Another Little Bass For Me Today

[mottyman]

Hi Guys,

I put my boat in at Tench at day break and headed up through the Narrows and just fished the banks either side as I made my way up stream.

Today was the furthest up stream I've gone and it's just beautiful up there, as I'm sure you guys who fish up there are well aware of.

I scored one bass, saw black cockies, a turtle which surfaced right near me and heaps of other water birds. Very nice place to be.

I must have missed about 10 or so whacks on a Kokoda Bat as well as a few on the shallow diving minnows but that's the way it goes I guess, I'm not complaining, watching bass swim out of the weed and attack your lure is just fantastic and really gets the heart pumping.

In the end I was happy with another little fish but would have liked a couple of those others to connect.

Anyway, here's a pic of the little guy and some scenery.

Still trying to upsize to something over 20cm

Cheers,

David.

Edited February 23, 2006 by mottyman

[Sharky]

Awsome picks there and how relaxing it must have been "So much serenity" . I love it when you can see fish attack a lure theres nothing better

[hatheadheaven]

I put my boat in at Tench at day break and headed up through the Narrows and just fished the banks either side as I made my way up stream.

Cheers,

David.

G'day David - looks awesome up there mate. For an ignoramous like me, where is "Tench" and "the Narrows"?

[Guest madsmc]

Excellent pics David, especially the rock and snag shots (makes me wish I was standing there casting at em).

You seem to be landing bass on a pretty regular basis nowadays, hopefully they'll start to get a big bigger for you.

What sort of lure is that in the first photo?

Shane

[Tony Soprano]

Now I'm far from being an expert on freshwater fish but that looks to me like it could actually be an EP?

[mottyman]

Hi Guys,

Yep, just Awsome up there. I'm getting a few little fellas but I'm just new to bassing so as I gain more experience (an hopefully a leccie one day soon) I'll get into some better fish hopefully!!

G'day David - looks awesome up there mate. For an ignoramous like me, where is "Tench" and "the Narrows"?

Tench reserve is out near the freeway bridge on the Nepean River, Penrith and the Narrows is a little way upsteam surrounded by big rocks and weed where the river narrows right down. 4 knot zone going through. It's a stones throw from my house so now that I fish it I consider it "my local waterway"

What sort of lure is that in the first photo?

Shane

OK, red faced I'll have to admit it's a little shallow diving fat rattler I bought of Ebay in a set of 4 for $12 including postage.

I've so far only used the green cause... it works!!!!! The other three are silver/pink, blue/silver and a goldy-orange/silver colour. Tried a deeper diving one I bought as well today in a nice black gold. Plenty of hits but no hookups. They swim perfectly strait too!!!

Now I'm far from being an expert on freshwater fish but that looks to me like it could actually be an EP?

I'm most certainly no expert so I'll leave that to you guys. I haven't got a clue I do post on a site dedicated to Bass fishing only and none of the "Bass Gurus" on there mentioned it was an EP. I think it's a bit far up stream as well. Ep's hang more around the brackish water don't they?? Like I said, I haven't got a clue though!

Thanks guys, appreciate your kind words and hopefully I'll have a bigger fish to post some time soon.

Cheers

David.

Edited February 23, 2006 by mottyman

[Narralakes]

Nice report David and great photos. Is there much weed up there still? I love going up there and the fish are top fun on fly gear, especially surface poppers. Hard to tell from that angle, but it looks like a bass to me.

[mottyman]

Hi Narra,

Yeah, there's a fair bit but its not too bad. I've only been fishing it for the last 6 weeks so I don't know any different. Still, seems OK to me.

There are plenty of places along the banks where the weed isn't so bad and you can get a minnow in close and where the weed is fairly thick its got "holes" in it which is perfect to lob a surface lure into.

In one spot, I lobed a surface lure in and watched a little bass swim out, look at it, then take off and smash it. Didn't connect unfortunatley but really amazing to see.

Penrith from where you live is a fair day out mate, have you got your passport up to date!!

Cheers,

David.

[Guest madsmc]

On the topic of Bass vs EP, I have done a bit of research and come up with these points which may help to distinguish between the species.

Please note that I am far from being an "expert" on these fish, and from my reading I have discovered that even experienced people have been known to confuse the two.

Firstly, a pic of an EP to compare with Davids bass. (Note the scooped forehead of this fish)

Another pic showing some of the differences between the two.

Other differences:

> EP's have a larger mouth than bass, with a distinctly protruding lower jaw.

> Bass have white coloured leading edges on their pelvic fins.

From my research, it would seem that the forehead profile is one of the more popular methods of determining the species. After comparing the EP pic with Davids I would say that Davids fish is a bass.

Shane

[jewnut]

gday david,

youve been doing well on those Bass, well done

i started work in Penrith a couple of weeks ago and took a drive down to the river next to the rowing club and it looks very fishy, have you ever given it a go as im sure the bass would be there. Ill be giving it a go early morning next week, PM me if your keen to have a fish.

[mottyman]

Hi Jewnut,

Mate, it's extremely fishy!!!!!!!

I've certainly caught bass there. They are all very small but... a bass is a bass.

Early morning is good. As is late afternoon from about 7pm fishing into the dark.

I can't fish early mornings all that often but do get down there some nights.

Let me know how you go.

Cheers

David.

[Guest BBM Rick]

Has anyone been there when the bats come over? An amazing sight indeed? Wonder if it spooks the fish though?

[mottyman]

Has anyone been there when the bats come over? An amazing sight indeed? Wonder if it spooks the fish though?

Yes mate, last time Andy and I were down there they all started just on dark. The most amazing thing I've ever seen. They stretched from the weir all the way down to the freeway bridge and thick as. Looked like a massive swarm of giant bees.

There must be thousands and thousands of them.

I wonder if they put the fish off as well. Just on dark, the bass stopped attacking the surface lures. Surely just co-incidence though or maybe the bass think it's death from above??? Don't know.

Cheers,

[Tony Soprano]

Thanks for the info Shane...

[Guest madsmc]

Thanks for the info Shane...

No worries Tony.

Like I said, I'm far from an expert, but hopefully that info will be of use to us all.

Shane

[Sir Battler]

There are plenty of fish to catch around the rowing club, especially around underneath the power cables. Problem is the weed and that fish become entangled very quickly. With a boat they can be pulled out but is a bit harder shore based. Try jigging floating lures or crawlers over the top of the weed. Have seen some bass upwards of 40cm come from the area

[mottyman]

Hi SirBattler,

Indeed there are!!!!

Although, I went down last night for not very much I'm afraid. Fished from Victoria bridge down to the weir for one hit on a surface lure in the exact way you describe (over the weed) and that was it.

Last time down when shore based I pulled two out, next time.... 30cm plus fish for sure!!

The bats were as amazing as ever last night. They got off to an earlier start though and started getting air born about 7ish.

Cheers,

[clutch]

Hey Dave, somehow have missed this post .....well i actually only got back yesterday!

It sounds like you have the Bass fishing sussed and are now ready to upsize

...man thats some great scenery....great pics mate

....those bats sound a little unnerving

[mottyman]

Hey Clutch,

Its just beautiful up the river and I get up there now whenever I can, which isn't as often as I'd like

The bats are just amazing. It looks like something out of a movie. Next time I go I'll try to take some pics of them and post them up to show you guys what they look like.

I'm out often looking for that "upsized" fish. You'll hear me cheering from NZ when I get it

Cheers,

[Sir Battler]

That end of the river is dynamite not only because of the oodles of fish but also because the bloody waterskiers cant get down there. Although the narrows are good you really do need an early start to avoid the skiers.

Have heard some stories of old fellas fishing with baby sparrows under victoria bridge for huge bass. Have shore based a number of times from the western side and had a ball on small to medium sized bass on worms and small atomic grubs in the small weed clearings.

Under flood, we also caught lots of trout above the weir on worms.

You arent kidding about the bats, my olds live at Mt Riverview in the lower Blue Mtns and every night you see them coming like clouds.

[mottyman]

BABY SPARROWS

Geez, I couldn't come at that... I understand it would probably work given they nest in the bridge but..., not something I would do.

I'm yet to land a decent Bass from down there, just ones about the size in the photo above. There seem to be plenty of the little ones around, but haven't seen or hooked anything of decent size yet.

Maybe I need to invest in some $27 Jackall Vibes.... or, maybe I'll give the Kokoda Vibes at around $6 each a go first

Cheers,