Perfect Partnership: Pigs and Prawns by David Seaman

Fishing the ocean rocks for rock blackfish or pigs is one of my greatest pleasures living on the mid-north coast of NSW. The distribution range of the species provides many Australians the opportunity from Victoria (north east tip of Tasmania) to southern Queensland to target the fish but it is the NSW anglers that are central to the best pig fishing available. The broken rocky coastline provides an abundance of habitat and food that encourages healthy populations of the species. The average sized and best eating fish are in the 1.5 to 2kg range though their maximum growth is somewhere in the 7 kg range and certainly a handful on conventional tackle.

Past trends for targeting pigs have been to pick a spot, generally a wash of white water, then prepare and deliver a cocktail of berley that always included bread. Bait was collected at low tide and consisted of cunjevoi and green cabbage and on heavily fished areas the bait gathering of anglers quickly denuded areas of growth. Fishing the rising tide during daylight hours was comfortable and productive and helped hold the berley in the target area. Tackle was generally a 4m (12ft) glass rod and a 650 or 700 (7in) sized Alvey sidecast loaded with 30lb nylon line. I know years ago that was how I'd manage to catch them and as I've aged I have found ways to ease the fatigue of heavy tackle.