Around the marinas likje hillaries leave the small poppers at home unless its a warm barmy summers night when the herring and choppers are on the boil.

with your sp,s you cant go past the 3" bass minnows, squidgies flickbaits and  snapbacks. Basically any minnow sized sp will work there as long as there not too big. 1/4 once TT jig heads are the go there with a hook size to match the lure.

i fish two outfits for sp's at hillaries, one being a 4lb outfit with 6lb leader and the second being a 10lb outfit with 12lb leader. Flurocarbon is a must and the new TD dawia range is good for around the rocks. Go see the tackle shack for all the lures and leader they have them all in stock.

Inside the marina walls in better than outside for sp fishing and is great fun. Large tarwine and skippy between 600gms and 1kg are regulars there if you know where to look.

I head down there reguarly for a sp fish and always get fish anytime of the day and any conditions. Hillaries is also a great spot to practise as the water is usally pretty clear and you can see what action you are imparting on the lure

the only other lure option i use at hillaries are small metals and jiggs and squid jigs.most others you can leave at home.

Hope that helps. SPESS.

Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!

*PROUD FISHWRECKED MEMBER*

(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

thanks sooooooooooooo much spess

were you there on sunday arvo? think i saw u

do i just need a slow retrieve with a twitch?

im gonna go kit myself out tommorow!

reuben.

yeah couldnt ask for better info!

reuben.

then cast a halco scorpion35/laser-pro45/lightly weight sp over the back of it and swim/work it back towards you through the burley trail.

If you cant catch a few herring/skippy etc I'll eat my hat.

yeah without going into too much detail a lift a twichy retreive works greta but slow it right down. If you think your doing it slow go slower and youll get fish. hang on when you hook up as well because they go hard around the rocks.

Could have been there sunday with brenz i think. I threw him a 3" minnow and he nailed the biggest tarwine ive seen for a long time. Estimated at well over 40cm and approx 650 to 750gms. an absolute stonker. He was fishing 4lb with 6lb leader hence why when i tried to leader it so i could pick it up he snapped off. pretty impressive capture though.

Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!

*PROUD FISHWRECKED MEMBER*

reuben, just got back didnt manage to land anything but had one solid hookup probly to a skippy on my diving broomstick lure

thanks heaps spess and huggy

info has been so helpful....itching to give it a try now ay haha

yeah were u wearing a fishwrecked shirt spess?

reuben.

aw sweet

ill be there on friday all kitted out ey

go the broomstick lures :D

reuben.

If the current is not running too strong and there is not too much weed around you could try going out to the lighthouse. Fish right from the end and cast out across the entrance towards the north wall. I have picked up a few skippy and a small pinky on sps there.
(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

make sure your sp is straight on the hook.
(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

ok thanks heaps colin

could u guys let me in on any other decnt spots inside the marina for skippy etc?

reuben.

down the north wall would be worth a go. Or try tossing something around those structures near where the dolphin ponds used to be.
(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

spot on colin ive met quite a few unstopables there before and landed some great size fish as well. Great spot hillaries for a walk with a packet of sp's and a rod. Very relaxing.



Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!



*PROUD FISHWRECKED MEMBER*

ok thanks guys for all the help

much appreciated

reuben.

As Chris said it can be great fun just wandering around. And you don't have to carry a heap of gear with you.
(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

Less is best - a couple of packs of sp's and jig heads in one shirt pocket, a spool of leader and scissors in the other, a rod and reel in hand and away you go.

Less to carry = more mobile

if ur gonna get some powerbait grab a pack of pearl watermelon 3' bass minnows best iv used (but then again there the only iv used!)

ye im guna look for em liam thanks for the advice

ye thats what i love about it more mobile and tons more rewarding when you catch

reuben.

Hi Ya,

Just in case you don't know, DO NOT leave your SP's out of the bag.  They come with a liquid that has a scent that is essential to the success of the SP.  I noted you said "ive been using round leadheads and some random soft plastics i had lying around ".  If that means they have not been in the bag with the liquid, then chuck them away.  You might as well be using a plastic bag from Coles.  Or at least get some more 'scent'.

Cheers.


***** Proud RECFISHWEST member ****

i walked up the middle wall on the north wall colin is talking about one day to have a look and just out in front of me (about 1m) i saw some stonker skippy just cruising along, its worth a try anywhere mate.

its good exploring and finding your own good spots down at Hillarys, good luck .. hopefully i can get down soon!

inside where all the kids swim one day i was having lunch there and all of a sudden a massive school of some pretty large silvery fish came through ... dunno what they were (not skippy looked more like salmon or tailor)!

i know you cant fish there but just some handy info .. if anyone ever lands one inside the marina i was so keen to know what they were so let me know they were bloody massive and in plague proportions !!

Hey Tommo77 those stonker skippy are big bluff bream and the fish around the swimming area are big mullet. Cheers chris.



Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!



*PROUD FISHWRECKED MEMBER*

well that clears things up!!

they are bloody huge mullet mate!!!!!

cheers mate.

yep they surley are and there always there. Be good fun if you could hook them.



Keep it tight, reeeeeeel tight!



*PROUD FISHWRECKED MEMBER*

yea all good info just make sure u are using good sp's eg snapbacks, power baits and gulp's extra sented tend to be best and as colin said make sure they are on the hook streight so they dont twist.

yeah the ones i had lying round werent scented

they were really crap ones

i bought some good ones today, some meaning much to much ahah

 bit of an impulse buyer ahha

thanks for all the info guys

reuben.

lol at least u got an extensive range!!!!!
those ones that looked like the mulies would b diynamite im guessing