Fishing The Lake

[70%ludite]

Was just going to be a short report on how my new found confidence in Lake Illawarra had been shattered and it had returned to lake

dissapointment once more.

I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a PFD1 as i didnt want a fine from waterways and argue about how far 100mtrs was when i am in

the proangler.I rocked up with my new buy and was pleasantly surprised by how light and comfortable it was.But the big test was

could i catch anything in it.Was it a Jonah.

Well for the best part of 3hrs in some of best conditions for weeks it looked like it.3 small bream and a heap of missed hits things

were not looking good.Then as i was about to call it a day one last drift near some weed beds and i caught 4 more bream and a nice whiting.

I was onto something.

Then things took a turn.I could here a bit of a commotion and turned a round to see 2 blokes in the drink and 2 kayakers helping them.

I pedalled over to lend a hand and a boat came over as well.We got the boat up onto a sandbar and the blokes out of the water.We then

preceded to empty the boat with buckets and get there gear out.

Turns out one of them had bad knees and struggled to walk he stood up and so did the other bloke at the same time and hey presto

there both in the drink.Neither had life jackets on and didnt look like the could swim either.But the did have 2 brand new life

jackets in there packets floating away.By law they didnt have to have them on as there was 2 in the boat but they looked like they

needed them more than me.

Well they got the motor going and went down to the boat ramp to go home.I had a chat to the other kayakers then went back myself

and saw them at the ramp.All they were worried about was one of them lost his wallet and his phone was cactus.I said to him better

than being dead and maybe you should be wearing your life jackets He didnt get it.

I dont feel so bad about wearing mine now and will continue to do so.

I was tempted to ask them to hold up a bottle and take a photo for dec catch of the month not sure if it would of qualified.

So all in all an exciting days fishing on lake dissapointment but i would rather be catching fish than people who have no idea

about the water and how look after themselves cant wait to see what the holidays bring.Heaven help us.

cheers........Roy

[johnv]

Good on ya Roy for lending a hand to recover them, a lot of people would just turn there back and not get involved, well done mate.. lol bugger the wallet & phone,even the keys who gives a shit about them, id be happy with the help cause im able to go home to my family which would be more important to me. But not to them lol

[piratesgold]

My father was an auxilary coastguard in the UK (volenteer), and as he had the only flat bottomed boat in the area he regularly was called out to recover bodies off the rocks from overboards and sinks. lifejackets were much bulkier them days, not like the ones today, but it learned me and my mates pretty quick when he showed us a week old body as he loaded it into the ambulance, serves us right for rubberneckin. you can't swim if you knocked your head on the side as you went in. Burrendong was closed for about 2 weeks last year when they were waiting for a body to float up. since a neck operation i can't swim, so i always wear one, only a fool wouldn't, for the price of a couple of cartons, or a handful of lures.

tight lines and white knuckles!............Johnno

[macmac]

Hi alls,

Just suddenly come up into my brain, is there anyone here wear safety helmet while rockfishing? I've been thinking about it for quite a long time before as i beleive it will do a head protection in case being pulled out by sudden huge wave from rock. Just no gut to wear it coz ppl definitely will laugh on u.

Regards, Phil

[piratesgold]

some anchor rings dotted about the rocks would be good, I could fasten my safety harness on to them, not to stop me being washed away, but to help drag the absolute horse in!