Terry goes a Bassin'

Regular readers of the blog will know of my good mate Terry who is a bass fishin' nut! Terry has been good enough to send me through a report of one of his little adventures down south. Without further ado, here it is:

The lack of rain means low water levels in the rivers & the aussie bronze battlers were still in the brackish water, waiting for that first bit of water movement to make their way home up river for the duration of summer. It was a poor start to the new bass season on the 1st September with very little happening & no reports to mention of bass being caught. This time last year it was all happening with the wet weather being on time & the bass migrated up river giving us anglers a lot of opportunity.

I thought I’d try for myself to see what was happening but it was very quiet & not even a resident fish would be there for my offerings. 

Bass withdrawals were doing my head in! I couldn't hang on any longer. It was time to take some leave from work and head off for a trip down south for a few days as I’d heard some fish were getting caught & the river had some water flow which is a good sign.

A late arrival to my destination with very limited daylight hours left had me pushing to get the kayak loaded & set off into the wilderness for a few days. The hard slog was just the beginning, pain & agony dragging the heavy loaded Hobie kayak through those rapids.

.

The river had changed considerably since my last visit 12 months ago. With last season’s floods it was carnage of trees in the water, collapsed river banks, shifted river pebbles & new sections of river opened up.

With very limited time it was a matter of pushing on to the Hilton campsite with no fishing done. With only 45mins to spare before dark it was a matter of setting up camp before calling it home for a few days.

The alarm went off 5am the next morning & I was ready within 30 minutes. It was a beautiful morning with very little wind & the birds were chirping away making it even more pleasant as the sun started to break over the ridge.

First cast was plugged deep into a dark crevice. After a few moments of sitting the lure I was waiting nervously. I worked the lure with a few bloops. Nuthin’, seems like no-one is home. I'll cast again, hopefully this time something will happen. Mmmmmmmmm I thought, that’s strange, not even a bump. I kept persisting for 20 minutes, changing lures in between just for a lovely donut.

With the cicadas deafening my ears I was very surprised a bass hadn’t lunged to my offerings, so plan B had to be the next option .This year I tried something totally different which I haven't used in a very long time.

I was going back to bait casters which are brilliant for casting accuracy. I got a brand new outfit 6 months ago: 5ft 6"Browning bait caster rod fitted with a Daiwa Millionaire CV-X 203 & I was looking forward to tangling with some descent bronze battlers, hoping on giving it a real workout for its money.

The new 1/8th spinner bait was tied on ready to be smashed by a hungry bass. A perfect cast was landed only millimetres from a sunken snag & I’m hoping a hungry bass is waiting for a different offering. As the lure helicopters its way down into the snag for a few seconds, the rod loads up very rapidly as the kayak veers towards the snag. This feels more like it!

An angry frustrated bass fights its way back for cover. I’m in the game I thought as the fish safely slides into the landing net. With a quick glimpse & a photo of this beautiful fish & leaving behind that magic bass scent, I release her, hopefully giving somebody else an opportunity to catch her, too. The drought was finally over.

Moments later I was on again with an average fish caught from the ribbon weed & all of his mates following to investigate what was happening.

 

The morning was passing by very quickly & a few fish being landed. As the sun rose high in the sky punching down the heat & minimising the shadows on the water, the fishing was getting a little tough, as the bass make their way down into the deep water for cover, as they don't like that bright light.

I tried for a few hours in deeper water with very little success. It was time to head back to camp, have a bite to eat & an afternoon nap, think over the morning’s session and what could of of been & not been.

I decided to slip back out for a short afternoon session and went one pool down from the camp site. I continued with the same spinnerbait, casting into snags & crevices for a few average fish 300mm-350mm.

As the day light was pretty low & with no head lamp, I pushed on, casting away hoping the big mumma bass were out to play. As we say ONE MORE CAST! A few cast later & mumma WAS out to play, wrestling her way back into the deep. With no time wasted I didn't give her an inch and I hoped she would surface soon. With the fish in my lap & a measure of 395mm, I was stoked.

The next day was a different story: overcast, very humid & the flies were clinging to me like magnets. I set off at gentleman’s hours with a packed lunch & headed up 4 pools from camp for the day. One of these pools had plenty to offer as for structure & I hoped would be home to some big bass. A green spinner bait was tied on, imitating a green frog. I cast the lure into the raging rapids letting it flow with the water as it was sinking. WHACK, I got a good hit but no hook up - bummer. Next cast in the same spot, the lure was still sinking when it got slammed by a freight train.

It felt like another fish of a lifetime. This angry beast swam very quickly into cover making it difficult with the raging currents, really giving my new outfit a real workout. On a few occasions I had some hairy moments ,but eventually it was held in my hands it looked very close to be another 500mm but it was just shy. Regardless that it wasn't a 500mm it’s still a trophy fish in some peoples terms.

Half hour later it was time for a lure change to a small vibe & I concentrated on deeper water where there was plenty of sunken timber. It wasn't long before the rod reloaded to another aussie battler. Not huge but a lot of fun never the less. I cast the lure back into the same snag. I didn't realise for a moment that my lure got belted on the way down! I wound up the slack thinking my knot came undone. I kept winding the slack OH HANG ON I’m on here; wow ok it felt like another good'n, if not bigger than my high 400.

Being very stubborn & hanging down deep with the kayak being towed around .These fish sometimes catch you by surprise with their size, sometimes the smaller models fight a lot harder than the bigger fish. Eventually the fish surfaced with just a part of the treble in its jaw. PHEEEW that was close, a quick measure of 420mm. I was wrapped but a crappy photo turned out after all of that, but never mind I will always remember it lol.

It was a fantastic trip. It’s a dream for some people but you should give it ago some time: very rewarding if you put in the time & effort. Hopefully this rain fall we've been getting of late will really stir things up & get the rivers flowing for the bass to migrate their way into the neck of woods. It might be a bit of a late start but hopefully we will have a great summer of bassin’ action."

Excellent stuff Terry, and thanks for taking the time to write it all down for us. Looks like a really beautiful place down there. And thankfully I've finally got some reprieve from work and have been able to get out for a quick session or two myself, chasing the saltwater species though. I'll get those reports up soon, too. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid

Barramundi on a Wednesday - Gladstone, 18/9/13

Whattaya mean I have to go interstate for work? No way, I'm too busy here in Sydney, I have family commitments, I've got to... Where? Gladstone?! Oh, why didn't you say so, yeah, I can go, no sweat!

Ooh, here was my chance to get in a bit of fishing time in tropical waters. For years I've dreamed about chasing Queenfish and Barramundi and Mangrove Jacks and finally I have a small window of opportunity to cross a few fish of my wish-list. Mark and Anthony, the guys I'm working with, are also keen fishos so we figured the best chance we'd have would be to sort out a charter. Easier said than done as most charter boats that work out of Gladstone do the multi-day trips out to the reefs. Research on the web however and also word of mouth kept bringing up the same name: Johnny Mitchell.

A retired pro fisherman, Johnny has been guiding for about 8 years now and due to the fact that he's the only guy in town that does one day trips, he's flat out. Luckily he was available for the Wednesday so we planned to head out to chase Queenies and Saltwater Barramundi and any other beasties we could tempt. Of course, planning a trip doesn't mean it'll happen and sure enough, on Tuesday the wind started blowing and Johnny called us to say it wasn't looking good. He'd ring us later that afternoon with a decision.

As we sat around liberating a few Heinekens, the phone rang. It was Johnny. Worried looks crept across our faces and these turned into crestfallen ones when he said it'd be no good travelling outside. Shattered! 'But,' he said, 'we could try a couple of land-locked freshwater lagoons for some barra if you'd like?' Silly question and we locked it in.

Johnny picked us up early the next morning and we set off. On the way I asked him about Awoonga and how it faired after the floods. Basically, the fisheries was decimated with nearly all the big barra going over the dam wall when it was in flood. It'll take years for it to recover and with the water level so high, there is a good chance it may flood again this season, which will take even more fish with it.

Eventually we launched and cruised down the 1.5 km stretch of water, noting where the best snags and ambush points were. The wind was rustling the tree-tops but down here we were relatively protected. Johnny had all the gear and it was excellent, too: Shimano T-Curve Rods matched with Sustains or Stradic Ci4's.

Lures were already rigged to go and I started off with an orange/green (apparently the colour of choice up here) deep diving minnow. The technique was to cast towards the shore and the snags and quickly work the lure down and then pause it for a few seconds and then give it a double twitch to rile the fish up. Mark had on a smaller minnow while Anthony was rigged up with a paddle-tail SP.

About an hour into the day and I'm watching my lure closely when a silver flash erupts from the depths and swipes at my lure. It just misses though and all I feel is the bump! Oooh, that was close! Not long after that, Anthony gets a bump too so we are all alert and on tippy-toes ready for action. I put a cast right in next to a submerged log and twitch the lure down when it's belted hard. No missing this one and he races up and jumps twice, shaking his silver-bronze head in anger. Yeeha, this is great and after a few strong surges he about to slip into the net when he gives one more shake and throws the hooks. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Bugga! Oh well, at least I've hooked one so that's a start. I'm hoping a little while later that I'll get another chance when this time mid-retrieve I'm smashed again. Another quick jump and I keep the rod tip down to discourage him from jumping again. He zooms around to the other side of the boat, and then races back around to the other side. No mucking around with this one and he's into the net and there's yahoos and high-fives all around.

My first Barramundi. Not big at 72cms but he'll do. A few quick snaps and he's back into the water until next time. Magic. So with one under my belt, I decided to tie on one of Gladiator Tackles imported Japanese lures, a Blooowin! 140s made by BlueBlue. I only had the one lure with me and even though it wasn't the ideal colour for where we were fishing, I figured it's action would still be enough to tempt the fish.

As soon as I removed my original lure, Mark snatched it and tied it onto his line. I'd obviously imbued it with some good mojo because he was the next to hook up! More spectacular jumps and this time some great net work from Anthony saw barra number 2 hit the deck. This was Marks first Barramundi too, so more back-slapping and congratulations were on offer. Now it was time for Anthony to get one.

We'd basically narrowed down a 200 meter section of the lagoon that was holding the fish so we'd electric along the length, then would turn around and work it again. I briefly hooked up only to lose it again and then Mark lands his number two for the day. He was just as happy although you wouldn't have guessed it from the photo! back into the drink he goes and Anthony calmly walks over and says 'Gimmee that lure!' No arguments from us and fingers crossed it'll work for him, too.

As well as the Barramundi we were landing small catfish every now and then, although obviously these weren't on our hit list. We all turned when Anthony calls out in exasperation as he misses a hit and I stop winding just for a second. Two winds of the handle later, the lure is hit mid-stream and another barra leaps into the air. These are such a spectacular fish to catch and I'm doubly over-the-moon to get number two for myself.

Fresh out of the water, these fish are strikingly beautiful with large bronze and silver scales adorning their flanks. Again it's a quick unhooking followed by some happy-snaps and then it's back into the water. Time was nearing it's end for us and I briefly hooked up before dropping it mid-battle again. Try as we may, we just couldn't manage to get Anthony on the Barramundi Express even though he flogged the water to a foam. That's just the way it goes I guess: sometimes you land them and other times you just want to punch the others anglers landing them in the back of the head. : )

So what a day! Brilliant and I can highly recommend Johnny if you are up that way. Having limited time meant we didn't have the choice to scope the area and work out where to go. This way we could rely on someone elses experience and it can save wasting a lot of precious time. Even if you're there for a week or more, it's worth while getting out and picking the brains of someone that lives and breathes the fishing in the area. Johnny can be contacted through his website: Johnny Mitchells Fishing Charters

So now that I'm back home, what'll I go out to chase next. In a few weeks time I'll be heading to Port Macquarie for the ABT Daiwa Hobie Bream Tournament and it's the last chance to try to qualify for a spot on the Australian Team for the World Championships later this year. There'll be a strong field of anglers vying for these last two places so maybe I'd better get out and try to land a few bream. Maybe there'll be a few stray Barramundi in the Georges? Then again, probably not. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

Trevally Time - 7/9/13 and 15/9/13

Trevally are a great winter-time staple fish and as the weather warms, they move up further onto the shallows in search of the ever increasing baitfish schools. This weekend and last weekend, I hit Towra in Botany Bay hoping for a mixed bag but more than happy to come away with only Trevally to my name. These guys punch well above their size and when prepared correctly and eaten fresh, they're very nice on the tooth, too.

Last weekend I ventured out with Stewart and Andrew and I started throwing around one of the Gladiator Mutants. I peppered the flats and moved out into deeper water where the weed met the sand and worked the edge. Fifteen minutes had gone by and I hadn't even had a touch so I decided to move out into deeper water (approx. 2.2m deep) and I changed to a Bait Breath 2" ShiftTail rigged on a HWS 1/40th jighead. Another 15 minutes and all I have is a pike and a chopper tailor. Time to rethink my strategy so I opt for a 1/20th jighead, hoping the fish are mooching around near the bottom.

First cast and boom, I'm on! a strong first run and then a pulsating steady pull and I know it's a Trevally. Sharp darting runs are the norm but the drag gives line when it needs to and soon number one is in the net. The next cast I'm on again and I guess I've found them! The technique was pretty simple: cast out, let the lure settle for a few seconds and then give it a little lift off the bottom and let it settle again. 

The ShiftTails were really producing the goods and my short session saw me land four of these silver bullets before I had to leave. I left them all to Andrew and Stewart and later that day I received a call from Andrew saying that he'd won the day with a 40cm fork length bream. What a beast!

With the wind backing off for yesterday, I again ventured to Towra hoping for a repeat of last weeks effort but this time I was by myself. I stuck to the same plan and used the two colours of ShiftTails that you see in the photo. First cast and I load up on a nice fish so it's good to see they are still about. I did notice that I was getting more bites on the green lure (colour no.1) so I stuck with that one.

To mix it up, I also tried a green Bait Breath 3" FishCurly which also pinned it's fair share of fish. Normally I also do well on the blades with Trevally and I cast one of the Gladiator Shiver vibes (colour 004) for a while but only managed one fish. Maybe if I'd had the green colour (006) I'd have picked up a few more fish with it. It's funny how some days fish will hit one colour and the next day they'll hit something different. It just goes to show that you have to mix it up a bit to see what they want.

The final count for the day was 9 Trevally between 33 and 39 cms. Great fun on 3lb gear and a welcome addition to the dinner table. Make sure that you bleed them ASAP and I also fillet and skin them and then remove the darker flesh along their lateral line as this is a stronger flavour than the rest of their firm white flesh. 

This week I have to fly up to Gladstone in Queensland for work and fingers crossed, I'll be able to get out for a day chasing Queenfish, saltwater Barra and any other big beastie that wants to crunch a lure. Happy days ahead! Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid

NEWS FLASH: CID goes fishing and AFTA update - 27/8/13

Oh my Lord, it was great to get back onto the water, even though it still is a bit chilly in the morning. But things are definitely starting to warm up, and it wont be too much longer before it's surface luring time. Bring on spring and summer, I say.

My goal for Sunday morning was to catch lunch, so I figured a flathead or two would be perfect. I launched into Woolooware Bay and could already see 4 kayaks out on the water. It's great to see so many people have taken up this fantastic sport and also great to see that three of those other kayaks were Hobies.

The tide was just starting to come in so I decided to give the racks a quick flick. It was probably a little too low I surmised and this was confirmed by not even a bump from any of the racks I visited.

I moved from here to try rolling HB's over the boulders but apart from one roasting that kept my Gladiator Mutant as a souvenir, it was very quiet. I only had a couple of hours to produce some results so I decided to target marker poles on the way back with SP's. My choice was a Bait Breat 3.5" Fishcurly rigged on a 1/28th HWS jighead. This came up trumps and a nearly half a meter flathead (49cms actually) was soon in the net. He'll be perfect for lunch and luckily for me too, as he was the only legal one I could get.

Back on shore I noticed he had a fat gut so I looked at what he'd been feeding on. I was surprised to see he'd been gorging himself on crabs. This sort of information is invaluable as I it can help you decide on what to rig up next time you go out. I'll be tying on one of the Bait Breath Rockin Crabs for sure. These are a perfect imitation and if flathead are feeding on them, then the bream will definitely be doing the same.

For those of you lucky enough to be in Qld and are able to attend the AFTA trade show, make sure you drop into the Gladiator stand (R20, see the circled stand on the map) and have a look at some of the great new items that will be available for this summer. Whatever your style of fishing, Gladiator have it covered.

A few of the Pro Staff will be on hand to answer any questions, including Anthony Thorpe, one of the gun bream anglers in the country and make sure you ask him about the new Bait Breath SL remix soft plastic lures that will be absolute dynamite on the bream scene. 

These things will work anywhere, either rigged to be fished deep under boat hulls; skipped under jetties and pontoons or even rigged weightless and rolled over the top of weed beds. Anthony will be able to fill you in on all of these methods, so don't be afraid to ask. 

Check out this video on YouTube where Steve Morgan gets the low down from Anthony:  Bait Breath SL Remix

Another pro staffer sharing his wealth of knowledge on the new Gensan range of squid jigs from Gan Craft is Paul 'Kuma' Carter. If you want the finer points on squiding, or Eging, then Paul is your man: Gan Craft Australian Range

So I was lucky to get out last weekend but it looks like this weekend may be another write off fishing wise but there is one big ray of sunshine for all of us lure addicts. Adam Costa from the online tackle store Fishin fame is branching out even further and will be opening his new shop this Sunday at 9 am. Perfect timing for fathers day. Adam specialises in bream tournament gear and his range is exceptional. Drop in and have a look and buy some lures as you'll be hard pressed to get them at a better price anywhere else. 

The address is: Shop 18, 29 Kiora Rd, Miranda, 2228. It's in the centre where the RTA and Spotlight is. In fact, Adams shop is right next to Spotlight, so you wont be able to miss it. See you all there on Sunday morning. Happy yakkin', everyone.

cheers,

Cid

Gladiator Psyborg Rods: Great or a gimmick?

Instead of sulking like a petulant school child, I decided to do something about my lack of fishing time and applied it to giving my gear a quick spruce up. It was while cleaning down my rods that I took a closer look at the Psyborgs that I have. These really are a beautiful looking rod with their polished metallic appearance and it wasn't until I took the reel off one of them that I remembered just how feather-light these things are.

The Pysborgs are crafted from a material known as Nano IMX Graphite which is nano carbon (IM10 Graphite from Toray) formulated with resin (3M nano-resin) that binds the carbon fibre and re-enforces the blank to the extent that broken rods may be a thing of the past. Many of us have had those top of the range graphite rods that at some point in their life have been bumped too hard or scratched slightly which creates a weak-point that can snap under a heavy load, such as when a rampaging bream is trying to bury itself back in the oyster racks (yes, I'm talking about you, the bream in Woolooware Bay from about 4 months ago).

These rods are approximately 30% stronger, up to 10% lighter and have hugely improved impact resistance compared to conventional carbon fibre. Top this brilliant blank off with new Fuji KR Concept guides and the minimalist skeleton reel seat and you have a rod that stands out from all the rest. Seven rods are available in the series ranging from a 2 piece 6' 2-4 kg rod suitable for packing away while camping and trekking and is ideal for trout or bass, to the 1 piece 7'6" 2-6 kg rod that is ideal for chasing snapper with SP's and putting in those longer casts to reach surface feeding pelagics.

Ok, that's all the technical stuff out of the way, let's get down to the practical details and why I think they are a great rod to have in your arsenal. Firstly, these things are so light you can effortlessly cast them all day long. At just over 94 grams, they are unbelievable! I fish in quite a few competitions and I know that casting for several hours can start to take it's toll on your arms and back if the gear you are using is rather heavy. You mightn't think that 30 or 40 grams makes much of a difference, but believe me, it does.

Secondly, the KR Concept guides are a godsend when it comes to light lines. The design of these runners helps to avoid line wrap around the runners by enabling the line to 'slip off' the runners if a loop occurs. Less time untangling, more time fishing.

Thirdly, the height of the first three stripping guides prevent line slap against the rod, one of the main culprits in reducing casting distance. This is more noticeable with mono filament lines but even braid line users will see themselves gaining those extra few meters each cast. Ideal for those days hunting skittish fish over the flats.

Fourth, the skeleton reel seat. This was a new concept for me and apart from keeping the rod weight down, it performs a very important secondary function. While holding the rod, I'm able to keep in contact with the rod blank at all times and any slight 'tick' in the line is transmitted through the rod to me. When fish are a bit shy and are tentative with their bites, being able to feel the slightest vibration can be the difference between "Fish on!" and "Aaargh, just missed him..."

'Ok,' you're saying, 'but what are their bad points?' Well, there is none. But if you want me to be extremely picky, I will be. When I first started using these rods, I was used to a shorter butt length. I thought they were a bit too long but all it took was a few sessions to adjust. The extra length affords me greater control over the fish in tight areas ie racks and around jetties and the added casting accuracy and distance is a definite advantage. Also, I use fluoro leaders to connect to my braid and heavy leaders of 12lb or more isn't really suited to the 1-3kg range. The ultra-fine guides weren't designed for the size of the knot trying to slide through and you will notice line bump while casting. Anything under 10lb is fine though and a work around is using shorter leader lengths so it stays outside of the runners while casting.

If you see me out at anytime and want to have a look at the rods, please just come over and ask. I'm not the only ones using these rods though and two of the top boating teams use them, too. Fellow Gladiator team members Anthony and Rodney Thorpe, and Glenn Ross and Mark Crompton use these rods and are consistently ranking in the top of any tournaments they enter. These guys are always looking for anything that'll give them the edge, and the Psyborg Rods are an integral part of the gear they use. And they, like me, know that they are a great rod and not a gimmick.

So if you're looking for a new high-end rod with all the 'bells and whistles' that wont break the bank, the Gladiator Psyborgs are the way to go. Prices are between $229-$299 depending on the model and they can be found at Amazon Outdoors, Rockdale Bait and Tackle, Compleat Angler Northrocks and Motackle.

Lately, I just wish I had more opportunity to use 'em but now that soccer is over, look out fish! Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

Other peoples fish - July 2013

The early soccer games are really playing havoc with my time on the water. 8am kick-offs are not my preferred starting time...

Luckily though, Andrew and Stewart have been able to get out and their time on the water has seen some very respectable fish coming in to join them.

Andrew has been having a few night sessions chasing Jewfish and these photos show a couple of examples from his successful forays. The first fish went just over 92 cms I think and was a great capture on 6 lb leader. The lure that Andrew used was one of the new Squidgy Wild Prawns. In fact, you can just notice it at the far left hand side of the photo with the fish on the lie-detector. Well, half of it, anyway.

The next one he landed stretched out to 61 cms and this time it fell to a Jackal Transam which can be seen just below the head of the fish. On one of their trips, Stewart hooked up to an absolute beast but some unknown structure on the bottom of the river-bed saw them part company mid-fight when the light rubbed against it.

So to drown his sorrows, Stewart headed out in search of Snapper and of course, found them. It wasn't an easy day for him though he reported, and he had to try various depths until he located them. Surprisingly, it was in fairly shallow water of 4 meters. Just shows that sometimes you have to think a bit to get your fish. I'm just glad he did because I was the lucky recipient of one of the snapper and they are a mighty fine fish on the table.

Only 3 weeks of soccer to go and then I'll be back in the saddle and trying to catch up to Andrew and Stewart. I just hope they leave some fish for me. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

Gladiator Mutants - Woolooware Bay - 22/6/13

The ABT Daiwa/Hobie Kayak Grand Final is going to be held at Marlo in Victoria this coming November and on the menu are some big, bruising Black Bream. Last year the final was at the Bemm River and the black bream down there loved any of the longer minnow style of crank lures that were thrown at them. This year I have a new weapon in my arsenal of lures and I think they'll be perfect for the job.

The Gladiator Mutants are a 50mm floating (3.4g) or suspending (3.5g) lure that dives 1.0-1.2m and are ideal for targeting Bream and Flathead either over the flats or over broken rubble. Due to their light weight, I normally rig them on 4lb braid with a 4lb leader and this will still let you cast them a fair distance. Today I'd upped the ante on the leader to 6lb as there was some pretty nasty structure where we would be fishing. That extra 2lbs of leverage may come in handy later.

Andrew and I had decided to hit the rocky flats of Woolooware Bay on Saturday morning and I tied on a no.15 colour, which is a variation of a bluegill pattern. To see all the colours that are available, visit this link: www.gladiatortackle.com.au

As we made our way to our spot, we hoped the rain we could see falling out over the ocean would stay out there. It was just near high tide and the area we were fishing is just over a meter deep and is full of broken rocks, crushed oysters and old oyster rack poles, so we were pretty confident we'd get a few fish. On the way we pass a few old racks and I can't help but to have a cast. Wise choice for me and number one comes in to say hello. Looks like the Sydney Bream like the longer lures, too.

Andrew proceeds to drop one (sucka) and we continue on our way. At the start of our pass over the area, we give ourselves some casting room and let the wind push us. I've had a few whacks at the lure but it's 15 minutes or so before I come up tight on number two. This fish pulls some line and I tighten the drag as you really can't let them run in here. I see a flash of silver but then feel the thump, thump, thump reverberate up the line. It's a Trevally! These are a great sport fish and when prepared correctly are fine eating, too. Into the well he goes and I decided to change the lure and give another colour a run. This time I select colour no.4.

I look over and see Andrew is just landing a fish. "30 fork," he yells and slips it back into the water. The technique we are using is a straight slow roll of the lure, keeping the rod tip down and pausing slightly once it bumps into the rocky bottom. This 'bumping' trick is sometimes essential to help get the attention of the local fish and today once again proved how successful it can be. I get a whack on the lure but no hook up, so I pause it and then give it a slight twitch. This was enough to get the fish to strike and bream number 2 comes aboard for a quick photo opportunity.

The weather is starting to look a bit nastier now and I have to go to take Lachlan to soccer. I leave Andrew to catch a few more (he landed another two bream and a flathead) and as I race back, I plan to have a quick flick at any marker poles with a lightly-weighted Bait Breath Fishtail Shad. Eight poles I tried on the way back and on the very last pole, I get one more bream for the day. It's a perfect way to finish and not a bad way to spend a couple of hours on a miserable Saturday morning. The weather may be cold and wet but the fish still have to eat.

If the weather improves, I wouldn't mind giving these Mutants a run in the racks. That'll test how well they go on a locked up fish that's trying to get back to cover. I'm sure they'll come through with flying colours. Talking of colours, which one will I try next? Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

WSBB Bream Scramble - 16/6/13

Ooh, these mornings are pretty chilly now, but with lots of layers on, I was ready for whatever the day could throw at me. 32 boats were ready for battle and after a bacon and egg roll for breakfast, we were all keen to get underway. Gary and I were number 30 and we set off for our destination at the mouth of the Lane Cove River. The plan was to start off in the deep water until the tide started to push back in, then we'd head up Lane Cove River and fish the boat hulls. The bream for this event have to be 25 fork length and it's your best five fish.

Gary was starting off with a Blade so I opted for a 1/8th jig head and a Bait Breath 3.5" FishCurly in green. The heavy jig head was so I could get to the bottom seeing as we were fishing in 10m of water. Gary was first into a fish but he calls it for a flathead straight away. At 60 cms it was a good one too, but it's useless for us today, so back he went.

I'm next to hook up and it's also a good fish but the telltale pulsing of the rod tip signals that it's a trevally. Aaaarrgghh. Come on! We bump into Dave Tosland and he has two in the well already. I get a massive hit on the Fishcurly but no hook up. I wind in to find the plastic has been bitten in half, just behind the hook. Bummer. I re-rig and turn when I hear Garys drag squealing. 'Yes,' I say, but no, it's another trevally. About 50 cms so it's another great fish but the wrong species.

We motor back up and start another drift. I decide to change to a Gladiator Runner Blade in black and this gets a hit straight away. This feels better, definitely not a flathead or a trevally and yeehah, it's a bream. 27 fork length and he's our first one in the well. That's the donut-monkey of my back and after last year when I didn't land a single one, it was a huge sigh of relief.

Five minutes later and I'm on again and it's another 27 cm fork bream. Two! From me! Egads. And blow me down, it's only a few minutes later when I get number 3, this one slightly bigger at 28 fork. Gary has fainted so I revive him and tell him he can catch one now.

Back we go for another crack at them and it's my turn for a flathead. Then I get a bream but he's just under legal. We can see Dave and he's hooked up to something good. But it's another big trevva so there's no joy for him. Gary is next cab off the rank and this one feels right. Up she comes and she's nice and fat and at 32 fork she's our best yet. Then whack, he's on again and this one is 30 fork. Woohoo. That's our bag, so now its time to upgrade. But the bite goes quiet so we decide to venture up river.

We start working the boat hulls and I change to a Bait Breath Fishtail Shad. First boat I get a bream but he's no upgrade so he's sent on his way. I get another one (maybe it's the same one!) so he's returned also. We mooch around working different depths but we can't find any upgrades so we decide to go back to the deeper water.

This started off as a good move because Gary immediately gets us another 30 forker. I'm guesstimating we have about 2.5-2.7 kgs. We need that kicker fish. I'm back to the Runner Blade when it's belted! "Oh yes, this is it," I say. Nice strong runs and I back the drag off slightly to ensure I don't get busted off. We're peering over the side and see a flash of silver before it darts under the boat. I push the rod tip under water to keep the line clear and ease her out and NOOOOOOOO! It's a 40cm whiting! Our hopes dashed, we figure it's about time to start heading back.

There were no more fish for us and we weighed in for 2.708 kgs. Andrew was fishing this with one of his mates, Graeme, and they'd had an awesome day. Andrew snaffled the big bream with this 1.267 kg beauty and their total weight went 3.204 kgs. This fish anchored their bag and they took out 4th place, so well done guys.

Without that kicker fish, all Gary and I could manage was 9th place, but at least we cracked the top 10. And more importantly, I contributed to our bag this year! Yay! Top place went to Team Gamakatsu/Samurai Rods with 4.288 kgs, a fantastic bag and they took it out by over 800 grams.

So another superbly run event by Western Sydney Bream and Bass and I wish they did one in the summer as well. Without a doubt, Gary and I will be back next year for another tilt at the title. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

3 week catch up - Georges River Gamakatsu Round 26th May 2013, etc

Sometimes work just gets in the way and that's how it's been the last few weeks. To make amends, this report will be light on words but big on photo's. Let's get going...

The Gama Round held on the 26th May was a bit of a non-event for me. I just couldn't find fish at my normal spots and only managed two legals: one fell to my ever trusty Bingo HB and the other to my favourite SP at the moment, the Bait Breath Fishtail Shad. Neither of them were big fish but I did get done over a couple of times and for a brief few seconds a Trevally really had my hopes up. The two bream (0.73kgs) placed me 26th out of  41 yakkers. Top spots went to Simon Morley (1.97kgs), equal 2nd went to Chris Seeto and Jason Reid (1.89kgs) and 3rd went to Craig Coughlan (1.64kgs). An extra big congratulations to Craig is warranted as he also managed to take out the Angler of the Year for the Gama comps. Top stuff buddy.

In the boaters, my fellow Team Gladiator/Hobie anglers - Glenn Ross and Mark Crompton - were just bumped out of 1st place. They had a cracking bag of 3.98kgs and were pipped at the post by Alan Loftus and Ross Cannizzaro with 4.15kgs.

Fishing has been non-existent for me since that weekend but thankfully others have been out and sent me a couple of photos.

Stewart and Andrew have been on multiple trips, hitting the Georges River, Port Hacking, Shoalhaven and St Georges Basin. Stewart started it off with a nice jewfish one night that was promptly released after going on the lie detector.
 

 This was followed up the next night at a different location. This time, he and Andrew both managed a few each...

Then it was down south to mix it with bream, flathead, snapper, tailor, luderick, etc...

But of course, Andrew smashed it by getting that most coveted fish of all: the Leather Jacket! 

What a champion!

And then just to rub salt into my wounds, Tezza sends some photos of the jewfish he's been getting in Botany Bay, too. Makes ya sick, doesn't it...

So at least I'll be getting out this weekend though. It's the annual Bream Scramble of the Western Sydney Bream and Bass Club. It's open to all comers and is a teams event held on the Parramatta River. Gary and I placed 4th last year so we're looking to improve a few places. If you're keen, you can pay on the day (and get brekky and lunch, too) so just go to their website for all the necessary information: www.wsbb.com.au. 

Hopefully we'll see you there for a great day and some big fish. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid