Fishing with John Curtis - 03/06/2017 (Final Report)

 GENERAL FISHING:

This week’s report is a special report as it is the last one that I will be producing. I commenced my work with 720Perth on Friday night with Michael Schultz way back in 1998 when I would gather up all of my notes and materials and drive into the Adelaide Terrace studios and talk about what was happening in the fishing world and what was biting. Michael moved on and the program segment was shifted to the Saturday Morning Breakfast time slot. There have been many other presenters that I have worked with over the years some whose names escape me, so I won’t try to list them all. Along with the on air presenters there have been those producers working behind the scenes ensuring that you get to air on time and pass information on.

It has been a fun time in preparing and presenting the reports each week but the time has come to move on and follow some other dreams. Over the years I haven’t missed too many programs and have reported back from places such as Singapore and New Zealand and from the eastern states. In this time I can only recall a couple of situations where I didn’t go to air as phone lines were too bad to hold a coherent conversation and once when I was hospitalised.

Each week it takes around 6 to 8 hours to prepare the report collecting and collating information from a number of sources. To those who have willingly and freely provided me with the information goes a big thank you as without your input my report would be nothing. Also I have to mention my long suffering wife who has also spent countless hours proof reading and correcting my notes ensuring that my work is mostly free of typo’s and spelling errors.

To all of the readers of the blog who have assisted in making this column one of the most widely read fishing blogs around I thank you. Just remember to take care when out fishing and stay safe and enjoy you fishing.

 

It has been fairly cool this week and only the brave have endured the chilly mornings to get a feed of fish. This is not all that surprising as we are only a couple of weeks away from the winter solstice and so after that we can start looking forward to longer days and warmer weather. Seas and swells have also been up a little and this has precluded a lot of smaller boats getting offshore to get a feed of fish. Interestingly the sea surface temperatures are still up a little, all along the coast at the moment and this is brought about by both the Leeuwin Current and the East Australian Current bringing warmer water onto our coastline. The Leeuwin Current brings water out of the Indian Ocean and Timor Sea, while the East Australian Current come out of the central Pacific Ocean bringing warm oceanic current to the Australian mainland and down to Tasmania. This will have a definite impact on species caught both inshore and off shore.

During the last week, anglers looking to get a feed have had to work fairly hard although some anglers are catching good bags of fish at many of our popular metropolitan locations. The good news is that there are a lot of hungry herring along almost all of our beaches. The really great news is that many of them are big bull herring. I don’t know why they are called bull herring as all very big herring are females!

Fish from any of the beaches or rock platforms in the metro area and you should catch a feed in reasonable time. Along with the herring there have been a few yellow-eyed mullet, or pilch as they are more commonly known, starting to appear more frequently. There are also plenty of skippy around for both beach and boat anglers and there are some good pike being taken by both beach and boat anglers.

As the winter chills really set in, many of our senior anglers (aka grey nomads) head to warmer climes in the north. Those who have waited a little while are now possibly regretting the decision to leave a little later as the winter chills set in. Many of them head for fishing locations such as Carnarvon, Dampier/Karratha, Point Sampson and even Broome. These are all great angling spots when you want to escape Perth’s cold weather.

With winter now well under way many anglers have hung up their gear and have retired to the armchair in front of the heater and television screens. Here are a few tips on preparing your gear for winter storage to save you a few problems for next summer when you want to get the gear out again and catch a few fish.

Most of us clean our fishing tackle and equipment after every fishing trip, but many times we neglect our fishing reels. Failure to clean your fishing reels can lead to a short life span. But it doesn't have to be this way. Reel cleaning is easy and everyone can do it given a small amount of time and some basic tools. You can visit the manufacturer’s web site and download a parts diagram of your fishing reel if you don’t have one. This will help in disassembly and re-assembling your reel.

Here are a few quick and easy tips for cleaning your fishing reels.

Prepare a work area:

If you have a work bench, great! If you don't, not a problem. A table top makes a great place to clean fishing reels. You'll need an old rag or cloth to put the parts on while you clean them. I suggest that you spread out several layers of newspaper to protect the work surface prior to commencing as it can get a bit messy. Also an old egg carton provides a handy storage for parts as you pull a reel apart, as you are able to keep the parts in sequence for easy re-assembly.

Remove the reel from rod:

Never try and clean a fishing reel when it's still attached to a rod. Always take the fishing reel off and put a rubber band around the spool or tie a simple overhand knot in the line to hold it on the spool. This will prevent it from springing off and tangling. Rinse reels off with some warm water with a little liquid soap added.

Cleaning fishing tackle, especially saltwater fishing tackle, is very important to get all the corrosion causing salt from your reels and rods. Never leave your saltwater fishing tackle lying around after coming back from a fishing trip. Tighten the drag system to prevent water from getting in and remember to back it off before storing the reel away. Wash and rinse immediately or risk permanent damage from salt corrosion. Use a spray bottle with plain water to rinse down and then dry the reel off using a piece of toweling.

Avoid using pressurized water like that from a garden hose to clean reels. I once saw someone at a car wash cleaning his boat and then he laid his rod and reels against the wall and used the high pressure wand to clean them. A sure way to ensure that water gets inside the reel and emulsifies the lubricant and wets the drag washers and damages the reel.

For an annual clean up where you are going to strip and re-assemble a reel, use a container of warm water with some soap like dishwashing liquid to clean the outside of your fishing reels as well as the inside parts. Then dry them before lubricating and re-assembling them.

Use an appropriate grease specifically designed for fishing reels, not spray lubricants. Spray lubricants can leave an oily residue which attracts dirt. Use a high quality reel oil and grease. My recommendation is to use a light coating of outboard engine grease as this is designed to operate in a hostile saltwater environment, is generally waterproof and is also viscous. This means it sticks and stays stuck to the surfaces it is put onto. Some proprietary oils and greases are not good for use on reels as they readily emulsify and lose any lubricating properties that they had.

More grease is NOT better!

I once opened a reel to service it and found that it was literally packed with grease. The owner had used a huge wad of bearing grease on the inside. It's no wonder it wouldn't work. It's been said before but deserves saying again. You just need a tiny bit of reel oil and reel grease to get the job done. This is one time when "More Is Not Better!"

To do this I use a small artist’s type stiff bristle paint brush and dip it into the grease and then ‘paint’ a fine covering of grease across all surfaces. This provides a protective coating and lubricates working surfaces and provides adequate protection for your gear.

Beware of anti-reverse pawls particularly in spinning reels, as often they won’t work if you use a viscous good quality grease and put a thin layer of grease on the anti-reverse pawl. The hair spring that operates it often is not strong enough to overcome the friction caused by grease and they don’t work.

Don't be a Drag

Make sure you clean and thoroughly dry all of the drag washers (metal and other) in the drag system. Then apply a tiny amount of P T F E (polytetraflouroethylene) or ‘Teflon’ grease to them. This is available from most good tackle shops. Once re-assembled, tighten them down and then release them. Tightening them down will help spread the grease evenly and then releasing them will not cause them to stick together and lock up when you next come to use the reel. They are best stored with the pressure backed right of.

Use proper sized tools for the job.

Pliers and one-size-fits-all screwdrivers are a sure way to mess up your fishing reel. You can find a small set of screwdrivers at most tool outlets or hardware stores. If you can't find the tool that came with your reel, order another. Pliers are not spanners and are not a substitute for them. If you use them to loosen nuts you risk damaging them by burring the edges and then it will require more work to remove them. They will also have to be replaced and this could be expensive.

If you're not the mechanical type, that's all right. You can send your reels off and have them professionally cleaned. Many tackle stores also offer reel cleaning and repair. The small amount of money you pay now will help your reel last a lifetime. Regular maintenance of your fishing reels is essential for a long, trouble free life. (both for the reel and you!)

If all else fails – see a professional.

 

If you have some fishing information, have caught a good fish and have a picture of it and want to brag, or have an item that may be of interest to other anglers and wish to share it, you can send the details to abc720saturdaybreakfast@yahoo.com.au and I will try to incorporate it into the blog.

 

WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT POPULAR FISHING LOCATIONS:

MANDURAH:

Anglers report that there are herring all over the place in and around Mandurah. The Dawesville Cut is producing good numbers. There are plenty of tarwhine and whiting being caught near the river mouth. Anglers fishing from the ocean end of the Dawesville Cut have been catching a few King George whiting, lots of herring and a few garfish, along with a few skippy. An occasional salmon is also turning up along with some good sized tailor along the local beaches. Nowhere stands out as a prime location, however I would suggest Tim’s Thicket and White Hills as good options. Pilch are also being taken in numbers from locations south of Mandurah. The Old Traffic Bridge is still a spot worth trying. Anglers this week have been taking some good-sized tailor, herring, skippy and some smallish tarwhine. There are still a few good crabs in the deep water and it is worth spending some time dabbing prawns from the bridge or from a boat moored just up from the bridge on a run out tide. The Cut is probably the best producing location for those dabbing from boats. The Murray and Serpentine rivers have been producing some excellent catches of bream from most popular spots.

SECRET HARBOUR / PORT KENNEDY / WARNBRO / ROCKINGHAM / SAFETY BAY:

Occasional salmon are being taken from the beaches and jetties early morning and evening. Tailor are also an option at the moment with some big fish being taken in close to the reefs. Poppers, bait cast mulies or garfish will do the trick. Long Point, Point Perron and the Rockingham jetties have been producing consistent catches of yellow-finned whiting, big herring, chopper tailor and skippy and tarwhine. There are still some salmon coming as well but their numbers are thinning. Jetty anglers are catching good bags of garfish in the mornings. Penguin Island sandbar has been producing some excellent fishing producing good catches of flathead, flounder and whiting.

COCKBURN SOUND:

Cockburn Sound is currently holding good numbers of big squid and getting a feed of these succulent cephalopods requires not much effort at all. They have been taken in numbers throughout the Sound from the Causeway in the south right up to the South Mole. The southern reefs of Garden Island have been producing herring as well as large King George whiting. Plenty of wrasse are around as well as herring and garfish. Michael sent in a picture of a recent snapper capture in Cockburn Sound capture, along with the note “Southern end of the Cockburn Sound near a ship loading facility, last Thursday night. Measured in at 107cm, weight unknown - but heavy. Caught on first bait which was a lightly weighted mulie on a single hook. Cheers from Michael, Seville Grove.” A picture of Michael with this fish is at the end of the blog.

KWINANA / NAVAL BASE / WOODMAN POINT / COOGEE:

There are regular reports of big tailor being caught from the Ammunition Jetty as well as the rock groynes. There have also been a lot of large sand whiting taken from the jetty as well some good sized squid being landed at night. Anglers fishing from both shore based and boat based locations have been catching pink snapper on a regular basis. A couple of locations that keep on coming up in conversation are the groynes and the rock walls in the area.

ROTTNEST ISLAND:

Anglers fishing from the shore on the island have reported that herring are prolific at Rottnest. They are being caught everywhere. A few salmon have also been taken out at the West End of the Island as well as an odd samsonfish and yellow-tail kingfish. A few big tailor can also be found in the white water wash around the reefs surrounding the Island. Last weekend one lady angler put the guys to shame by landing the biggest kingfish of their annual trip, a great fish of 9kg. She also out-fished the men with the heaviest bag of fish for the weekend. Other notable species captures were herring, large skippy and a dhufish.

FREMANTLE / INNER HARBOUR / LOWER REACHES OF SWAN RIVER

There are still numbers of snapper around inshore waters, with several being caught from North Mole over the last week. Small schools of salmon have been visible cruising along the rock walls at North and South Moles, Some larger tailor have been taken from the North Mole along with pike and skippy. In the Inner Harbour and around the bridges there have been some big tarwhine caught in the mornings. Out on the North Mole it has been a bit uncomfortable on a chilly morning, but the rewards are there for applied effort with big sand whiting, tarwhine and skippy as well as some good winter tailor. Indications are that there are still some mulloway around and they are not too small. Upstream, tarwhine have again taken up residence around the traffic bridges.

LEIGHTON / COTTESLOE / SWANBOURNE

The beaches were thick with weed last week making it hard going for beach anglers but there are reports of good catches of herring and whiting. Cottesloe groyne has been producing an occasional big tailor and the odd salmon. This makes it somewhat exciting for the herring anglers when they hook a salmon unexpectedly. The Cottesloe groyne has fished well for smaller species such as herring and whiting, but most of the excitement has been from the beach near the surf club. Anglers fishing the beach in this area last Saturday were rewarded with several salmon and tailor. Many were lost in the weed and it was an effort to get a bait out to the fish but when it got there it was instant action. The northern Cottesloe beaches and Swanbourne have been producing some good tailor of an evening with fish to 2 kg being taken.

CITY BEACH / FLOREAT / SCARBOROUGH / TRIGG ISLAND

Out along the beaches there are reports of some big herring being taken between south City Beach and Brighton Road. Wogs are the go as the preferred bait but marinated prawns also work wonders. After dark, Floreat is still producing small whaler sharks early in the evening, along with herring and tarwhine in good numbers. Rumours are that there are still some salmon around after dark. It is definitely worth a look at night. Anglers fishing the area last weekend report that they only managed one tailor and a large sand whiting between them from this area. Many fish were caught but were too small and were returned to the water. Anglers fishing from Brighton Road fared a little better with several good tailor being taken.

HILLARYS / OCEAN REEF / MINDARIE

The marinas at Hillarys, Ocean Reef and Mindarie have been producing a few herring, an occasional large tailor and a few skippy. Anglers fishing from the south side of Hillarys have been catching some excellent tailor of an evening, while anglers fishing from the northern side have been catching herring and garfish from the walls opposite the yacht club. Tailor to 2 Kg have been taken of an evening with some bigger fish coming to the beaches around Mindarie.

YANCHEP / TWO ROCKS / MOORE RIVER

Yanchep Beach has had a few problems with weed but has also turned on some good tailor action with fish up to 2 kg. Pilch are starting to appear in numbers around the area, so use of a little berley and small prawn baits fished under a blob will reap rewards. Mulloway have also been active along these beaches and several fish around 8 – 10 Kg being taken south of Yanchep.

SWAN AND CANNING RIVERS

The river is really settling into a winter pattern with good fishing throughout. Good bream have been taken from areas between the Causeway and Windan Bridge. Anglers fishing this area have found that small pieces of Perth herring have been a top bait. Another top location is in the Canning River between the Canning and Mt Henry bridges. A few good sized bream have also been caught from around the Sticks area.

In the lower reaches, flathead numbers and size are on the improve and there are also plenty of squid in the same area. There are reports of juvenile samsonfish being caught in Freshwater Bay, Mosman Bay and Claremont.

Regular river anglers chasing bream on lures have run into fish of up to 2 kg. An acquaintance reports that there have been several good bream and mulloway caught in the Maylands area over the last couple of weeks. Several of the mulloway are over 10 kg.

There have been good reports of bream captures throughout the Swan from the Narrows Bridge down through into Claremont. Mulloway numbers are down a little over the last week, however there are plenty of bait fish around at the moment in the river and I would suggest that the mulloway are feeding on them rather than on dead bait. Use a fresh bait for a better than even chance. Try around Claremont jetty after dark for bream and whiting. Beat the blowie hordes by fishing after dark. Other spots worth a look for bream are near Jo Jo’s and up in the Canning River around ‘The Sticks’.

BOAT FISHING:

The offshore reefs have been producing big skippy, very big herring and some good sized snapper. Anglers fishing the southern metropolitan area out from the Woodman Point ramp have been taking some excellent sized snapper with fish up to 80 cm reported. King George whiting have also been taken from areas adjacent to broken ground and weed beds. Large skippy are also a feature in areas adjacent to reefs throughout the metropolitan area. Snapper and samsonfish have been taken from these areas as well.

Several anglers fishing for whiting out from Hillarys earlier in the week bagged out on some very big sand whiting with several fish in excess of 30 cm. Offshore anglers are reporting excellent fishing for snapper, tailor and Westralian Jewfish. Snapper are the main catch with some fish being taken up around the 90 cm mark. The earlier that you get out onto the water the better your chances of catching bigger fish. The use of chopped mulies and old bait as a berley also enhances the catch rate. Anglers fishing the reef systems around the Alkimos have been catching some excellent tailor, with many fish in excess of 2 kg. Casting either minnow pattern or metal lures into the white water adjacent to the reefs will solicit a strike from either a large tailor or a samsonfish. Out in 40 - 48 m of water there have been some good Westralian Jewfish along with baldchin groper, King George whiting and an occasional breaksea cod.

____________________________________________________________________________

A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!


Ashen's picture

Posts: 1042

Date Joined: 22/03/13

Last report

Sat, 2017-06-03 06:27

 As mentioned by John above, this will be the last report.

John, if you're reading this, many thanks for your work over the years! 

 

Well, its been fun uploading the reports.  I need to find something else to keep you blokes (and lasses) amused on Saturday mornings.. 

____________________________________________________________________________

A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

quadfisher's picture

Posts: 1145

Date Joined: 28/09/10

Thanks.

Sat, 2017-06-03 09:30

I too have had many a fine fishing session after reading and then getting out and doing what makes up your reports John.

Good luck with the future, and just like , Ross , Mike , Cleggie, Ian , Scotto and many many others your contribution too W.A fishing

is and was appreciated.

Is it just me ? or are we slowly loosing the links to the past when these legends hang up the towel ,  The great WA fishing community

justs feels a little more souless , and I guess we need to work hard to keep it respectful and helpful , encouraging new chums , like these

Gentlemen do and did. ( Ok Cleggie would clip me round the ear for the gentleman tag)

Cheers John.

 

____________________________________________________________________________

quadfisher

gruntre69's picture

Posts: 533

Date Joined: 15/10/16

I'll miss this report..

Sat, 2017-06-03 10:49

 Good luck John

____________________________________________________________________________

 Marine trimmer NOR (available for clears, tops, carpet, upholstery, custom equipment covers)

Posts: 8027

Date Joined: 07/05/12

A real shame. It was John's

Sat, 2017-06-03 11:11

A real shame. It was John's reports that rekindled my passion to have a crack at metro fishing after only being a Swan bream and holiday fisherman and having the occasional crack from the northern marinas.

____________________________________________________________________________

Officially off the Pies bandwagon

Posts: 101

Date Joined: 27/05/12

Sadly Missed

Sat, 2017-06-03 16:47

 In my opinion John wrote the most accurate and interesting fishing report every week for us lucky Perth anglers. I looked forward to reading it every Saturday morning to find out whats biting and where. Massive thank you to John for all yuor wonderfull reports over the years i am sure many people will miss as much as i will. Saturdays wont be the same without it. Good luck to you John with the pursute of new dreams.    

____________________________________________________________________________

Jewskip

Niko's picture

Posts: 213

Date Joined: 26/11/13

Sad to see it end

Sat, 2017-06-03 17:57

Found Johns reports when i first got the fishing bug a few years ago and they served me well since. still hung out for the reports as the last bit of preperation prior to my fishing outings if even just to make sure i was on the right track before heading out.
wish him well in his future endevors if he puts half as much effort into them as he did his reports hell do very well.