Launched the little 4.2m Atomix late Thursday morning with an afternoon of light tackle fishing planned. The 2-stroke 30HP Mercury is a great little outboard, but uses a lot of juice. That limits our range of operations:
Oscar and I loaded up on live bait at Obelisk Beach. This is becoming a never fail spot:
Around to North Head and noted some big shows on the sounder:
We put the pick down and got a burley trail going. The action was fast and furious, mostly small kings and bonito, with both of us popping micro jigs back up the burley trail or, live baiting:
I was using my all time favourite light reel, which regular readers will remember from a hundred previous reports. It’s our Softbait 3000:
Started out with my new favourite micro lure, the Little Jack. Looks like a prawn? Whatever, everything loves it:
Even caught a small kingfish on the six pound combo and the Little Jack. You’ll have to take my word for it though, because he swallowed the lure all the way down. The carbon fibre drag on the 3000 reel was smooth as silk:
Eventually sharks – small bronze whalers – arrived, and we called it quits. Back out on Saturday with new friend Stefano. We started off downrigging at South Head:
But wouldn’t you know, the resident seal arrived and started plucking the live baits off our downrigger lines. Over to Blue Fish Point on the north side of North Head. The action was just as fast and furious as Thursday, but the fish were a little bigger:
Stefano’s slow jigging techniques were deadly on fish hanging way back in the burley trail. I stuck with the light gear and caught a few including this 38cm red kept for dinner:
What’s so good about this reel? Lots. But here’s the four most important – in order:
Full combo is $120:
Try one! You’ll be glad you did. Thanks for reading
Andrew Hestelow
Planning your own session around the Heads? Our North Head and Bluefish boat-fishing guide brings together the downrigging, live-bait and jigging choices.