Bream On Topwater Lures+ How To In A Yak

[arpie]

Hi all

Further to my previous posting on top water lure fishing (see below)

http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=46266

and

http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=46383

Michelle & Scott (from Lemon Tree Passage) had made contact to come up & fish Forster prior to the Yak ABT round here in a month or so ....... wanting to learn the dark art of Top Water lure fishing, specifically with Sammys & NW pencils. Initially they were to come up the weekend before (when the above report was on the nice King Tides) but fate had them arriving late last week on Fri for a couple of days fishing before heading home again on Sun

Shame they couldn't come the week before, as the weather was perfect, as were the tides, nice & high in the morning where as this weekend just gone was extreme low tides in the morning with horrible weather, so we were fishing a period of the day that I normally don't!! THen Yakfisher/Tristan also joined us on the Sat afternoon & stayed till Monday, also keen to advance his Topwater skills, since his last session with me in Oct.

http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=44180

So ..... I met up with Michelle & Scott on the water, down near the boat sheds & showed them the basics of tossing pencils around - some people on paddle bicycles had just gone thru my prime fishing spot, spooking every fish to kingdom come, so after a few practise shots just for 'technique', we headed into the lake.

Michelle in her Hobie Revolution

Scott in his Viking Tempo

As we went along, I encouraged them to cast towards the edges, as any bait fish would be holding on the edges, out of harms way of the bigger fish, holding in the deeper water, waiting for the baitfish to have to move as the tide fell further! I had cast towards the shore & turned round to chat with Michelle, when, blow me down, my 'do nothing' retrieve worked again!!! A bream had jumped on & I didn't even know it till it took off at a rate of knots!! Never underestimate the power of the 'pause' between retrieves - it can be for up to 15 sec before the fish grabs the lure!!

We continued along, casting at any structure we could find, be it poles, boats, edges of leases or outcrops of oysters. I was getting hits & Michelle also had some bloops, but no hookups yet. I cast at one boat & there was a furious bloop, followed by about 6 others, til he finally got the hooks into his mouth & I land my 2nd fish of the morning, another nice legal one of 28cm - both fish could have been twins, but were caught quite a distance apart!

I called Michelle over & suggested she cast around that area, as where there is one fish, there are often more (and I'd released the other fish far enough away for it to not spook his original buddies!) Michelle tossed her sammy into the same area & was rewarded with a couple of bloops, but no hookup. Her natural tendancy was still to 'strike' as soon as the fish blooped, but by the next day, she was resisting the temptation to strike until feeling the weight of the fish first! This must be one of the hardest things to do, when learning topwater fishing - be it popper or pencil! You MUST allow the fish to grab at the lure for as long as is required till he hooks himself! Only after you feel the weight of the fish on your line, do you 'lift your rod firmly to embed the hooks' in the fish's mouth.

Moving along we continued fishing the shallows (with low tide, we didn't have much choice! ) and we peppered any posts or lease edges with casts, but no takers. It was a bit windy by now, but it was only a hint of what was to come later! We worked our way up the lake & into a nice shallow area, hoping to toss some lures around, but not one bloop came our way! By now,the wind had become quite nasty, blowing us around and Scott (being in the paddle yak) went off to a shallow area that our Hobies could only negotiate with the pedals out of the drive area, so Michelle & I played around quite a distance away. Shortly after, Scott rejoins us & says - "A big flattie got my brand new Sammy on the 2nd cast & busted me off!!" We were glad (sort of) that he had had such a good hit, but sad that the Sammy was now bling on the flattie's face!

Michelle & Scott took off for the camp ground (Forster Beach Caravan Park, where Fishraider members get a 10% discount) & I pedalled away, going no-where fast! I really am looking forward to getting my ST Fins!!! It must have taken me the best part of 3/4hr to get back to a calmer part of the lake, less affected by the wind, and I found Michelle & Scott hanging onto a lease, waiting for me! They probably thought I'd got lost or fallen in!! I reckon I should have lost a kg or 2 in weight, with the exercise I got on that jaunt!!! But I didn't!

It was mid afternoon now and the tide was just starting to rise, & I thought that we should head back to the bridge end of the lake, to try & find shelter from this huge wind (almost gale force by now.) It also looked like it was going to BUCKET down with rain, too. Luckily, it held off til we got home!

I had suggested to Michelle & Scott to cast at ANY structure "Just like that pole over there" & shot my sammy lure to it, & started my normal 'walk the dog' retrieve. Wouldn't you know it, bloop bloop & I am on to my 3rd fish of the day - not a monster, but a fish, just the same!

At this point in time, Michelle would have been pleased with a pike or a longtom! The sky was still looking ominous ....... but we tossed some lures around to see if there were any more takers. Nup!

We had quite a bit of rain overnight, but it loomed nice for Sat morning!!

On Sat morning, Michelle went & replaced the missing Sammy & upgraded their leader from 6lb to 10lb (always wise when around leases & big flatties!) and we met on the water around 12 (they had already been out for a couple of hours.) Tristan was arriving soon (I thought) so didn't want to tire myself out too early on the 2nd day, as we'd been out for at least 6hrs the day before.

Once again, we played around the boatsheds for a while, with very few, if any bloops, so we headed over to the 'paddock' area (the shallows in behind the bridge, parallel to the Breckinbridge channel.) You sometimes get bream & whiting over the weedbeds there - plus it was out of the wind. Today, we had drizzle on & off, instead! At least it wasn't bucketting, like everywhere else in NSW & QLD!!

Michelle was casting to a pole & had a couple of great bloops & was on momentarily (felt the weight of the fish on the line) and struck, only for the fish to spit the hook! There was so little action going on, once again, we even hoped for a long tom, to aleviate the boredom!! Your wish is my command ....... I caught a long tom!!

Tristan rang to say that he would be late, as there was a prang on the highway & traffic was at a standstill. Finally, in the distance, I could make out a yak & yes!! Tristan had arrived & happy to be on the water.

Tristan arrives

Once again, he wanted to only use top water lures, as he had never caught a fish before on popper, so was keen to break that hoodoo. In the shallows of the Paddock, his wish also came true & a legal whiting jumped onto his hook!! He was stoked!!

on to his first fish ever on popper - whiting

Nice fish

He tried flicking around moored boats too , tossing at boat edges

By now, Michelle & Scott had been on the water for about 8hrs (Michelle was determined to get a fish on her Sammy) but it was not to be & they headed back to camp as Tristan & I slowly worked our way back to my car, for no more fish. But we'd be out on Sun morning, along with Michelle & Scott as they'd arranged a late checkout.

Unfortunately, Michelle's mum had a bad turn during the night & they had to pack up & head home, first thing in the morning! Now that she know what features to look for, I reckon it won't be too long before she find one in her home waters of Lemon Tree Passage!

Sunday morning & Tristan & I met up & continued to pepper the water with casts. I think he got a couple more fish, but will leave him to tell the tale. I forgot my camera, so didn't get to record any pics, & only caught the one bream from memory. Tristan had a better day - with every catch, a PB as he'd never caught fish on hb lures (other than on the NW52 in Oct) before arriving in Forster again, so I was really pleased for him.

Once again, it was a fairly quiet day for me, but Tristan lost his only popper in one of the leases, so I gave him a couple of my cheap 'surecatch ones' to play around with.

Pretty well, my first cast in the racks, I also lost my sammy to a big bream in one of the leases ...... I'd tossed it between the racks, & not really expecting anything, was startled when a big bloop occurred & tried to retrieve it quickly, to swap it over to a less expensive lure - but unfortunately, the bream swam quicker, grabbed my sammy & took it home with him!! I put on a popper & immediately had 2-3 hookups, with the first fish taking me into the weeds & rubbing the lure off!! I'd done the drag up so I had instant 'turning the head' opportunity as they go for the racks as soon as they are hooked, so at least, I didn't lose the lure! Another hookup & he headed for the other side of the racks & this time, rubbed against a pole & one treble snagged, allowing the fish to get off, but at least I still have the lure! I give Tristan a yell & suggest he go up the same alley (I'd turned around half way up to find him) which he did, getting some bloops but not a hit.

Later that day, out in the shallows, I had caught a nice breambo on the same coloured NW52 & put the lure out onto the water whilst I measured the fish & wound in the line to find that that was all I had - line!! A bloody pike must have slashed it without making a noise ..... and pinched my lure!! That was 2 lures in less than an hour, gorn!!! VIrtually the best part of $50! Mind you, the sammy didn't owe me anything as it had caught so many fish & was well & truly chewed - lots of its colour had been scratch off by the fish as they grapple with the lure & miss! We headed back to our vehicles & headed home again

We agreed to meet up again for another go on Monday morning, as it would be not long after the top of the tide turn & we'd be fishing the 'out tide' the whole time. Tristan pulled out the poppers & after no hits, I suggested he colour the red & white one up with a black texta, which he did & almost immediately, landed a bream on it! We spent the next few hours, casting between the racks for some more excitement . Once again, we got to the racks on the out tide & Tristan was rewarded on his first cast with a very nice bream! This was very near where I lost my Sammy the day before!

Yak Rack Attack - Tristan's first rack popper bream

I went in the opposite direction to another part of the lease & was rewarded with a nice breambo too. This time, i kept the bream, as Keith was complaining about the lack of fish on the menu!! Fish for tea!

yak rack bream on popper

small blue nose

We peppered the area once again with 'a cast of thousands' but not many fish were caught until we left the racks & headed for the shallows again

On the way back to the car, I hooked onto another just legal bream & he went into the bag (hoping for an upgrade) so now there were 2 for dinner!!

final fish of the day

Tristan then heading up Camden Haven way on the Mon afternoon, to give the bream & flatties there a bit of a fright!!! I look forward to hearing of this trip & the fish caught!!

All up, a terrific 4-5 days on the water, but Boy! I was bushed!!!! The next morning, I slept in to 9am! A rarity, even for me!!

Now to the important bit ........This is how I fish top water pencils!

Recently I've been having some success on using Sammy 65s & NW52 pencils & thought it time to share my technique with those having difficulty in mastering the dark art of 'walking the dog' with pencil lures especially if they fish from kayaks. I look forward to trying other techniques if you care to share YOUR method with us.

Coming from a Kayak perspective, I find that I do the 'walk the dog' more efficiently in the yak than I can standing up in a boat or from the shore, as there isn't much 'downward tip movement' from a yak, being as low to the water as we are.

So, over time, I have conjured up my own method that seems to work for me ........ with a bit of luck, it may work for you too.

Here's how I do it - I use 3-4lb crystal braid & about 1m of at least 6l-10b flurocarbon as the leader (10lb or higher in the racks & 6lb or less in open water.) Bigger diameter braids don't work anywhere near as well, as I found out the other day when showing Ross & Leslie how to do the retrieve, using their rods with strong braid on it.

The rod that you use MUST have a reasonably whippy tip section as this is what imparts the action to the lure. Tie the lure to the leader with a loop knot, allowing the lure to 'move' more easily. Cover the lure with any attractant that you prefer & even rub the Squidgy Goop up the line a bit to make it float as well (Thanks, Iceman.) Find some 'shallows' where there are usually nipper beds & occasional weed beds (that can be as shallow as 1ft/.3m.) I cast the lure as far away from me as possible, preferably using the wind on my back to assist it to go even further! (I usually start with a sammy65 in Ghost Minnow - sort of a baby mullet colour altho I have done well on the bright yellow one as well around structure ie poles etc.) NW52s in the same colour or 270 are good too, but they are lighter & don't cast as far as the Sammys.

I actually like to 'jiggle' the lure a little bit, immediately it lands on the water. Any inquisitive bream nearby will hoon over & either look at it or attack it. I let it sit there for a couple of seconds, as, if it lands on or near a bream, the bream will usually attack the lure immediately! You must Watch the lure like a hawk. If there is any 'abnormal' wave movement heading towards it, or difference in the general shape of the top water around it (or if there is a visible & audible 'bloop' as the bream tries to smack the lure), I prefer to leave it ABSOLUTELY ALONE until the attack ends in a strike or they lose interest and the action stops! The further away you can cast the lure, the better chance you have of not spooking them & getting a hit. Let the bream have a good go at it. It can take 5-8 hits before it finds a hook & then the fight begins! The hardest part of the discipline is to NOT STRIKE at the lure when the fish is hitting it. Striking the lure (trying to set the hook) actually just pulls it away from the fish's face & the Strike Zone & they usually don't follow it.

You must wait to feel the weight of the fish on the line before setting the hook. Even then, I just lift the rod firmly (rather that jerking it) as the fish is usually well hooked, as they have sucked it in!! However, if you see activity & then it stops & you haven't hooked the fish, keep your rod tip pointed at the lure & wind in any slack line again. Then, to impart 'walk the dog' movement to my lure, I keep the rod perfectly still by butting the but of the handle against my chest/upper body, whilst turning the crank handle 1/2 a turn & stopping it reasonably crisply a few times then stopping for a pause. The 1/2 turn doesn't have to be overly exaggerated - just crisp enough to make the lure turn left & and then right on the next turn, about 1 or 2 within the second. You will notice the rod tip quivering with each 1/2 turn & this creates the 'walk'. The line needs to be absolutely slack between the 1/2 turns as this is what allows the lure to turn - and any slack is picked up by the crispness of the next 1/2 turn. So, do that 2 or 3 times, then stop & pause for between 5 - 10 seconds (not necessarily every time!) Watch for any aggression by a fish towards the lure. If there is none, then I just wind in the slack again and bring the pencil towards me slowly for 2-3 complete winds, so it leaves the 'v' trailing on the surface. This sort of looks like a prawn trying to get away without anyone noticing! Give another pause & then go into the 'walk the dog' mode again. If you don't get a reaction within 10 'retrieves' I reckon you may as well wind it in & start the process all over again, broadcasting your casts like the face of a clock, to cover different water with each cast. Then, go over them again or move spots & try again. Vary the speed of your retrieve as I had the one aggressive bream hoon over the other day when I was literally winding it in to try again & it kept whacking the lure within a rod's length from the yak until he hooked up, when normally, they lose interest once they are that close!

If you had a hit in an area & didn't hookup - go back to it & try again after 1/2hr or so & chances are, you'll get it next time you put the lure past its face!!

If you find it difficult to keep the rod handle against your chest, you can lean the rod onto your rod holder or fishfinder to keep it steady - just make sure that the line is still free to wind in ...... and that the rod tip 'wiggles' with every half wind. The more efficient you get with it, the smoother your 'walk the dog' will be.

Sometimes I do my 'machine gun' retrieve (without waiting for the rings to fade) which gets the lure jerking quicker & more erratically, then slow it down to the normal 'walk the dog' style if there isn't a hit. My 'machine gun' retrieve involves holding the line lightly onto the front of the rod handle cork just in front & under the edge of the reel spool ....... and winding continuously (try different speeds on different casts to see which one 'works'), imparting a quick jerking, erratic movement to the lure. It takes a bit of practise to do it without getting the line to wrap back around the reel - so just keep trying it till you get it right! It is just another variation of the retrieve to try if they are not on the bite immediately.

Or you can just loop the line over a finger holding that finger close to the reel & it does a similar action. Don't do it on the

crease of your finger joints, as it is very soft & the braid may well cut into the flesh. Have the line running over the pad of your finger's 1st digit.

Or ........ you can add a 'line holder' to your rod (like the Alveys have on theirs) - basically a 'sideways hook' (as against the 'forward shape' of a hook keeper that is parallel with the rod, on many rods now) and you can loop the line thru that & it virtually does the same retrieve!! I don't think it would be too good for the longevity of the braid tho!

Sometimes they bite thru hunger & they think it is a prawn scurrying away - and other times thru sheer aggression as the lure is 'in their face' or 'in their territory' & they must attack it!

It may take a little while to perfect the action, but if you try this method & any others that FRs may put up, you will surely find one of them or a mix of the lot that suits your style.

I prefer to fish these areas for the last 2hrs of the rising tide & up to 2hrs afterwards (or until the bite 'goes off'.) Try the one spot over & over (not necessarily every time) but to acquaint yourself with the area well. However, other areas that may be too deep to elicit a reaction on high tide may be 'just right' some time after the tide has turned & fallen. Just keep trying where ever you spot any shallows & you may get bream, whiting & even flatties on the Sammys!

Many of these spots can only be accessed when the King Tides are happening (like last week on the Full Moon.) Easter will probably be the next King tide. If you are in a boat, give my method a go whilst sitting down, it may help you & also present less of a profile to the fish as they approach the lure. Whatever you do, in a boat, don't get stuck in the shallows once the tide has changed! It could take 6hrs for the next high tide & it still may not be high enough for you to get out!

Remember tho, that my method is really aimed more at yakkers than stand up boaters or shore fishos.

Good luck & let us know how you go! It is sooooo addictive, once you get repeated hits & hookups!

Cheerio and Tight Lines

Roberta

Dark of the moon just now, too!! Prawns will be a-runnin' again!

Edited February 11, 2010 by Roberta

[james7]

Thanks Roberta for taking the time to write such an interesting and informative report.

Great photos too.

The "how I fish top water pencils" is terrific and a wonderful addition to your other posts on top water lure fishing.

I'd love the chance to catch up one day and get a lesson from the "Master".

Your post was great to read and very much appreciated.

Cheers

Peter

[arpie]

....I would like you to right an article for top water luring and submit it to the webmaster for approval.....

Gee, Stewie, I'd be only to pleased to do that!! Thanks for the opportunity!

...I'd love the chance to catch up one day and get a lesson from the "Master".....

Hi Peter - any time you want to come up, I'd be ony too happy to go out with you (I can even loan you a yak!) It is the most addictive form of fishing I have tried!! I used to think sps was fun - once you master it, this retrieve will just blow you out of the water! Glad you enjoyed it!

Roberta

[Jewhunter]

Roberta that is an amazing rundown on some fun sessions with some mates.

How good is it to watch people get 1sts & p.b's?!

When reading how much detail you went into I was stunned. Your reading of water conditions & tides. Where to look for holding bait fish & what happens to them on a falling tide. How to work a top water lure. Where to fish & when. What gear to use & how to use it. WOW!!!!

You have come such a long way in a few years. It's wonderful to see how much you have learnt & are willing to experiment & learn on your fishing adventures. Not only are you a great learner but you are obviously a fantastic teacher as well. Your passion & dedication to our great sport is an inspiration to all fishos.

I think you need to show me some of your tactics.

Well done & I'm looking forward to the article you are going to contribute to the new look site.

Cheers & thanks,

Grant.

[tide'n'knots]

great report roberta, having fished topwater lures with you recently I found your explanation on "how to" amazing it was just like you showed me when we fished together.

top stuff!!

pete.

[arpie]

....You have come such a long way in a few years.....

Hi Grant

That is an understatement - when I look back to that first time we met up at Byron Bay about 3 years back & you picked me up & took me to the river & we fished those oyster racks & the (now gone) bridge pylons ......... and I couldn't get my lures to land anywhere near the racks or the pylons & you were getting all the hits & hookups & I couldn't catch a cold! Then you got that woppa hit with line peeling off a screaming reel ..... only to bust off on the pylon ...... I was just in so much awe of your fishing skills, I went home, determined to become a better fisho! I probably wasn't using braid back then, either, or if I was, it was like 20lb stuff! My rod & reel would have been too big/heavy for me to use constantly over a session & I wasn't confident in using sps at all!!

I picked a few 'well known' raiders brains either by reading their posts (sometimes gong back 2-3 years), or pming them for info (yourself, Hodgey, Iceman, GregL to name but a few) and started 'saving' the best bits on a 'notebook' within my computer, where I can put everything alphabetically & recall it in a flash. eg Bream on sps, bass on spinnerbaits, south coast fishing, north coast fishing, Sydney fishing, squid fishing in FOrster (also from your humble self!), jewie fishing (I have it all ..... just have to put it into practise & catch a decent sized one!) he he just recently read the 'secret mistress' post of yours way back ......

Then I downsized my line to 6lb braid. Now it is 4lb crystal & YES! I even play around with 1lb crystal, just for the fun of it!!

Pretty well ALL MY SKILLS have been gleaned from posts here on Fishraider, so Thanks Guys - I've learned heaps since I joined here as a 'bait chucking for anything' fisho, now to a 'lure chucking at specific species' fisho ...... not to mention my other favourite past time, blackie fishing - also learned from fellow FRs (Stewie was a terrific help on that one, even when I was ready to toss the rod & reel away!!)

Having the yak has only propelled me into sneakier, shallower spots that most boats don't get to, as the water is not thrashed all the time by boaties, so us yakkers have a much better chance of getting decent fish!! Once you get over the yak 'scratch ouch' factor , you will pretty well take your yak ANYWHERE THERE ARE FISH!! and be rewarded.

I am luckier than most, in that, being retired, I can pretty well fish when I want to & with the yak, it is just so easy to throw it on the ute & be on the water in 5 mins. Just fishing with Michelle last weekend in LOW tide (I normally HATE low tide!) has opened my eyes to the 'new shallows' that occur then, so yet another lesson learnt!! I must try some of the other leases with fixed racks now, also at low tide! I know there are plenty of big bream hiding under them, even if the top of the racks are totally exposed!!

So, the long & the short of it is, yes, I have come a long way in a few years & I owe pretty well all of it to you guys! hehe I may even take the hooks off & try & get some footage of the strikes, just for fun!

haha what a turnaround ..... me showing you something!!! I'd love to! Shame you are tied up at the end of March!!

Hi Pete - I hope it makes a bit more sense now, reading it away from the water? Give it a go - even at Wisemans (across from that caravan park) there were some terrific shallows in the creek that Cam & I went up & I reckon would be great fun to target on topwater lures!! Also, where you anchor up for jewie fishing - if nothing is happening with the jewies ...... meander a bit closer to shore & toss a sammy65 at the mangroves - some huge bream will be hiding in there, methinks!!!

Give the topwater a go - the Jazz Zappas are a reasonably priced pencil (go for natural colours or check with Hodgey - he has a couple of favourites!) & there are lots of good cheaper ones too - but I must admit having a bit of a love affair with the sammys/NW52s just now!

Cheerio & thanks for reading

Roberta

Edited February 11, 2010 by Roberta

[slinkymalinky]

Fantastic read Roberta. I'm going to make sure I study all your secrets before we go head to head with surface lures. You've really got it going on and I love that you're always so generous sharing your knowledge and tips with others.

Great fishing and fish too

Cheers, Slinky

[jewgaffer]

A good read Roberta, fluently written and in true short story style too A smart fishing magazine editor would only have asked you to make his textures taste like fish.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[arpie]

.... You've really got it going on and I love that you're always so generous sharing your knowledge and tips with others.....

Ditto, Slinky!! Looking forward to that tussle when the water settles down south!! Should be fun. Remember where that sunken yacht was? This method would work in there, superbly, I reckon!!! ALso in the shallows out from the caravan park where you picked me up (I was targetting flatties back then, but I bet there were big breambos hiding there amongst those weedbeds too!!!) Remember, it can't really be too shallow unless you see actual sand! (Slight exaggeration, I know! ) But you get my gist - try anywhere in the shallows - if they are there, they will probably hit!

Just about to tackle the bail arms of my 2 reels, now that they are 'reeling' again! Thanks for the encouragement!!

Thanks Byron. I had fun writing it. Funny how you forget some bits til afterwards & then have to 'edit' the 're-edit' 5 or 6 times!!!

Hope you back is healing ok!

Cheers

Roberta

Edited February 12, 2010 by Roberta

[Hodgey]

Wow .... a fantastic post, Roberta! The time and effort spend both on the water and home at the computer was well worth it As you and I have discussed many times in the past, the difference in techniques required between boat fishing and yak fishing can be quite stark at times, and no more so that using surface lures. You have certainly levelled the playing field now!

Cheers

Ian

[Langa]

Another terrific report Roberta, I have been following your advice and am starting to have success on pencils and am indebeted to you.

I caught my 1st bream on a Sammy the other day (way under but still my 1st) retrieving over some weed beds using your techniques, and it was a blast.

Interestingly I spooked a flattie while wading out to cast, the biggest I've ever seen almost a metre long and sitting in about a foot of water!

Thanks again for your great advice, I quiver in anticipation of the topwater article.

Cheers, Langa

[frankie machine]

Roberta,

That's a brilliant report, full of fantastic info. I'd love to get a yak and have a go, but unfortunately at the moment the bank manager won't let me. You should have your own television fishing show!

Cheers

Frankie

[DGF]

hmm thanks for all that info roberta im going to give it a try agian this weekend as i just started with top water pencils for bream using the rod i usually use for SP's unfortunatly i dont have a kayak though so most of my fishing is done from my boat or shore based but i think this weekend i might just take my smaller boat to botany bay and give it a go near the oyster lease at towra

[arpie]

Well done Langa!!! Glad you got your first bream on pencil - bigger ones will follow!! Don't forget, the size of the 'bloop' in no way indicates the size of the fish having a go at your lure!! The big 40-41cm I got with Tristan only gave a small bloop & when I was winding him in, I said to Tristan - "only a small one" ..... then he woke up & towed me all round the place!!! I look forward to hearing of more catches soon!! I have often spooked big flatties in the same water, too! Huge puff of sand & they are 'GORN'!! You will also catch flatties on the retrieve & the same technique can be used on poppers too!!

Hi DGF & Frankie - yaks are terrific, but not essential for this retrieve! Like Langa found, you can wade the areas & try it, with success as well!! Any areas adjacent to a channel usually has 'shallows' - some work better at high tide, others work better at lower tide, all depending on the tide heights & the normal depth of the water.

Give it a go - it is a visually exciting way to fish!

Cheerio

Roberta