Bennyg78

Yeah you have to be 16 years old to fish the hobie comps, but yak hunters you could enter, as they have a younger age limit.

Yea mate, I did. Thats my second Hobie comp with Woy Woy being my first I saw Dylan there, he did super well. You really learn alot in the comps as youre fishing against 100+ people so decision making and planning can make or break you. Its a great atmosphere and really supportive and friendly, you should give it a go! If you have spoken to Dylan I'd be keen to know where he got his fish. He will also be able to give you some insights on where they are sitting

Hi Albert I have been chasing the bream on the yak in some comps recently, post coming later around this Theres a few things to consider at this time of year. At this time of year alot but not all of the mature yellow fin bream are going into pre spawn or spawn mode, usually heading out to the headlands to do their business. Interestingly black fin bream do the opposite heading up river The water temp is around 15 or below meaning alot of the bream will be schooled up deeper in 4+ meters of water. You are on the right track thinking with deeper sitting lures: blades, muss, vibes and heavier plastics (no more then 1/6). Make sure you really slow down your retrieves. Its definitely a challenging time of year to catch bream, as alot of them wont be there as they are making baby bream. So dont be disheartened when you dont get a fish.

Nice Report @Dazza72 It was nice to meet you and your boy with Derek on the weekend. I am sure we will bump into each other more often.

That alvey bag is the goods, I use it for all my landbased sessions. I usually have 2-3 tackle trays, pliers, scissors, some leaders,brag mat, ikijime spike and water. I usually have a plastic bag to put fish in after bleeding. I will have a cooler in the car I will unload fish in. Getting a bit cool for wading the flats though 🥶

Well done!!

For your ultra light rod, look at the Daiwa infeet 752 rod, should be able to get it for $189. I have a nasci 2500, its a great reel and very smooth. In the daiwa stable I have a freams 2000, and infeet 2000 . They are all really smooth reels, but the daiwa reels are a touch smoother. You really need to balance the rod with the reel, so it feels balanced a reel to heavy or to light might make it feel bottom or top heavy.

@Bohono if you want more advice give HWS a call. They are a hobie dealer in Lake Macquarie and will be able to recommend a few models. Its also worthwhile looking on their socials as they have sale and used yaks for sale

The Master helping the apprentices again, good to see you expanding your fishing skills more @AlbertW. Looking forward to seeing you progress on Fly, it looks like a lot of coordination and practice coming!

using the MMD whiting i believe

Really depends on what you have in mind for fishing I have an outback and love it, it really is the general use kayak which will do everything reasonably well but doesn't excel in any one area specifically. I can stand on mine but it can still get a little unstable. It comes ready to fish straight from the shop, comes standard with the180 d fins meaning you can reverse. Some cons; its fairly heavy and awkward to carry around, I car top it. PA are big and a lot more stable but you need a trailer, turn like a truck. Pros; you can carry everything, stand on it super stable. Cons: slow, turns crap. Revos are faster with less carrying capacity and really excel at off shore work. Pros: fast, lighter than outback and PA, goes through swell and chop better than outbackCons: limited space, not sure if they are Mirage drive180 d compatible. Compass is a good deal cheaper, but less carrying capacity and need some upgrades to be on the level with and outback. They are also less stable. Pros: cheaper and lighter than outback, can be upgraded to be on the carrying capacity of an outback. cons: need to spend the cash to upgrade, doesnt come with 180d fins standard, less stable and the seat is mean to be crap. You have the passports which Id only look at the 12 as an option, but then id go a compass in preference. Lynx, if I could buy a second kayak this would be it, its a cross between a sup and a kayak. Perfect for rivers and esturaries. Its super light and can be kitted out well. easily carried and set up by most ppl. Cons: cause you sit high on the water, it can be effected by chop and wind. Can also be easily damaged due to it being made of a lighter material.

Nice one @Little_Flatty great size fish!!

There are some flats around northern beaches area, google maps is your friend here as well as six maps.

love a food topwater flattie hit!!!

Keep it going , and as the others have said keep moving. I’m also an advocate of just focusing on one type of lure and becoming obsessed with nailing it. Soft plastics are a great start so keep it going, I’d have a think about what you intend to target and that will influence your jig heads, plastics size and shape, and then leader, line , reel and rod. ‘I’m currently trying in desperation to be come one with the bream. That means usually lighter jig head 1/6-1/40 smaller plastics ( often creature bait plastics). Then lighter fc leader 5-8 lbs, 6-8 lbs braid usually 1-4 kg rod and a 200 reel. The cool thing about a light set up is you can often catch some big by catch. So now you’ve got your first fish have a think about what do you really want to chase and work on your tackle from there

Cooler bag w ice in it livewell I’m not a fan of keeper nets, as fish is exposed to the environment

On the sand flat quite a way but it’s super shallow

Well done @AlbertW next one off the kayak 😉 good to see you having success

go lighter even, if you can on the flats.

Its super shallow and so clear that you can sight cast to fish. If you have a top water lure its worth throwing otherwise you can rig a very lightly weighted plastic (or unweighted even). There are usually bream, whiting, snook and mullet moving through there. Youd want to get there early as theres an off leash dog park that can really ruin the fishing. The drop off is great to fish too but youll need a good weighted jig head or lure to work with the current that moves through there, in saying that I have caught some good salmon on topwater at the drop off.

i give them a quick clean in soapy water and rinse with fresh and let em dry

hey @faker You could try fishing the Flats at clontarf beach around the corner on a good incoming tide, might have to get your feet wet. I have had a fair amount of success there. Also happy to catch up with you for a fish if you want some advice and help in person

topwater flattie hits are the best!! keep it up

Hi @faker Id also suggest you ditch the mono in favour of Fluro carbon leader (if its heavy structure 6-8lb), you will feel the lure more. If you live closer to the parramatta river you have heaps of options, just remember bream like structure which may mean you'll get the occasional snag or two.

Great article, written by someone who has well and truly got me on the path! I would suggest if there was a way to combine alot of the articles written by some of the great mentors on here and put it in a pinned post for starters like a fishing 101 topic.