Port Hacking - 9/2/13

'Ok,' I said, 'I'm in. Where are we going?' 'Grays Point,' said Andrew. 'Okaaaaaaayyyyyy...,' was my not-so-enthusiastic reply. The Hacking can be tough at the best of times but then again, sometimes it really fires and the action can completely change your opinion of it. Until the next time, when she'll dash your spirits on the rocks and leave you shattered! But I was committed now and continued to sort out my HB tackle box which was getting it's annual re-arranging (not that it does any good) to make it look more fish-catching than last year.

I don't fish the Hacking very often and when I do I normally launch in Yowie Bay. Why I don't like launching at Grays Point is due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the boat traffic around here on the weekend is crazy. Secondly, unless you go upstream, it's a long slog back towards Gymea Bay to find some fish. Sure, you may get some fish from the edges but 9 times out of 10 I reckon it's a struggle. Thirdly, you'll have to compete with the jetskiers and wakeboarders and ski boats zooming all over the place.

But we went anyway and it was a beautiful morning. Andrew wasted no time and started throwing around a HB at the mouth of the small creek opposite the ramp and latched onto a monster straight away. How he landed it I'll never know? He'd set the bar pretty high and I knew that Stewart and I had our work cut out to beat him today.

As we made our way downstream we peppered the few boats and jetties with SP's for nary a touch. While Stewart and Andrew decided to work the shoreline with cicada HB's, I ventured into Mansion Bay to try the moored boats and pontoons. Luckily for me, no fish were about to ruin my leisurely casting practice. Swines!

So I left the Bay and thought, 'I know, I'll work some HB's over the flats and weedbeds out at the front of the bay.' As I neared them I noticed that Stewart had the same idea and was approaching from the opposite shoreline. But what's this, we aren't the only ones with the flats in mind and with music blaring, a wake boat and it's following wake boarder did a few figure eights right where we were heading and promptly scared off any fish that may have been in residence.

Ah well, looks like it's back to the shorelines for us. Stewart and Andrew both say they've dropped a couple of fish and I watch Stewart pull the hooks on one, but it wasn't a keeper anyway so it was no great loss. I figure I'll go to the point at the end of Deer Park to fish the weed beds but joy of joys, I get to share it with four ski boats. That's it, I'm off and I wish the boys good luck.

As I pass over the edge of the flats, I figure I'll throw an Atomic 38 Deep Crank out and see if there is anything remaining in the area. The rod buckles under the strain and I pull in a tarwhine. A quick photo with the iPhone and I send it off to Andrew and Stewart with a message: 'I'm winning!'

A few more casts and this time I'm beside myself. Another photo and a message: 'Smashin' ya now.' Oh, how can I lose? Closer to the ramp I start flicking a popper deep into the mangroves and only manage a half-hearted swipe from something that didn't even come close to hooking up.

Later that day I hear that Andrew landed a bream of about 30cm fork length which I thought had trumped me BUT then I learnt that Stewart had hooked a small snapper AND a tailor on a blade at the same time. He kicked us outta the park and was the hands-down winner for sure. What a champion! In other words, he has a head like a spark plug. LOL : )

This coming weekend sees one of the biggest rounds of the ABT Hobie Kayak Series being run on the mighty Bemm in Victoria, the same place where the Grand Final was last year. This will attract a huge field of maybe 60 or more kayaks so it'll be a cracker. Keep up to date with results here at www.hobiefishing.com.au and if your online at 2pm, check out the live streaming of the weigh-in here at www.bream.com.au. It'll be a good rematch between the GF winner, Shane Taylor and the runner up, Richard Somerton. I'll be logging in for sure.

I think I'm going to go chase some bream in the racks for a change this weekend and see if I can manage to pull a big angry Yellowfin Bream out of his home for a short while. At least I know there wont be any ski boats hooning around there. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid