heard some good reports about the prefishing and was eager to get stuck into the multitudes of bream throughout the Nerang River and its canals. With minimal sleep, Paffoh and I drove the 500 meters from our accommodation at 5am and saw that there were already a couple of dozen yakkers setting up. Steve Fields from Hobie and organised a yak for me (thanks Steve) and it was a first time for me - a fully kitted Hobie Revolution. Totally different to my Sport but a kayak I was keen to test out, as well as the Hobie Live Well of which I'd only heard good reports.
Once the briefing was concluded, 39 competitors spread out in all directions. My initial plan was to head north to the Gold Coast Highway Bridge, but with another kayak tournament starting off from the beach next to it, I revised my plan and decided to head upstream. Firstly I shot over to the other side of Chevron Island to fish the pylons and pontoons that were still in the shade.
I've gotta tell you, this Revo goes like a rocket! With minimal effort, it slices through the water and seemed to be twice as quick as my Sport. It took a short time getting used to her as my Sport is much wider and more stable than this baby but after 10 minutes or so I felt right at ease. Though I did miss the storage trays where I normally lay out my gear for the day but adjusting to the Revo's layout was still fairly easy.
Oh, and the Live Well? Brilliant. Great design and it worked flawlessly. I ran it all day and it never missed a beat. I normally use an esky with an aerator but I'll definitely be getting one of these. It has plenty of room for the fish and the water is constantly be refreshed, so it really is a 'set and forget' piece of gear.
Chevron Island looked the goods and I quickly picked up two bream (21 cms and 20 cms) on a Berkley Gulp 2" Shrimp in banana, rigged on a 1/20th oz jig head. This was followed shortly after by a spectacular roasting from some big ooglie that wrapped my leader around the closest barnacle-encrusted pylon it could find. Must've been a bream of about 50 cms, I guess. : )
The bite slowed up then so I proceeded upstream, casting at pontoons and marker poles as I went. There were a few kayakers about though, so I motored off and ventured into the Paradise Island canal. The first pontoon on the left as I entered I felt a take but the SP was quickly dropped. I flicked it back into the shade and this time I hooked up. This felt better and I prayed it'd be a bream. Ooh, and it is, too, and definitely legal. About 28 cms, I guess. But jasus, he's only JUST hooked, so I back off the drag and take my time. "Easy fella, easy" I think and I gently guide him towards my net. Only 6 inches to go when shake, shake and he's off and gone! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...
Oh man, that hurt! The fishing had been slow and losing one so close like that really kicks you in the guts. To compound my woes, I hook another bream only 20 meters away and he goes 22 cm fork. Aaarrrghh, where's a mallet so I can thump his tail out just 1 more cm? From then on it was as if all the fish had gone for a siesta. I tried HB's, blades, various SP's over a multitude of locations from flats to weed beds to bridge pylons and every single pontoon that came within range.
Time was ticking away and I started to get anxious which was affecting my casting, with targets being missed when they shouldn't have been. 'Time to relax,' I said. So I checked out the map, picked a new location and set off at a leisurely pace while having a cooling drink. Thinking the old tournament motto, that it only takes two casts to get a full bag, I eased into a canal system recomposed and ready to go. I changed to a Squidgie Lobby in grenade and started peppering the jetties, targeting the shady areas.
One of my casts landed right in the zone and immediately my line darted to the left, away from the structure. I lift my Daiwa Advantage rod and yes! I'm on! Staying calm, I keep the pressure on but suddenly my heart is in my mouth when I see he's a beauty. Not huge but good enough for me at this stage in the game. It seemed like an hour but it was probably only a minute before I netted him. That was definitely the most nervous I'd ever been landing a fish and with a hoot and a holler, I slipped him into the Live Well.
What a relief! Getting that first fish in the well is always good but leaving it with only just over an hour to go is cutting it a bit fine. Okay, only one more needed. The very next pontoon I get another touch and soon after that I get roasted again! So that was it, time to leg it and get back to the weigh-in.
I was sure my one fish wouldn't cut the mustard but back on the beach, there were may tales of hard luck and under size fish. As the weigh-in started, I soon realised my lone specimen may do okay. I had one brief moment of panic when I grabbed the weigh bag, ran down to the yak and opened the live Well to find that it was empty. "What the...?" Oh, hang on, wrong yak. D'oh! Too many sand coloured Revo's!
Onto the scales and he's written down as 450 grams which is enough to secure me 3rd spot but 
more importantly, qualification for the Grand Final at Forster. I was over the moon! Top spot was taken out by Greg Lewis who got the only full bag for the day and 2nd was Brian Rutledge with a very nice fish of 490 grams, which was also the big bream winner. All up, only eight anglers landed a legal fish, which testifies as to how tough the day was.
more importantly, qualification for the Grand Final at Forster. I was over the moon! Top spot was taken out by Greg Lewis who got the only full bag for the day and 2nd was Brian Rutledge with a very nice fish of 490 grams, which was also the big bream winner. All up, only eight anglers landed a legal fish, which testifies as to how tough the day was. With Greg taking out the top spot for the day, he also secured the AOY (Angler of the Year) title which was thoroughly deserved based on his excellent form throughout the series. Congratulations, Greg.
So it was a tough day on the water and I'm sure the hot, humid, still conditions and the thousands of watercraft weren't conducive to a good bite. This waterway just oozes breaming potential and I'm sure that with the right conditions, full bags would be the norm for the day. As usual, the day was run with consummate professionalism by 
ABT and Hobie and these days are an absolute pleasure to fish. The camaraderie is exceptional and the on-water banter reflects the great attitude that everyone has towards this format of competition.
ABT and Hobie and these days are an absolute pleasure to fish. The camaraderie is exceptional and the on-water banter reflects the great attitude that everyone has towards this format of competition.Here is the map of my journey throughout the Nerang. All up I travelled 10.13 kms, which is about the norm for me during a competition of this length. Hopefully next time I'll land a few more fish., though.
Next week, the Grand Final at Forster, where 25 anglers will compete over two days from Hobie supplied kayaks. Forster is a renowned location for big bream so I'm expecting the bags will be up on previous rounds and hopefully someone will nab a bigger bream than Wayne Robinsons 1.32kg bruiser from round one. Forster is another new arena for me, so I guess I'll be pouring over a few maps of the area this coming week. Happy yakkin', everyone!
cheers,
Cid
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