dirvin21

I've got a couple of 70mm, funny same scenario bought with a gift card The splash prawns seem to work best at slow speeds with a blooping type retrieve like a traditional popper There would be better and cheaper options for pelagics

our trip was to Copeton dam, the fish are definitely they just happen to dislike me

if it makes you feel any better we drove towing the boat for 5 hours, fished 4 sessions for a double doughnut

Some nice fish there mate I'm loving those splashprawns as well

Big cod, I need to proof read 🤪

Happens a bit more common with sharks, but tte taxman comes in many forms, big cod are another culprit

Nice mate, love ticking off a new species

Being a shift worker it's always exciting to score 3 days off in a row, this week being a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday arvo couldn't decide what I wanted to do in the end with the day running out decided on walking the flats at Lake Cathie to catch a whiting on surface more specifically on my new MMD splashprawn. The lake is closed at the moment with poor water quality which didn't stop people swimming 🤢. I spent the arvo casting and trying retrieves with the splashprawn a few swirls but nothing until I'd pretty much given up then A small whiting but my first on surface in years...plan 1 done Saturday was an early morning start heading up the Hastings to the brackish looking for surface bream and bass. The main river was a bit slow to start the bream were all over the splash prawn but just wouldn't hook up, did manage a few little fellas but then I realised I was following another fisho (very rarely see anyone else up there), the answer head up a small side creek Straight up a better bream No monster but an improvement, the creek looked good Working along the creek the action wasn't red hot a few small bream and hits, then the lure gets nailed, thinking big bream was happily surprised A nice bass from very shallow water gave a hell of a fight Worked my way as far up the creek as possible to the first rapid and actually got my best bream for the day in the running water Loving the splashprawn, ended the session early to escape the heat... day 2 plan done. Day 3 Sunday, Amy and I had a day off together, what to do but head up to the Nambucca and chase jacks, Amy had never scored a NSW jack and was keen to change said fact. It was a late start but we were into it, with the amount of boat activity we decided to head upriver beyond the influence of water skiers, Amy managed a nice flathead for the table but otherwise quiet on the jack front. We casted our favourite jack banks, it's funny how a switch flicks, literally out of know where jacks were smashing prawns up in the edges beyond reach, Then chaos, Amy's on... can't imagine my excitement when I see red, I have never been so nervous on the net, the yahoos were loud when it was in Amy's first NSW satan, she has worked hard for this fish, through many fishless sessions and lost fish Gotta love the fangs, despite the outstanding eating quality Amy's jack was released to make someone else's day The day couldn't possibly get better.... Until it did with a small jack for me I don't care how big or small they are, I love jacks they are such a challenge on lures in the mid north coast. Nothing else for tte session but who cares.... day 3 plan DONE!!! Love ot when plans come together hopefully it's the first of many for 2024 Cheers for reading Dave

You can grip them firmly right behind the spines that's how I hold eel tails, a firm grip without hesitation is the key, otherwise lip grips Otherwise if you're intending on keeping hold mouth with pliers, brain spike, bleed then cut the spines with pliers as they still stingvin the esky

Great write up mate and dome awesome fish

All fish and stingray stings hot water is the go, as hot as tolerable, Fish sting venom is actually the slime which is protein which the heat cooks like an egg white which inactvates it

I reckon bream would eat them

Bully Mullet

Episode is up on YouTube from my surface session on the Hastings

That's awesome, whiting are great fish to catch especially on surface Hopefully the first of many for you

Juvenile grassy emperor excellent eating at larger sizes

Just wanted to say thankyou all for being part of this community through 2023 It's been an interesting year for us, we've had some insane adventures, fulfilled lifelong dreams, It's also been a very tough year behind the scenes I enjoyed reading about everyones fishing and adventures and we hope you've enjoyed reading about ours, we have some exciting things happening in 2024 Look forward ti continuing in 2024 Cheers Dave and Amy

Yeah, mostly big eyes and GT's, starting to figure them out more in the Hastings Loads of them in the Nambucca and Kalang rivers

Got busted off by a solid tarpon up there yesterday 😱

Trebles

If we can score a free day in the next week or 2 I'll take you fir a run up there

I see what you mean, did think possibly estuary perch but had a good look over the fish, the colour of body, fins and body shape made confident it's a bass

I sit here with a cold one writing this after a great morning session before the heat The day started with a 0515 alarm, with a quick boat prep and a goodbye to Amy (work duties) I was at the ramp at Wauchope by 0620, the tide was insanely low but I decided to head upriver, it was a full concentration trip upriver, arrived at my destination with cicadas singing at ridiculous volume. Decided to start the morning with a surface lure, the main target was bass but with si many bream in the brackish went for a popper. The action started pretty much straight away, 3rd cast onto a small bream, I was seriously surprised as surface lures in the salt don't usually work so well for me. Only a small bream but next cast on again a better bream a quick release and I was back into it, a couple of casts later and I'm into a better bream Absolutely engulfed the lure There was life everywhere, had my lure chased by a water dragon and a small bull shark. And of course more bream The bream action was insane hits, follows or hook-ups on most casts, the fish were really concentrated on bank with trees and cicadas, go figure. My main aim for the day was a bass, and casting a shallow section I see a bow wave charge my lure from nowhere, thinking big bream I was happily surprised to see a solid bronze Measured 42cm, but seriously fat and healthy, could the day get any better, it could with more surface bream and it did Tried the opposite side of the river with a dropped small trev, but otherwise the lack of cicadas meant no fish. Moving upriver tye fushing seemed a littke slow a few follows from small fish, then cruising on the electric with a nothing cast I was adjusting the motor and the popper gets annihilated, scrambling to turn the camera on I called a good fish, it ran deep thinking big bass, I wasn't disappointed to spot a trev A nice big eye, gave a solid fight, definetly happy The bream action continued wkth a few more fish Ended the session by 9:30 with the temperature rising and the bite slowing down, Was an amazing little surface session, by far my best in tidal waters Cheers for reading Dave

There's plenty of areas you can access the lake have a look at Google Worms make good bait in the lake you'd have to bring your own or buy some artificial baits work as well Trout will eat small soft plastics, justcealk the bank and cast especially uo in the bays

That's awesome Steve, won't be long and I'll be back out chasing the greenfish