mottyman

Hi all, Quick report. Headed down to Yarramundi today. Wasn't our first choice but there was a social on at Devlins so decided to head further afield and leave them with it. It was a good choice with our best Bass for the season so far. Scored a nice couple, and a few small ones that were fair dinkum only twice the size of the lure. Honestly, I have bigger fish in my aquarium, aggressive little buggars. Here's a few pics. Cheers David.

G'day, Yes, the Camo one is mine. I really (really) love it. It's a great set up for the $$$. Looking forward to some hot humid conditions with cicadas singing :-)

Hi all, Headed out on the Nepean with my mate Chris in the Yaks today, on the water about 6am at Devlins. The place was full when we got there and asked the other blokes launching if there was a comp on!!!!! LOL Found the place alive with Nepean Herring eating tiny white damsel flies off the surface. Didn't get a hit on any surface lures from the Bass so went to spinner baits and chubby minnow divers. Chris score the first bass, a nice 25cm to the fork on a sinking black fly. He knows his stuff and is excellent on the long wand. About 3rd cast on my favorite green and black diving minnow I came up on a small bass - quite small actually but a fish is a fish :-) Worked the banks for a while without another touch so paddled around the river for a while when I came on a deep channel between two shallow areas. Chucked a long cast with the spinner bait up the middle and came up tight on a big Eel Tail Catfish. The bugger towed me around in the Yak before I got up which was a lot of fun. Called it for a carp until I saw it. So... pretty unexpected capture on a spinner bait and not the most pleasant fish but still very happy to get it. Some pics of the fish and scenery below.

Hi guys, Geoff, yes thought about the electric and after seeing yours scratchie I think I'm convinced. Looks great :-) Cheers David.

Yes mate, target Bass. It is absolutely beautiful. Once you're up in the gorge you could be anywhere in the world :-) There are other things around to catch, Mullet, Nepean Herring and of course Carp. I've pulled carp out of there as long as my leg LOL. I'm probably going to get down to Hen and Chicken Bay or around Concord Hospital for a paddle and a fish one the weather warms up. :-)

Hi guys, Matt, yes the river is quite dead. Nothing doing and very cold. Should pick up when the warmer weather arrives and the water improves (I hope!!) And yes, that is the exact Kayak I got as a present for my birthday - the one off the online store for under $400. As scratchie says they're great and certainly value for money with all the gear you get with them. I thoroughly enjoyed mine yesterday and would recommend one if you were looking for a first yak. Cheers David.

G'day everyone, Fortunate enough to have a day off today and decided to head down the Nepean for a paddle this morning in the new Yak I bought of that online store. Took some rods to see how I would go carrying everything and for some casting practice under the trees. So, here's how it went. Chucked it in at the boat ramp at Tench reserve. The kayak is easily handled on my own with all my gear. I was able to carry the Yak, paddle, rods, backpack on my back down to the water all in one go. I like that as it means I don't have to leave the yak unattended while I park the car and carry the rest of the gear down to the water. The handle in the middle of the Yak makes it very easy to carry in one hand with Rods and paddle in the other. Put all my gear in and jumped in. No problems there, pretty stable and was off. I was a bit concerned when I first started off as I couldn't get it to track in a nice straight line. This I found out however was mostly due to me not paddling correctly. Once I got the hang of the paddle and got into a nice easy rhythm paddling was really easy and she tracked straight no problems. In all it was very enjoyable paddling up the river and back. Ended up doing 7.5km's by the GPS. Very pleasant. I stopped a long the way to take some pics of the scenery and a very cold a sluggish water dragon. The river is pretty void of life at present and the water is very, very cold. My feet were a little numb each time I stopped and hopped out for a little look around. Hopefully as summer approaches and the weather warms up the river will be back to it fishy best and a few Bass will come on board. Looking forward to that. So all in all for what you pay for them the Yak was pretty good and got me out on the water this morning which was nice. I am really looking forward to hooking a fish tho... its been a long time LOL :-) Cheers David.

G'day mate, Do a search on Ebay for the seller "dealourus". He will frieght to you or you can pick up from a storage unit at Seven Hills. I didn't try mine before I bought it, my mate I go Bass'n with has one and highly recommended it to me. He has several Yaks and a canoe and reckons for the money you won't do better. As soon as it warms up and the frost disappears from my front yard I'll be on the water so will let you know how it goes. My friend uses his up at Harrington and says its great, nice a stable and easy to paddle. Cheers David.

G'day, Both myself and a friend of mine bought the 2.95. Very nice for the money and quite solid. See earlier thread of mine here for some pics and a description: http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=69516

G'day Sarge, it might be but I bought this one off Ebay. A mate who introduced me to Kayak fishing and has a number of Yaks and canoes bought one and recommended it to me as a starter - you really can't do better for the money and for a first Yak. He uses his up at Harrington and reckons its great. It feels really solid, and has some good features like two side handles so you can pick it up one handed, comes with the seat, 5 rod holders, two water proof storage compartments plus the storage area at the back. Also has two carry handled forward and back and even a spot to put your water bottle for a drink :-) You can also get them with a stainless bracket and 4lb electric motor! In all it looks really good. When I can get out I'll post a report of how it goes - likes and dislikes, things that worked, things that didn't etc etc. At this stage I reckon I can carry the Yak in one hand using the side handle, my two rods in the other hand and my backpack on my back down to the water in one trip without having to take the Yak and then run back and forth with gear, depending on the territory of course. I also own a Van so I don't have to get it on and off the roof of a car but its not that heavy so dont' think that will be an issue. Cheers David.

Thanks Bassboy, indeed and looking forward to it. G'day Grant, been a very long time , looking forward to dragging a few bronze battlers into the yak this season. Good or bad I'll post some reports of where i've been, the conditions, some on the water pics and hopefully a fish or two all being well. Take care. Cheers David.

Hi all, It's been years since I've been online or even fishing for that matter but thought I'd get back into some bass and perhaps bream this summer. Picked up my new Yak this week. It hasn't seen water yet but I'm looking forward to christening it with some scaly friends before too long. Will fish the Nepean mostly but hopefully will get down to some places on the Parra like Hen and Chicken Bay for some bream as well. Anyway, really just a short post to say G'day to anyone who might still remember me on here and whack up a couple of picks of the new ride. Later David.

I would have had a bait in the water as you were scraping it all....

Hi Driftwood, Not sure where you're from but can help you out with some tips that help me down the Nepean (my local Bass area). Really... its not that hard. They're pretty aggressive buggars. Bassing is great fun. Watching a bass take your lure off the surface as the cicada's sing, the mossies bite the crap out of you and the flying foxes fly overhead is just great!!!!. Best Conditions: Rising Barometer. Very humid. You'll find on a hot humid day there'll be lost of insects flying around, this is gooooood! If you can hear Cicadas singing that's tops! LOL Very early in the morning, start before sun up, or, late in the afternoon fishing into dark. Lures.... There are millions (and millions) of lures out there and everyone has their favourite... so I'm not going to suggest you use anything, but these are my favourites. Any surface lure that is black, has a rattle, and makes a bit of a splash and "bloop" when "twiched". I use Kokoda Bats, they look like a cicada with clear wings that make a splash (because they're cheap, they work, and I don't cry if I catch one in the branches of an overhanging tree and lose it). You can pay anthing up to $25 for a single lure - Bats are about $6 (from memory, I stocked up and haven't bought any for ages). Betts Spin blades with a 2 inch grub attached to a squidgy ball head jig (small one, can't quite remember the size). The fish in my avatar has a betts spin hanging out of its gob. Any sort of 50mm hard body lure. Something black wtih green stripes is my favourite. It should have a nice tight "wiggle" action and a rattle is always good. I like the "chubby" type. Technique Again, everyone will have a different view but this is what works for me. Early and late in the day I fish the Bats and other surface lures. Fish them over the top of weed beds but aim for the holes in the weed. Let the lure sit and just "twich" it every now and then. The trick is to get it to make a little splash with its wings and make ripples (like when you throw a stone into the water). If you find a nice log or snag, fish along side it or over the top if you can. Cast into the bank as far as you can and work the lure back (assuming you're fishing by boat). If you're fishing on the bank, cast along the river bank and work the lure back to you that way. Be prepared to drag the fish out of the weed once it hits, they're pretty fast. Basically, look for snags, weed beds and anything that will provide cover for the fish. Then put your lure near that structure and twich it - and make a few "bloop" like splashes as well. The lure should look like a panicking piece of food trying to get out of the water. As the sun comes up, change to betts spins. These work lower in the water and you can fish the edge of the weed beds into deeper water and alongside logs and snags. You can just crank them back slowly or give them a bit of varity with some stop start action and quicker spurts. Don't be afraid to let the lure sit and just "helicoper" down, the fish will hit it as it sinks. You can fish the hard bodies in the same areas. A bit of a stop start here is good as well and crank them past the snags and logs. As the sun gets higher, look for shadows right in close to the bank and over hanging tree branches. Cast into the shadows and under the branches. The fish will be here. This is why I use cheap lures LOLOLOL I get caught in the trees at least once every outing LOL. So... as I said everyone has their own meathods and favourite lures but these are a few things that work for me. Hope that helps. Cheers David.

Yep... dam strait. The very first time I used one it happened exactly like that for me. Pillie dissapeared and the popper took the fish. I like the blue ones. Cheers David.

That is indeed very interesting... is that a windscreen wiper motor and drive mechanism you've got hooked up there....??? And please... how did it work

46 is an awesome fish... well done. Looking foward to upgrading the fish in my Avatar soon

No mate... that's a Port Jackson

Hi everyone, What a bloody great day we had... the socials are just fantastic and well worth heading along to. A big thank you and congratulations to everyone who organised the day, provided food and drink, COOKED ALL DAY, and generally looked after us so well. Now... bring on the king social Cheers David.

Hi all, We had an awesome day on the water. We only scored one just legal flattie but had a ball anyway. Thanks everyone who put the day on and as usual - Ross on the BBQ was a bloody good job well done. Cheers David.

Hi Geoff, Looks great and should make driving on alot easier.... no more wet feet for me

Hi Ray, My wife and I have taken our kids up to the lagoon on numberous occassions. Very friendly and safe place to go with the family for a day out and a swim. I've never seen the lagoon open however. Its totally amazing to see it that way. Great pics - thanks for that. Cheers David.

Its just terrible, terrible news.... 65 dead and over 700 houses lost.... The Mott family will be making a donation to the relief effort tonight and I'd ask everyone on FR to do the same... even if its not much, every bit will help. Cheers David and family.

I reckon its a herring of some kind ??? I used to catch them in the Hawkesbury when I was a kid....

You're all mad.... they taste like a cross between soap and flour....