the_lure

yeah I know the feeling Martin, that walk out is a killer for me to ,too fat and I was a smoker so that didn't help. seen the view and yes it is spectacular, the easiest way might be to take an inflatable craft in to the needles and paddle up river or up the dam road do a day trip (or maybe 2??) down to Engadine, just need someone to collect you at the end, Or get dropped off at heathcote rd and climb down. whatever way i reckon you will need very light kayak or inflatable + gear, as there seems to be a lot of long sections without much water (from Google Earth) Chris

Bass are more active during dusk and dawn, but you will still get them during the day, the fish that i have caught up there are not big though. It is all pretty difficult and requires a fair bit of walking and bush bashing up from the needles (the engadine floodway) the alternatives are longer walks through the NP off heathcote Road or Woronora Dam Road. Get out and explore, its great country! Chris

great fish Carl, big fish from small platic tub, love it!

thanks guys, my only birthday wish was less work and more fishing

nice jew mate good luck next time though

yeah agree with all above, i have 3 and worth every cent, the butts tend to be longer than your average bream rod, but great for pelagics

your not wrong David, got a big 000 today,yesterday plenty of bream on plastics before the wind came up and two 70cm lizards on livebait plus a suspected good jew run.a fickle system but lovely all the same

I was looking at them too Marty, a mate is after an electric (for his scanoe funnily enough ) Let us know how it performs once it's all hooked up.

Where abouts do you live? or rather how far do you mind traveling

sorry you didnt get into them, you do need to do plenty of walking in that area, theres a lot of sand between casts! there are much more easily accesible land-based locations in sydney where you will get fish, thats if the experience of fishing these "semi-wild" locations isnt what you want. Canoe Creek Is even more walking (from what i understand from guys who have done it) and needs more than just a couple of spare hours.

gday, a good mate of mine ownes a scanoe and runs a 3hp on her, and it flies! if we fish areas that you cannot use a petrol motor i take my riptide 40lb and it still goes well with 3 aboard. If you are looking for a high top speed , go as high as you want as far as thrust is concerned, the scanoe can take it! a very stable platform they are.

for $100 berkley dropshot range, shimano raiders, or if the budget stretches to that $200 mark check out the Nitro range

i have tears in my eyes mottyman, so glad it has all worked out for you. I don't think i would have coped so well. Chris

try throwing them back with a hook in the back next time!

Imagine one of those boys on 5kg in a sydney estuary , at a guess that 1st one must be around the 17 - 20kg mark?

There's Pejar Dam for trout, it may have a bot more water in it now, can get windy if fishing from a canoe. Redground out at crookwell has YellowBelly and Cod, but i have never fished it.

At Upper Colo you may be able to walk/wade the sand stretches and throw lures into the deeper sections, I have not been up there for a while so dont know if it is still the same.... 2 years+. take the Dirt road from the Bridge on Putty Road and Park near the small bridge/causeway to get access to the river (quite a drive up (and down) the dirt road. try smaller hardbodies and lightly weighted SP's in this area.

not bad at all for $80

for flicking lures and plastics i wouldnt look at the barra spin,i found mine to short and too stiff for that sort of stuff, great for small livebait fishing though. i sold mine to get the Nitro. I reckon I would get into the tackly and look at the raider snapper, thinking of having a look myself

just had a look the Snapper Raider is 7' 6" 2 pce 5-8kg. so perfect for 14lb braid (at least on paper)

The Snapper Raider might take a heavier line class... afterall ppl run the raider bream rods with 10lb for jews etc. but if your tight on funds you dont want to be shelling out for a rod, then breaking it on heavy line (out of warranty) the rods i mentioned are in the $200 - $300 range depending on stores. For $100 or so i would look at the heavier range of Berkley Dropshot series, there are a few new ones that look reasonably good (although i found the tips a little stiffer than I like for unweighted sluggos) Theres a 10kg rod that is around 7'2" from memory that i would take a look at.

Nitro Magnum Butt or the Dawia Coastal Tournament are two worth looking at, I have a Magnum and love it.

I have had my 2500 symetre locaked up with 10lb FINNS on small kings and it still works a treat after a few such tussles! great reels I fish my Nitro with 10lb fused on one spool (300m Braid, about 120m of 6kg mono underneath) and 14lb fused on the other, holds around 300m. (Thats the Daiwa Theory, Shimano reels seem to hold considerably less)

I have used my 2500 Symetre on the Nitro Magnumm Butt and it feels great for small pelagics, but a big king would certainly do some damage to the drag i reckon. oh yeah and agree, no need for a baitrunner on such an outfit try kymegah (spelling) bait shop for a better deal on Nitros, I was told recently thay had a good range at very realistic prices Symetre 4000 you should get for around $159.00