Ballooning out using an outlet?

[Lord of the Rays]

hi guys.
i just got myself some slimey mackrels today (+/- 12in) and im thinking of using a freshwater outlet to balloon out on a decreasing tide. i've doused it in tuna oil and froze it with a 3hook trace in it (11/0's on 285lb), im thinking the cells of the fish will burst enabling it to soak up the oil that much more. (would like to hear feedback on this)

High 5:32am 2.51m
Low 12:25pm 0.24m

i was fishing around the mouth of this outlet once when i was a kid (wading out), and got sucked under by some very loose sand when the tide went out. it seems to pull out very hard as the tide was probably dropping. i was very lucky and get out of it. unfortunately since this is a small-medium outlet only so much water can be stored in it. but im thinking if i start getting my bait out at 6am it should send go out pretty hard. im thinking of having the balloon at about fist size, whatever balances out with the wind and the current. im more worried about whether or not the current will override the tide/wind combination and send it back ashore, but hoping the tide will be strong enough to override that enough to keep it out there for at least a couple hours during/after sunrise.

according to a weather history chart of my town, the winds at this time were heading directly outwards yesterday/ probably opposite what the current was. so im just hoping everything balances out for at least 2-3 hrs.

im running about 500-600meters of 24kg line.

any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Rick

[Lord of the Rays]

sorry, that was todays tide, this is tommorrows instead.

High 6:02am 2.55m
Low 12:48pm 0.22m
High 6:43pm 1.8m
- - -

according to yesterdays wind chart, it was really calm from 6am through till 10-11am, so hopefully the current is not too pervasive.

it has been really hot recently but calmed down last night, slowly getting hotter now.

[Boca Jetty Rat]

I have balloned out baits in an inlet before from the jetty. It will work, but I would pitch the bait and ballon as far as I could into the current and let the current do all the work sweeping the whole rig into the ocean. How much is 600 meters. You have strong theory's that will work, now you just need to try it and see what happens. You will never know unless you try. You should post pictures of where and what you are currently catching on your fishing outtings too.

[Lord of the Rays]

i will get some pictures of the area. every once in a while when it rains allot, the carp from the river torrens (at the westbeach outlet where i am going) are fed into the sea, attracting schools of bronze whalers, or so im told. west beach at least as far as i do know is familiar with large bronze whalers cruising through and sometimes close to the shore. however, i am yet to catch one from the beach. unfortunately when large sharks come in, they are herded back into deeper waters by the shark patrol helicopter.

if i have any luck this summer i will report my experiences with pictures, although i may have to travel further along the coast to improve my chances of hooking up to something other than a stingray.

Rick.

[Boca Jetty Rat]

I would try get somewhere away from people and kayak out a bait. Somewhere there are no shark cowboys chasing sharks with hellicoptors.

[Lord of the Rays]

I would try get somewhere away from people and kayak out a bait. Somewhere there are no shark cowboys chasing sharks with hellicoptors.

it is probably ok, i havent heard/read about any of that recently. also with the weather the way it is, nobody is swimming right now. the helicopters are expensive to use so they only use them when the waters are clearer and people are trying to use the beach because the weather is good.

[gdm phil]

WAIT WUT SHARK COWBOYS?

[PhishingPhanatic]

It definitely sounds like a good theory, don't see why it wouldn't work. I do most of my shark fishing from bridges that connect islands in the Florida Keys, the current rips through the bridges, and we float our baits out with the current. If you want your bait to go to the bottom once it gets out, try rigging your balloon with light 6 -10 lb mono, and then jerking on it when it is where you want it, it should break off, and then you may be able to keep it out there longer once the current stops going out from the inlet.

[bolo]

You can use life savers candy too.

[Lord of the Rays]

i got to the west beach outlet (where the inland water flows only out to the sea), and tried my luck by chucking my balloons into the middle when the tide was on its way out. unfortunately the current totally kept dragging it to shore to the other side of the outlet. so i packed up and went to the jetty about 2km down the road.

with shore bound winds, the water was murky. i managed to get my bait out with the current. about 50meters from the jetty, i caught a 2.5ft bronzie 1hr in. seems to be nothing compared with what people here are used to but to me its completely relieving. i havent caught one in ages! i'll be back there tonight to try my luck and hopefully catch something in the 4-6ft range. ill add some pictures of the outlet if people are interested, apparently its supposed to be good but unless the winds are coming from the shore i dont think i'll have much luck.

sharking seems to be very difficult in adelaide. the jetties are often overecrowded by the crabbers, and those who seem to be successful seem to have a monopoly on the spaces. in the past two months i have invested easily over 30 hours where ive had my balloons out and no luck until just now.

rick.

[PhishingPhanatic]

Good job, its a start. Observe what the people who are catching sharks are doing, and try and imitate them. I think we'd all like to see some pics from your area.

[CubanExpress]

WAIT WUT SHARK COWBOYS?

Hardcore gangbangers that fish for sharks. I don't know if you were joking or not about them, but yeah, them boys dont play. They have the east coast and west coast on point. One word of advise DO NOT be in their territory if, and when they show up.

[BoatlessFisherman]

Sorry could not help but post this for the Cowboys

[CubanExpress]

Sorry could not help but post this for the Cowboys

excuse me, could not help but post? Yeah ok, your post absolutely reeks of a shark cowboy.

[CubanExpress]

SHARK COWBOY ALERT!!

[Boca Jetty Rat]

i got to the west beach outlet (where the inland water flows only out to the sea), and tried my luck by chucking my balloons into the middle when the tide was on its way out. unfortunately the current totally kept dragging it to shore to the other side of the outlet. so i packed up and went to the jetty about 2km down the road.

with shore bound winds, the water was murky. i managed to get my bait out with the current. about 50meters from the jetty, i caught a 2.5ft bronzie 1hr in. seems to be nothing compared with what people here are used to but to me its completely relieving. i havent caught one in ages! i'll be back there tonight to try my luck and hopefully catch something in the 4-6ft range. ill add some pictures of the outlet if people are interested, apparently its supposed to be good but unless the winds are coming from the shore i dont think i'll have much luck.

sharking seems to be very difficult in adelaide. the jetties are often overecrowded by the crabbers, and those who seem to be successful seem to have a monopoly on the spaces. in the past two months i have invested easily over 30 hours where ive had my balloons out and no luck until just now.

rick.

Thats tight. Are you balloning live baits or dead ones? Keep trying and for sure you will dial it in.

[Lord of the Rays]

Thats tight. Are you balloning live baits or dead ones? Keep trying and for sure you will dial it in.

dead ones. i've never had any luck with live baits, they usually get killed by crabs and squid. decent live bait is really hard to catch in adelaide, in victor or rapid bay you can just use squid/slimey mackerel.

im just gonna keep soaking my bait in tuna oil before i freeze it, use bigger baits/traces, and start taking my bait out the distance (gonna try for 4-6meters - approx 150-200m out).

i can get a pump up air dingy for like $50, the paddles will cost me another $30, 2.7x1.6yards long/wide. i figure after im done getting my bait out i can lay in it on the sand while i wait. only problem is if im out there when the wind picks up ill end up half an hour or so down the beach. it seems pretty sturdy but i just wanna make sure i dont go setting a hook into it. i reckon im gonna buy it and give it a go.

[reelemin]

[quote="Lord of the Rays"]hi guys.
i just got myself some slimey mackrels today (+/- 12in)

size limit on spanish mackrels is 12" so make sure theres no (-12" )

[Lord of the Rays]

there is no size or bag limit on 'slimey' or 'blue' mackerel (i think blue mackerel is its alternate name) in South Australia.