A couple of recent outings ......

[arpie]

Hi guys

With most of the year being wasted to a shoulder injury & surgery in Feb ...... what I thought would be a 3 month rehabilitation dragged out to 6 months+ ...... but it is finally coming good!! A couple of weeks ago, I had a buddy from Canberra staying over, so I took advantage of a helping hand & put the yak in .... she also hadn't been fishing in 18-20 months, following major hand surgery (we are both a couple of old crocs!) So, here we are, finally hitting the water!

First day out in the yaks & we try The Quays - Kim got into some nice flatties & I got spiked by a small one!

Next day out, Kim got into some PARTICULARLY nice flatties and I missed so many hits that I stopped counting!! It was as if my Mojo had gone SOUTH!! Good thing Kim caught us dinner! She got her flatties on topwater, so it was quite spectacular watching them launch out of the water at her lure!

After Kim went home, I went out on my own and lucked onto some good fishing ...... finally!!! I gave my 4-8lb MHX a real workout when I hooked onto a nice racks bream on the 8lb Tasline! Somehow I managed to turn it's head from the structure & out into the open where I managed to net it nicely! It went 32cm on PX45.

Packing up that afternoon, I then realised that I could finally load & unload the yak on my own - something I hadn't been able to do since earlier this year!!

Next day out - I hit the leases & got onto some flatties at REALLY low tide!! The biggest went 50cm on a Gulp.

Then I was busted off by something REALLY big, zooming up to the surface to hit the Fish Arrow after retrieving it fairly fast - probably a big flattie. I'd had the drag locked up (being in the racks) and when this thing hit, it was all over, red rover, in seconds! GORN!

I threw some more Fish Arrows around & hooked a few more smaller flatties (taking 2 home for dinner!) I added some split shot to the TT HWS jighead to give a tad more weight as the cross wind was playing havoc with the really fine 8lb Tasline! I think it was the line hitting the racks previously that had weakened it when the big flattie took it!

THen I headed to the flats where Kim had caught her flatties & couldn't catch a cold! Checking out another spot, I lucked onto a hot whiting bite - I landed about 4 'stud' whiting and 3 small bream, all on my fav topwater lure ...... a Sammy - and dropped 2 really BIG HITS that I think must have been whiting that were pretending to be bonefish .... I had changed to my 4-10lb Matrix with 15lb Tasline - and it worked a treat as well!! The whiting were actually taking line, they were fighting so hard!

THey were all over the lure!! It was great fun! I was retrieving very aggressively & it really seemed to have 'turned them on'!

The wind had really 'come up' by mid afternoon & when I hit the channel to head home, both the wind & current were against me! It was really hard going - and took over an hour to reach the car! BOY! Was I tired that night!! Anyone who has fished Forster knows how badly that wind will whip up the Breck Channel ...... it was vicious!

A few days later, I headed out again ...... on the way to the Paddock, I saw a small school of bream heading across the weedbeds so chucked a Fish Arrow beyond them & first cast, pull up onto a nice little breambo! Followed by a legal bream on Gulp Grub

I went back to the leases & couldn't catch any more bream - not for lack of trying - so I whacked on a blade & blow me down - a new species on lure in a lease - a very nice flounder!! I continued with the blade until it landed on the trays & fell thru, resulting in a bustoff! I'd had a few wayward casts with it prior to that. due to the cross winds, so wasn't surprised when I lost it!!

Further along the racks, I got into some nice flatties, the biggest being about mid-to-high 40s - but forgot to get any pics! I was then cleaned up by another big one as well, also on a Fish Arrow - it was just unstoppable! Later, I tossed a gulp grub towards the lease fence & was cleaned up by a big bream!! I'd managed to get it to the right hand side of the yak, away from the fence, but it sensed where to go & bolted under the yak & back to the fence, busting me off! The rod buckled & hit the side of the yak as the fish dived under - I seriously was concerned that the rod may have been damaged ..... luckily all is ok!

Out on the flats, Ianded a nice breambo - on my fav topwater lure (again!)

Back in one of the leases, I'd also chucked a gulp out whilst chatting to a buddy, when the lure just took off! ....... a nice elbow slapping whiting had jumped on board with my 'do nothing' retrieve!! Sometimes that retrieve works well!! Usually mid mouthful of food, or whilst having a drink!

My new Stakeout pole worked a treat - I had a really old Solid Fibreglass Beach rod that I was going to make into a couple of Tomato Stakes ..... then thought, hang on ....... it would be good to have at least one LONG stakeout pole instead of my 2 smaller Ski Poles ....... so I removed all the hardware from the rod, including the reel seat & cut off the thin end & sharpened it, leaving about 8ft+ of Stakeout pole remaining .... and it is brilliant - very strong, yet easy to push into the sand! I can now use it in much deeper areas than I ever could before! So go & check out your Grandfather's garage & see if he has any old Fibreglass Surf Rods there ....... Ask first tho, before you destroy them - just in case it is his favourite!! I know that if you buy a fibreglass stakeout pole, they are VERY expensive!

So ... a fun filled few days on the water!!! I am now waiting for my brother, Cam/Sails to come up this weekend & hit the water with him - he has yet to catch a decent bream on lure - and I hope this next week will be the time to do it!!! He'll just have to get 'game' about chucking lures around the edges of leases, or between the racks!! If all else fails, we'll try for blackies!

It has been incredibly windy over the last few days, with big thunder storms & lashings of rain - hopefully it will settle down for the weekend, tho we are in dire need of rain!!

cheerio for now & thanks for reading

Roberta

It is raining again here, as I type!!

[bassboy888]

WOW roberta WHAT A REPORT so good to hear some tales of you terrorising fosters fish population again. So glad to see you're back on the water and almost back to full strength. no stopping you for the summer surface bite now!

[sam bros]

wonderful read there roberta

glad that you are able to fish again

and congratulations on the fish

cheers

[bharris]

Top report roberta i missed you just the otherday i said were roberta the bang your back.i no what you mean by the whiting taking line im going out and getting a fly rod just for top water whiting in the basin this year.once again top fish and top report:D

Sent from my GT-S7500T using Tapatalk 2

[bretto101]

what a great report . good talk !

i have not caught anything on a gulp yet only a sand flattie of yamba about 12 months ago . i have a bag full of gulps and still learning and still trying ! .

you said you are going for blackies . ant they ment to be getting on the quiet now ? im a novice on the blckfish as this year was my first fishing for them and i loved it !

[Jewhunter]

BACK Roberta!!

I've missed your yakking reports & am glad to see you back on the water & smacking some top fish.

I hope Cam gets a few good bream on topwater this w/end.

Cheers,

Grant.

[arpie]

Thanks guys, it is SO good being back!!! I reckon I had a mini (maybe, maxi) depression whilst I was away from my fishing - it is such a vital part of our lives ....... I think you will understand!

....no stopping you for the summer surface bite now..... It's started already!! Whiting, Flatties & bream - all on topwater already!

..glad that you are able to fish again... It's great to be back on the water!

....getting a fly rod just for top water whiting in the basin this year... Now THAT would be fun!! Won't try fly until I am SURE the shoulder is OK!! Retrieve it really fast - you wouldn't believe how fast/aggressively I was retrieving that Sammy and they were climbing all over it, whacking it hard!!

...i have not caught anything on a gulp yet only a sand flattie.... For flatties - tty 3" Grubs or 2" or 3" Shrimp/prawn on bigger jig heads - should do the trick - with 'jerky' retrieve. For bream, try the 3" grubs and 2" shrimp on LIGHT jigheads cast close to structure like oyster ledges, poles, jetties or along weedbeds (TT HWS 1/40 are good - but you'll be using light line to cast it)

.... BACK Roberta!!.... THanks Grant - it is good to be back, with the fire in the belly again! I was worried those first couple of days when I couldn't hook a thing ...... but then it got better! Would have LOVED to see that big bream & the 2 big flattie bustoffs tho! Keep your fingers crossed for Cam!! He hasn't caught anything much up here YET!!! Hopefully THIS trip!

cheers

Roberta

Edited September 17, 2013 by Roberta

[jenno64]

Roberta,

Great report and good to see you back on the water! it looks like a cracker summer coming up!

[arpie]

Thanks, Rob. Looks like the flatties are firing up now it is warming up again!

Went out today & it was blowing a gale. Moved spots & the wind changed & followed me!! VERY annoying!! Missed a few hits got a few bloops & only landed 1 flattie!! Will wait til Cam comes up now!! I just hope I can get him onto some fish - may go to Tuncurry - usually less fished than Forster!!

cheers

Roberta

[Scratchie]

That's what I'm talking about!!! Always a great and informative report! Glad to see your shoulder has improved and your back on the water! Keep em coming!

Cheers scratchie!!!