Land based Botany Bay

[FrgdEd]

Hi all,

New here...hope this is the right spot for this!

I recently moved to Brighton le Sands. I used to fish regularly as a kid and now want to get back into it. I came across this site, have joined, and hope to learn a bit and contribute a bit as well.
I have tried fishing the beach stretch, south of Brighton baths as I often see old locals fishing there....but so far just a couple of small rays. (Both on live pink nippers)
I tried around from Dolls Point to Captain Cook Bridge. Have only caught undersized Bream, Squire and Striped Trumpeter (on prawn)
I have fished morning, arvo and evening, at all tide aspects. I have been varying leader lengths from 30-90 cm, and using size 1 hooks. Generally things have been quite and i have been noticing a fair bit of weed on the beaches.
I'd appreciate any advice on locations, methods, baits etc that will make my fishing experiences more fun and less frustrating :)

Also, is there any scope for spinning for Flatty's on the sand banks? Lure choice? Time?

Thanks

Ed

[PULINTUP]

Well, FRGD if ur fishing on brighton beach a smaller sized hook would be better preferabably a size 2 long shanked hook or a bit smaller.
i usually fish on either side of them rocks near the flight tower thing( you can see them off a bridge when ur on general holmes drive) and have caught decent fish there. But most of the time u will usually get undersize (15-20 cm) bream or whiting.

I triedfishing under general holmes drive bridge from shore and casting about 50 meters out and trolling and have caut 30 cm tailor about 20 of them all the times i fished there so its an ok spot

i hope this helps and generally i use a 50cm leader works a treat for bream, tailor, whiting and others so try it

[JOC00L]

Ed, firstly welcome to the site.

I haven't fished the bay land-based for a while, but when I did, the Groynes just south of Brighton were generally pretty productive. Always good for some bream and flattys. I found that the high tide was best if it coincided with dawn or dusk!

The flats just east of Capt. Cook Bridge are usually pretty good on a high for flatty and whitting. Flattys love a colourful SP retrieved slow so as it kicks up some sand. And if you get there on a low, pump up some fresh nippers, and then use them on the high, then you should find some decent bream too!

During summer, wading out onto the sand flats will enable you to get to some deeper water and if the tailor are around they do get close enough to spin them up.

[FrgdEd]

Hi Guys,

Thanks a plenty for the advice. Will get out there this week and try a few things as suggested.

Happy fishing.

Ed

[PULINTUP]

no woriies i always go to briton its local i just live up bestic street. if u got msn or an email we cud go togeder

[FrgdEd]

Hi guys,

Just to let you know I went fishing yesterday arvo/evening with my flat mate in the bay.
Keepers: 46cm Dusky and a 28cm Bream.
Live another day: 22 & 23cm Bream and 33cm Dusky.

Flatty's on Pilly and Bream on Prawn.

Happy to say no pesky 3 inch fish were caught.

I made up some burley balls a few days ago, and am convinced the action started 10 mins after i through one in, so i'll surely try using them again.

Regards

Ed

[PULINTUP]

Where abouts in the bay did you go to? how can u make an easy but efective berley ball?

thanks
jase

[son of joe]

Bare Island is also worth a shot for pelagics,bream and niggers. You will need cleats as it is algae covered and slippery as.

[FrgdEd]

Hi Jase,

Near Port Botany.

I am no Berley ball expert. I just had some left over bait, pilly and prawns, that i didn't want to re-freeze. I grabbed my leftovers and took to them with a cleaver on my chopping board! Put that into a mixing bowl. Added some crumbled stale bread rolls, some tuna oil (from can of tuna from lunch), some sand and an egg as a binder. mixed together well, made balls, put in plastic wrap and froze.
When using, i put them in the shore to defrost a little, removed the plastic wrap and lobbed it out there. It was semi-quarter frozen.

The big flatty was the first and struck about 10 mins after lobbing the ball out there. We casted about 2-3 metres either side of where i threw it in.

Cheers

Ed

[PULINTUP]

I tried the same thing with leftovers but i put mine in a cordial botlle mixed with bread and sum water. Didnt let it freaze and wen i got there i cut a hole in the bottle. OMG the bigest s*** ever i fought it wud flow in the water and atract fish but it didnt do any thing. WASTE OF TIME. O well il try what u sed Frgd and thanks for that..

[FrgdEd]

Jase,

i also added water to help hold it together.

I just got back from fishing the same spot. No berley balls this time. We caught only 2 tailor.

Later

Ed

[PULINTUP]

How big were the Tailors?

Same tides as b4, same bait?

Neways im goin cook's river tomoz