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A couple of weekends ago I experienced one of the best surface bites, to put it midly the experience was insane. As it was happening I announced to a mate fishing less than five metres away from me that this was easily the best top water session I had ever had. Craig looked at me like 'Really? this happens all the time', that in itself probably blew me away more. Sure I have had someone blinding sessions on Whiting and Bream before but the way this all unfolded was pretty special.
There was an AKFF gathering at Lake Conjola on the NSW South Coast recently and lots of families and mates attended. A good old dust up at a place that I haven't had that much experience with, having only fished it proper once or twice before (I'm thinking once). One thing had recently changed, the system had shut its doors but remained very clear (Eight days prior apparently).
On the dawn of the Saturday on this particular weekend I ventured out, pulling a few small Bream off the surface and trolling up a feed of Flathead. The surface was on but not as frantic as I had hoped, subsurface seemed to be working best. Returning back to camp for lunch it turned out to be a lazy old afternoon, fishing from the bank and catching up on gossip. Craig had arrived mid morning Saturday and still hadn't been out, I spied him setting up and opted to pursue his course.
It wasn't until I launched that I noticed a large front hovering right behind us just itching to burst forth with rain. Lightning flashed in the distance but the thunder indicated it was far enough north of us to avoid any sort of risk. Rain began to fall and almost on cue the barometer must have shot up something ridiculous as the fish simply began to devour anything that moved. Throwing popper styled offerings was just wasting time, these fish wanted dogs walked quickly.
Craig and I drifted the length of the channel separating Berringer and Conjola, no more than 5 metres away from each other. He threw the bank length while I stayed out a little further (Albeit the same depth). It was a fish a cast for almost 2 hours nonstop, Craig with an NW Pencil and myself with an old Sammy 65. I could really belt this lure out long way, lucky for me as if I didn't you could bet Craig would have snapped up anything lurking beneath its intended zone.
Couple of observations, while I don't throw the Sammy much it certainly outclassed the Mazy Pop, PX45 and my NW Pencil. However, Craig's NW certainly caught a better calibre of fat Whiting, the majority of mine being under 30cm. The occasional Bream was caught, solid high 30's fish along with some ridiculous takes from Tailor and Flathead. When the front had almost past the action started to quieten down, fish were still following but turning away at the past minute.
My experience with Whiting at places like Durras was to retrieve as fast as possible, something we hadn't needed to do at Conjola. The faster I wound the more aggressive the fish became, sometimes I didn't even walk it back just flat on wind it back across the flat. Some great fish fell to this change of tactic including a ripper 55cm Flathead and numerous stud Whiting. I lost count of how many fish I hooked over this period but it must of been close to 40, and that's without trying not to exaggerate.
It had been ages since I had experienced a surface bite anything like it, and as mentioned I am having a hard time thinking of a more prolific one... Couldn't even find time for photos.
