Berleyguts Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 (edited) I left home at 4:00am (slept in) yesterday for the annual St George sportfishing Club flathead/day weekend at Swansea. I drive in Kombi time so it is a slower trip than most others do it in and, with a coffee stop along the way, I had the boat in the water at 6:00am. First, I ducked up a creek to catch some poddies and in 15 minutes I had about 20 in the old juice bottle. I fished the channel east of the bridge, west of the bridge and up in the lake and could barely turn a scale. The soft plastics only resulted in a few bitten off tails, possibly from toadfish. The poddies were not getting results and the only fish I was getting were tiny bream or flathead on some inferior frozen prawns. I found a quiet spot up in the lake and anchored up while I had a drink and a rest. I berleyed with bread and had a heap of garfish at the back of the boat - a least I'll take home a nice feed of gar, I thought but, no, couldn't boat a lousy gar! So back to the channel for a few more drifts on the runout before joining the other club members for lunch back at the ramp.... I was on my own, fishing three rods... a live poddy out the back on one line, a prawn (dubious quality) on another, while I flicked SPs around the boat on the third. I caught a tiny flathead on a prawn and was busy removing him from the hook, with the other two lines (poddy and SP) still in the water, when I drifted very close to an anchored boat on the edge of the main channel, so close that I lost both the SP and the poddy terminal rig on his anchor rope. Oh well, I just re-rigged and headed back upstream for another couple of drifts, this time with a better angle. I was nearing the end of my last drift and started pulling in my lines, first the SP line, then the prawn bait line…as I was pulling in the 2nd line, the Baitrunner screamed as something took off with the poddy. I quickly put the 2nd rod in the holder and grabbed the poddy outfit. Some serious weight, I thought, maybe some weed around the fish, too. I got the fish closer and then it took off upstream… got it closer again then it went under the boat and downstream, taking all my effort to get it back to the boat. About 1 metre down I could see that this was a good flathead and she let me have a few glimpses before kicking away again with her solid tail. I was getting close to the rocks and thought I was going to have to throw the anchor overboard and quickly tie off on a cleat to finish this fight but just then, she came close enough for me to slip the net under her. I lifted her into the boat, let out a"Woo-hoo!" and quickly fired up the Yammy about 4 metres off the rockwall. I motored back to the ramp with a grin from ear to ear! Anyway, the old girl weighed in at 4.2kg and 87cm long, a PB for me and almost double the weight of my previous PB. After lunch, I tried a few more drifts but couldn't boat another fish. Still, I was happy with the one I did get! Cheers, Baz Edited February 28, 2010 by Berleyguts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tan the fisherman Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 shes a beauty mate - did she score for you in the comp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 (edited) shes a beauty mate - did she score for you in the comp? This was a social outing, with no comp, apart from the annual ANSA comp. She is trophy length though, so will be a length only Masters fish, as I was using 6kg line on that outfit (if only she took the 2kg outfit!). It's been many years since I caught a Masters fish, having been out of the game for a while, so I'm stoked! Baz Edited February 28, 2010 by Berleyguts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 What a beauty Baz good on you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anroco Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 I guess i'd settle for a 87cm if i drove 2 hours each way !!! GReaT CaTCH !!! Would have made your day !! CHeeRS Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchin Jack Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Nice catch mate, been some nice flatties caught around there lately. Cheers, Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 Nice catch mate, been some nice flatties caught around there lately. Cheers, Leo Yeah, a friend was up there a couple of weeks ago and brained them. My club mates got a few each for the table yesterday and some kids brought in a decent fish (maybe 3kg) but they'd been snorkeling and poked it with one of those sharp pointy stick things... Baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Go the poddies.....top fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ace Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 thats a great fish mate well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray R Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Onya Baz, mate you persisted and got your reward, top flattie mate.. Good onya... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakka Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Quality catch mate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooker435 Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Good work, Well deserved!!!!!! nice croc!!!!!!! I have not fished Swansea for quite some time now use to go up there heaps but these day's just getting lazy might have to plan a trip one of these days!!!! and don't worry I get up there in corolla time so probably not to far off your Kombi time!!!! Regards, Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'59Custom Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 She's a beauty mate...well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 thats 4 hours of Pleasure driving I see, worth every bit of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishtime Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 That's a cracker croc. Well done. fishtime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercer007 Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 I was heading to Lake Mac when you were heading home. I noticed your combi with the baot in tow behind her near the freeway. Nice catch. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce the Postie Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Nice Lizard Baz,and remember that time is of no object when you drive a Kombi,and Kombis are only slow uphill! Cheers, Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cut_loose Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 2 hours mate .. some people would drive hours on end to get a flattie that size Well done on the great fish Haha level with me in my pb flattie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnv Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 excellent flattie there well done cheers john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outfisher Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Wow thats massssive that must be a new record surley jasmine ol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FISHARK Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Nice ........ that would have been the winning fish !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Nice ........ that would have been the winning fish !!! I didn't know anything about a local comp at Lake Macquarie! Baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecaptain Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 To good still searchin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IVZ350 Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 lovely flatty mate, a friend was fishing up there on the weekend and was telling me bout a bloke in a boat that got a monster croc.....was there another boat with two blokes watching ya fight/net and land him??? in another boat? Cheers Ivz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 lovely flatty mate, a friend was fishing up there on the weekend and was telling me bout a bloke in a boat that got a monster croc.....was there another boat with two blokes watching ya fight/net and land him??? in another boat? Cheers Ivz Yep. I let out a "Woo hoo!" and they gave me the thumbs up, before I had to fire up the Yammy and motor away from the wall. I was thinking it would have been easier if I wasn't fishing on my own. My said she should have come... and I'd be glad to have her along... but she'd probably have grabbed the rod! Baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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