Pollution is good

[bombora]

Well, no it's not but it means pretty well no one takes fish from this little saltwater lagoon five minutes from home. It's behind the northern end of Manly beach; the lowtide sandflat below the bridge flows into the ocean.

Years of abuse means the middle and upper bits of the 'goon's sand and mud bottom are laced with nasty heavy metals and dioxins.
So it's C&R only, unless you like heavy metal fish, and a great place to spend an hour or two in the warmer months. It's between 6 inches and 8 feet deep.
Had an hour to spare a week or two ago so had a few mid-arvo casts.
First fish on a tan 1/20th bucktail and feather prawn/crab/shrimp was a 16 inch flathead. They fight quite hard on ultralight tackle and shallow water.
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Five minutes later a 12 inch estuary perch. Sexy fish. Big eyes for low light hunting. Lots of fins. Huge mouth.
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I can picture them being caught in one of your panfish lakes or ponds.
There was a break in the cloudy sky and 10 minutes of nothing on the jig prompted a swap to a little blade lure, just over an inch long. Wanted to get into some deeper water or a long way parallel to the bank beside the reeds. On three pound Fireline and a 7'6" rod they cast to the other side of the lagoon.
Soon had a second EP.
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Then a tiny saltwater yellowfin bream
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These days most bream are half to two pounds; some threes, and trophy status four plus pound fish in out of the way places. There's a nation wide bream on lures tournament circuit.
The goon has a reputation for also being home to tropical species which really shouldn't be there. Got a little example of one tropical guest on the blade, a crescent perch, or banded crescent trumpeter.
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Nine inches long and went really hard! A little toughie.
Got another 17 inch flattie and that was it; a fun hour with the creatures from the black lagoon.

 

[bombora]

The two lures used.
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[bombora]

Oops, forgot: And happy new year to all JCers.

 

[CrappieHappy]

Very nice, Happy New Year to you as well Sir!

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Cool fish, great way to spend an hour. It was well worth the time spent.

 

[crappiecripplerjigs]

Always look forward to your posts and photos. That is indeed a perfect way to spend an hour. Nice looking fish and great looking jig as well.

 

[Fatman]

Great looking fish and it had to be very relaxing!!!!!!!!!! I make my own blade baits but I really like that little 1+" blade you have posted. Is that a store bought or one you poured yourself?

And Happy New Year to you to!!!

 

[AtticaFish]

Always fun to catch a variety in a short period of time. Close to home - even better! Nice catch.

Do love seeing the exotic species as well. The estuary perch looks VERY similar to white bass and white perch that are frequently caught on Lake Erie.

 

[LedHed]

Excellent report - great fishing. Are the estuary perch related to the Barramundi? Looks like they put up a good fight.

Happy New Year!

 

[quivira kid]

Cool!

 

[StumpHunter]

Sounds like fun. Nice looking fish and I agree with Jim that the one looks like our white bass/perch. Big difference in your bream and our bream Thanks for posting the report and pics.

 

[bombora]

HI guys, looked up pics of white perch, yeah they do look very similar. EPs are closely related to our Australian bass and can actually interbreed. They have a nickname Barra of the south. But sure don't grow to 80 pounds.
My best from the goon is 17 inches. Sort of a prestige fish here. They will only hit livebaits or lures, deadbaits get not a touch, so for decades before lures really took off hardly any got caught. They like brackish water, and come down to the salt to spawn. To be honest they fight OK not great. A bream of same size far tougher.
The blade's another Strikepro. Like the brand for decent cheaper lures which actually work. Little tiny blades/vibes around an inch long are too cool for school here at the moment when estuary/salty lake spinning.

 

[bombora]

Hey FM here's another baby blade/vibe I like, the bottom one. Just qbout an inch and a half long. It's a Shimano lure and no other blade/vibes in local stores or Oz online is slim and minnow shaped like it is. They are usually shad-shaped.
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Top one's a plastic River2Sea shad which has been around here for ages. and doesn't get used as much now metal's caught the fancy.

 

[Fatman]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check the Shimano catalouge or send them an email and see if they're offered here. They look really good.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Down under estuaries look like fun. This being Oz are there any dangers from reptiles or other?

I liked the looks of the EsPer and browsed some articles & vids. Apparently some grow to over 10 kilos?

Here's our smaller Hawaiian version, the aholehole. One of my top 2 fave table fish.

 

[bombora]

Down under estuaries look like fun. This being Oz are there any dangers from reptiles or other?

I liked the looks of the EsPer and browsed some articles & vids. Apparently some grow to over 10 kilos?

Here's our smaller Hawaiian version, the aholehole. One of my top 2 fave table fish.

Hiya Keith sometimes snakes in the beachside burbs but not too often. In the "black lagoon" you have to watch out for what's in the water and mud. A few years ago an old fella had a fish there with his son and they waded on the sand bank at the mouth. He got crook a few days later, then real crook, went to hospital and died. He's got blood poisoning from an infection iwhich had got into a cut on his leg while wading.
There is a bigger suburban danger though. How's this: Was walking along the beach I live at (two beaches up from the black lagoon) the Sunday before last, at lunch time. We get to the other end and the shark alarm siren goes off. I put on my yeah seen it all befoe voice and say to me girlfirend "someone's just seen a little wiggler hammerhead out beyond the breakline" (see lot's of em out fishing, they are about 3 to 4 feet long and harmless and just wanna eat little fish).
But my girlfriend being my girlfriend goes up to one of the lifesavers and asks what's what? They say "guy's just been bumped off his board down the beach". We walk back down, and my girlfriend being my girlfriend, asks the lifesavers back at my end of the beach what happened? They say: "Ask that young bloke over there".
He's a 23 year old who's a professional lifeguard and had been having a surf, actually up and riding a wave, when his surfboard got whacked by "something". He turned his board over and on the bottom was a nine inch long crescent shaped gash. He didn't see anything, wasn't sure what had happened, went up to the lifeguard office and they said "someone's just seen a descent sized shark". They put two and two together. Government shark scientist examined the bite mark and said he's been attacked by a great white shark 8 to 9 feet long. We also got a classic Jaws style scene about two hours after the attack. The great white was spotted again only about 20 feet from shore, a rescue/shark spotter helicopter, and a police helicopter were called in, and they dropped low over the water. They do this to herd sharks out to deeper water. But this one refused to budge, even when four or five jet skis and two IRBs came out too! eventually left after about 40 minutes. Chopper crews said this never happens, they always bugger off quick.
Anyway, was an interesting stroll along the beach. We figure out he was attacked while we were probably 30 or 40 yards away walking up the beach with our backs to him.

 

[bombora]

Oh yeah Keith, before I got carried away. Wish there were 20 pound plus EPs around now. A 7 or 8 pounder from an isolated lagoon is a magic, rare fish these days.
I love the look of your aholehole (hang on that doesn't sound quite right. jeez, you have to be carefully saying that fish's name!) Same big eyes as EP too. Are they fresh or salt?

And here's a phone pic of the bloke and his shark scarred board we snapped:
View attachment 9

 

[Orange_Caddis]

I'm new to pouring jigs and was wondering if you could point me in the right direction for a mold for the squid jig you tied.

Jason

 

[Hawnjigs]

Ah-ho-lay-ho-lay. Yup the spelling could suggest something, um, sensitive. Nocturnal, but can be caught in daytime resting areas. If streams are available, they run up pretty far into the fresh. On totally salty rocky coasts like my area they manage without. Your perch looks like the result of a tumble betwen our cute aho and a snook looong ago.

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Yah, the men in gray suits are serious even if "only" 8-9 ft. Both Oz & HI are notorious for encounters.

Hey, Bombora, to answer O...C's question, is that a Gamakatsu Cobra jig head? If so, mold likely unavailable to the public. Great squiddy tie BTW.

 

[bombora]

G'day Orange, yep as Keith wrote, the jig in this thread is a Gama Cobra. The squid/occy jigs in another thread are also bought: local brand TT jigheads.

Yep an EP does look like a cross-breed! Do the aholehole take jigs?
There's been enough attacks lately that they've lost their impact. Next day surf packed again. At least our east coast whites are smaller; no deaths for a few years.
West Oz is different though. The attacks there last year were by submarines and the guys mostly didn't survive, or were even found.
Been reading of recent tiger attacks and encounters in Hawaii.