Cooks River - 22/7/07

This will be a short and sweet report...because there isn't much to report! : (

I decided to give the consistent westerly wind a miss this weekend and set off for the Cooks River where I know I can lurk around bridge pylons and behind mangroves to seek shelter. It seems though that the fish were also seeking shelter...from ME!

I tried a lot of my regular spots but couldn't even tempt a nibble from a bream. I used HB's and SP's, fished the shoreline, deep holes, bridges and boats for a big fat zero. The water temp was very cool: 11 degrees in most places but I did find one tropical spot that zoomed up in temperature to 11.9. And guess where I caught the flattie? That's right, in that small pocket of warmer water.

The fight, if you could call it that, was something akin to a wet towel that half swam up with me. It was only when I got him near the surface that he put in a few half-hearted tail flicks. He went 42cm's on the lie detector and he probably hated me for putting him back into the cold water. How much longer until summer gets here? Happy yakkin', everyone.

cheers,
Cid

Botany Bay - 11/7/07 & 15/7/07

These early morning starts are getting tougher and tougher. With temp's getting down to 6 degrees and the wind blowing at 15 or more knots, even I'm starting to think I'm a little bit crazy. But still, I figure you're a long time dead, so why not, eh? The first morning I was about 50 meters from the outlet when I looked at my sounder. Arches and lines all over it! 'Surely they're not fish,' I thought? The closer I got the more lines appeared so I flicked out and within a micro second my plastic was pounced on. Tailor numero uno was wound in and placed in the livewell. Next cast was a repeat, as was the next and the next and the next! All the fish were about 38cm's in length.

Tailor were jumping all over the place but after landing a dozen or so I tired of them and wanted a kingie. But try as I might I just couldn't get a plastic through them. Twice I managed to get the lure down about 2 meters and both times I was rewarded with a better class of fish, with both of them nudging 46cm's. The plastics were really copping a hiding so I figured maybe a metal lure would be able to sink to the bottom and I might be able to get a kingfish that way. To quote the movie 'The Castle'..."Tell him he's dreamin'!"

I cast the Halco twisty lure out and let it sink. As it did I watched the line go zip, ziiip, ziiiiiiiip and I was on again. Let's try that again. Zip, ziip...nothing. Damn! Bitten off on the drop. On with another Halco and the very next cast I'm bitten off again on the drop. Forget that idea!

I tie on my last metal slice and spin up another 7 or 8 and at 7:30am I head back to shore with the hot bite still going. Great fun on light tackle but it would've been nice to have been able to have a crack at a kingie. I reckon there would have been a few lurking under the schools of tailor, picking up any scraps filtering down from above.

The next session I met up with DavyG from AKFF. With both of us standing on the beach, rugged up like the Michelin Man, looking out at a 18 knot westerley that I'm sure was blowing straight off the Snowy Mountains, Davey mumbled 'Lunatics!' and we pushed off into the half-light.

The tailor were there again and Davey had 3 in the yak very quickly. Todays wind proved how invaluable the Mirage Drives are on the Hobies as I was able to stay within casting distance of the outlet while Davey had to constantly keep paddling back after every few casts. We both were bitten off a few times and Daveys last fish looked like it would've
been a beauty. By the time we both re-rigged and cast out again, the fish had gone. Just like that. We perservered for another 20 minutes until I made my way over and said 'I've had enough. I'm going in.' Funny, but it didn't take much to twist Daveys arm to join me back on the shore.

The tailor are hard to predict. Most days they are there right at dawn but disappear once it gets light but every now and then you get a day like wednesday when they just go nuts. If it was only another 6 or 7 degrees warmer it'd make it so much more enjoyable. Happy yakkin, everyone.

cheers
Cid

Botany Bay - 30/6/07 & 1/7/07

I'd heard a few of the boys from AKFF were hitting the Hotwater Outlet on sunday morning but I was only able to get out saturday. I figured I'd better check the place out just in case. On arrival I could see a green boat working the spot. Scotty Lyons was there with one of his charters so I gave him a quick call and found out that they'd landed a few tailor and were currently hoooked up to a kingfish. Whooshka! I was set up and racing out there in about 5 minutes flat.

I was a bit later than usual and had missed the tailor run so I started working the SP's down deep. After about 15 minutes it was my turn. I don't know...catching these kingfish gets boring after a while...NOT! They are just an unbelievable fighter and from a yak they are brilliant. 68cm's he goes and it's another one for the BBQ.

Scott kindly took a photo for me (thanks Scott) and he put in another 10 minutes or so before heading over to Molineux Point to get a few trevally. I perservered at the Outlet, every now and then throwing a popper, searching for a tailor or two. But there was no joy on those today.

Back to the SP's (Mojo Twitchin Minnow in Salt n' Pepper) and BANG! OOOOOO-EEEEE. What a screamer! Three fast, long, strong runs and I'm thinking 'This'll be a new PB' but that was it for the fight really. He settled below me but he'd exhausted himself with his first runs. This one went 62cm's and was quickly unhooked and sent on his way.

I was granted a short leave pass and managed to drag myself out of bed to meet up with the guys from AKFF. Oh man, it was soooooooo windy and cold. Gatesy and Kraley were already out there at 6:30am when I arrived and when we joined them we found out that they'd been cleaning up on the tailor. They'd been taking SP's, poppers, minnows: Gatesy said you could've thrown a sock at them and hooked up.

I quickly threw out a East Coast Splash n' Dash which disappeared in a shower of water. Oh yeah...which was quickly followed by Oh no. The line had gone slack. Bitten off. Ahhhhh, fudge!
And within seconds, they'd gone. Most had caught something except for Peril and I who were obviously just too slow on the day.

I was chatting to Gatesy as we cast SP's for kings when he hooks up. Some solid runs, although obviously not huge, but still a hoot on the light gear. This was his first king on a SP so a few prayers were muttered until he slid the fish into the waiting net.

Not a legal fish, only going about 50cm's but it was the only king caught this morning, so Gatesy was the King of Kings this sunday. Some of the other guys decided to head out towards the heads but luckily, my time was up and I could go home and have a hot shower.

Being on the water nice and early paid real dividends for Kraley and Gatesy, both landing about a dozen tailor up to 45cm's and keeping 4 each for a feed.

As I've stated before, this can be typical of the Hotwater outlet. The tailor will be there in droves just before light but they'll disappear in an eye blink. Last week when I was here with the hot bite, it was fairly overcast so I guess that had something to do with keeping the tailor on the chew.

I've noticed that the rivers have started to clear up a bit so I guess it's about time I got stuck into a few bream or jewies around the local bridges and pontoons. But next sunday Adam is planning on getting another king or two so I may just have to meet him on the water. Oh, tough choices, eh? Happy yakkin, everyone.

cheers,
Cid