Robbo from Sydney Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 If you havce read my recent post you will know that DerekD had taken me under his wing and given me help with my casting and also started teaching me about topwater lure fishing. Then 2 days later I got a message from him saying he was going for a late afternoon fishing session and asking if I would like to join him. Is the Pope Catholic? Does a one-legged duck swim in circles? Of course I jumped at the opportunity to practice the lessons from my first session and hopefully also learn something else. So after a quick stop at my favourite tackle shop to buy some bent minnows another Sugapen and a splash prawn it was time to rig up and get fishing. Just like the first session with him DerekD just put me at ease and quietly watched as I started casting a Sugapen over the sandflat. I will let him comment on my casting style if he feels inclinmed, but I felt my style had definitely improved dramatically and I was casting much more accurately. I also felt that I was definitely casting further than I used to. DerekD was tutoring my style wirth the Sugapen and then suggested I switch to the bent minnow due to the different retrieve style to work on. He pointe3d where to cast and I was pleased to be able to nail it a lot of the time. I also got to see the swirls of bream striking at his lyure. With this under my belt he coached me on a particular spot he wanted me to cast to beside a pontoon. Before the lure was back in I had a swirl followed by my first hookup. It was only a small bream (see the first photo below) but I could not have been happier if it was a 40cm granddad. My first topwater bream on my first ever outing!! As the afternoon went on I managed to hook and land another bream - a lot larger this time and may even have been just legal but it wwent back all the same. I also lost another nice bream just at the bank. I have to be honest and say that I don't knopw who was more excited by my fish - me or DerekD. His patience and advice has already made a big difference for me and I am most certainly now hooked on topwater lure fishing. I can't wait to try more of it as it was such good fun with the added bonus of walking around in the fresh air and exercising with the casting. Next goal is a keeper whiting. Cheers Rob 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 That’s awesome Rob. Congratulations on your first topwater bream, sounds like there will be plenty more coming your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD351 Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 Awesome! Great report as well! Hope that is the first of many ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 7, 2023 Author Share Posted December 7, 2023 4 minutes ago, Green Hornet said: That’s awesome Rob. Congratulations on your first topwater bream, sounds like there will be plenty more coming your way. I can only hope so as it was a lot of fun. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirvin21 Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 Nice mate, you've definitely ticked off one of fishings challenges Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 7, 2023 Author Share Posted December 7, 2023 2 minutes ago, XD351 said: Awesome! Great report as well! Hope that is the first of many ! I used to fish the sandflats in Port Hacking as a kid and young adult (a lifetime ago) for bream and whiting on worms and nippers so it felt good being back in shallow water. But this is sooo different and so much fun. I like the fact it is an active fishing style rather than passive. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 7, 2023 Author Share Posted December 7, 2023 2 minutes ago, dirvin21 said: Nice mate, you've definitely ticked off one of fishings challenges A long waty to go to get proficient - but at least I know what I need to work on to improve 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishingFables Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 Well done Robbo! Catching a bream on the surface is an achievement you will remember for a long time. It will give you the confidence you need to go from strength to strength. Cheers, Jason 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kantong Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 well done on the top water action! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bennyg78 Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Well done Rob! great job on those bream, Keep up the work! I have no doubt we will be hearing many more reports from you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Fantastic work @Robbo from Sydney! I have a dirty secret to admit; in spite of having fished lures for decades and also knowing @DerekD, I haven’t yet caught a topwater bream! I know I should fix that, but I’m just too side tracked by other distractions, like fly fishing (which Derek is also partly responsible for) 🤣 So you’re one up on me. Testament to Derek’s tutelage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekD Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) Hi @Robbo from Sydney While you still have some work to do on the topwater retrieve with the Sugapen it is good to see it coming together. Where you particularly impressed me is in the smoothness and efficiency of your casting. That you were capable of hitting the same distances I can with these light lures is a great indication of how far you have come in two sessions. Can't wait to hear what your regular fishing buddy thinks when you have improved out of sight. Just tell him you watched some YouTube clips (that is kind of true). The bream will be the greatest critics of your lure technique and that you hooked up three shows you are heading in the right direction. For the record I had a donut but I was in teach mode (leave me some dignity 😁 ). Congratulations once again on the topwater bream and I'm looking forward to reading more of these excellent reports as your lure fishing abilities grow. Regards, Derek PS thank you very much for the bent minnow. How did you know that one was my favourite colour? Edited December 8, 2023 by DerekD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corro Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Never caught a bream on a lure so you're outdoing me! Nice one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 8, 2023 Author Share Posted December 8, 2023 2 hours ago, FishingFables said: Well done Robbo! Catching a bream on the surface is an achievement you will remember for a long time. It will give you the confidence you need to go from strength to strength. Cheers, Jason Thanks Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 8, 2023 Author Share Posted December 8, 2023 35 minutes ago, DerekD said: Hi @Robbo from Sydney While you still have some work to do on the topwater retrieve with the Sugapen it is good to see it coming together. Where you particularly impressed me is in the smoothness and efficiency of your casting. That you were capable of hitting the same distances I can with these light lures is a great indication of how far you have come in two sessions. Can't wait to hear what your regular fishing buddy thinks when you have improved out of sight. Just tell him you watched some YouTube clips (that is kind of true). The bream will be the greatest critics of your lure technique and that you hooked up three shows you are heading in the right direction. For the record I had a donut but I was in teach mode (leave me some dignity 😁 ). Congratulations once again on the topwater bream and I'm looking forward to reading more of these excellent reports as your lure fishing abilities grow. Regards, Derek PS thank you very much for the bent minnow. How did you know that one was my favourite colour? Sensei ,I can't thank you enough for all the knowledge and encouragement you have given me. I will be working the Sugapen in the pool (when I can't get to salt water) to try to improve my action with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 8, 2023 Author Share Posted December 8, 2023 2 hours ago, Bennyg78 said: Well done Rob! great job on those bream, Keep up the work! I have no doubt we will be hearing many more reports from you Thanks Benny and yes there will be more reports in future - even on the donut days 8 minutes ago, corro said: Never caught a bream on a lure so you're outdoing me! Nice one. Thanks Corro - it is great fun and worth the effort Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Good work - Derek is very good at what he does. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 8, 2023 Author Share Posted December 8, 2023 3 hours ago, Yowie said: Good work - Derek is very good at what he does. Thanks Yowie. I feel incredibly honoured to receive such tutelage from DerekD. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 a couple of nice bream on your first top water session 👍 top effort! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 9, 2023 Author Share Posted December 9, 2023 18 hours ago, Larkin said: a couple of nice bream on your first top water session 👍 top effort! Thanks Larkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted December 9, 2023 Share Posted December 9, 2023 What a great post Rob. Congratulations on your successes with topwater lure fishing. As has been mentioned it's not the easiest thing to do and to get a result. Derek is an excellent tutor who has the patience of Job. You are the right sort of person for him to teach as you are keen to change plans and catch up with your tutoring. I wish you continued luck as you get out more and practice what you have learned. Good luck on the topwater Whiting. I'll look forward to your report. Cheers, bn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo from Sydney Posted December 9, 2023 Author Share Posted December 9, 2023 2 hours ago, big Neil said: What a great post Rob. Congratulations on your successes with topwater lure fishing. As has been mentioned it's not the easiest thing to do and to get a result. Derek is an excellent tutor who has the patience of Job. You are the right sort of person for him to teach as you are keen to change plans and catch up with your tutoring. I wish you continued luck as you get out more and practice what you have learned. Good luck on the topwater Whiting. I'll look forward to your report. Cheers, bn Thanks Neil. DerekD has already invested time in me so I have to repay that by lots of practice so I will be able to make that lure irresistible to the fish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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