Cooks River - 26/7/09

Time for some Breamin'! Terry and I launched from the Kyeemagh boat ramp and conditions were ideal. Slight breeze, incoming tide and overcast. Straight up to the airport service bridge and Terry started with some Switchblades and I rigged up a Camo sandworm.

After 20 minutes I'd only had one tentative take and Terry hadn't even had a touch. I glanced at the sounder and the temp display didn't tell a good story. Only 14.1 degrees (brrrrrr) which could mean the fish may be a little lethargic. We kept at it and eventually I get a nice hook up. Solid runs and a 'thump, thump, thump' up the line and into the yak comes a fiesty trevally.

We move over to the rock walls and try the buntings but still the bream won't come out and play. terry is keen to head out the front to try the flats for a few more Trevally so we about face and head out to the bay.

I'm on a curfew so decide to work the freeway wall with blades as we drift along with the wind. I only have 10 meters of wall left when I hook up again. Not a treavally this time but what is it? Well surprise, surprise! It's a first for me from the yak and I'm chuffed to get him. It's an EP (Estuary Perch) and he's a healthy guy of about 38 cms. Woohoo! A few quick snaps and I send him back to his lair under the structure. Hopefully I'll get a few more next time I'm in the area.

I head in and Terry heads out. Smart move by him as he manages to get 4 Trevally, one bream and a great 70 cm flathead that he set free to keep breeding. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid

Botany Bay - 11/7/09

There'd been a few mutterings about good size tailor being caught in the Bay so the crack of dawn on saturday saw Stewart, Terry and myself pushing off to the Hot Water Outlet hoping to catch a few off guard. The conditions were ideal, with only a slight SW wind of 8-10 knots. The cold weather certainly keeps the traffic on the water down and we had the outlet to ourselves, except for a boat anchored 100 meters away.

First cast and Terry hooks up as soon as his lure hits the water. That's a good sign. The fish jumps three times before spitting the lure back at him. Sucka! I'm in position now and as I cast I notice out of the corner of my eye Stewart hooking up, too. And Terry is also back on. Triple hook up, yeehah!

I've cast one of Mick Munn's creations - a 'Splash and Dash' that I've reduced to one treble on the back. I find the tailor don't seem to throw this lure as much as when there are two trebles on it. I crank it quickly over the top and instantly it's mauled by a fish. In the background I hear Terry cry out as his fish jumps off. That's two he's lost. Double sucka!! Mine stays connected and he looks about 35 cms, so into the livewell he goes.

Stewart has also dropped his fish but is on again immediately and eventually lands a nice one that looks about 45 cms. Terry yells out "I'm on," but it's quickly followed by "Aaarrggghhhhh, not again!" when this fish does a Houdini on him, too. Triple sucka!!! Stewart and I are giggling like fools but finally, Terry gets one in the boat that is about 40 cms. And next cast he gets another almost the same size. He's on a roll now.

My popper is getting smacked across the surface non-stop and I land 6 fish and lose 3 before the action stops. As is typical of tailor, they disappear not long after sun up, so it's essential to be on the water at the right time. If your twenty minutes late, it's no fish for you! We landed a couple of decent fish between 45 and 50 cms and we all lost some bigger ones that put on a great acrobatic display leaping clear of the water several times before gaining their freedom.

We also tried for some kings but didn't even get a touch and eventually wound up the day with a couple of bream that were found lurking underneath some moored boats and barges. Not a bad couple of hours in the middle of winter. Happy yakkin', everybody!

cheers,

Cid

WSBB Bream Scramble - 21/6/09

Well you've probably guessed that because I didn't get a report up on the 21st June, Gary and I didn't win the Scramble. And you'd be right, too! Basically, we had a pretty average day, only managing 3 bream (Gary got two of 'em) and none of those were noteworthy either. Overall we finished up 18th amongst a field of 30.

We started off ok when Gary landed our first bream after 20 minutes. Further exploring in Exile Bay proved fruitless (or fishless), so we moved up towards Putney and fished some rockwalls. I'd hardly had a touch all morning while flicking about a Gulp 2" Shrimp (banana colour) so I changed to the old faithful Camo sandworm. As my cast landed 6 feet from shore, Gary said "You'll probably hook up first cast." No sooner had the words left his mouth when I noticed my line zipping sideways. I struck and immediately thought 'Holy Moly, what's this?' The fish made a strong surge for deeper water and peeled line off my reel. "Trevally?" says Gary. Nope I say, no tail thumps. I'm guessing it's the bream from hell and back the drag off now that we're in safer water. I gain some line, it takes some line. With heart pumping and sweaty hands, I'm envisioning a great kicker fish - 1.5 kgs perhaps...or more! Yeah, baby!

As Gary and I peer over the side into the depths we both let out a "Get $%#*ed" when we see the culprit. What the bloody hell is a Yellowtail Kingfish doing way up here, and what the hell is he doing taking a measley little sandworm? We laugh and curse, get a photo and put the undersize fella (he was only 60 cms) back into the drink.

No more joy up here so we head off to some flats. Gary again comes up with the goods and adds number two to the well. I get an undersize one and that's it. Next spot is Westport Marina and first cast I get one that's a keeper. Yahoo!

All our usual spots are very quiet and as time wore on we decide to give Exile Bay one last chance for redemption over the last half hour of the comp. I change to a shallow diving Jackal Chubby as we're fishing water only 2 feet deep and on the second cast it's hammered big time. I see a quick flash of silver. Finally, a good bream. But no-way, Jose. This time it's a nice trevally that goes 55cms. Another great fish but useless to us today. Gary asks if I know how to hook a bream when his TT Switchblade is snaffled on the drop.

"Good fish," he says, and his line zips this way and that. True to our form, it's not a bream at all but a bloody big whiting of 42 cms. We're p!ssing ourselves laughing by now and at the end of the day, if you're having fun that's all that really matters. Next year we'll get 'em.

On a good note, Gary competed as a non-boater in the ABT Pflueger Lake Macquarie round last weekend and took out top spot which sees him qualify for the Grand Final in October. It was a fantastic effort against a large, highly competitive field and was well and truly overdue for Gary. Well done partner, great to see.

Word is out that Hobie and ABT are about to announce the dates and venues for the next lot of Kayak Bream Tournaments for 2009/2010 and it's going to be bigger and better than the last season. I can't wait for it to kick off again and I'm looking forward to getting to as many as possible. Keeping checking the usual sites (http://www.hobiefishing.com.au/ and http://www.bream.com.au/) for updates. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid