Got A Nice Bag Of 3 Fish That Would Do Abt Yak Comp Glad!

[arpie]

Hi all

I had a bit of a go at the blackies from the yak on the weekend ..... got a double on the first cast - thought I had a beautie, but it was only 2 'smallish' ones pulling in opposite directions!! I dropped a couple of nice ones & ended up with the one blackie & one bream I caught on a sammy.

On Wed, I headed out again, hoping to catch some more bream & take advantage of the nice morning high tide, as it is dropping each day now. I headed up the Breck Channel & tossed my sammy around - unfortunately, one cast spooked a pelican, which flew off into my line! My reel screamed as the pelican headed skywards ....... it 'hesitated' mid air & then continued, with my line snapping to the sound of a gunshot!! The pelican dipped low to the water & I could see that the lure was hanging off about 2m of line, which skipped across the water as the pelican regained airspace again! Bugger!! Another lure gone!! I decided to follow the pelican & saw that it had landed in the area where I'd been busted off by the Giant Herring! I figured that it was really shallow over there & there were lots of oyster clumps & other debris for the lure to get caught in ........ and hoped I would retrieve my lure! Dreams are free! In the distance, I saw the pelican try to take off, stop & then take off again, this time without the lure hanging from it!! You beautie!! It must have been caught in the shallows & the line busted off!! I might find it yet!! Alas it was not to be! I combed the area, looking for loose braid or trying to spot the lure head floating on top of the water! No luck!

Ah well, I headed back to the Channel & realised that I had missed the top of the tide & it was now turning & about to go out!! Darn! That meant i had missed the most productive part of the tide (for me!) but I pedalled up against the tide, to have a go anyway!!

I came up tight against a nice bream on the sammy!

It was a fat little fish that was 32.5cm.

I chucked some Squidgy Bugs over the 'just submerged' racks and was busted off by a very nice fish - I wasn't quick enough to 'give it line' and tried at another spot on the way back, with better luck! I tossed the bug at the side of an oyster barge & I felt a tap, then the fish took off, taking line (as I'd loosened the drag!) I opened the bail, controlling the line with my hand & realised that I was going to have to stop it from reaching the pylons under the shed ..... so closed the bail & wound up the drag again! Finally I had it under control & brought it to the yak (I'd forgotten that THIS setup had stronger braid & leader than the one I'd used in the racks!)

This one was a much nicer fish - quite fat & very silver! I forgot to measure it, but guestimated it at mid 30cms.

I popped it in my livewell & headed over to one of the boatsheds and asked if the owner would be able to take a pic of me with my nice fish! He was only too happy to oblige!! I don't get that many fish photos with me in them!! The fish were released to grow bigger for someone else to catch again later!

Yesterday's fish testing out my livewell!

WIth the tide being so good again today, I couldn't help myself - I just had to go out again! It was the most gorgeous day - the water was clear as & the sun was high & there was no wind! Top day to go fishing!

I headed towards a nice shallow flats area where I had had some luck with bream before - and by 8.30am had my first fish in the well!

It was nearly 33cm

Gee, hope I get some more! I hadn't boated a fish yesterday til midday! I tossed the bug over some racks again & saw about 12 bream come out, checking it out! Mainly small ones, but there were a couple of nicer ones underneath! I couldn't encourage them to take the sp, so returned to tossing sammys! I had another hit & a small breambo was added to the livewell.

Gee it is great when you see the bow wave heading towards your lure - you know it is going to be a good fish!! The bream had hooned up onto the lure & smacked it hard! Momentarily, it was in his mouth but before I could set the hook, it had dropped it! I wiggled it & he attacked it again & missed! Next smack and he had the hook well in his mouth! I tried to keep him away from the snaggy shore & had to put quite a bit of pressure onto him, to get him out into the clear water again! After a minute or 2, I brought him to the net - a very nice bream indeed!!

I would almost call it a 'thumper'!

Unfortunately, I 'just' cut its nose off!

It went 37.5cm and was in very good condition. It weighed in at 810gms.

So now, I had my bag of 3 fish (forgot to take a pic of the smaller breambo!) - and if it was an ABT yak comp,good to know that my livewell would keep 3 fish alive for the required length of time! Unfortunately, the comp was a couple of weeks ago - and I had caught 2 fish on day 1 & none on day 2! But I had a smile on the dial today!! They all went back, too.

I just hope I can get Luderick Luke into some breambos on Sat when he comes up for a reccie, leading up to him competing in the Grand Final of the ABT Bream Yak COmp in mid May! Hope so!! Fingers crossed that the weather & tides are kind to us!!

CHeerio for now, thanks for reading

Roberta

Edited April 29, 2010 by Roberta

[jenno64]

Roberta

You are getting some thumpers on a regular basis. I feel I have lost my fishing mojo as I haven't caught anything worth posting for a couple of months...partly because of a new job and me fishing with my little guys off the local beache chasing whiting. I'm keen to get back in the yak and have a decent crack at some qulaity fish soon.

[bastik]

Roberta

I have to say Im disappointed in you.

Reading your post I thought you where concerned the pelican was going to get snagged to the oysters in the shallow so you headed over of to rescue it. Not your sammy.

Mate some nice fish there well done.

cheers

b

[GregL]

Now that's Foster at it's best!

You really do have that place wired at the moment and to get solid fish out of tight terrain in a yak just makes it even a better achievement in my books.

At least in a boat you get to use the leccy to "pull" the fish out of tiger country!

Well done Roberta and keep up them great reports.

Greg

ps. The wax works a treat! ta again.

[brendong]

Nice work Roberta...Looks like they are still smacking the surface up there too....water is beggining to cool down in The Bay....and boy it seems like a long wait until December when it will fire up again....

[arpie]

Thanks guys - sorry to disappoint you Bastik!! It was a brand new lure & I lost it on its 2nd cast!! It hadn't even caught me a fish yet!!

......At least in a boat you get to use the leccy to "pull" the fish out of tiger country!....

he he Greg - Hobie users are luckier than most, at least we can pedal away from immediate danger (as I did with the 2 bigger fish today) and it makes a huge difference between landing that kicker fish or losing it!

Hi PT - I am planning of fishing my Sammys right thru winter to test that theory!! It is definitely getting cooler up here already - I'll find out the water temps when I fit my sounder - I wouldn't be surprised if they continue catching, as 'wounded fish' would happen all thru the year, whilst poppers/cicada imitations are a summer happening! An interesting theory on my behalf, so I look forward to trying it! I may just need to be in snaggier territory & upgrade my lines & leader!

Hi Rob - Once again, this was in the shallows, with mixed weed & sand, not far from mangrove roots. The thumper hooned out of the even shallower water towards the lure & started smacking it!

All good fun!!

Roberta

[Hodgey]

As I was reading that Roberta ,I actually thought you were going to land the pelican and claim a PB

I had another vision of you in the yak getting taken into the clouds by this huge pelican and landing in another totally different river

Great pics and top fish as always.

Cheers Stewy

You're on fire Roberta Solid bream in superb condition ... that's surface fishing at it's best. A real shame the pelican pinched your Sammy, but I would imagine you'd have a spare 1 or 10 I agree with Greg. Achieving what you do out of a yak is amazing. Keep 'em coming!

Cheers

Ian

[gerg]

A couple of nice sessions there Roberta, with some great fish! I'm sure you'll be able to get them on surface year round if you persevere, but it will be interesting to see the consistency of your catch rate.

Greg

[james7]

I reckon that pelican might have been a new FR record Roberta. Can you give a weight/length estimate?

You scored some quality bream and the conditions looked beautiful too.

It's good to see your livewell getting such a good workout.

Cheers

Peter

PS A friend from up your way sent me this picture. Now it makes sense.

[arpie]

:Funny-Post: Peter, Love the bling!! Stewy's too!! :074: Now THAT would have been a PB!!

For a moment there, i thought I'd be able to bring him down (like I did with the cormorant & retrieve the lure!!)

I lost a PX45 to one the other day as well, so that makes 2 'gone with the pelicans'!

Thanks again, guys - I really had to lean on the big fish, to stop him making it back to the mangroves roots! My little Straddie worked like a charm!!! All my knots & leaders were tested to the max!

Yes, Ian - I have already replaced the missing sammy! Can't wait to hit the water in yaks with you sometime in the future!! I reckon you'd love it - would love to show you my backyard some day, too!

Cheerio

Roberta

[Luke K]

Hi Roberta,

Far out that's an awesome session. I think a bag like that could easily win an abt comp. I have a great story to tell you about a pelican but i'll leave for tommorrow. Can't wait. Maybe we'll find that sammy tommorrow

bye for now

Luke

[Ray R]

Good onya Roberta, love reading your stories, an enventful couple of outings with top fish for you, glad you got a pic of you and fish together and if we see you chasing pelicans we'll know why. LOL..

[Jewhunter]

Geez you are persistent Roberta!

Great stuff in still getting Bream on the surface at this time of year.

The quantity may not be there but the quality sure is.

That 37.5cm fish is a cracker.

Love the new live well!!

Top report & pics once again.

Cheers,

Grant.