iMick

Good fishing mate. I got a three EP the other day but overall had a shocker, very few hits on blades, chubbys and SPs. It's my turn to be out of action with electric motor trouble.... but when it comes back in a week, it'll have the iPilot fitted. Mick

Thanks mate! Yeah the s factor still works Some times the fish are just not on, my spot is either hot or completely shut down. IMO if there is any truth in the barometric pressure effect on fish theory, It's never more evident with Bass fishing. Keep at it and try blades out... Bass love flash. Mick

My first Jewie off the stones was at Catherine Hill Bay (Near Swansea) it took the squid about three metres out from where I was standing and I hooked up within 30 seconds of the bait hitting the water. Point being you don't have to cast out that far to get in amongst 'em. Mick

Surprising that with your level of yakking experience you haven't ran into one. Be thankful that you haven't seen one, certainly got me out of the water in a flash. The end of Hollywood Drive is where I launched my yak. Amazing story about the history of Hollywood drive. What you're saying is true: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansvale,_New_South_Wales

That's what the guy from my tackle store reckons, it's gone off. I agree, it still works fine. Mick

Thanks mate, gee Bass are an aggressive species.

I've heard the rumors about Bull sharks in Chippo, but actually seeing one blows your mind. It wasn't that big, but when you're on your own on an early summer morning with plenty of bait fishing around and then you see a fin, it's scary. My heart was pumping and I was blabbering to myself "no no please no" I got to the shoreline and was even fearful of putting my feet in the water. Spooked me so much that I re-launched the kayak south of the Bass ladder. Surprisingly, I'm really looking forward to hitting that same spot again in the kayak. Love wild Bass fishing, great fun on bream gear. Mick

Nick I've been thinking about it all day. I reckon a 50cm dead fish bait or a leg of lamb under a balloon with some wire leader, and burley up hard and the chance of getting one is certainly there. It's defiantly comforting fishing in pairs. When I called you this morning I was hoping you were gonna say I'm home I'll be there in 20... I just had this feeling this spot was going to fire for the jews. Yep.. yak session soon, this time the Shark Shield will be on me, plus gaff and maybe spear or stake out pole too. Safety first fishing.

If I was you, I'd be flicking out a 1/8th or maybe even 1/4th ounce Blade and work it back to the shoreline with a consistent roll (medium to fast). 6-8lb braid with 10lb -12lb leader (rod and reel to suit) will allow you to get a good cast out. Slow the roll (retreive) as the sun comes up, this will present the blade deeper in the water column. I was using these techniques today and it work really well, but the the impoundment Bass in Glenbawn are a lot bigger than the ones in the Georges River. So expect to be busted up and even bricked in a few times. Try scents too, I've caught heaps of Bass without scents, but my thinking is they like the taste, so may whack it for a second attempt if you miss the first hit. If you're lucky you may pick up a Yellowbelly too. Other lure suggestions are: Surface lures (Sammy 65's or even the new Berkley Surface lures) in low light conditions and Spinnerbaits with stingers, TN 50's, and soft plastic swim baits (paddletail fish profile) Everyone's got their thing that works for them. Good luck with it. Mick

Amazes me that they come up this far too. Awesome seeing a shark from a boat or even landbased, but from a kayak... not so much. (I just got a cold shiver then thinking about it) We've really got a good fishery in Chippo. EP, Bass, Yellowfin and Black Bream, Flathead, Jews and Bullsharks. Lot of fun to be had. Mick

Well it finally happened... I saw a shark while on the kayak. Keen as Mustard, I had the kayak on the roof of the car the night before, got up at 5:30 and was on the water at about 7ish. Inspired by Joco's recent Chippo jewie captures, I moved towards a spot in Chippo that I know holds jews, as I've seen schoolies being caught there in the past. On the way to the spot, I worked the shoreline for Bream, when suddenly I saw a large movement in the water. It wasn't quite a splash, more like a slow motion paddle, similar to a carp finin on the surface. Naturally, my eyes are drawn to the spot where the movement occurred, moments later a light grey coloured fin breached the surface about 4-5 metres way from me. The fin breached above the surface about 25cm and stayed above water for about 5 seconds, just enough time for me to require new underwear. A lot of fishos would have stayed on the water and kept fishing, but not me.... I took straight off to the launch spot like a real pussy. I'm no marine biologist but I don't think it would have been a big shark, going off the size of the fin, but what about it's mum? It's really freaky being on the water in a kayak on a weekday with no one around and you've just spotted a shark. Next time I'll be bringing my gaff and my Shark Shield with me to Chippo. There was no way I was going home without making a day of it, so packed up my gear and drove up stream freshwater side of the Georges river weir. Hot Bass bite today, caught more than 20 and got sick of taking photos. Even caught some landbased while thinking about how to launch the yak. Caught three over 30cm and lost some good fish yak side, most were small fish though. Check out this unusual tube of Black/Purple S Factor, the guy at the shop reckon that it's not a new formula and that it's maybe a mistake batch or has gone off.... Bass love it. Cheers Mick.

I completely agree, kings in the warmer months are the new normal. Kings in Winter, Kings over 1 metre or Kings on Bream gear all get my attention. I guess it's just human nature, we see enough of something we become immune to the excitement. John Dory.... now that's a fish that gets my attention every time, I wonder if in 10 years they will the new normal. Mick

I got 9 years out of two crank batteries in my truck. I guess with the trucks alternator putting in more than I took out daily, the batteries were always full, therefore keeping the batteries healthy.

Nice fish. We used to fish Berowra a lot and we too used to get heaps and heaps of soapies, some as small as 15cms, it's one big jewie breeding ground. Mick

Top fish man, love that jewie.

We were there yesterday morning, and downrigged the usual spots in MH with yakka and couldn't raise a thing. Just before leaving decided to cube some pillies and in minutes had about 3 kings under the boat...... down goes an unweighted pilly and managed to hook a fat mid 70's MH special. Nothing but cubes in the guts. I'm never going to MH again without a block of pillies, I reckon we could have got more if we had more pillies. Mick

Cheers, $299 for the rod.

Cheers mate. The purchase was a whim, but I've been eyeing it out for a while, can't buy too much fishing gear all at once, I'll get in trouble with the . Most 2500 size reels have about 7kgs of drag but a locked up 2500 wouldn't work for me because I use 10lb on my 2500 therefore the line would snap before the locked drag even kicked in. Saragosa 8000's are supposed to have a 12kg drag and I reckon I would have got around that if I locked it up. The reel I've had for a couple of months now and got broken in about a week ago. You can test the drag on good fish scales, I like using the ones where there is a memory bar that holds at the highest weight you've pulled. Mick

Picked one up today and itching to load it up. Paired with a Saragosa 8000 with 50lb braid. My drag pulled just over 9kg not locked up but tight, could get more drag out of it but it was smooth at 9kg. Anyone use a Supreme Jig? I'm using it mainly for downrigging. http://www.purefishing.com.au/rods/pflueger/supreme-jig-rod/ This is my 5th Pflueger rod, and so far I've got nothing but quality for a fair price. Thumbs up to the sponsors. Mick

Great fishing Nick. Amazing seeing that shark in close. Mick

Max. 20 feet back from the bomb for me, I downrig using the electric so maybe with a petrol motor it may make sense to have your baits away from the boat. I got one the other day within 10 feet from the bomb. I didn't think a motor or a bomb would bother the kings. Mick

With your experience I'm sure you are right, but with my 4.2m boat with some ramps the angle just doesn't seem right, therefore my wheels do go in the drink. I'm too scared that my boat will bottom out on launch. Does your method include having some weight up front of the boat (eg. a person) on launch? Picnic Point ramp my wheel don't go near the water, Parley Bay they do. Mick

For what it's worth I have used bearing buddies in the past and now prefer the metal hubs with a coat of grease on the outside to seal where the hub connects with the trailer, works great for me. I bash off the hubs about once every 2 months and flush out and repack with that inox red stuff. The hub with a lick off grease on the outside does keep out the water, as far as I can tell, and the bearing are going strong into their second year. Mick

Yo beauty. Mick