arpie Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Hi Raiders Michelle came up for the weekend to hit the Paddock again, chasing the bream & blackfish, possibly flatties as well - we had the most superb weather - cool to start off with glorious sunny days! Her previous visit was just before the 2nd Deluge - which was after the 1st Deluge where the Mid North Coast & North Coast areas received a massive dumping of rain, resulting in lots of flooding, especially around the South West Rocks area & Taree. The colour of the water in the lake is still chocolate brown, tho there were fish to be caught, in the right spots. On Michelle's first visit a few weeks back, the water had just about cleared after the previous flooding rains - I was dismayed to find this lease has been 'yak-proofed' and now another one is also in the process of being reinforced around the perimeter! Luckily, most of the blackfish hang around the outside of the leases! A nice, well conditioned blackfish - gee the bigger ones 'go hard'!! Michelle with her blackfish rod behind her I was fishing in a nearby alley & a really big blackfish grabbed the bit of cabbage, making a beeline for the washboard - I applied lots of side pressure & turned his head away from the washboard, only to have it hightail over to an oyster encrusted pole in the opposite direction! This time I REALLY leaned on the rod to stop his progress - he gave one last PUSH and got off! The hook had busted at the bend! I always have ready made-up leaders & hooks in case of bustoffs, so was ready to go in seconds! Michelle was keen to take some blackfish home to her Mum, so was happy with 5 or more blackies to take with her The one downside of the weekend was Michelle losing her Hobie Paddle on the way home - must have fallen off when going round a sharp bend! Went back & looked for it but it was gorn! I've given her my old one, but it isn't a patch on her graphite one! This weekend just gone - Michelle was back for a long weekend, so raring to hit the water & see what Forster could offer this time! We mainly fished the Paddock for the first 2 days, with Michelle doing well on day one, with some nice blackfish and bream - one particularly nice one was caught on Sunday in some new water that we hadn't fished previously - I'll let her tell you about that one! One VERY nice breambo! We were trying for bream & blackies mainly & I was using a squidgy wrigger (trying to break my drought with a decent fish) and blow me down, I hooked a very nice fish, which, if a bream would have been a whopper!!! As I brought it towards me, it darted to the right, between 2 lease poles! Oooh, I didn't think I'd get out of that one - but with some pressure, it swam out again, to go between 2 other poles!! Once again, I managed to steer the big flattie out of the maze & scooped it up in the net - a nice 59cm flattie!! He was a bit of a handful on the yak, so opted for a 'land shot' instead! Back home, Michelle discovered that she had a flat tyre on her trailer! It was Sunday, so no shops open to replace the tube - so we bodgied up Keith's kayak loader & managed to get Michelle's Outback way up the top of HER loader ........ and it worked quite well! Being a pretty high HiLux to start off with, plus the other set of racks on top of the original racks, I reckon we did pretty well between the two of us, to get the yak on & off on the Sun/Mon! Finally got the tyre repaired on Monday! And no doubt, buying a spare wheel today! We both hooked some blackies & lost some - we both hooked bream & lost some. We both covered a lot of water & enjoyed our fishing - it didn't really matter that the number of fish we actually landed weren't that many! Michelle was enjoying her casting practise in between the racks - I enjoyed using my lure retriever to get the wayward lures back from the netting! It was just great to be out on the water again, enjoying ourselves ........ that is ........ until we headed home on day 2 - and the tide was still running out fairly strongly - and we both ended up being wedged up against the lease poles, unable to get away from the powerful water surge!! It has only happened to me once before - in the first ABT Grand Final! It took us about 1/2hr to get away from the poles & only by going backwards into the main channel & approaching from a different angle ....... leaving a much bigger space between us & the lease - and also increasing the speed with which we rounded the corner! I had tied onto the rear of Michelle's Outback at one stage, hoping she would be able to pull me free, as my yak, being so much shorter than hers - kept getting wedged between the poles, making it difficult for both of us to be 'free' at the same time, to hopefully, power away from the fence & poles! I even tied my rods on at one stage, as I could see the right hand side of my yak getting closer to the water line, indicating that my yak may turn over! Luckily it didn't! A MAJOR lesson learned by both of us! On the OUT TIDE, that top corner of the lease in the main channel (near the yellow pole) can be VERY DANGEROUS for kayakers!! So BEWARE of lease corners when the tide is flowing hard if you are in a kayak!! Another bream Next morning, we headed out again - this time, planning on just staying in the Breck Channel, so we could catch some good blackfish for Michelle to take home for her Mum again - and wouldn't you know it - once again, we dropped some, missed some & I didn't actually land any legals on the day - tho I DID have a nice bream on at one stage, when I chucked an SP beside an oyster barge that had just stirred debris when it had moved ....... but I only ended up with some scales on the hook - the fish got off!! I was pleased that I have finally started getting hits on Wrigglers!! They had been eluding me up til now! Missed it by "THAT much' Other times, I had good hits on topwater again, but once again, the actual hooks didn't penetrate, so no legal hookups, only tiddlers. (Good to see them responding to topwater again tho! ) Once again, a great few days on the water with Michelle - we saw some lovely sunsets as we were packing up the yaks & look forward to fishing together again soon CHeers & thanks for reading - I really can't wait for the warmer weather - this really cold weather has played havoc with my arthritic hands! Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day's Fishin Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 A great read as usual Roberta. Great pic's of very healthy looking fish. Regards Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchin Jack Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Another great read Roberta, sounded like you had a great time. Just out of curiosity, is there a particular reason those leases have been made "yak proof"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james7 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I really enjoyed reading your report Roberta. Some great fish there. Michelle's bream was a cracker! And your flattie was a beauty too. Couple of great sessions. However, I wouldn't have liked being wedged up against the lease poles. Brilliant photos too. How's the "serenity" in the last shot! Cheers Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefin Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 What a great few days, I'm jealous again, still. Am trying to get a week off soon!!! Howard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 You've done it again Roberta! Another crackin' read, accompanied by some terrific photos of great fish. I hope the hands feel better soon mate ... although the fish probably aren't complainin'! Cheers Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Knot Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Thats a great report Roberta The fishy pics are good but the last shot is great. :thumbup: Cheers Blood Knot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Thanks guys - I really can't recommend Arthritis to ANYONE!! It really IS a pain, Hodgey & getting worse! I think I may have to go under the knife next winter to try & remedy the situation. Even my right hand isn't crash hot now, but the left hand is far worse! It is getting difficult now to even hold the bigger fish in my lap whilst trying to get pics with my right hand! After losing a few overboard (jumping out) I am wary of taking pics 'up in the air' anymore, unless they are small - (not the preferred size by a long shot!! ) Cutting the heads off at my cleaning table is tricky now too! I don't normally like to complain, but this is really getting to me!! ....although the fish probably aren't complainin'! ..... Trust you to be on the fish's side!!!! Only joking!!! ....is there a particular reason those leases have been made "yak proof"?.... Unfortunately, most oyster growing areas have various 2 footed oyster pinchers - as against our feathered friends, the oyster catcher ...... the more narrow fences are to deter thieves from getting in & knocking off 'market ready' oysters. Normally they used to swim under the fences & fill sacks with the oysters & hand them over to their cronies waiting on the outside of the fences. The belief is that they have been in the industry & know which leases have the best, plumpest oysters & knock them off just a day or so before the owners would normally harvest them - often close to public holidays when they would expect the best prices for their product. This can cost tens of thousands of dollars overnight. There just aren't enough 'on the water' detectives to police the theft - so they do their best to make it more difficult to access the leases. The thieves (and receivers of the crime) are also up for a bout of food poisoning - as ALL oysters need to be 'rinsed' with clean, fresh salt water to ensure that any bugs have been washed away - that can cause the death of unborn babies & make the elderly very ill, if not fatal - also for anyone with borderline health. So, if anyone ever offers you 'cheap oysters' at the pub ....... DON'T TAKE THEM! They could make you very ILL!! Generally, the lease workers don't mind 'us' catching their fish, so long as we don't interfere with their operations or damage their infrastructure - as they know that the fish are the 2nd biggest oyster pinchers - smashing them on the big high tides, from above as well as below!! Maybe I'll feel better once the warm weather is with us - hope so! Cheerio Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray R Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 What a great read Roberta, good to see you back hunting blackies again. Top sessions for you and Michelle, excellent pics too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchin Jack Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks for that reply Roberta, it's sad when people have to steal them, and here i was thinking you'd have keys to all the gates up there haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 ... here i was thinking you'd have keys to all the gates up there haha..... Funnily enough, I DO know a bloke who has the keys to a lot of the leases - he fishes all hours of the night & day & is also supposed to be on the lookout for suspicious characters ......... but I know he only does it so he has access the best water for the biggest bream!! Roberta Seems that oysters that haven't been properly flushed following harvest can cause Listeria, gastroenteritis & even Hepatitis A! Especially after flooding and/or very warm temps - effluent may be washed down with the flood waters & over the oyster leases - leaving the bacteria in the oyster. People who are at particular risk of infection include: Anyone whose immune system has been weakened by disease or illness, for example:Cancer Leukaemia Diabetes AIDS Liver or kidney disease [*]The elderly[*]Pregnant women and their unborn babies[*]Anyone on medication such as prednisone or cortisone as this can also suppress the immune system. This includes organ transplant patients.[*]Newborn babies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joco Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 YET again a great report Roberta.... GOOD to see the ongoing trend of fishing.... I dont wanna work anymore!!!! Takes up too much of my time I wanna fish Daniel and I were hopeing to catch up with you at the next social, BUT wont be able to make it... Daniel (srm150d) and I will be at Shellharbour camping... I ended up buying an RV5 aswell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breambucket Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Great Report Roberta! That top water luring report is getting me ready for summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted August 4, 2011 Author Share Posted August 4, 2011 (edited) Hi Joco - THanks for that - I can definitely recommend retiring! Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the Bay Social either - guess we'll have to wait til the next Entrance one! I reckon you'll enjoy your new RV5 HEAPS! You'll need it for camping in Sept - could still be a bit cool! Very happy to see some topwater happening again, Breambucket - a very good sign of things to come!! And MANY HAPPIES for today!! Just noticed it! cheers Roberta Edited August 4, 2011 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roosterman Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 ..... great report as usual... great read and makes me miss going up there... soooo tempted to come up next time jaime goes to mums... forster is such a beautiful place and pitty the riff raff spoil it for everyone.. lets hope they are silly enough to taste their ill gotten gains around a nice rainy period as a side note oysters are a filter feeder so any pollutants in the water will be in them and they are actually used as a water quality guide... cheers....steve.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breambucket Posted August 4, 2011 Share Posted August 4, 2011 Very happy to see some topwater happening again, Breambucket - a very good sign of things to come!! And MANY HAPPIES for today!! Just noticed it! cheers Roberta Awwww thanks I just got my birthday present thats a lorrance hds5 charter/finder so im pretty happy atm Bring on summer!!!!! Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted August 5, 2011 Author Share Posted August 5, 2011 .....I just got my birthday present thats a lorrance hds5 charter/finder so im pretty happy atm .... Now THAT is one VERY WELL TRAINED WIFE, Pete!! Bet you can't wait to get out onto the water to try it out!!! Hey Steve - DO IT!! I've got a spare yak you can have a paddle in - rod holders, anchor & all!! We can hit those leases - even the edges are still pretty good for bream & flatties, not to mention the mega blackies!! Give me a Yahoo if DO decide to come up! The weather is getting better by the day! Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted August 6, 2011 Share Posted August 6, 2011 Great report Roberta. Some nice fish there. Good to see the fish are still hitting surface lures. I can't wait for summer time popper fishing., Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outfisher Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 great stuff roberta you certainly have the area sussed out. Have you fished much up the front on a big fresh? cheers jase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 Hi Jase ....Have you fished much up the front on a big fresh?... Yes, I have - usually with little joy! I went into the main channel once in my small yak & felt quite 'tippy' so have stayed away from that area when the big Fresh is happening. Some swear by fishing the clean/dirty water line that you see after heavy rain - but I haven't had much joy there, either So now, I tend to wait for a week or more after really heavy flooding rains, until it has subsided a bit, then try to fish the areas least affected (or down closer to the bridge, where the clean fresh 'in tide' gives a better chance of good fish! Cheers Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outfisher Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Thanks for the good read roberta always enjoyed cheers j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now