ABT Hobie Tournament - Narrabeen - 27th & 28th Oct 2012

Okay, this was my last chance to qualify for the Grand Final down on the Bemm River in Victoria on the 17th and 18th November. The top 3 get the qualification but if anyone has already qualified, it'll go to the next competitor that hasn't qualified. This means you could potentially come 4th or 5th and still get a spot. But oh no! Numbers are down and we only have 27 kayakers. You need at least 30 to get the 3 spots available, so now there are only two invites up for grabs. Looks like I'd better get into the top 2 to make sure of it then. Aye Carumba.

About 4 weeks prior I'd had a quick session with Luke Kay to narrow down some potential spots. I'd only had joy in one area and only on an old style of soft plastic, so I'd punched the waypoint into my GPS and made sure I had a pack or two of the 2" Berkley Hawgs in Green Pumpkin ready to go. From the start I high-tailed it the 3.5kms to the waypoint and flicked out the Hawg rigged on a 1/20th TT jighead and 3lb fluoro leader.

Immediately I started getting some hits but it was 15 minutes before the first keeper went into the well. 27 cms, so I'll want to upgrade him later. There were a few other yakkers close by and I saw Jason Lambert throw one in the live well, too. Ooh, there's another bream for me and that's two. This guys a monster at 28 cms! LOL

I drift about but keep coming back to the same waypoint as this is where I'm getting most bites. Plus even though I'm switching between the Hawgs, Squidgy Wrigglers and Cranka vibes, it's the Hawgs doing all the damage. The sun starts to come out a bit too much for my liking and the bites shut right down.

Time to scout about and I pick up 3 more bream but they are all just under. I just cant manage to get my 3rd fish. Back at the weigh in and after the wash up, my bag goes 0.62 kgs and I'm sitting in 7th place. Jason Lambert is on top with 1.175kgs and Meechy is in 2nd with 0.98 kgs but I don't need to worry about them as they have both qualified. Patrick Macquarrie was in the 1st qualifying spot with 0.925 kgs with Rob Chambers next with 0.775 kgs. "Not much to peg back," I'm thinking and one kicker fish or a full bag will do it. Fingers crossed.

The next day it's back to the same waypoint (with a slight diversion to fish a weed bed on the way. Pffft, what a waste of time THAT was) and out with the same lure. The wind is up enough to ruffle the surface and thankfully it's a bit overcast today.

I'd been fishing for about 20 minutes when something happened which hasn't happened to me before. Within 5 casts I had my full bag. It had just gone 9am when I got number 3. Yahoo. This is the sort of start I dream of but just to make sure, I'd love to get a decent fish in the well. These 3 were 27, 27 and 28 cms. I want one in the 30's just to ease the nerves a little more.

Things went a bit quiet so I moved around trying to find some better fish. Try as I might, I couldn't get a bite off anything. Back to the waypoint and I'm onto another fish. This one is 28 cms too, so there is my 1st upgrade. Not much of an upgrade, but every little bit counts.

I give it another 30 minutes for zippo and decided to move over the the main weed bed in the middle of the lake. Lots of other yakkers are moving about, so it could be a good sign that not much is happening. I finally get another keeper bream on the hawg (this time rigged on a 1/40th HWS jighead) and at 29 cms tip he's my best. So now I have two at 28 and a 29, not very impressive and they are skinny fish but it's a full bag all the same. It's time to head back but have I done enough?

I bump into Eric wood on the way and he's only managed one but he says it's a pretty good one. Meechy has a full bag so it should be his but Jason Lambert has donuted. I weigh my 3 and they go 0.895 kgs. I nervously wait as bags come up and get weighed in. I'm sitting in 2nd spot when Eric brings his beasty up. It is easily the biggest bream for the weekend at 0.77 kgs. but it's not enough and I hang onto 2nd place and get one of the much sought after qualification spots. Finally, and I had to leave it to the last hurdle to get it.

Meechy took out top honours with 1.995 kgs, me next with 1.515 kgs and Eric Wood in 3rd with 1.455 kgs. That's my best placing in an ABT round so I'm pretty pleased with myself. Also a big thanks to the Seeto dudes from lureandfly.com for some of the photos. Check their site out for updates on many of the bream tournaments and also a heap of great info.

Now it's time to read up on Bemm and see what all the fuss is about. Lots of big bream down there from all the reports I've heard and bags caught within 20 minutes. Let's hope so! Wish me luck. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid