Belated Birthday Bash!

[arpie]

Hi all

Well, the weather was pretty ordinary yesterday, so the plan to go after the big bream on my birthday didn't eventuate! We went to the movies instead! I can thoroughly recommend Robin Hood - even if they DID bend history just a little bit!!

Nicer day today, so I grabbed my yak & headed to the leases, to do battle with big bream!! I took out one SUPER ROD loaded with 15lb braid & 20lb mono (overkill, I know, but we are facing massive fish up here!) The other rod was my 8lb braid & 14lb mono!

My brother-in-law had given me a packet of Berkley jig heads 1/30th with a smaller hook size than I normally use, so after I was busted off with the Resin hook, I put one of his hooks on & used them for the rest of the day!! I'll be getting some more of that size!!

First up, using the Super Rod, I was onto a nice fish with the 2nd cast! Unfortunately, he wrapped himself around a pole & unless I was prepared to dunk the rod & reel, I was never going to get it out!! I could feel the fish still pulling hard, as the line was wrapped around at least one or two poles! I kept the pressure up, but, by the time I managed to pedal across some leases & undo the maze of line, the hook had caught on a pole & the fish had long gone!!

This is what happened to the TT HWS hook last Monday

Today's hook, after the fish got off - then I downsized to the 8lb braid setup.

2 casts later & I am onto another fish, which manages to bust me off! Looks like it could be a good day!! Then a little one jumps on board - obviously keen on a feed.

A good hit & another hard run under the lease, I manage to pull this fine specimen out of the maze of wood!

It really took a liking to the mouldy cheese minnow - a blue nose in the making!

Another small one jumps on board - gee they fight above their size!! None of them were easy to land - and the cast had to be right on the edge of the racks or it wasn't taken.

Another smallish one - he really wanted that shrimp! Took the whole lot down its gob!

Then the big boy turned up!! Up til then, I'd thought I'd found the nursery! He went a tad under 38cm and put up a spirited fight. I had to apply a lot of side pressure to stop it from bricking me!

This one WAS a blue nose! Nice set of dentures!

He really was in good nick!!

Going home to grow bigger

Once again, I am bricked by an unstoppable bream that went from the right rack to the left rack & then just kept going! PING!

Another tight cast right to the edge of the rack & before it even began to sink, the bream had taken it! It went 32.5cm

It was REALLY hungry!!

Another Blue Nose - they took a variety of colours today - white, mouldy, pepper, natural

This outing had turned into one of my more prolific bream bashes!! It was terrific fun! I was just going up & down the racks, retrieving with the tide or against it - getting hits on both retrieves. There was a cross current that was a bit annoying, as, with the very light jig head (1/30) the current took it down slowly & it often snagged on those rack legs! Another bream snaffled one as I was about to retrieve it from the post & I thought I'd busted the tip of the rod off, but luckily, hadn't! All of these fish came from the one lease! And I was only using my 'old gulp' (which I figured I would chuck around with gay abandon!) which are now living in salt water, as they'd leaked all their gulp juice a long time ago!

Across the way to the next lease, I could hear the bream actively sucking shrimp & oysters from the racks but couldn't tempt any big ones to jump onto the hook, just this little one!

What a momentous fishing session & terrific fun!! Some of my casts were long & searching, some were short & spectacular! I had hits on both. Looks like I've found a new way of catching bream!

Cheerio & tight lines!!

Roberta

Edited May 29, 2010 by Roberta

[brendong]

Happy birthday Roberta for the other day....looks like a another good bag....man those fish are hungry and inhailing the shrimp....my fave placcy design too....

[slinkymalinky]

Happy Birthday Roberta... I didn't see the post... must have been during one of my Sydney stints. Sorry

Hope you had a great day.

Fantastic photos of the racks. Looks like you might need to get some heavy wire jig heads for when you pull out your 'elephant gun'. No sign of the 1lb Crystal in amongst those bream

Keep getting stuck into them!

Cheers, Slinky

[robeebee]

late happy birthday Roberta

nice pics as usual

[Jewhunter]

Great report on a great session Roberta!

Some beaut bream in that lot. Shame they came a couple of weeks too late!

Well done on a top session. No room for light gear in the racks. It's knock 'em down & drag 'em out fishing at it's best.

Cheers,

Grant.

[GregL]

Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate!

I like the change from the HWS to the resin head with the heavier gauge hook after snapping one and bending another Just what I was thinking as I was reading.

May I ask what's your favourite herb out of your spice rack to your left? hehehe

Greg

[Brooker435]

Happy Birthday Roberta,

Sounds like a great session you had.

I can also relate to you saying that the Bream fight well for their size as I caught one last night on the 33 mark and for a second there thought I had a small jew it just grabbed the bait and took off was great fun though!!!!!

Id love to find some spots like yours here in sydney bream are great fun!!!!!

Keep up the good work!!!

Regards,

Nathan

[james7]

Firstly, Roberta!

That was an incredible session with some great bream. That big one looked bigger than 38cm. What a thumper! Do you have any idea how many fish you hooked during the whole day? I wonder how big some of those that "got away" were?

The photos are sensational, especially the close up shots. A couple of them belong in my "Tooth Critters" post.

A brilliant report Roberta! I guess that's why you get in magazines! (Personally, I think now you're just starting to show off. )

Well written, fantastic photos and excellent fishing!

Can't wait to see your next report. Don't let the rain stop you from getting out!

Cheers

Peter

[arpie]

Thanks guys - it really was one of the best bream sessions I've ever had!! It is coming up to my 4th anniversary of joining Fishraider & when I think of how my fishing has progressed in those 4 years, from fishing for 'whatever' to targetting specific species & actually catching them! (Something that I was pretty sceptical about initially, even tho I had read about it for years!)

So Thank You to all the Fishraiders that has made my bream fishing as good as it has got!

Hi Peter - as well as those ones in the pic, I guess I must have put back about another 5 or 6 that were way smaller (or not as pretty looking! ) I don't MEAN to show off! When I was young, I had a favourite saying (with tongue very much in cheek) 'It's hard to be humble when you are as great as I am!!" I think I stopped saying that about 35-40 years ago!!

Hi Nathan - wait til you get a REAL whopper on especially if around some structure!! You'll love it!

yes Greg - those resin heads are terrific, but when i was busted off with it, I used the berkley 1/32th size 6, and they were really good as well.

.... Shame they came a couple of weeks too late! .....

I know Grant! Thanks for reminding me!! I seem to get 'bold' after the event is run & won!! Anyway, the PAs wouldn't have fitted thru the gaps that you need to go thru to access most of the leases! I must learn to do the outside poles as well!!

.... No sign of the 1lb Crystal in amongst those bream ... hehe not here!! Tho I did land that other one on 2lb the other day!!

Edited May 29, 2010 by Roberta

[Luke K]

Happy Birthday Roberta!!!!!

What a way to celebrate it ay

You certainly got amongst some great bream around those racks.

Which ones did you fish?

I love gulp shrimp and looks like you do too now.

Wow with a bag like that, you would have finished top ten I reckon.

Congratulations

regards

Luke

[tide'n'knots]

what a great session roberta it sounds like there are some real stonkers amongst the racks at the moment.

happy birthday also.

pete.

[Daniel Frost]

Nice fish ,

and great to see another Angler using the Elephant Gun and 20lb , unless you have done it then it's just hard to comprehend . Most people think your just going over the top with that sort of heavy leader but as you know if you hook a kilo plus fish then it's the only way to give yourself a chance of turning its head , if you can't get there head out of the water in some of those racks then it's by by in a split second. My favourite spot in Forster I call DEATH , as you have to cast over 3 sets of rusty old barnacle encrusted racks that are only 5 to 10cm under water and try and pull the fish out over the top of them . It's real heart in mouth fishing and can often result in getting your im glad to see you are getting some crackers Congrats Roberta

Cheers

Bubba

[arpie]

Thanks, Bubba - it was your Dad who said that he uses 20lb leader in the leases so he can skull drag them out ........ so I figured if it was OK with him, then I may as well have ONE rod set up as the Super Rod too!! You lose obvious casting distance, but Funnily enough, you don't even HAVE to cast FAR to get onto BIG FISH!! If they see the lure slowly descending in the water column, they may well just grab it & run (sounds like the name of an English Pub!) I think there used to be a lunch bar of that name in Sydney!!

Your 'DEATH' spot sounds like where I was fishing up at Camden Haven!! There are quite a few bream up there swimming round with $27 bling on their face - one of mine, 3 of Michelle's & god knows how many from everyone else in that round!!

Hey Luke - it was one of the middle ones, up from the bridge - behind the sheds we were targetting. Some, you can't get into, but most, with the smaller yaks, you can sneak in thru the gap between poles! Not sure if the PAs will fit into many tho!! Maybe if the gate has been left open!!

Thanks Pete - can't imagine a better way to spend your birthday bash!!

Grotty weather again today, so hope to get out again as soon as it clears up again. They reckon the morning highs are only 1.2m - they seem to be VERY HIGH 1.2's!

Cheerio

Roberta