Botany Bay Report - 23/6/07

My hopes for chasing bream on the Cooks River were dashed when I saw the colour of the water on friday. It was still muddy and murky and recalling previous lack-lustre attempts when the water was like this, I decided to give it a miss.

So it was back to my 6:30am start on Silver Beach next to the Oil Refinery. The weather was surprisingly good, meaning the wind was only 10 knots or so and there wasn't any rain. As I approached the Hotwater Outlet I was surprised to see that I had the place to myself. I felt sure there would've been boats out in force after the crappy weather we'd had lately. 'More for me,' I thought and I let fire with my first cast with an EastCoast Splash 'n Dash. Flat-chat across the surface and 'Boof', it's hit by a tailor. Ooh yeah, first cast, I like it! Lots of jumping and splashing around and as I'm playing him out I notice baitfish jumping all around me with tailor in hot pursuit. I lift this guy into the Hobie, guess-timate him at about a kilo, throw him into the livewell and get back to fishing.

The next 3 casts resulted in another 3 fish all about the same size - same technique and it's a blast to see them chase down the popper. On the fifth cast I hook-up again but it's all too brief and I've been bitten off. Aaarrrgghhh! And that was my last Splash 'n Dash, too. : (

Ok, I've had some fun, now let's get serious. I rig up with a Mojo Twitchin Minnow (garfish colour) and cast out hoping it'll get down below the tailor. Blast hooked up again! Hee hee hee. Another tailor and one shredded mojo. Re-rig and try again. I manage to get through the 'mobile fangs' and start the 'lift, lift, wind' retrieve. On the 4th cast I get a nudge and get ready. 'Zzzzzzzzzzz' goes the reel and I know this ain't a tailor! Strong, deep runs and I'm off in pursuit. I'm hoping it'll be a new PB and when I finally lift him aboard my hopes are confirmed. 72cm's total length and this guy will be great on the BBQ.

Back to the same spot, fix up the SP that's slightly chewed and out she goes again. "Lift, lift, wind...lift, lift, wind...lift, lift, OH YES! I'm on again! This one really took off and before long I was being towed by another winter kingie! Thankfully there isn't any structure around here as she really put the burners on a few times and peeled off 20-25 meters of line each time. This 10lb braid would be a bit light around pylons but it's a hoot out here in the open. I ease her up and make sure she's nice and tired before I grab her with the lip-grips and slide her over the size. She's a bit chunkier than the first one and she's on the lie detector quick smart and what do you know? My new PB is now 75cm's, so I'm only 25cm's away from my goal of getting a meter kingie from the kayak.

I look around and I still can't beleive it: no boats anywhere to take a photo for me, so it's a quick juggling act to get a shot with both fish in it. I only had 10 minutes of fishing time left so I got her back into the water and swam her along until she kicked out of my grip and disappeared into the depths.

Well try as I might, I couldn't get another kingfish. But that's only because the tailor had returned and would shred any SP within seconds of them hitting the water! I quickly changed to a Halco Twisty metal slice and landed another 4 before it was time to leave. It was a crime to leave them biting so I rang Daveyg and said 'Get down here whenever you get a chance,' but I think the poor guy was shackled to soccer duties for the day. Poor bugger.

So what a day! Easily one of the best sessions I've ever had fishing and I am still amazed that I was the only one there. I know where I'll be going next weekend if the weather holds. But you know how fishing is, here one day, gone the next. We'll see anyway. Happy yakkin', everyone.

cheers,

Cid

Botany Bay Report - 21/6/07

I know! You're thinking 'ANOTHER report on Botany Bay!' but I'm sorry, the weather the last few weeks has really limited me to where I can fish. The rivers are the colour of coffee, with so much fresh in them that it wouldn't be worth throwing a line in. Give it a few days without rain and it'll be ok and if the weather holds, I'll try for some bream and jewfish around bridge pylons this weekend.

Luckily, the weather was fairly reasonable for a quick assault on the hotwater outlet and once again I had the place to myself. Funny about that... I always start with a few casts with surface lures just in case there are a few tailor hunting. After about 10 casts I switched to the Mojo SP and started working various depths trying to find a fish or two. I had the camera set up and about 15 minutes into filming I get a quick hit mid-retrieve. I paused then quickly twitched the lure. That was enough and 'crunch', I hook up.

This fish went straight for the bottom and I called it for a kingie. Not a big one though she still pulled a bit of line off the reel. I took my time so as not to pull the hooks and eased her up next to the yak then swung her aboard. A few snapshots and back into the water until next summer when we may meet up again. : )


I'd drifted a bit in the wind and current so I made my way back to the outlet. The next cast I decided to talk about how you can also fish SP's fast, skipping them across the surface when about 4 fish jostled for my lure when one of them, another small kingie, did half a cartwheel out of the water! Yeehah! None of the useless fools hooked up though, so out it goes again and another fast retrieve sees it snaffled after a few feet.

It goes deep again and I call it for anther kingfish but surprise, surprise, it's a tailor of about a kilo, that of course shreds the Mojo to bits. Ah, that's dinner but by the time I re-rig and get back to the spot they've all disappeared. The fishing can be like that at the outlet, one minute they're there, the next they're gone!

Well, if the action keeps going like this, I'll make regular little trips to the outlet this winter. It's only 500 meters from the beach and you virtually park your car right next to the launch spot and only have to carry the yak 30 meters. The Tailor will be around all winter and fingers crossed, a few kingies will stay about, too. Happy yakkin', everyone.

cheers,
Cid

Botany & Oyster Bay - 11/6/07

Well, what a wild and woolly week that was! If you managed to find a break in the weather to get out, then well done. I managed to get out twice but both times were quick trips. That was enough to give me my 'fix' though, so I'm right for another couple of days.

So it's well and truly winter and the kingie season I guess is officially over now, but I still wanted to land one in June. So last Thursday (7/6/07) I made my way to the Hot Water outlet (again). 15 knot winds and a few spots of rain didn't deter me and I proceeded to cast with a few surface poppers hoping a few tailor would be scouting about in the pre-dawn gloom. But no, nothing smashed the lure off the surface in a spray of salty water, so I switched to the Mojo Twitchin' minnow stickbait that's worked for me in the past.

The wind was gradually picking up and casting into the breeze was starting to seem fairly futile. And now the rain really started to come down. 'Ok, 3 more casts and that's it,' I thought. Half way back on the second cast I see a flash of silver, the line tightens, I strike! And I'm on. Ooh, and this doesn't feel like a tailor either. A few solid runs down deep and I call it for a kingie but I can tell it's not a big one. I quickly get him to the side of the yak and lift him out for a few snapshots. Only 47cm's but I've achieved my goal of a kingfish in June! With a 'See you next year!' I sent him back into the deep.

I quickly head back for a few more casts when all of a sudden I hear a rumble and then 'CRACK'...Lightning. Ok, that's it for me, I'm outta here! I just load up the car and jump in when it buckets down, so I planned my escape to perfection.

The next few days I considered building an ark but by Sunday the rain had eased off. I knew the waters would be a nice coffee-colour on Monday but in the afternoon I flicked a few plastics around Oyster Bay. I headed to the mouth of the bay figuring there'd be more chances of fish near the main river. To say it was quiet would be an understatement but I still managed to get a few fish.

The first one I picked up was a nice 53cm flathead that was nestled on a sandy patch amongst a rocky shoreline. He pounced on my 3" Gulp minnow in Lime/Tiger and twice I thought he'd run me around some rocks but sometimes you get lucky and he was a welcome addition to the yak.

The next couple of hours saw me land a few bream to 29cm's but as I said, the fishing was definitely slower than what I am used to in this neck of the
woods. At least the systems around Sydney will have gotten a good flush out and I reckon the fishing will be great once it all settles down. Snapper should be great around any of the headlands, just make sure it's safe before you head out to get them. Happy yakkin', everyone.

cheers,
Cid

Botany Bay Report - 3/6/07

With the kingie season rapidly approaching its end, I was keen to have as many cracks at them as I could. So it was back to the scene of the crime, the Hotwater Outlet off Silver Beach. Once again it was windy and there was plenty of chop but I was still determined to get out there amongst them. There was no other boats today so I had the place to myself.

Out goes my 6" Mojo Twitchin Minnow (why change a winning formula, I say) and I immediately get a few hard hits. No hook-up (bugger) but when I get the lure back it's now a 3" Stubbie Minnow. TAILOR! I quickly flick the chomped plastic back out....5 quick winds of the handle and whack! I'm on!

It was obviously not a kingie though but as he cartwhelled across the surface I thought 'Hey, he's not too bad.' I play him out and lift him aboard and he's a new PB for me from the yak. 48.5cm's and it pulls the scales down to 1.1kg's.

Over the next 15 minutes I hooked two more tailor but they both bit me off. The last one leapt about 3 feet out of the water and looked a little bigger than the one I landed. Oh what the heck, it got away, so I may as well say it was about a meter long and about 10 kilo's! Yeah, right.

And that was all the action I had apart from one good hit just before I headed into shore. Maybe a kingie, who knows but the plastic came back in one piece so I was assuming it wasn't a tailor again.

Sunday morning was a completely different scenario when Mick Munns and I launched at 6am. Just a breath of wind and nice calm water but i'd have preferred the crappy weather if the results could have been better. We worked the outlet for a good 90 minutes for nuthin'! Not even a hit. Funny how things can go like that.

Anyway, I didn't want to go home empty handed so Mick and I quickly went and threw a few plastics around the pylons of the Refinery Wharf. I was using Berkley Gulp 3" Minnows in Lime/Tiger and in a short stint there, before security informed us we had keep at least 100 meters away, I managed to land four bream, the biggest going 35cm's fork length.

Mick hooked two rippers that quickly took off for the heads and as far as we know they are still going with his lures in their mouths. Next time Mick, next time buddy.

Back on shore I was privileged to see some of Micks new lures that he's been making. Ooh, these are truly drool-enducing creations and you won't get a better product anywhere. All hand made from wood and beautifully finished, it's alomst a crime to tie them onto your line and cast them out. The trouble is though, they just work so damn well. If you're interested in getting some, call Mick on 0410 960 137.

Here are a few examples next to a ruler to give you some idea of their size. These lures will catch everything from Bass to Bream to Flathead, whiting and tailor and I reckon the kingies would spark up at the double bladed models, too.

Happy yakkin' everyone.

cheers,
Cid

Botany Bay Report - 29/5/07

Oh man, what a week! Headaches, cold sweats, shivering like crazy...I'll tell you, it's taken me ages to get over it; being stuck in a stink boat, worried that a fellow kayaker will see me and start screaming like Donald Sutherland did at the end of the movie, 'The Body Snatchers'!

In all honesty, Fordy and I had a ball last week and his Explorer is a great little boat to zip around in. Anytime you need a deckie, Fordy, just let me know.

I was itchin' to get a kingie from the kayak after our efforts and the last few times I'd been out with Daveyg had been a bit disappointing on the fishing front. So mid-week I dragged my weary bones out of bed at 5:15am and set off from Silver Beach to the Hotwater Outlet. It was a bit windy and there was a bit of chop about and I was thinking that I should've stayed in bed. In anticipation I'd set the camera up for filming but the waves and wind were throwing up too much water, so I packed it away for safe keeping.

With a 6" Mojo Twitchin Minnow rigged on a 1/4oz jig head tied to 10lb fluoro and 10lb braid, I proceeded to cast into the middle of the churning water, where I'd let it sink for 10 seconds and then jig it back with two sharp lifts of the rod tip, then pause and wind in the slack, then repeat. I circled around working the area thoroughly. I'd been casting for about 10 minutes when I almost had the lure back to the yak. Only 4 meters away from me there was a big boil on the surface, the rod bent over, I struck and ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, we're on!

These kingfish have amazing power and when you're in a kayak
they'll easily tow you around. First he headed west, then did an about face and decided going east would be better. I'd gain a few meters and then he'd race off and take them back. The nearest structure was about 100 meters away so I wasn't too concerned with him busting me off but some of the runs made me raise my eyebrows a few times that's for sure.

We circled each other for the next few minutes and slowly he started to come up. First colour and I thought 'Ooh, I hope he's bigger than Fordy's?' When I thought he was beaten, I attempted a tail grab. No way, Jose! He darted a few meters down and circled beneath me. The next time I had him next to the kayak I played safe and slid the net under him.

YES! My first Yellowtail Kingfish from the kayak. Onto the
lie-detector he goes and 'Aaaarrrggghhhhh", it's just under Fordy's
by 3cm's. But I'm still stoked to get him and 69cm's total length is good enough for me. A few guys fishing for bream and trevally in a boat named 'Spanardo' kindly took a photo for me for posterity. Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I hope the rest of your day turned out as good as mine!

I had a few more casts but apart from one bump from something, nothing else joined me in the yak. Back on shore a few early morning beach-walkers were amazed that I'd been out fishing in 'that tiny thing' but their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when I lifted the kingie out. 'What??? You can get fish like that in Botany Bay?' they asked. 'Oh, this is just the live-bait,' I said. : ) Only joking.

So for those keen enough, there are still a few kingies about and although the numbers may be down, the ones still here are pretty good sizes. Next time I may just have to flick about a few of Mick Munns larger EastCoast poppers. Having one of those smashed off the surface would be un-freakin'-believable! Happy yakkin', everyone.

cheers,
Cid

Botany Bay Report - 20/5/07

Last week Cid commented about owning a stink boat and if you'd bother going out for just 2 hours. Now I know what some of you will say, however I have to report about the purchase of my own stink boat.

I recently purchased a Quintrex 385 Explorer and on Sunday Cid risked his Kayak Fishing reputation to join me for my first official outing in the dreaded STINK BOAT.

We launch from the ramp fondly known as "hole in the wall" at Sylvania Waters and made our way up to Kurnell armed with a little knowledge passed down from friend and fishing guide Gary Brown.

We rigged up some of the 6" Bass Assassin Twitch soft plastics and started casting at anything that looked like it would hold my target. Yes I've been lure fishing for nearly 10 years now and I've never before fished for Yellowtail Kingfish.

We made about 12 to 15 casts each and although I thought I'd had a touch on an early cast, that first kingie seemed to be avoiding me like the plague. We discussed moving to a well known bait ground to gather some live bait to increase our chances, however as luck would have it we decided to make a few more casts. Suddenly my rod bent over and the line screamed from the reel and I held on as the fish made an attempt to throw me. I held on and prayed as the fish made run after run try ing desperately to escape and then finally after 10 or 15mins she appeared neared the surface.

Cid and I looked at each other and then at the fish,"Wooho nice kingie" Cid said as he scooped her into the net, "she'll be well and truely legal" he said as he lowered the net on to the deck. We passed a number of congratulations and I held her aloft for some photo time.

We settled down and moved onto the drums where Cid was soon busted up by another kingie before he even had time to yell "I'm on !". It really wasn't Cid's day with a drifting session over the flats for flathead seeing Cid 's lure get thrown by a nice flattie only a metre or so from the boat.

New rod, new reel, new lure, new species and a new stink boat...was it worth the effort...You bet and at 72cm and 3.2kgs, I'll remember this first kingie forever.

cheers,
Fordy.

Oyster Bay Report – 12/5/07

One of the things I love about kayak fishing is that with a moments notice you can be off fishing and who cares if you have limited time on the water. I only decided at 10:30pm on Friday to throw a few lures around my local, Oyster Bay. Within 10 minutes I had all the gear ready and the yak on the car. The next morning I was up at 5:30am and on my way within 15 minutes. At 6:05am I was pushing off from the ramp ready to catch my first fish. I only had 2 hours but big deal. Now if I had a boat it’d be a different story. Would I bother going for only a 2 hour session? Probably not.

The tide was getting towards the bottom so the poppers were put on hold this time. Well, not completely, I still had a few casts while heading for the deeper water. I had a couple of half hearted swipes at the lure but nothing that really connected. My first serious attempt at a fish was at the same jetty I landed the 40cm bream from the other week while out with Mick Munns. ‘Why change tactics?’ I thought and I flicked a Gulp 3” minnow in Lime/tiger towards the leading pylons.

No bumps this time, just the line moving sideways. I strike and yeehah, we’re on! This guy makes a few strong lunges for the pylons but the rod tip cushions the runs and the drag is set nice and tight for this battle in close confines. Not quite as big as last week but still nice at 35cm’s and it’s a bloody good start to the day.

I decide to give the SMAK rackwalkers (black and silver) are workout and I picked up a few smaller bream but they are all just under the legal length of 25cm’s. The tide is a bit low so I move to the front of the bay and return to the SP’s, this time rigging up with the fav 6” sandworm in camo. It’s not long until the next legal comes aboard but it just makes it at 26cm’s.

A quick glance at the watch and all to soon it’s time to head back for home but I know of a moored boat sitting in 3 meters of water which nearly always has something underneath it. Once I was smoked by what was either a nice jewie or a HUGE bream that I hooked under the boat. Whatever it was, I wasn’t stopping it with the 2lb braid I was using. : (

I positioned myself downstream from the boat and cast right up next to where the mooring line entered the water. I let it sink then slowly hopped the jig back to me. There was a solid ‘Thump’ and I thought, ‘Hello, this feels like a flattie.’ And it was, too! Once I got him near the surface I could see I’d hooked him right in the side of the jaw, so I took my time as I knew he couldn’t chew through my leader. Into the net and onto the lie detector and he (or she) is bang on 60cm’s.

The last few pontoons were still in shade and I dropped a nice fish of about 30cm’s right at the side of the yak. Bugga! Another few casts and I notice a slight ‘tic’ on the line. I lift the rod and this thing takes off back under the pontoon. I dip the rod and keep the line safe until I can get this guy out into the open. I had the drag tight but this guy still pulled some line so I knew he was a ripper. As I ease him into the net I let out a ‘YES!’ as he’s a new PB for me. 42cm’s total length (38cm fork) and approximately 1.3kg’s.

So if I’d owned a boat instead of a kayak, I more than likely would’ve stayed in bed and missed out on a fantastic mornings fishing. How good do us yakkers have it’ eh? Happy yakkin’ everyone.

Cheers,
Cid