Blackfishing

[korg20000bc]

I grew up fishing for blackfish/luderick/niggers and I was able to spend some time over the new year after them on the NSW South coast.

My dad taught me and his dad taught him. I had a real sense of wellbeing while using the skills that had been handed down through a few generations.

I was taught how to on the Woronora River at Bonnet Bay. Unfortunately, those rocks are now encrusted with homes with occupants who aren't happy with people fishing in front of their views. The bait was always green weed (apparently, my grandfather used to swear by rolling in some of his pipe tobacco with the weed), and the rig was not negotiable-
size 8-10 hook, stem blackfish float, split shot attached to the trace to make the float almost neutrally buoyant only allowing 3-4 cm of stem above the water, float stopper made from tire valve tubing with a piece of matchstick inside and the line rubbed with vasoline to make it float.

Since moving to Tasmania I haven't really had a go at them. They are not a species that are targeted here though they are plentiful and only ex-Sydneysiders go for them- according to the tackleshops.

I've got to do some leg work and find some spots.

Any other Blackfish enthusiasts out there?

[bblaze]

Stanley wharf and off shore islands on the nw coast. seen schoal of blackfish (big buggers too) swimming up and down the wharf in Stanley tormenting the local fisherman as they dont know how to catch them. Most are caught local in gill nets as by catch and aint sought after. This time of the year is about right tthrough to about April.
cheers
blaze

[korg20000bc]

Thanks for that. Its a bit of a hike from here but when I'm up that way I'll remember to take my gear.

I need to find some spots in the Tamar. That's probably closest. The wharf at Beauty Point might do the trick.

[UNDEROVER]

I've been snorkeling in Corindi creek at Red Rock (north of coffs harbour)and have seen quite a few swimming around, which has prompted me to comment on this post. I'm an absolute novice at chasing Blackfish. The one decent crack I had at them was on Harrington wall (north of Taree), where my methods were ridiculed by an a particular old timer, but who actually bothered to show me a thing or two, after which, I finally caught a couple. I guess this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Blackfish, and any more detailed info regarding fishing for them in rivers and off headlands would be awesome. Bring it on.
Cheers, Matt...

[Chenz]

This has got to be one of my favourite types of fishing. A lot of people however think it is too finicky and like fly fishing think it is too hard to learn. Wrong - it just takes a bit of practise. Watch the old blokes fishing for them. That's how I learned

I have fished for niggers in all conditions from on the rocks on North Head to still water on Narrabeen lakes. One of my favourite spots is down off Greenwell Point on the Shoalhaven River on a good run out tide.

Like all types of fishing it is just leaning the basics. The most crucial thing to get right is the depth to fish. This means having the right distance from your float down to the hook. More correctly, down to the last split shot as a lot of the time when fishing in any current or drift the bait will be perpendicular to the main line. I try to have my weed down around 1-2 metres off the bottom but adjust up and down until you find the depth they are feeding at. Weed cut up fine and mixed with sand and thrown in at regular intervals for burley increases your cahnces of getting them on the chew.

I agree the float has to be neutral buoyancy as if the fish bites and starts to swim away and feels too much weight they will drop it like a smelly rag. When the bite the float goes down and then wait 3 seconds before striking sideways the opposite way to the float down.

I use an Alvey Luderick Special reel on a 12 foot slow taper rod which takes all of the bumps and runs of a big blackfish when hooked. The main line is 20 pound so that it can handle being scrapped against rocks barnacles and weed on the ocean rocks but the trace is 4-6 pound maximum. Size 8 or 10 Gamagatsu green hooks finish off the rig. The other good thing about ****** fishing is the bait is usually on the rocks where you fish and the price is right.

If you have a stormwater canal near you more than likely there is green weed growing in it and this is also excellent bait in rivers and lakes. Cabbage weed is the best though if you are fishing off the rocks. Be sure you have the right footwear as it can get slippery – Cleats are the go down on the rocks

I think of this as my hypnotherapy as watching that float – and you need to watch it all the time is immensely relaxing. That is until a big 2 kg blackfish gets hooked – Then lookout and hang-on.

Bled, filleted and skinned, they are one of the best eating fish in the water. I could write more but am going out to grab my ****** rod and head down the rocks in the morning

[UNDEROVER]

Hey Chenz,

is the green weed you speak of, the stuff that has the consistency of wet cotton wool? Would it be the same stuff I've seen in the stagnant waters amongst the mangroves?

[Chenz]

The green weed I use looks like green hair. Some is a crinkly texture and other stuff is dead straight. I get it from a stormwater canal which joins the Parramatta River near my place. Grows on the walls and in the bottom of the chanel. Can we feet long when the conditions asre right. rain tends to kill it off though.

The stuff you are talking about is not that good. If you go down to a wharf or jetty there is usually some green weed growing on the intertidal section of the pylons or on the sides of floating pontoons.

The green cabbage weed is just as good if not better in faster water

[gonfishen]

I have recentely come back from camping at Marlo which is where the Snowy river empties into the sea. We were fishing in the river using sand worms and came home with an esky full of Luderick all good eating size. The next day all we could catch was Taylor and Trevally, anyway it is a good little fishing spot.

simon

[korg20000bc]

Fishin'... its a funny old game.

[KEV0044]

Love Luderick fishing :)
My Dad taugt me all the best rigs and methods from a young boy .
He passed away two weeks before Christmas .
I'll get back to you about this subject soon .
Cheer's guys ,
Kev .

[UNDEROVER]

Just how imperative is the long sloppy rod/centre pin combo?
the best I can come up with is an old 9ft Snyderglass with 5" Alvey, aside from that it's all H/M graphite...:(
Also, off the rocks, do you fish in the wash or the edges?
Matt.

[Chenz]

Just how imperative is the long sloppy rod/centre pin combo?
the best I can come up with is an old 9ft Snyderglass with 5" Alvey, aside from that it's all H/M graphite...:(
Also, off the rocks, do you fish in the wash or the edges?
Matt.

The long sloppy rod is used as you are using very light trace and the fish turn and dive quickly so the rod acts like a shock absorber slowing the fish and allowing the rod to tire the fish. Using a centrepin reel allows you pay out line and retreive without having to release the reel out of gear or flip over a bail arm.

Using your palm as the drag also works well.

Off ther rocks I have found they mostly hang where the food is going to come to them so wherever there is a wash going out into deep water that's where they usually are.

As I said before try and make the float neutral weight in the water and adjust the depth you fish until you find where they are - usually just off the bottom.

While on the rocks scrape weed under your feet and kick this into the wash as berley. This really gets them on the chew

If you are on the rocks, one eye on the float and the other one on the swell. It only takes a split second to get your bum wet and into the drink you go.

Hope you get amongst them

[korg20000bc]

A soft flexible rod is particularly important for the above mentioned reasons so its hard to avoid the necessity for it. 9ft is a little short for fishing off the ocean rocks as you may need some better leverage to head them off from rocky edges or kelp.
I learned using a threadline/eggbeater style reel and am very happy with using one. I usually leave the bail arm open and use palm pressure on the spool to stop the line paying out. I can flick the bail arm over with my fingers if I need to rather than by turning the handle which would leave precious moments on no line control. I have used centrepin and sidecast reels but I always seem to end up with a bird's nest and frustration. Remember that for a balanced set-up you should have a low mounted reel if you intend to use a centrepin- but all things are possible.

[UNDEROVER]

Thanks for that guys.
Now for the big question, seasons? What time of year for the Coffs Coast if you know?
Sorry for the silly questions, but I'm none the wiser...

[Chenz]

Thanks for that guys.
Now for the big question, seasons? What time of year for the Coffs Coast if you know?
Sorry for the silly questions, but I'm none the wiser...

They can be caught all year but the cooler months are better. In Sydney and up at Forster, May is the best month. Not sure about Coffs but I would assume this time of the year would be the go.

Follow some old bloke with a sloppy rod with a float on it - they usually know the spot and the time;)

[KEV0044]

Just how imperative is the long sloppy rod/centre pin combo?
the best I can come up with is an old 9ft Snyderglass with 5" Alvey, aside from that it's all H/M graphite...:(
Also, off the rocks, do you fish in the wash or the edges?
Matt.
Long sloppy rods - as you call them - are the bees knees for Luderick fishing :)
They act as a shock absorber for fighting the fish which is hooked on very light gear and a very small hook .
If you try to scull drag a luderick fish out of the river with medium weight or heavy weight gear you will get busted off nine times out of ten .
My Dad was one of those 'old blokes' that knew how to do it right and would catch 90% of the fish on any good days fishing with other fisho's on the same stretch of water .
He made his own rods out of blanks and made his own floats from scratch .
cheers .

[UNDEROVER]

I must admit, from what I've seen, there is never a lot of urgency when it comes to getting these little battlers to the net. I guess the fairly fragile mouths dictate the need for a softly softly approach.
Time for me to get my A into G and get amongst it. thanks again for answering all my simple questions...

Cheers all, Matt.:)

[UNDEROVER]

By the way,
are those coloured chemically sharpened hooks worth the investment?? or is it a bit of a gimmick??:(

[KEV0044]

Couple of Phots of the 'Ol Man' at work :)

[korg20000bc]

Couple of Phots of the 'Ol Man' at work :)
Thanks so much for putting those pics up. I reckon its special to have photos of you dad fishing like that. Makes me want to go through some of my old photos. Looks like a top spot too. Somewhere on the George's River?

[KEV0044]

A soft flexible rod is particularly important for the above mentioned reasons so its hard to avoid the necessity for it. 9ft is a little short for fishing off the ocean rocks as you may need some better leverage to head them off from rocky edges or kelp.
I learned using a threadline/eggbeater style reel and am very happy with using one. I usually leave the bail arm open and use palm pressure on the spool to stop the line paying out. I can flick the bail arm over with my fingers if I need to rather than by turning the handle which would leave precious moments on no line control. I have used centrepin and sidecast reels but I always seem to end up with a bird's nest and frustration. Remember that for a balanced set-up you should have a low mounted reel if you intend to use a centrepin- but all things are possible.

My Dad was a true believer in the 'old style' of Luderick fishing gear but at the age of 80 years young he bought an egg beater and used it hand in hand with his older gear with the same success rate in real time fishing on the water :)

[Chenz]

By the way,
are those coloured chemically sharpened hooks worth the investment?? or is it a bit of a gimmick??:(
Gamagatsu make a green pan fish hook in size 8 which is deadly on blackfish. Well worth the money. If you can't find these Mustad sneek hooks are the go

[UNDEROVER]

For what it's worth, I had a go last week off Woolgooga Headland, and managed a couple that would've given the kilo mark a nudge!:) Used cabbage on gamakatsu hooks with reasonable results, but after pulling hooks on a few while trying to keep them out from under the rock ledge at my feet, I finally managed a few. I landed 5 but lost probably that many again. Loads of fun though!
It was a good alternative when the strong winds would've otherwise kept me indoors.

[Matman]

For what it's worth, I had a go last week off Woolgooga Headland, and managed a couple that would've given the kilo mark a nudge!:) Used cabbage on gamakatsu hooks with reasonable results, but after pulling hooks on a few while trying to keep them out from under the rock ledge at my feet, I finally managed a few. I landed 5 but lost probably that many again. Loads of fun though!
It was a good alternative when the strong winds would've otherwise kept me indoors.

Give red rock a go near the shop where the rock platform is and up near the water outlet,have caught a few there.I use a 8 weight flyrod and reel,heaps of length and nice and soft.

[UNDEROVER]

I'm hearing you!
I've been snorkeling at Red Rock quite a few times now, and have seen plenty of fish patrolling that ledge.
Some of which were quite a good size, but am yet to pull my finger out and get up there!

[korg20000bc]

It has been some time since I posted previously and I'm only just getting my finger out trying to locate blackfish in the Tamar River, TAS.
The Brother in law and I (he's keen to learn) spent some time trying, at absolute low tide, to find some green weed growing in the Tamar. This will hopefully give us a bit of a guide for places to fish.
There seems to be no shortage of green weed about. This pier was just off the Beauty Point boat ramp:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/01/897.jpg

On the opposite shore to Beauty Point we spied a very green line of rocks and checked it out. There was a stretch of about 150m of very weedy rocks just North of the woodchip mill wharfs. The tide was really ripping through on the in run. Maybe closer to the top of the tide when the rocks are covered it'll be worth a good go.

Still, I'm trying to find some places on the Western shore for land-based blackfishing.

Also, I found a photo of my dad blackfishing on Lake Illawarra, my older brother and myself- sometime in the late 70's. He taught me and his dad taught him. Now I have a son, I want to do my bit to keep the skills going.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/01/898.jpg

Also, these are great old videos.
Rock Hoppers part 1 - YouTube
Rock Hoppers Part 2 - YouTube

[UNDEROVER]

Thanks for those old vids with the late great Ron Calcutt.

I've been an avid recipient of various fishing media over the years (although not Rons vintage!), and he was one of those timeless fishing personalities/gurus along with John Bethune and others.

As for the Blackfish hunting, keep us posted on your progress...Always keen to hear a good fishing yarn.

Cheers.