My Prefishing Apologies..

[Pukka]

... for not posting one of my verbose reports lately.

As many of you already know, the Australian Open Bream 'bash' is on the horizon and MickC and Myself plan to do our best to make sure a couple of local boys are right up there. I've been prefishing like crazy, and I'm happy to say the bream fishing has, on the whole, been very, very good.

While the 'big fellas' seem to be there one day and gone the next, it hasn't been too difficult raising a 5 fish limit. The bream are definately now in summer mode and the amount of fish you can see feeding on te surface under boats and pontoons, is incredible.

I can't divulge locations, for obvious reasons, but I can say that , for me, grubs and hawg style lures have been doing most of the damage. Bass minnows, I'm happy to say, have accounted for only one fish in my last 3 outings.. save them for the kingy's I reckon.

Pukka

[Guest Jocool]

Thanks for the update Joe. I was thinking you got deported or something!

[Byron]

Swoffa,

Mick could not work for Craig during the ban last year, and I expect the same applies again this year.

The thought behind it is that while he is hitting the wedding cakes for kings, he will come across a massive school of hungry bream to target in the Comp.

He is in a very difficult position considering guiding Sydney Harbour is his livelihood, but then again if Pukka and Mick win the whole show, I am sure it will not even rate a seconds thought!!

[mitch]

Nice work Joe, Unfortunatly I haven't had much of a chance to get out there for a pre-fish.

now that I know you and Mick are fishing together I am going to start saying my prayers . There has been some good bags arising out of pre-fish's of late. Should make for interesting fishing come competition time

[Pukka]

Welcome back Joe.

A couple of questions about the prefish ban that you may be able to help with...

My understanding is that you're not allowed to fish whichever waterway for the "ban" period at all, would this include hitting the harbour for kingies? Or is it restricted to bream?

I assume it's all sorts of fishing, therefore causing many to miss the best time for fishing the harbour.

What about Mr Collins? If he's not out fishing he's not working...

I'm still kinda hoping to fish the Open (I should give up and move on, but I really want to fish it), so I just want to clarify the rules before I start flogging the harbour pelagics.

28030[/snapback]

Hey Swoff'

You're not allowed on the harbour or any of it's waterways at all, not even if you're pelagic spinning. Just being seen on the water in your boat would mean instant disqualification.

Byron's right about Mick's predicament. He can't work for 3 weeks, 2 week prefish ban plus a week of the comp'... and yes, I'll be doing my upmost to put at least some money back in Mick's pocket to make up for it.

Joe

[Pukka]

Nice work Joe, Unfortunatly I haven't had much of a chance to get out there for a pre-fish.

now that I know you and Mick are fishing together I am going to start saying my prayers   . There has been some good bags arising out of pre-fish's of late. Should make for interesting fishing come competition time

28047[/snapback]

Hey Mitch

I just posted a question on the NSWFM forum asking for clarification of the prefish ban start, a question Mick had earlier asked.

It's listing as beginning on Thurs 27th which is less than 2 weeks. If it's a 2 week ban it should be from Tues 25th. Hope we get clarification soon, or quite a few people may be caught out.

Mitch, you're not wrong about the bags of fish that have been coming out. I've heard of some great bags of fish coming aboard various competitors boats. However, as RickT mentioned in another post, a lot of anglers got amazing 5 bags of bream in the prefish to last year's comp' as well, but then got smaller bags during the comp'. Then again during the NSTE comp' a few years back, there were numerous huge 5 bags during the comp'.

It'll be very interesting to see the bags this time round.

Joe

[mitch]

Joe,

I just had another look at the entry form and it said Tuesday 27'th and as we know Tuesday is the 25'th.

Good thinking asking simon as if it is Tuesday there would definatly be a few people out on the water getting the last fish in before the ban when in actual fact it could be during he ban.

[Ken A]

Bass minnows, I'm happy to say, have accounted for only one fish in my last 3 outings.

Good luck in the comp Joe

[mitch]

Joe I just had a look at the B.R.E.A.M site and the tounament schedule has pre-fish ban from the 25'th. I am glad you bought this up as I didn't take any notice of the dates

[snag]

Nice one Joe

Good to see you catching all your fish now mate.

JK hope you and mick get 2nd spot in the open mate, couldnt think of two nicer blokes to come 2nd behind me and pete .

[Billfish]

From the BREAM web site:

Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 1:02 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve,

The prefish ban begins Tuesday 25th January and runs until the Official Prefish which is Monday 8th of February.

Cheers

Simon.

It should also be noted that Monday 8 February should read TUESDAY 8 February>

[yellow submarine]

Bit of a novice when it comes to comp fishing

But what is a prefish ban??

[Hooky.]

Good luck in the the comp Joe and also to MickC.

cheers

hooky

[Pukka]

Thanks for the info Bill.. that cleared that up

... and thanks for the good wishes fellas

Joe

[Pukka]

Bit of a novice when it comes to comp fishing

But what is a prefish ban??

28085[/snapback]

Hi Yellow,

A prefish ban comes into effect usually around 2 weeks before a comp' is due to start, during this time no fishing can take place on the waterway where the comp' is being held.

It gives the fish a couple of weeks rest from little bits of lead and plastic being thrown at them and levels the playing field a little when it comes to finding the fish.

The day before the start of the comp' is reserved as an official prefish day.

Pukk'

[Pukka]

Thanks for putting the dates up Bill.

Ok, so you're not allowed on the waterway during the ban, but what if you're not fishing it? Like if I was to go out for marlin and had to access the ocean via the harbour?

Or an extreme situation, but what if you catch a ferry to work?

These are just hypothetical situations, but could potentially cause an issue for some unlucky bugger. 

28172[/snapback]

I'm not sure if travelling on a marlin boat over comp' waters would be allowed.

The boat will have rods on it, who's to say if you stopped to pick up some slimeys on the way you wouldn't find a school of bream?? You might get away with it, I think it would be up to the discretion of the organisers.

Err, I think you'd be allowed on a ferry as long as you're not flicking a plastic down the side of it..

joe