ABT Daiwa Hobie Bream Grand Final - Bemm River - Day 2

So my plan was set. Head back to where I nabbed my two fish yesterday afternoon and hope that they are still there. The weather was perfect: slightly overcast with a hint of wind that created just enough of a ripple on the surface to entice the fish to move up into the shallows.

Another start and another explosion of yaks to various sections of the system. Andrew peeled off to the left near the boat ramp while I continued over to my spot. A few other yakkers had a similar idea (Hedgey, Peter Woods and Scott Baker just to name a few) but there was plenty of water and ample room for everyone.

I started in the 1.2m zone and quickly lost my Daiwa Double Clutch HB to something. I'd say it was probably a big tailor as there was a brief run then the line was neatly sliced in two. Swine! I changed to a Chubby and landed three bream in quick succession but they were all just under. Back to the Squidgy Wriggler for me and first cast I get a keeper. 30 to the tip, so I'm pleased with that. Back out goes the wriggler...

The next hour produced possibly the best bream session I've ever had. That 30 was swiftly followed by a 35 tip and then a 32 tip. Then another crackin' EP (they are great fighters on light line) and next cast, my first upgrade of 33 cms. The bite eased a bit and two flatties were my next victims. The wind had started to pick up a bit now so I figured the fish may move further up into the shallows. This turned out to be true and I found the fish again in the 0.9-1 meter zone.

Another 33 came aboard and he was slightly fatter than the other one, so that's another upgrade. Wow! This was awesome. I had my bag by 8:50 am and it was now only 9:10 am and I'd upgraded twice. Bang, I'm on again and this guy is my best to date at 35 cms. great fishing but I'm only hoping that everyone else isn't having as good a session as me. It'll be hard to catch up if everyone weighs in a full bag again. Unless I can get that kicker fish. I really, really, REALLY need that kicker fish now.

The wind was starting to pick up (what an understatement) and soon the white caps could be seen all over the lake. I decided to start heading closer to the finish point so I turned and pushed my way through the chop.

It took me 15 minutes to get here this morning but with this wind it took me 90 minutes to get back! I tried to find some sheltered shorelines (along with everyone else) but I couldn't raise another bite. I even tried the flats in the middle of the lake for the last half hour but this was futile as well. Nothing left to do but go in and see how I went. I was sure my bag was bigger than yesterdays but it wouldn't be by much. 2.3 kgs maybe? Certainly not the 3 kg plus bag I was hoping for.

On dry land my fears were realised when everyone I spoke to had got their 3 fish. Shizer! My hopes of a top 10 finish were dashed. Even top 20 would be doubtful. I bump into Andrew and he has a smug look about him and bloody hell, he has not one but TWO kicker fish. It's a great bag and it goes 2.97 kgs. This shoots him up the leader board but his day one bag let him down and he finishes in 4th place with 5.045 kgs. Brilliant stuff. The eventual winner was the day one leader, Shane Taylor. He smashed it again and weighed in 2.98 kgs for a final weight of 6.165 kgs, the only bag over 6 kilos. 2nd place went to Richard Somerton (the AOY for 2012) with 5.75 kgs and 3rd was taken out by Scott Lovig with 5.14 kgs.

And me? My bag went 2.285 kgs and with a total of 4.285 kgs I creep up a few places to 23rd place. And so ends another year of bream tournaments. The scene is getting bigger and better every year and the calibre of fisho's is truly amazing. It's hard to pick who will win a comp nowadays as so many potential winners are fishing each round. Next year is gonna be fantastic!

I'd like to thank Hobie and Steve Fields and the ABT for being the backbone of these competitions and really putting in the hard yards so we have these rounds to travel to and fish. Then there are all the other sponsors such as Daiwa, Lowrance, Frogleys Offshore, Pure Fishing, Ecogear, Jurofishing and Hogs Breath whose support helps make this all possible. Without these guys a national kayak competition would be non-existent. And just in case I don't get a report up in the next few days, please have a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

ABT Daiwa Hobie Bream Grand Final - Bemm River - 17 & 18/11/12

So here we go. Andrew Death and I are off in his trusty fishing van for the 7 1/2 hour drive to this years Grand Final. I was really looking forward to this seeing as I missed out last year. I'd never fished the Bemm before and from all the reports I'd heard, it could be a magical place. Lots of big bream that hit hard and full bags within 20 minutes. Drool worthy stuff.

The drive went surprisingly quickly and kudos to me, I didn't fall asleep once. We arrived 15 minutes before the briefing, so we couldn't have timed it much better. I gotta tell ya, these guys from Hobie and ABT really know how to put on a good show. All the yaks were set up ready to go. After the sign in, we were given the run down on how to use the sounder and all the other gear that was included on every yak. Mine was number 34. I hoped that wasn't a sign of the place where I'd come in this GF.

It was great to catch up with all the familiar faces, especially the Mexican Crew, those shifty-looking Victorians that seem to have unlimited travelling funds and brownie points and get to nearly all the comps that occur during the year. After the usual banter, it was back to the accommodation to rig up for the next day.

One monumental occurrence that God oh God I wish I'd filmed was the sight of Craig450 and his reaction when we had a bat flying around our lounge room. I'll let him tell the story, so just ask him next time you see him at a comp. : )

The next day we set off one by one and the field split up. Being all new to me, I had no idea of where may be better than anywhere else, so I started drifting across some flats trying various SP's and HB's. I had a whack on my fourth or fifth cast, but that was it. I persevered for another two drifts before deciding it was time to try other waters and I headed over towards the shoreline in an area known as Siberia and let myself drift with the increasing wind.

Out with the drift chute and I'm flicking a 100 mm Squidgy bloodworm wriggler on a 1/40th HWS jighead. The first fish is a small flattie but it's not long after that I get what I came all this way for. It's a bream, not huge at 30 cms to the tip, but I'm on the board. It had taken me 3 hours to get this one and I felt like I needed to get a move on before too much longer. I put in another drift for zilcho, so it was off to the river mouth to see how that goes.

There were a few yaks over here, so moved off to a place a little less crowded. Peter Woods was nearby and had his 3, so he was doing ok. I kept changing various lures and varied my retrieves but couldn't even get a hit. I kept moving along the shoreline and get a soft take that screams off when I set the hook. This feels really good and a flash of silver gets me revved up. Ooh, here she comes and WTF??? It's a bloody big Estuary Perch! What's it doing out here on the flats? Still, it was a gorgeous fish, so a quick photo is taken and she is then slid back into the water. I'm back to the Wriggler when I hook up again and this time, yes, it's a bream. It's a bit better at 34 cms tip but it's still no horse that I'm hoping for. And it's skinny, too. Must've been on a diet or something...

So that's two, one more for my full bag. I then get two bream that are under size before I get another EP. With an hour to go I'm really praying to the Bream Gods and they finally answer my prayers and send me fish number 3. This guy is the best so far at 35 cms and is at least a chunky fella. I couldn't manage any more so it was back for the weigh in.

My bag was bang on 2 kgs, which would have won the two day weight at Narrabeen a couple of weeks ago, but down here it's a different story. Shane Taylor has smashed it with 3.185 kgs, the only bag over 3kgs. My bag sees me in 29th. Andrew, a mere 70 grams in front of me, is sitting in 21st. Tomorrow I really need that kicker fish. I really, really, REALLY need that kicker fish. Stay tuned for the Day 2 report early next week. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid