any herring around. Sure enough before long the water out the back of the boat was bubbling so we anchored up, increased the flow of bread and oil and started flicking out unweighted baits. It wasn't long before we had 20-odd fish in the esky.
I don't know what the life-cycle of a herring is like but these fish looked young and fresh. They were mostly medium size, say 170-200mm, and looked incredibly healthy. The silver colour in the bottom half of their body looked so vibrant and bright, it was quite noticable.
Anyway while we were fishing there a couple of squid came up in the burley trail so jigs were quickly dispatched and it didn't take long before we could add some calamari to the menu.
We then shot out to some of the reefs around Mewstones / Stragglers and did some recon as I'd really like to try for some tailor out there one day, then shot out a few hundred metres and drifted the sand / weed patches for whiting. It didn't take long before the SlimMax buckled over and up came a juvi dhu. We did a few more drifts but it was only wrasse and small flatties that came to the surface.
All in all it was a nice day, we had a bit of time up our sleeves so we stopped off for a swim at Garden Island and then shot back to the ramp.
Sekans
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 31/01/08
I've found the herring to be
I've found the herring to be thick on the last few trips in the sound aswell. Just drifting over the weedbeds casting lures and I was picking them up most casts. I found that burley wasn't even needed. Also pick up a few snook casting the lures. Most were pretty average in size and quite thin, but they did look healthy.
They sure are great fun to catch on the light gear.
Colin Hay
Posts: 10407
Date Joined: 23/10/07
Nice one Ben
After a slow start to the season, the herring are appearing in good numbers pretty much everywhere I have fished in the ocean lately.
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Ben Derecki
Posts: 1926
Date Joined: 10/10/07
Yeah I agree Sekans, on
Yeah I agree Sekans, on light tackle they're great fun. They smash baits / lures, don't willingly come back to the boat and all usually with a few aerial antics thrown in to boot. And they're great on the plate.
Colin, I wasn't sure how we'd go because of that reason... heard things had been slow and the week before a mate had gone out and struggled to get into them. Looks good now.
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
yeah been catching quite a
yeah been catching quite a few also. anybody got any good recipes for them as i am sick of eating them with flour and butter in a pan
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
great story and nice 2 get
great story
and nice 2 get a nice feed of herring and squid
how many squid did u get?
well done
cheers danno
Ben Derecki
Posts: 1926
Date Joined: 10/10/07
Rig I just play putting
Rig I just play putting different herbs / spices into the flour, also I cook with oil not butter. At the moment I've been using ground cummin a lot, just grab a jar of the McCormicks gear next time you're in Coles. Don't put too much in but enough just to influence the flavour, it's pretty tasty gear. Herb and garlic seasoning works really well too as does the steak seasoning.
Danno, just got the one mate.
buschy
Posts: 626
Date Joined: 27/11/09
Rig - heaps of garlic and
Rig - heaps of garlic and butter, salt & pepper in a pan. Fry them skin on - brown the flesh side a little then turn them over and leave them on low heat for a while. When the oil starts to dry up the skin will go crispy. mmmm.