But before we do some “myth busting” here’s a quick fishing report so that you can take advantage of the great weather we have had lately.

Both the Crookhaven and Shoalhaven Rivers have been fishing well lately, with most of the common estuary species on the chew at the moment. 

We caught some nice estuary perch and even an Australian salmon using squidgie prawn soft plastic lures while fishing around Nowra Bridge last weekend. 

There are reports of good bream being caught in the Crookhaven River, fish the last couple of the tide using striped tuna or slimey mackerel, you will  improve your catch by getting a burley trail going. 

Flathead are being caught around Greenwell Point, Crookhaven and Shoalhaven Heads using soft plastic lures.  

Snapper are also being caught off Culburra and Currarong; this is probably one of the better times of the year to target reds using soft plastic lures so go out and give it a go. 

Now while on the subject of snapper let’s have a look at one of the most common myths of how some of these fish develop a bump on their heads.

There are lots of theories about how snapper get those big knobby bumps on their heads, from knocking their heads on reefs to using them to open up shellfish to eat. 

But these are myths because there is a scientific reason why some snapper form the big bumps on their heads, it’s a condition called “hyperostosis”.  Hyperostosis is an enlarged or above normal bone growth and in snapper it commonly affects their heads resulting in the knobby bumps we see on bigger fish.

Another myth that makes its way around the traps is that dusky flathead change their sex as they get older. 

Although there are a lot of fish like grouper, clown fish and wrasse that are hermaphrodites, dusky flathead are not one of the species that change sex. 

Male flathead only grow to around 55cm, while the females continue to grow and end up being the trophy sized flathead. 

Because big flathead are females and are the breeding stock it’s important to release them to ensure lots of flathead in the future.

Fishing is a sport that has some unusual superstitions, including the great debate on whether having bananas on board your boat is bad luck. 

Now I’m a no-bananas-on-boat believer and you won’t be allowed on board fishing with me with a banana in hand. But how did this quirky superstition find its way into fishing folklore?  

The origin of this superstition dates way back to 1700’s when wooden sailing boats in the Caribbean had to move quickly to deliver bananas before they spoiled. 

Crew members on these boats found it more difficult to catch fish while trolling lures behind the faster moving boats carrying their cargoes of bananas. 

Another superstition that came about around the same time was that bananas will cause a boat to sink, as many boats that had bananas on board never made it to their destinations. 

Such is the strength of the no-bananas-on-boats superstition for some anglers that even banana muffins, banana lollies, Banana Boat brand sunscreen or even pictures of bananas are banned from coming on board. 

Other funny fishing superstitions include whistling on a boat causes extreme bad luck for the entire boat and you can only enter the boat from a certain side or the entire day of fishing will be ruined.  By all means try your luck, but for me it’s no bananas on board.

Remember to get behind my Stars of Shoalhaven Nowra Dance for Cancer fund-raising campaign by donating to https://starsofshoalhavennowra2017.everydayhero.com/au/steve-johnson.