Roberta At Glenbawn - Now With Pics

[arpie]

Hi guys

I began my Glenbawn adventure on Monday, mid morning, when I set off in our campervan, towing our trailer, full of my fishing & kayaking stuff! The weather was overcast & I was happy that it was not raining, as had been predicted on all the weather sites!

The closer I got to Glenbawn, the more gloomy the weather looked & after more than 3hrs driving, it finally started raining, so the final hour of driving was in the rain. Looking for a campsite reasonably close to the water was the next problem ..... Glenbawn is basically a Clay based dam & when you are not in a 4WD, it becomes patently obvious very quickly when the claggy clay has gummed up the tread in your tyres & you have no grip at all!! With the added weight of the trailer behind me, I was sliding all over the place as I tried to get to the grass for a bit more grip. Each time I tried, I slid further back & then also sideways!! Ooooops!! Not my idea of a good way to start my Glenbawn adventure, needing to be be towed out of a bog!! I made sure my tyres were dead straight & went backwards a bit (deliberately this time), out of the bog & tried again & eventually got enough grip to move forward & out of trouble! Close call!!

I chose my site & started setting up camp! Not at all pleasant, in the rain! I put my campervan awning out first (giving me cover) & then put up the Oztent (aka 30 Second Tent) & with its awning up, I was able to add the sides & front panel whilst also under cover, so it wasn't too bad, but I still looked like something the cat brought in! One of my yakking buddies dropped in with his wife & we had a beer, discussing the options for the following day! Rod gave me specific instructions on where to go & what lures to use ....... and I gladly made sure I had at least One Feralcat lure in my collection!!! Just as well I did ...... it ended up catching half of my fish! He was hoping to join me in the afternoon, but it was not to be. However, my other yakking buddy, Steve, rang to say that he would be joining me on the water. Great!

The weather cleared overnight & I was up & on the water at 7am! It was a bit of a trek down to the water & I wasn't looking forward to the return trip that afternoon! I reckon it would take at least an hour to get it back!! The red clay was horrible! It stuck to my shoes like glue & made for a very slippery trip to the water. When I got onto the yak, it transferred to all over the yak! Yuk!!

Nice foggy morning, but at least there was no rain!

The Swordies took this pic of me in my yak

Immediately, I began trolling a lure, 'en route' to Rod's spot. Within 5 mins of setting out, I had a good fish on, but it spat the hook as it approached the yak! Damn (or words to that effect ...... as Stewy knows, I never swear!!) Ne'er mind, I now felt confident, thinking .... "How easy was that?" Unfortunately, It was over an hour before my next hookup! Eventually I hooked a small bass on a trolled lure - it was photographed & released. I was casting towards the shore & at any tree that I saw, with no result & had worked my way towards a bunch of submerged trees, when I saw The Swordie's boat heading towards me! Johnno's boat was next & then Lyn & Geoff's boat also arrived! They were heading off to another FIshing Fest & I was still awaiting my first 'real' fish!

Whilst we were chatting, Lyn got onto a fish, but unfortunately, it got off! I knew how that felt! The FIshraider Mob continued on their way & I was getting annoyed at my fish finder showing fish everywhere, so I dropped my purple spinnerbait between some submerged trees & began retrieving it when WHAM!! I was on!! The fish immediately dived for cover & wrapped itself around a tree. I could feel the leader scraping over the timber & opened the bail arm, hoping it would find its way out. Not yet tho! I had to reposition the yak a few times to try a different angle & finally got it out of the snag & got it to the yak. My first legal lure caught bass in NSW - a nice fat 34cm!! Happy with that!

1st bass even tho a bit small!

I headed back towards my 'troll path' & got a huge hit off one of the points - hoping it was a bass, I was surprised to see that it was a large Yella Belly!! That was another PB - I'd never caught one before, or even seen one alive!! My rod went off with a scream, then .... nothing!! I started to retrieve line & it felt very heavy & figured that it had dived for the weeds. Still no head shakes or fight tho! Maybe it was only weed?? Then finally, a bit of a struggle confirmed a fish was on the hook & up came ..... a Crap!! Sorry for the typo ..... make that a fat, slimey Carp!! It was quite big - over 50cm & weighed in at 2kg! I wasn't sure of the protocol of putting carp back, so asked a guy who was camping on shore - he said not to put it back, so I put it in front of my Mirage drive (the pedals) and within seconds, had another fish on .... this time a nice bass - also about 35cm. The guy on shore couldn't believe it! He immediately launched his tinny to try & catch something!

First ever Yella Belly - instant PB

Big Carp (another PB!)

34cm Bass!

At this point in time, I was soooo hot, as I had all my wet weather gear on & it was starting to fine up & the sun come out. I also had forgotten my sunnies, so headed back to camp ..... 1) for the sunnies & 2) to despatch the carp & dump in the bin!

Hopped back in the yak & started trolling again! At this point in time, I was quite happy about trolling!!! I was getting regular hits & kept busy with all 3 rods in the water now ..... 2 in the rod holders & holding the 3rd! As luck would have it, both Rod Holders went off simultaneously & I was in a lather trying to swap my handheld rod for a rear rod & just as I was bringing in the first fish (a very nice yella) the other fish got off! Ah well, you can't do justice to all rods when fishing like that - so I reverted to just 2 rods, one hand held & one in the holder.

Another Yella - this one milted on me!

Then a 35cm bass

Earlier, As had I pedalled thru the trees, I found a nice Frenzy bibless lure hanging from a branch, so grabbed it & painted some purple on the bottom of it, & used it for trolling! It caught me my biggest bass, right where I had caught the carp & my previously biggest bass!!! For some reason, I didn't put this one on the lie detector & I am sorry I didn't, as, compared to pics of my other fish sitting on my lap like that, I reckon it was a tad over 40cm!!! Can't believe I didn't measure it!

My biggest bass of the trip, caught on the Frenzy lure! 40cm

Then doing the same troll as the previous yella, bass & carp, I got another yella!!! All yellas were about 45cm!

3rd yella

All fish were released (except the carp.)

Also in amongst the trees was a gorgeous little Pee Wee, sitting on its nest! Then I saw another nest that was 'a little close to the water, so no-one had taken up residence! Perhaps it had been built when the dam was at a lower level?? We saw a few nesting. They were sooooo gorgeous.

By now, Steve had launched his own yak & was out trolling with no luck. He was holding his rod across his chest & trying to paddle at the same time, so it wasn't really working too well - hopefully he will set up some Poly Pipe Rod holders soon

Steve & his Tempo

I was over in the shallows & was amazed at the number of carp that were swimming around underneath me! I tried to get some underwater pics of them, but the sediment in the water (from the carp!) prevented that! I saw schools of about 5 or 6. One was even Red ..... must be a fish pond escapee!!

Things were pretty quiet after lunch, so by late afternoon, we headed back to camp. I was not looking forward to dragging my yak up the hill to the camp again, specially as the clay had clogged up my shoes & made them very slippery! Luckily, Steve had brought his car down & I jury-rigged my yak to his Boot Clip & he drove my yak up to camp on its wheels! Happy with that!!!! We had a beer & a chat & Steve headed off, hoping to join me for more yakking on THurs.

Steve with my yak under tow

Rod & his wife popped by again, bringing dinner for the 3 of us with them! How nice was that?? Better than the tin of spaghetti I had had the evening before, as I couldn't be bothered cooking in the rain (and it is not safe to cook in the van with gas operated gear when the windows are closed due to the rain! We were very lucky with a beautiful evning on the Wed night, so we took the table outside & had dinner 'au natural'!

Rod & Lorraine & me - they took me under their wing & made it their mission to be sure I was safe!

Rod has a double Hobie & now Lorraine goes out with him when visiting up here, but doesn't like the Glenbawn (perhaps if it is nice & flat) & she recently caught her first ever fish a month ago .... more than one, actually - she caught a few very nice flatties on sps in one of my favourite spots at Tuncurry!! :

Stewy had said I may well go out with him or Johnno on Thurs morning (5am start) so I set my alarm for 4.30am & was in bed by 9pm! The wind came up during the night & I could hear the awning flapping something chronic!! It basically kept me awake for most of the night, then at 3.30am, the wind stopped! Great, I thought! THen the lightening & thunder started!! Bummer!! Talk about a light show! It was coming from the Dam wall & then, there was a dumping of rain that lasted about an hour! 5am came & went & I had all my gear out & ready just in case ........ cooked some bacon & eggs & at 7am, Stewy came by & said "HOP IN"!! I didn't need to be asked twice!! Donna was having a well-earned sleep in!

We took off up the lake with Johnno & Dan in hot pursuit & started tossing spinnerbaits at every tree & alley we saw! Stewy was quickly onto a small bass, then another ...... then it went very quiet! Johnno & Dan were following us, also tossing spinner baits, with no joy. The wind came up a bit so we headed further up the lake & got into some areas where we had the wind behind us, as it was difficult tossing into the wind. I hooked numerous trees (both above water & submerged) and Stewy's skill with the leccie prevented me from losing any lures!!

I got an enormous wind knot at one stage & uttered a quiet oath (I don't swear much, as I am sure Stewy will attest to!) & it was easier to just cut it off & re-tie the leader, which I did!

As the wind became stronger, white caps started appearing on the water & we knew it was going to be a rough journey home. Combined with the lack of fish, we decided to call it a day & head home. Johnno pushed thru the chop & was completely airborne at one stage! Stewy & I were climbing the waves & dropping into the troughs, but the ride was surprisingly comfy, with no kidney jarring at all! As we approached the boat ramp, the waves were crashing onto the ramp, making for a very difficult retrieval! Both Dan & Johnno were hanging onto the boat in pretty deep water whilst Stewy was in even deeper, putting it onto the trailer! Both boats were succesfully put onto trailers safely ....... altho I thought Johnno was going to be broadsided at one stage with the waves, as we were taking a bit of water in Stewy's boat whilst waiting for Johnno to get his out!

For some Pics of my outing with Stewy, I have put them on "Swordies at Glenbawn'' posting

http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.ph...=20#entry272534

It was a terrific honour to be out with Stewy in the boat & he gave me many tips on spinnerbait casting (something I had never really tried before, altho I had been hoarding some for a while!!) Stewy had never seen a 'hot pink' one before ..... and the fish didn't see it either! He was incredibly patient with a 'newbie spinner baiter' & gave me every opportunity to catch a bass, even giving me first shot at many trees & alleys! I have to practise my casting so I can get it within 1ft of the target!

Shortly after, the heavens opened wide & a huge dumping of rain happened! I sat in the camper & watched a fishing DVD & had a snooze. After lunch, I popped up to the cabins to call on the Swordies, but everyone was zzzzzzzzzing, so I visited Lyn & Geoff & enjoyed catching up with them, which was great!

Believe it or not, the wind & rain stopped & the water surface returned to calm, but this time I was zzzzzzing myself when Stewy & the boys went out again that afternoon & got into some nice fish! Rod & Lorraine came over for a farewell drink & we did a quick tour of the other camping areas for my next trilp ........ Steve also came over with his 2 little kids & they were entranced with my campervan & tent setup! I reckon young Tom will be keen to get into something like that when he is old enough to drive!!!

I fell into bed & slept the sleep of the just!! So much so, I slept thru beyond 4.30am & missed another chance to fish with Stewy! SPEWING!! I'd forgotten to put the alarm on!!! Two caravans were parked near me, so Stewy couldn't hit the horn to get me up (wouldn't you know it, I had the whole place to myself the previous 2 nights!) Ah well, I had to pack up camp anyway & had already put the yak away, so couldn't be bothered pulling it out again either, plus the clay had been made wet again with all the rain, so didn't want to chance getting bogged again!! I'd already been down to the ramp & tossed some spinners around, with no joy, so just packed up & went to the Kiosk for 'breakfast hamburger/brunch' & met up with the boys & Stewy coming back from the morning session! Everyone got fish!! SPEWING AGAIN!!!! Stewy said to come up to the cabins & have my feed there & the thought of a hot cuppa tea was too good a chance to resist!

It was great to catch up with Donna again (I think I had last caught up with them at the Blackie Social at Forster last year, or was it The Entrance?) & she made me a great cuppa - my first since I had arrived, as I couldn't be bothered boiling the billy in the rain! The beers had gone down well tho! I could have sold my hamburger 3 times over, I reckon!! It went down a treat, too! Great spending time with Lyn & Geoff & Johnno & Dan too.

All up, a terrific few days at the dam - shame the weather mucked up for me on the Tues & Thurs, but I was really happy with my day on the water on Wed!!! If my next session is half as bad, I'd still be happy! Lots of PBs & great company! Stewy & the Mob really know how to burn the candle at both ends ..... I don't know how they do it, with early starts & late finishes & only a small break in the middle! They are heading home today, so can't wait for their whole report to go up & see the pics!!!!

Many thanks, Swordies, for allowing me to gate crash your Bass Bash!!! In my best Arnie voice ..... I'll be BACK!!! Wendy dropped in this morning & checked out the pics & can't wait to get there too! Those cabins are looking good!

Oh yeah - I was nearly home, driving thru Tuncurry when I suddenly felt & heard a huge buzzing beneath my trousers near my knee! OH NO!!! A bee had somehow gotten up my trouser leg but hadn't stung me yet! Whilst trying to steer with one hand & find a place to stop, I madly grabbed my leg to try & prevent it stinging me, only to discover that it was my mobile phone ringing on 'vibe'!! What a laugh! It was Keith! He'd assumed I was still at the Dam as the weather was so nice! Darn it! For once, I did what I was told & had come home as agreed! GOod excuse to go back!

Cheers for now

Roberta

Edited November 22, 2008 by Roberta

[yakfishing]

Sounds like you had a blast! 4WDing, camping and yakfishing - does it get any better than that?? I dont think so. Cant wait for the pics!

[brickman]

top read roberta i lived up the brook for 5 years and your post brang back all the fond memorys off fishing the dam

thanks for that cherrs gary

[Hodgey]

Fantastic report usual Roberta, complete with some great photos. It sounds like you had a fabulous time, including some new PBs. Please to read that you despatched the carp ... slimy, destructive b@st@rds that they are.

Some well-conditioned bass in your photos You've got to love purple spinnerbaits I would like to see a close-up of your feral cat lure, as it might be worth a cast in Mulwala

Great read Roberta! I look forward to the next installment of Roberta Fishes Australia soon.

Cheers

Hodgey

[zen801]

Hi Roberta,

Sounds like a great adventure.

Looks like you got it all covered for a great fishing expedition.

Time with friends, on the water and fish - priceless.

Cheers.

[glennmreid]

Great Report Roberta. I am glad you had so much fun. Congraulations on getting some great fish. I remember you saying about the burgers in the store. They are the best! A carp on a lure! That is something.

[arpie]

....A carp on a lure! That is something......

Have to agree with you there, Glenn!! I'd never seen a live one before - only pics of them on Fishraider!! Slimey thing it was, too! It tried to jump out of the yak whilst I was heading back to shore & nearly scared the life out of me! Almost as bad as being attacked by my phone!

Gotta agree on the hamburger, too! So big & juicy!!

Here's a couple more pics of the fish

first yella ready to go

bass released

yella released

Those yellas give a good account of themselves, too!!

Cheers

Roberta

[nick bayley]

Aaahhh sounds like typical Glenbawn weather. Good to see you got onto some fish. I was up there last xmas and could only fish at dusk/night and early morning cause of the wind. At one point we were heading into a .5 to 1m wind chop in a 10ft tinny .

Think i may have to go back soon.

[tide'n'knots]

hi roberta,

sounds like a hoot of a weekend!! julie and I went there about 4years ago at easter and caught a s##tload of crap oops I mean carp! some nice catfish on worms a silver perch and my daughter caught a cracker 55cm bass on the last day. stumpjumper lures I am told work very well up there, however when I was there I only managed one about 30cm on the first day.

I reckon your bass was a bit more than 40cm looking at the photo. - nice fish anyway!

tight lines Pete.

[Dusky_Chaser]

Great stuff roberta.

[rizzo]

Good stuff Roberta and great report as always we all luv

a good read and great pics too

The wife and i are heading up to lake St Clair this weekend

i cant wait it should be great

Cheers

Rizzo

[locodave]

Nice pics Roberta!!

I'm starting to think you worked for the news paper in the editorial sections by the way you write your posts

[sanger]

Looks like you had a blast!!!! The pics were good cause i didnt have time to read the whole post so they are a perfect summary!!!!

[glennmreid]

Some great shots there Roberta. Some good size fish. Do the bigger fish manage to pull your kayak around?

[sails]

Hi Roberta,

that sounds like it was a very productive trip, and a good read also!! Well done on both fronts.

cheers

Cam

[slinkymalinky]

Great read Roberta and some quality fish. Got to love time on the water with a bunch of like minded mates.

Cheers, Slinky

[arpie]

Thanks Guys - it really was fun! Good mates, good fishing - what else would you want ...... oh yeah!! Good Weather!!!

Rizzo - have fun at St Claire this weekend - have only fished it from shore & got Zippo! Next time, I'll take the yak! I've heard of some cracking bass being taken out of there!!

Cheerio

Roberta