Nepean - 20/12/09

It's been a long time but I finally made it out for a bassin' session with Mick Munns from Lure Logic Tournament Tackle. We launched from Tench Reserve at 5:15am into the gloom and very slight drizzle, hoping the bass would be willing to play.

I had rigged up with my favourite bass lure, one of Micks Micro Rack Rats with the rubber legs, that is all battered and bruised from previous surface hits from these bronze battlers. Mick is fifty meters ahead and has already landed a small tacker. I leap-frog him and miss my first two boofs before I hook a good fish. He dives straight down into the weed and buries me. I move in and lift the line slowly but as I thought, he's gone.

Lots of little guys are trying to hit the lure even out in the open but it's a cast right next to a semi-submerged log that gets a good hit. I'm quicker this time and keep him up out of the weed and in comes the first bass (29 cms) for the season (yeah, yeah, I know, it's a bit late...).

Mick has moved over to the other side of the river and is swoffing away with the fly wand. I hear him yell out "Good fish!" so I quickly set off to see what all the fuss is about. 30 meters away I pull out the video camera just in time to see him haul in a monster! Lots of yahoos and on the lie detector she goes. 44 cms and she's absoultely gorgeous and in prime condition. We take a few happy snaps and quickly get her back into the water where she gives a few hard tail beats and shoots back to her lair.

Mick had pulled her out from under some overhanging branches. He'd rolled his black & purple Bass Hopper fly right under it with his 3 wgt flyrod and given it a few twitches when all hell broke loose. First she came out, then darted back in, then back out and into the weeds, then back under the trees again before Mick could tame her. What a catch!

We continued moving downstream and enjoyed a great couple of hours taking fish off the surface. My best for the day was a 33 cm fish that came with its own salad supply. I really thought it'd buried me like the other fish had done earlier but luckily some quick rod work managed to extract her from her hidey hole.

This bassin' is such great fun and I can't wait to get back out and have another crack at these fish. The surface smashes and close quarters combat is so exciting. And hooking a fish like Micks is simply superb. My best is 40 cms, so I've got a bit of work to do to catch up to him, especially seeing as his best from the Nepean is over 56 cms!

And just in case I don't get another post in over the next day or two, thank you all for supporting Adam and I and our DVD and website and may you all have a safe and merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid

ABT/Hobie Redcliffe Tournament - 12th - 13th Dec 2009

OMG!!! Worst. Tournament. Ever...

For me, that is! As per usual, Hobie and ABT lived up to their excellent reputation and showcased another professional tournament that combined with the good naturedness of kayaking to provide a fun and informative weekend for all. Including those that didn't catch fish.

Saturday greeted us with 20-25 knot winds and a surf launch which proved a bit wet for some. I'd never fished here before and had a choice of north to the reefs or south (to more reefs). I chose south and dropped a good fish only 10 minutes into the comp. Little did I know it, but I could've packed up and gone home then. I made it all the way down to Redcliffe and back, battling wind and some pretty wild swell for absolutely zip! Nuthin', nadda, zilcho. In fact, I not only didn't land a bream, I didn't land anything. Not even a small flattie.

Ooh, I was so frustrated. Heading back north at about 10:45 am, a wave picks me up and as I look down I see a large rock with my name written all over it. "Hmmm, not good," I think. "But wait, I think I'll make it!" Well, I almost made it. Crunch!!! The only part to hit was my rudder but that was enough to sheer off the pin that holds it in place. Now my kayak is swirling around and it's out with the paddle. I look at it for a minute thinking "How do you use one of these?" before I get into gear and head into shore.

As the others head back in, it's apparent that whoever went north had a pretty good day. Lots of tales of unstoppable fish but no really big bags which is quite surprising. After the wash up, it's the ever consistent Greg Lewis that's on the top of the table with 1.72 kgs. He's a breamin' machine and could catch one in a rain puddle, I reckon. Another regular that always manages to get fish that are just undersize is Steve Fields from Hobie, but today he has flung the donut monkey off his back and also bagged out.

Sunday is the opposite of saturday and we are greeted with almost glassy conditions. North I go with about half the fleet and start peppering the numerous reefs with HB's. I see a few yakkers hook up but no bream are coming over the sides.

I finally take up position next to a reef and decide SP's may be worth a shot and rig up a 100mm Squidgy Wriggler (Avocado) smeared with S-factor. Another angler pulls up about 30 meters away and we exchange hellos and general banter. I hear a reel sing and turn to see his rod bucking under the strain of a good fish. In comes a crackin' bream. 10 minutes later, he's on again and it's another beauty.

I'm thinking "I must be next," when he lets out a yeehah! Three fish in 25 minutes and he's off to weigh them in. I stay in the area but don't even get a touch. Please insert a dozen swear words here.

I'm starting to wonder if there are any fish at all around here when I finally, FINALLY hook

something. Not a bloody bream but a Moses Perch. That's a new species for me but I'd much prefer a bream. More casting and I get a flathead. Aaarggghhhh. Come on! It's bloody hot, the wind is starting to pick up and I still don't have a bream to my name.

I keep on casting and try numerous lures hoping to hit on a type and colour that will work. I try slow retrieves, fast retrieves, twitch retrieves, 'crank 'em down and bump the bottom' retrieves, surface lures with poppers and walk-the-dog style lures, floaters, sinkers, suspending and the whole kit and caboodle of SP's in my arsenal.

I do manage a small Rock Cod and another Moses Perch but these are all I can muster from the northern reefs. I head back towards the launch beach and decided to target the small reefs just out from it. The wind is pushing the waves and it's washing over the back of the rocks, so I settle in behind them figuring any fish will be searching for bits and pieces washed off into the white

water. I rig up with a gulp 2" shrimp (peppered) and stay put. I stick it out for the next hour and get busted up by two HUGE fish that I didn't even see and drop what would've been a 30cm fork bream.

With my tail between my legs, I mope into shore, utterly defeated by Redcliffe. Not one

bream (not even a tiddler) did I land all weekend. Frustrating.

And then to top it all off, the guy, Nicholas Meredith, who caught the 3 bream next to me ended up winning with 1.92 kgs (well done Nicholas). And what did he catch them on? A 100mm Squidgy Wriggler in bloodworm. Obviously the bream don't like avocado, eh? Greg Lewis held onto 2nd place with 1.72 kgs and 3rd was taken by Will Lee with 1.46 kgs.

It was great to see some of the top guns of the sport, Tristan Taylor and Darren 'Dizzy' Borg, getting in a yak and refining their techniques to temp the bream and hopefully in future tournaments we'll see a lot more of these top anglers joining our ranks. I've already thrown the gauntlet down to Steve Morgan and he's promised that soon, he'll jump in one and give it a go, too.

This weekend I might give the bream a miss and chase bass instead...Bloody bream... Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid

Botany Bay and Oyster Bay

Get your Orders in!

You have just over a week left to get your orders in for the Kayak Fishing Sydney DVD to gain entry into out giveaway. Place your order through our website by COB on the Friday 18th December to have a chance at winning one of our 10 prize packs.

The photo shows a selection of the items we have to giveaway and include rods, reels, hats, hard body lures, soft plastics, jigheads, braid scissors, rod covers, tackle boxes and shirts. The 10 winners will be randomly drawn and will be announced on the website and contacted by email.

Botany Bay

Terry set off from Kurnell last week and left the lures at home and decided to chase some fish with good ol' bait. He anchored up and started off a berley trail and rigged up with nippers to get a great haul of bream and trevally. Mixed in were a couple of undersize flathead and whiting so it was a pretty good session that he had out there.

CJ gets the goods...

Another report I had was from CJ, a regular reader of the reports and who recently purchased

the DVD and fired Adam and I off a few questions on the best way of catching his first king. So he watched the DVD, followed our advice and managed to catch a couple of beauties from Botany Bay.

CJ has really put in the time and effort and was amply rewarded. These two fell to the Mojo lures that we use in the DVD. I'm sure he'll rack up some big numbers now, in fact, I might have to get him to give me a lesson or two. Well done, CJ. I'll keep an eye out for you when I'm out on the Bay next.

Oyster Bay Bream ... but just one!

I had a quick one hour practice breamin' session last week and found it pretty quiet. It was the middle of the day however, so I wasn't expecting too much to be on offer. I did manage to get one cracker though, which nearly had me wrapped around the jetty I pulled it out from. He (or she) fell to a camo Sandworm on a 1/20th jighead. A couple of these would be nice in the next ABT/Hobie tournament.

Speaking of which, the next round is on this weekend at Redcliffe in sunny Queensland. You can enter on the day and fish either the saturday OR the sunday or both if you wish, but only your best bag will count. For further details, visit http://www.hobiefishing.com.au/ or http://www.bream.com.au/ .

If you're after a yak or extra gear in Qld, the place to visit is Sunstate Hobie. Mal Grey (07 5447 6317) is the boss and he has all the answers (although he wouldn't tell me where the good spots are at Redcliffe). http://www.sunstatehobie.com.au/ has all the info on hobie yaks and accessories.

Time to pray to the Bream Gods... Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid

Oyster Bay - 21/11/09

My brother-in-law, Brendan, was around for the weekend so it was time to get him out on the yak to show him what this kayak fishing caper is all about. I was tempted to take him out onto Botany Bay to chase a few salmon or kings but seeing as it was his first time, gently does it was the favoured choice, so off to Oyster Bay with Lachlan in tow to get a few flatties and bream.

Brendan quickly settled into the Outback and although a bit sceptical about the Mirage Drive at first, within minutes he was totally blown away by how quick and easy it was. Lachlan jumped on with me and we started trolling around a selection of HB's - Jackall Chubby's, SX40's, Atomic Hardz and a River 2 Sea Baby vib.

Lachlan is first off with a small flathead that goes back into the drink. A few more small fish come in for a quick visit but it's a fairly slow day so we head down to the Georges River to work the weedbed edges. I'm hoping Brendan gets a few fish and on the way we hear 'Got one!', and in comes his first fish, a flathead, from the yak. And what a monster, too. : ) At least he's on the board.

Using the sounder we troll right along the drop offs and I get a 'Narrabeen' bream before we hear Brendan again. 'Yes, much bigger!' he yells. Lachie and I go over just in time to see him swing a very nice bream aboard. 29 fork length and we finally have a keeper.

The flatties are still very scarce, as well as the bream. Water temp is 24 degrees so it's nice and warm for them. As we turn around and head back along the weedbed, Lachlan's rod bucks and the drag starts singing. His grin is like a Cheshire Cats and he's 'Oohing' and 'Aahing' as he tries to control the fish. 'This is HUGE, dad!' and up comes another keeper bream but it's only 26 to the fork. The reason for the big fight was because it was foul hooked in the side but it certainly gave Lachlan a big thrill.

Time to head back and I'm still fishless (small ones don't count according to Lachlan). Brendan is next to us and his rod whacks back and he's on again. Jammy git! Another bream and that's 3 for the morning, so it ended up ok in the end. Brendan is seriously looking at getting one of the Outbacks now so I guess that's another convert to the yakkin' world.

I take a quick snap at the ramp as the two 'beginners' ask the 'expert', "Where's your fish?" Cheeky swines, I should make them walk home... Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

ABT/Hobie Narrabeen Tournament & Oyster Bay - Nov 2009

Sorry, but last week was flat out at work (and still is), so here is a belated and brief report for the tournament. Saturday saw about 40 spreading out over the lake to catch their 3 bag. I had a great day for catching bream BUT none of them were legal. I landed 14 of the buggas with the biggest being 24 cms to the fork; 1 cm shy of going in the live well. Plus I landed 2 flatties and lost a monster about 70 cms. And I also landed two Long Toms, both about 3 feet long.

Sunday was seeming like a repeat with a multitude of small fish and wrong species coming in to say hello. The excitement of the day was hanging around with Greg L while he was hooked up to a massive Jewfish on 3lb line. I sat at the ready with my camera for 30 minutes until deciding this was gonna be a long battle and left him with Stewie standing guard seeing as I still needed to get a legal bream. Eventually (at 11:14 am to be precise) I got one! 26 cms fork and he fell to a Jackall Chubby worked slowly over the weed beds in the center of the lake.

This was followed by a few more flatties and another 24 cm bream (Aaarrrggghhhhh!!!) before time ran out and I had to head to the weigh in. I worked out the distance I travelled on Sunday and here is the path I took. All up, 18.62 kms and boy did I sleep well thet night.

A few guys had managed to find the bream and there were a few crackers, too. The best was a 1.1 kg specimen that really put my 360 g fish to shame. All I could manage was 12th place. However, I backed myself before the start of the event and upgraded to PRO status for $50. Only 6 of us took this option and seeing as I was the only one to land a legal bream, I walked away with the 300 buckeroos. Thank you very much indeed! Well done to the top 3, Matt, Jason and Dave.

Oh, and on Greg and his jewie. To the right is a picture mid-battle with Stewie standing on his Outback, trying to get a glimpse of colour. Greg was also competing in the comp in Queensland the following week and his kayak had to go on the truck to be transported there, so Stewart went back out in his kayak, they swapped mid-water and Stewart took it back to be loaded up. He then grabbed his surf board and a pair of goggles and paddled out to sit next to Greg. 'If you don't hurry up and land it,' he said, 'I'll dive down and gaff the bloody thing for you!'

By now a crowd had formed on the bank and a kind-hearted canoeist brought Greg a few beers to quench his thirst. 6 hours after hook up, the beast decided it'd had enough and bolted. Greg took chase but eventually....PING! The leader parted at the lure. So close yet so far but kudos to Greg for staying connected for that long on 3lb gear. And top marks to Stewie for staying around, too.

For results of the weekends comp, visit: http://bream.com.au/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=550&mode=&order=0&thold=0

For a heap of photos, visit http://www.hobiefishing.com.au/

Oyster Bay - 18/11/09

Now that the weather is a bit warmer, it was time to get Lachlan back out and into a few fish. Tides were perfect for Oyster Bay so we went after a few flatties. Fifteen minutes into the day and Lachlan hooks up. A good tussle and in comes keeper number one - a 27cm bream. We're trolling around a couple of different lures: a River 2 Sea Baby vib 45 and an Ecogear SX40.

Around we go and we cover a fair amount of ground but the fish are very scarce. Two small flatties and one more bream that's just under (it must've come from Narrabeen) and that's all we can rustle up. I was really surprised as I thought 3 or 4 flatties would've been on the cards for sure. Oh well, it was good to get the little guy out again and This summer will see him get his quota up into higher numbers for sure. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid

SP's for Bream

Last week I covered the selection of Hard Bodies I'll be using during the ABT/Hobie Kayak Bream Tournament round at Narrabeen this coming weekend and as promised, here is a selection of Soft Plastics (SP's) that will get a swim sooner or later over the course of the two days. Again, these are my preference and by no means is it a be all and end all for what will work. On certain days some work, on other days they don't even raise a scale, so remember to mix it up to see what the fish are interested in at the time.

One of the most popular SP's at the moment is the 2" Gulp Shrimp and this can be really effective either rigged on a hidden-weight jighead and fished slowly above weedbeds or even 1/16th or 1/20th oz jighead and left to sink and hopped off the bottom. If there are big bream around, they love the 3" version.

For those early morning presentations on the flats or over weedbeds, the Lobbys or Squidgie Bugs rigged on a unweighted hook and slowly rolled back to the yak can result in some spectacular hookups. Hold the rod tip high and slowly swim the lure across the surface. The fluttering arms and tails fire up the bream so watch for the fish following and be alert at all times.

The Gulp Minnows and Sandworms are my favourites around structure such as bridges and pontoons. I buy the 6" Sandworms (they are also available in 2" and 4") and cut them in half and rig them as you'll see in the photo.

For more information regarding the tournament this weekend, visit http://www.bream.com.au/ or http://www.hobiefishing.com.au/ . There'll be a great turnout this weekend and it's still not too late to enter as you can sign up on the day. You can fish either day or both days and regardless of how many fish you catch, you'll have a great time and get to meet a whole bunch of like-minded yakkers and maybe learn a thing or two along the way.

ABT, Hobie and Sailing Scene (http://www.sailingscene.com.au/) will be putting on a BBQ after each days weigh-in and after the yaks are finished, the boaters (that will be fishing on the Hawkesbury) will be weighing in. It's guaranteed there'll be some crackin' fish caught, so even if you don't want to compete, come and watch the spectacle and see what all the hype and talk of the tournament fishing scene is about. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,
Cid

Oyster Bay - 24/10/09

Busy, busy, busy with the DVD, which is a good thing but it certainly chews into you fishing time. A big thanks to all those that have invested in the DVD already and Adam and I really hope you enjoy it.

I did manage to sneak out for a quick session to Oyster Bay as I'd promised the In-laws a feed of fresh fish. Tides weren't the best but the water is noticably warmer and I managed to have a pretty good morning. I was working the edges of the weedbeds where they drop off into deeper water and varied between SP's and HB's over the two hours I was there.

First to come aboard were two whiting, one caught on a shallow diving Jackall Chubby and the other on a Berkley Gulp 2" Shrimp (molting). I then changed to a 6" Sandworm (Camo) and picked up a flattie quickly followed by a bream.

Another change of lures, this time to an Atomic Hardz mid Shad 40. First cast and it's hit hard and the drag howls. 'What's this?' I ask. Some strong, fast runs and I see a glint of silver but it doesn't feel breamy. I'm over the flats and with no structure for the fish to bust me up on so I take my time. Eventually it glides into view and it's a Silver Trevally. Wow, this is the first one I've caught this far upstream from Botany Bay and he's a welcome addition to my bag.

I figure I need one more fish and stick with the Atomic and roll it along the weedy edges. Three quick flatties in succession but they're all too small, however it's promising to see so many about. Eventually a keeper jumps on and I'm off home with the task at hand completed.

The ABT/Hobie Kayak round at Narrabeen is just around the corner and I've had a few questions about the lures I use. I thought that this week I'd show a photo of the Hard Bodies I'll use. Based on the fact that Narrabeen is a fairly shallow location, most of these HB's are shallow divers or surface lures.

Early morning is ideal for using the Pencil, Sugapen or Sammy on the surface over the weedbeds and a slow walk-the-dog presentation should attract a few interested fish which will hopefully whack them with gusto!

The Atomic Hardz and Chubby's are shallow divers, so they can also be worked over the weedbeds with a slow roll with lots of pauses and twitches added in. Vary your retrieve until you work out what the fish are interested in on the day. Sometimes they like an aggresive retrieve while at other times they like it nice and sloooooooooooow.

For the deeper areas and drop-offs, I'll use the SX40's, Pygmy or Blades. If it's extra windy, the blades can really be effective as you can still cast them a mile, even into the wind. Next week I'll give a run down on the Soft Plastics I'll be using. Happy yakkin', everyone!

cheers,

Cid