NSW - SOUTH COAST BREAMING 28/5/11

I made a quick trip down to one of my local spots on Saturday for a morning session to try out a few new lures that i havent had much of a chance to use yet, so packed minimal gear to stop me from using my usual favourites and really work these new lures hard. The weather was perfect, with only a light breeze blowing it was a beautiful morning, and with not another person in sight made it even better.

My first choice of lure, was a soft plastic on an unweighted hook, the SP was a izumi pintail 3" japanese lure, these lures look great and i have a lot of confidence in them even though i have only used them a couple of times so far. Casting over a shallow weedbed using a darting action typical of a flickbait lure, it wasnt long into the session i got a very small tap, followed by another then on the pause the SP got hit and a nice 35cm bream soon ended up in the net.

I managed a few smaller fish from the same spot before it went quiet so i ventured further upstream casting at anything that looked fishy with only a few more small bream along the way. Eventually i found some fallen trees to cast at in a few feet of water, and on the 2nd cast i saw a bream dart out from the snag and hit the lure hooking up straight away, i really didnt think much of it at the time as the fish didnt fight too hard and came in with little resistance until it saw the yak and took off in the opposite direction.

After a solid run, the fish stopped so i applied some pressure but felt the line rubbing on something, guessing it was a snag i thought it was all over but as i pedalled to the spot the fish had just buried me deep into some thick weed. With some gentle pressure, i eventually got the fish out of the weed and into the yak for a quick measure and photo, it went 37cm fork length and was quite thick too.

I did manage a couple more from the same area that went a little smaller and lost one to a snag that i think might have been a touch bigger. On the way back i fished a bit deeper, up to 2m with some sinking stick minnows, which i have only just started to use and managed a few smaller fish between 25 and 30cm. It was only a short session but one im very satisfied with.

The pintail plastics really worked a treat, and i have a few other things i want to try with them so when i get a chance to, ill post up some results.

DAIWA-HOBIE ABT RND 12 NARRABEEN 11-12/6/11

Round 12 of the Daiwa-Hobie ABT series rolls into Narrabeen for a massive two day event. Showcasing the best of the best kayak tournament anglers from around the country, its an event on the calender not to be missed. Last years event had plenty of just undersized Bream but with the new measurement system nearly every fish you land will be over the magical mark. The turnout is sure to be huge and the Sydney crew are super keen to draw blood on home turf (Bring it on).

With only four events left on the calender before the Grand Final this is the last NSW event you can enter (Apart from the State Titles at St. Georges Basin in August). Dont miss out on securing a spot in the GF as all the following events (Sans NSW S.T) are in QLD, S.A and VIC.

• June 11-12th R12- Narrabeen Lakes 3 GF spots 2 Day Event



• July 2-3rd R13- Redcliffe (QLD ST) 5 GF spots 2 Day Event



• August 13-14th R14- St Georges Basin (NSW ST) 5 GF spots 2 Day Event



• September 17-18th R15- Westlakes 3 GF spots 2 Day Event



• October 2nd R6- Hopkins(Rescheduled) 3 GF spots 1 Day Event - Sunday



• October 29-30th Hobie GF (Port Macquarie) 2 Day Event

For more information, please click here

SQUIDGIE SOUTHERN BREAM SERIES - ROUND 6

Round 6 of the Squidgie Southern Bream Series is on this Sunday the 5th of June. Just over half way through the series and with only two more rounds to the Grand Final it's a must attend event (Especially if you havent qualified). Start and finish location is Adelaide St Reserve, Greenwell Point. Please note parking is limited so best to arrive early and snare a spot.

For entry form PDF file with all the details on the round, please click here.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.ssbs.basinlureandfly.org.au

YAK FISHER MAGAZINE #54 (WINTER EDITION)

Issue #53 winter edition of Sport Fishing Australia (Incorporating YAK Fisher) is out in stores now, just in time for the onset of seasonal change. The Sport Fishing Australia section features many toparticles from seasoned sport fishing journalists such as Steve Starling, Shane Mensforth, Al McGlashan, Scott Gray and Nigel Webster, Lee Rayner, Neil Schultz just to name a few.

YAK Fisher Kayaking Magazine has Yak news plus articles on sailing a fishing kayak, Mulloway Masters, The Bays of Barrington, Currarong, Peddals, paddles and salmnoids, Egi Inc, Yakkin about Natives, Winter Estuary (By yours truly) and much, much more (Including a lovely article by on a favourite location, Tuross).

Available at all good newsagents or by subscription,

http://www.afn.com.au/cms/details.asp?NewsID=114

ACT - CARP, CARP, WEATHERING CARP 29/5/11

So, what do you do when the weather has locally has been crap, the free time coastal jaunts have revealed ordinary forecasts and a trip into the mountains gets canned due to inclement weather?

Well round these parts we go Carp Fishing, and with so many local lakes to bag a Euro from the hardest part has been just making up our minds where to fish. Take your pick, there all full of them and in large numbers. Firstly we recently went down to the upper parts of Lake Tuggeranong (Opposite Bunnings) and wailed them, The action started off pretty slow and we were a hairs width away from moving on to find some place more promising when they mooched on in. Rigs of choice were the fabled Jindy Rig (1m leader, split shot, running ball above) and a Canadian hair rig (medium hook, braided hair, bait threader, small leader, large sinker).

This was the first time I had used a hair rig and I was a little sceptical at first due to the open gape and especially the Power Pro braided leader and hair. Needless to say the specialist Carp rigs worked really well and we landed around 8 fish and lost 3 or so more. Bait was mainly corn kernels but Chartreuse Powerbait nuggets were employed either stand alone or combined with the Corn. I was fishing with Tim and his mate Serge (Two Canadians) so hopes were high of an Australian victory on what was once bogan home soil (Since graduated to Northside standing). Serge landed a cracker after an hour of scattering berley, followed by Tim, then Serge, then Tim, oh wait I'm on, no I'm not, then Tim, the Serge... You get the drift, nil result for the local. Still, great times with the Maple leaves and learned the subtle art of the hair.

Secondly a bunch of us decided to take the better halves and kiddies for a picnic morning/day to another arena known as Lake Ginninderra (This time, Northside Canberra). Over the years there has been a particular possie that always seemed to be inhabited by those in the know (Long rods, fancy bite alarms, slingshots) and after a brief suss out the day before it was decided it would be worth staking a wintery claim. Conditions were great, little wind, cold start but the barometer was most likely too high for impressive results (That's what I am blaming anyway). With new found hair rig skills and a profound tier of them onboard we donned them proper and awaited the onslaught. Factoring in the one or so hour berley trail wait we held our ground but relaxed our gaze, focusing on family rather than fishing.

Activity on the water slowly started picking up but it wasn't until early afternoon before things got interesting (We arrived at 10am, long wait). Schools of Goldfish started appearing, at first a dozen or so, followed by a school football oval sized flock (Well, scattered around in large numbers anyway). Jason switched to a size 8 Mosquito hook and tried slow sinking small clumps down to them, eventually hooking and landing what looked like a small Carp but was in fact quite a large Goldfish. It's at this stage we packed up and threw in the towel, just when things were starting to get interesting. As a resident of Canberra I forget we have our own sportsfish, I guess I'm scared to label them as that (No, not the Goldfish) due to the bad publicity they so rightly deserve. I'm sure you get some sort of glowing reputation and bad karma points when you glam up days chasing Carp, but when the weather is foul, it is what it is and you don't leave the hub.

(Image courtesy of Tim Allard - www.timallard.ca)

SQUIDGIE SOUTHERN BREAM SERIES - ROUND 5

Round 5 of the Squidgie Southern Bream Series is on this Sunday the 15th May. Just over half way through the series and with only three more rounds to the Grand Final its a must attend event (Especially if you havent qualified). Start and finish location is Bayview Park, Concord (End of Burwood Rd). Please note parking may be an issue if you arrive late so best be an early bird to avoid congestion and dissapointment.

From City of Canada bay website:

Due to the high demand for parking in Cabarita Park and Bayview Park and the limited number of spaces available, parking fees apply. This helps to ensure turnover and access for all users. The fees commence at $2 for up to 1 hour and increase incrementally up to $15 for 12 to 24 hours, including gst. Where a car and boat trailer park together, double fees apply. Please note that the meters only accept coins.

For entry form PDF file with all the details on the round, please click here.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.ssbs.basinlureandfly.org.au/

NSW - ST.GEORGES BASIN 7/5/10

Its been a while since ive used any of the camping gear so this weekend i decided a trip to the basin with my wife and Steve, my apprentice at work..or sometimes referred to as my bitch would be a good idea. Ive been doing a bit of research lately of what the basin has to offer in the way of waterside camping, and found what looked like a great spot, close to some great fishing.

We were all loaded up and left home at around 9am on Saturday morning and after a quick stop in Ulladulla for some essential items (JD cans and ice) we were on our way, it took a few u-turns and swear words to find the right track but eventually we found it, a tight rutted out track weaving through the bush. About 1klm in, we came to a stop with a massive puddle blocking the road, i was in my wifes AWD Toyota, and Steve had my 2wd Hilux so after checking the water depth and softness of the substrate i decided it was worth a shot so i went through first and well.....it was softer than i thought and i nearly sunk and bogged the wifes car, the front wheels managed to creep up onto dry land and pulled us out thankfully.

We thought it wouldnt be a good idea to try the hilux through it so Steve had to back track a little and take an alternative route to make it back to where we waited for him. With that out of the way, we were on the move again slowly making our way closer to the water until we again got held up by a large puddle, there was no way around this one so i went through then we filled the hole up as much as we could with whatever we could find and Steve was told to hit the puddle with speed to get through. Hit it with speed is exactly what he did, maybe a little too much but he got through so its all good.

The next obsticle was a stretch of about 200m of thick slippery clay track, with deepish ruts on both sides, and as soon as i hit it in the AWD it turned sideways but keeping the power on slightly it held itself in the ruts and as i looked back, Steve was just as sideways as i was, so we managed to hold them both on a 45deg. angle to the road sliding for the whole length of the sloppy area, i was having too much fun just driving in but i was also getting very keen to wet a line. I could see the water through the tree's so i knew we were close, but as we rounded what i thought might be the last bend, we were blocked by a massive puddle that we were not going to get even close to getting through, and the bush was far too dense to bypass it :(

I saw a small track to the right no far before the big puddle so we figured we may as well see where that would take us, it would be a shame to go through what we had already done to get that close only to turn back without finding a camp so we had nothing to lose. A short trip down the small but easy track, we popped out into a perfect, flat clearing right on the edge of a very fishy looking creek, it really is a stunning piece of land so we all agreed this is where we would camp the night.

We setup camp as quick as we could and rigged some fishing gear and launched into the dead calm, quiet and fishy looking creek and cast shallow hardbodies and soft plastics to the edges and snags. Results were almost instant, but the fish were small, mainly bream but some tiny flathead were hitting the lures as well, it was hard to concentrate on the fishing though, it was just too funny watching Steve trying to get his lure back out of every 2nd tree he cast towards. I soon had my attention back to the fishing when a big EP hit my soft plastic right as it hit the surface with a typical EP style surface strike that scared the crap out of me, with a tight drag i did my very best to keep the fish away from the snag he came out of but he really wanted to get home and won the fight when he wrapped the line around a submerged branch.

The small fish kept on coming after that, and so did Steve's wild casts, some higher in tree's than ive ever seen before, but somehow he never lost a lure. I tied on a Camion SR and cast right up into the corner of a large fallen tree and the bank, and retrieved the lure along side the timber and saw a flash of silver race out and belt the lure, with the drag set even tighter than before i was confident but became concerned when the fish started to tow the yak towards the snag and before i knew it i was right in there with the fish in plain sight just under a branch and i was able to confirm it as a large black bream, i figured all i could do was try to pull him out but he had already made his escape plan and snapped me off on the timber as soon as i put the pressure on him.

2 good fish lost, i was frustrated but keen to keep trying so i went back to camp for a quick feed and launched again in the last hour of light for the afternoon, this was obviously the time for the flatties to be on the bite, every few casts i landed flatties of various sizes but they were not what i wanted. Light faded and casting got difficult so i called it a day and pedaled back to camp dissapointed but eager to get back to it first thing in the morning, so i re-tied leaders and lures while having a few cans and got ready for an early night. Morning arrived and the conditions were brilliant so hopes were high for some more action on the big bream and EP's
After an hour without a touch, those hopes soon faded and after another hour with still no luck i decide the best option would be to head out into the basin and fish deep water.

We pedaled/paddled out of the creek and out of the bay into the main basin to a particular spot i usually find good bream at, and the conditions out there were just as good as in the creek, i have never see the basin so flat before. First cast with an Ecogear blade was hit by a decent flattie which Steve wanted to keep for dinner tonight, so it went into the esky. Then a few casts later my blade was hit on the drop by a solid bream in about 7m of water, after a few screaming runs to hooks popped out and another good fish earned its freedom :(
I was starting to wonder what was going on, then a few more casts later i was hit on the drop again but actually managed to land this fish that measured in at around 30cm to the fork.

I soon landed another average basin bream that again hit the lure on the drop, i had not even had a touch during a retrieve, but the only hits i was getting were all on the drop, so i suggested to Steve he should try a lighter blade as he was getting no action either. He tied on the smallest blade he had, and like mine, he was hit on the drop and landed his first fish on a blade, which was a nice bream at about 35cm to the fork, then shortly after lost another one that hit the blade on the drop and judging by the fight we called it for a better bream than his previous, we fished the area for about 2hrs in total and didnt get 1 touch retrieving a blade, all hits and landed fish were all on the drop, just as the lure hit bottom.

Satisfied with our session we headed back to pack the gear up and prepare for the trip home, and after packing up Steve decided to have a cast from the bank with a Tiemco sinking stick minnow and pulled a nice 33cm bream from the end of a snag at the campsite. It was a good fish to end a fun trip, but unfortunately for us it was time to go and attempt to get back through the mud and ruts that nearly caught us out on the way in, and it was just as much fun as before :D

Im sure that creek will have some good sessions to offer so im looking forward to heading back there asap for another go at them.

KAYAK FISHING MAGAZINE ISSUE #39 (ONLINE)

The latest edition of Kayak Fishing Magazine has just come online, packed with all the quality features and articles that make them the largest and most read kayak fishing website and publication anywhere. From featured articles, interviews, angler of the month, gear guides and a world wide tournament calender, Kayak Fishing Magazine has a lot to offer our fishing community and best of all its free!

(This issue has a great article on the Hobie Pro Angler steering upgrade)

To view the latest edition of KFM, click on the links below:

Magazine - http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/home.html

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kayak-Fishing-Magazine/119502353056

AUSSIE FISH ESTUARY ADVENTURES 4/5/11

Recently I was lucky enough to be invited on a guided fishing tour at Tuross, NSW with none other than renowned guide Stuart Hindson. Stuart and his Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures have been guiding up and down the NSW South Coast for numerous years and specialise in monster Flathead, Mulloway, Bream, Snapper, Tailor, Whiting and Estuary Perch. Since Tuross had reopened to the sea I had been meaning to get down for ages, and being guided by Stuart here I was all set for a great day on the water.

Departing Canberra at 5am for a 7:30am hook-up was a little taxing on the body but the mind was keen and the drive easy enough. Good friend Tim Allard had been guided here before and filled us in on the experience. We met our guide at the boat ramp and climbed onboard his survey vessel with an air of expectancy. We were informed of the tide, moon phase and what we would target for the day.

Every species was still on the cards but we started by targeting Mulloway in 6 - 8m of water. Throwing large Squidgy Fish plastics on fast sinking heads the technique was similar to blading, except with a more pronounced hop. Bait was getting smashed by Tailor and there were quite a few massive bust-ups just out of casting reach. It was interesting getting information relayed second hand (I.e. : Direct from sounder to casting deck), we covered water far better and more efficiently with the boats length than I could from a kayak.




Unlucky not to hook a Jew we pushed on to target Flathead, downsizing plastics and jig head selection. The area we stopped at looked fishy enough, but to me it was one of those places you move quickly through and give no second thought of returning to ( Here is where guided knowledge really came in handy). Super schools of bait were present and in turn predatory fish holding underneath, the drift, drop off and tidal change all had an effect on how the following hours would unfold.

Plenty of Flathead were hooked and landed including a couple of sizable specimens. With the area being so full of bait plastics were upsized and the results increased. Almost on cue they came alive and devoured the larger profile, making for some exciting takes and hook sets. Setting the hook on a Flathead take is something I'm not used to doing, along with standing on the deck of a boat casting away. With the guide explaining the importance of striking firmly, along with retrieve, when indicated we flew the rod tips skyward with impressive results.

Tim was keen to target Bream in the shallows so Stuart took us to a great looking bank. Unfortunately conditions had somewhat glassed out and the wind had dropped to almost zilch, making the fish a little spooky. Covering the length of bank slowly the three of us worked similar lures right in the shallows and along the weed bed, landing some average specimens. Moving around to some islands Tim hooked a monster and landed a very nice Bream, photos ensued and our time on board drew to an end.

What I really enjoyed about the guided experience was the information freely dished out with a laid back approach, not too steely but with just enough exertion to improve results. Stuart is infamous for his pleasant demeanour and expert knowledge he looked to have enjoyed the day as much as we had. I couldn't possibly cover all the areas and techniques he employed to us at Tuross without writing a novel but I thoroughly recommend a day on the water with his service, experienced angler or not.

More information on Aussie Fish Estuary Adventures, click on the link below:

http://www.ausfishing.com.au/

APRIL WRAP UP - A FEW RANDOM REPORTS

A couple of trips we seem to have missed, days just keep floating by...

I feel like it's been a little quiet on the yak fishing front here lately, in essence I guess it has. Truth be told were all still getting out for a fish, just separately or in differing locations. Rather than trawl through the copious amounts of information I could supply I figured it would be an easier read if I just submitted a monthly recap (Bugger, sometimes time is of the essence when reports are due).




NSW - JINDABYNE 26/3/11

With a seedy swell developing down the coast Jason and I decided to head up for a spot of good old Trout fishing, including a very leisurely departure time. This would be a slightly different trip however, with Squidder relaying the art of Yabbying to an eager ear. Everyone knows how to catch a Yabby from a small pond, but to angle a lake for a feed was something quite new to me. Jason deployed his traps while I set about prospecting for Rainbows. Hatchery Bay was very full and our old school possie looked mega fishy but proved fruitless (Fishless?).

Trolling wasn't much chop either and the fish weren't in any sort of rising mood. In hindsight we probably arrived a little too late, but it didn't bother Jason (Frantically working the traps). Even with five traps out between two people (Way under legal regulations) the work involved in catching and storing the Yabbies became a full time affair. To the couple that rocked up to fish the western bank we must have looked like bugs caught in a wind lane, travelling neither here, there or anywhere.

We eventually headed to a new section of bank in shallower water and had another crack at powerbaiting. A rod eventually went off but the hook simply pulled and the bite alarm spun off straight away (Sure fire sign of bad luck). ANother gentleman rocked up to fish the western bank and started braining fish after fish in much shallower water. This was around the are our Yabby pots were deployed, and in turn the weed beds. Why hadnt we fished this part earlier?
Hatchery Bay is still a great place to fish when full but when a basin styled area fills and you haven't fished it for a while it can become bewildering.

Repeat attempts here would eliminate this, when close to or over 80% capacity the bank line choice diminishes to one rounded arena (Rather than a multitude of smaller bays). We came home with 70 decent Yabbies between us and no Trout, enough for 2 great feeds of freshwater goodness. Great trip, keen to get more amongst it.




NSW S.COAST - DURRAS 9/4/11

Reports of some decent Snapper had been diluting down through the drains back to the hub, something all good huberrans cant ignore. After a recon mission or two the greater majority of 'The Massive' attempted to make their presence felt (In a minimalistic way). Luke, Craig, Hammo, Stuey, Squidder, Paddy, Stevo, Koich and myself took to the water at various intervals. catching a combined assorted bag any random fisho would have been proud of.

Snapper, Morowng, Bonito, Ooglies, Squid and Cuttlefish graced the decks, with a few Kingfish scares chucked in for good measure (Bommie was going nuts, Pelagic central). Craig's plastic approach dominated, throwing 5" jerk shads and larger 7" models in Lime Tiger. A few others caught Snapper but Jase and I went without and started Squidding (Some purposely, others as bycatch). I hooked a decent Cuttlefish and was impressed with the tug of war but not the taste.

A few of the rascals packed up for quieter waters and had their hooks bent in the lake (Good fish around, Flathead and Bream). I've since read about some bigger reds that have appeared around the inshore areas... Beware the ticket machine malfunction and take care with the parking areas. We are pretty lucky we can access this area so easily from our kayaks, best off leaving clear access for all.




ACT - YERRABI 29/4/11

Forecasts everywhere were unfavourable and Yerrabi actually looked fairly clean. Water temperature was a little on the chilly side but the day started well. No natives unfortunately but some decent Redfin were landed by Jase (Cant believe I'm saying 'Decent', 'Redfin' and 'Yerrabi' in the same sentence). Hordes of little blighters were smashing stuff off the surface, some of the smallest actively aggressive Redfin I have ever seen. Patrolled both ends of the lake and had eventually had an interesting hook up.

Reviewed the camera footage and it was very perplexing, slow hit, big load up, hook pull, slack line, another pull, rod load up, nothing. Only way I can think of explaining it was a bigger school of Redfin became aggressive and actually chased my lure down, swapping attacking formation as each one pulled itself off the hook. Keeps you guessing I suppose, plastics accounted for all fish with hard bodies barely receiving a touch (Sans above).Was good to stay local for the first time in many months, albeit a little disappointing on the native fishing front.

Things are hopefully looking up here, perhaps the la Nina effect over Canberra has finally broken? God knows this little impoundment needs a break from all the suburban drainage its received from the newer neighbouring suburbs. I drive past occasionally and still spy one or two people fishing it after hours, not sure of their final results though. Weed growth was surprisingly minimal making trolling easier than expected, here is hoping the pond itself returns to reputable form later this year.