Hi everyone,
I've recently decided that I'm going to get out of the city a bit more often on some overnight or day trips, enjoy the bush and try and catch me some fish !
I had a crack about 5 years ago and had bugger all luck... tried Oberon damn which I thought would be a goldmine - nothing. Lake Lyall, Royal National Park, also nothing. I stopped on a trip north somewhere around the Entrance (Central Coast), and I snagged a bloody bird. That was not a very good experience, and I haven't picked up the rod since.
Was planning to head up to the foothills of the Blue Mountains today and camp overnight and fish the Nepean for bass, but it looks like rain tomorrow, so I'll probably drive up sometime in the next week.
Is it OK to fish for Bass in August ? From what I'm reading, the season seems to start around August/September...... the Fisheries states that there are statewide closures for Bass until 31st May except for " All rivers and estuaries except rivers above impoundments ". What does this mean ? The area I'm going to is on the Nepean between Warragamba Dam and Lapstone.
FYI I'm not interested so much in 'catch & release', but "catch & eat".
I also want to do the right thing as far as the Fisheries regulations are concerned (from what I've read, they do a tremendous job in keeping the waterways in order), and am trying to get my hands on a hard copy of the Freshwater Guide as a reference, but neither my local Service NSW office or my local a shop have this book. I guess I will have to call the DPI to find out where I can get it, or visit my local tackle shop in Burwood.
And it's pretty clear that I need to put more learning into techniques and methods - but maybe I can get some clarification on Bass lures. I have a couple of 'bugs' with a bib on the front - these ones of mine float on the surface, and I guess you cast, then 'swim' them back in. Does that mean I don't use a sinker ? Or do I use a sinker that's lighter than the lure, so that it stays on the surface and does not sink (or, as I found before, get snagged, and I end up losing my lures!). I also have a range of those 'Gulp' synthetic baits that I bought a few years ago.
If any locals to the Penrith/Lower Mountains want to adopt a newbie, I'm up for it. Weather permitting, I'll likely head to Euroka campground either on Thursday this week, or Monday next week.