Botany Bay Report - 3/6/07

With the kingie season rapidly approaching its end, I was keen to have as many cracks at them as I could. So it was back to the scene of the crime, the Hotwater Outlet off Silver Beach. Once again it was windy and there was plenty of chop but I was still determined to get out there amongst them. There was no other boats today so I had the place to myself.

Out goes my 6" Mojo Twitchin Minnow (why change a winning formula, I say) and I immediately get a few hard hits. No hook-up (bugger) but when I get the lure back it's now a 3" Stubbie Minnow. TAILOR! I quickly flick the chomped plastic back out....5 quick winds of the handle and whack! I'm on!

It was obviously not a kingie though but as he cartwhelled across the surface I thought 'Hey, he's not too bad.' I play him out and lift him aboard and he's a new PB for me from the yak. 48.5cm's and it pulls the scales down to 1.1kg's.

Over the next 15 minutes I hooked two more tailor but they both bit me off. The last one leapt about 3 feet out of the water and looked a little bigger than the one I landed. Oh what the heck, it got away, so I may as well say it was about a meter long and about 10 kilo's! Yeah, right.

And that was all the action I had apart from one good hit just before I headed into shore. Maybe a kingie, who knows but the plastic came back in one piece so I was assuming it wasn't a tailor again.

Sunday morning was a completely different scenario when Mick Munns and I launched at 6am. Just a breath of wind and nice calm water but i'd have preferred the crappy weather if the results could have been better. We worked the outlet for a good 90 minutes for nuthin'! Not even a hit. Funny how things can go like that.

Anyway, I didn't want to go home empty handed so Mick and I quickly went and threw a few plastics around the pylons of the Refinery Wharf. I was using Berkley Gulp 3" Minnows in Lime/Tiger and in a short stint there, before security informed us we had keep at least 100 meters away, I managed to land four bream, the biggest going 35cm's fork length.

Mick hooked two rippers that quickly took off for the heads and as far as we know they are still going with his lures in their mouths. Next time Mick, next time buddy.

Back on shore I was privileged to see some of Micks new lures that he's been making. Ooh, these are truly drool-enducing creations and you won't get a better product anywhere. All hand made from wood and beautifully finished, it's alomst a crime to tie them onto your line and cast them out. The trouble is though, they just work so damn well. If you're interested in getting some, call Mick on 0410 960 137.

Here are a few examples next to a ruler to give you some idea of their size. These lures will catch everything from Bass to Bream to Flathead, whiting and tailor and I reckon the kingies would spark up at the double bladed models, too.

Happy yakkin' everyone.

cheers,
Cid