Saturday 18 August 2012

FIRST DAY OUT IN THE NEW IN BETWEEN DAYS

NEPEAN RIVER

The Start Of The Morning With My Boat "In Between Day" (Named After The Cure Song)


Jake and I headed out to Nepean River to test the changes I made to my boat, with the new installed casting deck, Lowrance Elite- 5x DSI fish Sounder, and Minn Kota electric engine. we headed up river towards the Blue Mountains in search of some Rainbow Trout that have been known to inhabit the river system since the opening of the flood gates of Warragamba Dam, (most of Sydney's water supply) into the river.



Lure's That Were Selected For Today's Session
We trolled the banks with a deep diving Minnow Lure's for around an hour while monitoring the sounder, with no signs of fish and countless hook up's with weed in the system with decided to head up river further and flick lures along the banks.

Lowrance showing The Water Temp At 10 Degrees










Awesome Breakfast On The Water


But first we decided to cook up some breakfast on the boats deck and anchored alongside the bank. After breakfast we were casting some banks near by and decided to head back down river but as i started the boat without knowing Jake had left the engine in gear, it fired and took off at full speed toward the bank as i immediately turned the boat just in time before we hit the bank and ended up on land and corrected it in its right path. Quite funny as we collected ourselves and headed back down the river.

The Rock Face I Pulled The Trout Out From


Rainbow Trout On Crank Lure
We found a nice rock covered bank and decided to drift along it and flick some Crank Lures underneath the rocks that were hanging the banks edge in about 3 metres of water I flicked my Crank Lure under the rock face with a beautiful accurate cast that landed cm's from the edge Jake said "Nice cast, that deserves a fish" within two cranks i was on. We both called for a Bass but was quite supprised when colour came through the water and it was a beautiful Rainbow Trout measuring 42cm and around 1 Kg












The colours were really beautiful and bright like most of the wild caught Rainbow Trout's found in dam's, as this was not a river Trout originally as most Rainbow Trout's in river's are quite dull in colour.
I must say the Lure that i caught it on was a newly purchased Cranka Crank Lure, usually meant for Bass and Bream  and I must say that i love everything about it. Swims so well in the water and the action is amazing, I highly recommend you try this lure if you chase Bass and Bream and infact the site I purchased it from has the best prices around https://www.fishin.com.au/Default.asp? it also has a wide variety of Bass and Bream lures available at stealing prices. and the Owner hooks held the fish at bay quite nicely. Took a few minutes to revive this fish in the water, but as im a strong believer in catch and release especially in this case in which I try to preserve the stock of fish, would love for this fish to survive the summer and spawn in the system and keep this species thriving in the river, I released it and it swam off nicely to live another day.

First Wild Caught Rainbow Trout


It is also the first fish i had caught on my new light gear setup, The Ian Miller designed Shimano Raider II in 3-6 Kg, with the Shimano Sustain 2500, 5 Pound Power Pro Braided mainline, and 6 Pound Flurocarbon leader. Such a beautifully designed and responsive outfit. Check it out on the Shimano site http://www.shimanofish.com.au/




Cranka Crank Lure With Owner Hooks



Unfortunately it was the only fish caught on the day, with the watertemperature being around 10-11 degrees their are not many fish around as the are in the brackish waters spawning but stay tuned as it's warming up fast and Bass season starts in 2 weeks. Great day with good company, and the Lowrance and Minn Kota definately change fishing for any Sport Fisherman and the casting deck makes a world of difference  for any Lure Angler.

Always A Beautiful Site Seeing Catch And Release


MILF - "Man I Love Fishing"


Sunday 12 August 2012

TRASH TO TREASURE

BAIT BOAT TURNED BASS BOAT

Big Difference Since I First Bought It


As my mate jake and I are going into Bass and Bream Tournaments this season I decided to turn my 12 foot aluminium boat into a sport fishing vessel, equipped with casting platform, false floor, 40 Pound Minn Kota electric engine and a lowrance fish sounder.

The Boat The Way I Bought It

It is actually quite easy to turn a normal fishing tinny into a sport Bass and Bream boat. I measured the Plywood to fit the boat in between the miidle seat and the front seat as it would sit quite nice and firm on top of them and cut it out to fit with a jigsaw. I had braced the underneath of the platform with 16mm plywood and metal joinery plates as extra support. and instlled a false floor between the driving seat and casting platform and reinforced it so its suitable to stand on with storage underneath also.


Small Upgrades I done To The Boat In January


I carpeted it with blue marine carpet by actually screwing it to the platform with stainless steel screws as it would cost to much to glue it and actually turned out better this way. fastening the platform to the seat support with easy release locking fasters, screwed in some hinges on the platform and screwed in a handle for easy lifting to access the underneath in which it was now used as storage with my anchor, battery source, lifejackets and live well.

View of The New Platform


I installed the Minn Kota 40 Pound All Terain electric engine to the side of the bow and screwed in the pedal to the platform.

New Lowrance and Minn Kota Electric


I also installed a new Lowrance Elite - x5 DSI as my sounder, I made a box out of the scrap plywood that was left over for the sounder to be screwed to,  and carpeted it to the box with a compartment for a phone and wallet. Then installed the Navigation lights for Port and Starboard side, and installed a new 6 piece rod holder to the left side of the vessel out of driving and casting way.


Ready For Bass nad Bream Tournaments




Took the boat down the river to test the platform, electronics and stability of the boat.... oh and a bit of trolling for Rainbow Trout for half an hour but with no luck! Boat actually handles alot better on the water and rides better with the platform despite to the contrary to what a member on the Breammaster forum stated that his boat handle bad when he installed a platform, it was very stable.

Handled Very Well on The Water


Minn Kota makes bank casting that so much better with 5 speeds on it was a dream to use.
The Lowrance Sounder is also "Really that good" was suprised on how accurate these machines actually are, showed weed that was half a foot from the surface of the water to the depths of over 40 feet. Seriously cannot wait to nail Bass and Bream on this boat in the coming weeks, and very eager for the competitions
 to begin. Boat is being painted inside and out in a few weeks so stay tuned!!!


New Onboard Rod Storage



















Testing Out the New Casting Deck




MILF - "Man I Love Fishing

Sunday 5 August 2012

REEL WOMEN GO FISHING

FISHING IS NOT ONLY FOR MEN
Jessi's 4kg Big Red Snapper in Hervey Bay

25cm Sand Whiting

Fishing gives us the opportunity for excitement, relaxation and social while recharging your mental batteries. It takes you away from the everyday worries and stresses in our lives and provides us with the natural vitamins through the sun and outdoors that our bodies not only require but actually crave. It's not always about catching the fish.





Fishing also allows us to feed our souls. It strengthens our inner core and allows us to absorb the natural healing powers that it posseses and at the same time to help put into perspective our lives. when we have the chance to actually catch a fish and they are hard hitting or when you finally catch that big one, Fishing then becomes about the rush, the adrenaline power of setting the hook and exitement is absolutely heart pounding.



10kg Mac Tuna In Hervey Bay

Sometimes fishing allows us to hang out with our friends, sitting back talking and having a great time. It allows us to share the amazing stories that we have in our lives and truely giving us the time
to have a deeper understanding of friendships. We also have to remember that we should only take the amount of fish that is needed and keeping in mind the size and bag limits and practice catch and release, in order to preservethe future of this sport. We need to maintain the amazing opportunities that fishing offers. You may want to call yourself a Fishergirl, Fisherchick, Fisherperson, Reelgirl, Reelwoman, Reellady or Fisher. But at the end of the day we are all Anglers out to catch fish.




60cm Australian Salmon in Swansea


 Women were competing in fishing derbies by 1936, with their participation rates being higher than men at some events. They continue to participate in the sport today. I am a big supporter of women fishing and encourage any woman to pick that rod up and give it a go. Women have been known to be naturally better anglers then men, and they become hooked on fishing. A not so well known fact is Women have been fishing for over 500 years documented.



Jessi Fighting Hard on a Longtail Tuna in Hervey Bay
 There was a time that even imagining that a pink fishing rod would even exist or be a possibility, and now look around you can find them at most tackle stores. Let’s not also forget those accessories… pink tackle boxes and lures, vests and fashion clothing all made to make sure we always feel welcome into a male dominating sport. Well look out boys it looks like the girls will not only out fish you but they will be looking good when they catch more then you


1.1 Metre Freshwater Eel on G Loomis GLX


My partner Jessi is a keen angler and gets amonst the fishing trips and days with the boys, Jessi loves her light fishing like Flathead, Bream, Salmon and Australian Bass. She currently uses a G Loomis GL2 6'1" rod Shimano Aernos 2500 reel with 15 pound Power Pro braided line. But she also gets out to some light game fishing when she gets the chance with a healthy bag of decent fish like Snapper and various Tunas. Jess uses bait as well as lures.

Nice Little Chopper Tailor on Thready Buster Lure


 Accepting women into the sport of fishing has also become more prominent with the passing of time, as it has been in other areas - voting, becoming members of once "male only" clubs, and to feature more widely in such sports as tennis where today, greater television coverage is given to the girls than in the past. Shimano have many sponsored and endorsed fishing women, like Chloe Taylor and Jo Starling to mention a few.


Many fishing companies also take the rise of womens fishing onboard with an extensive range of tackle, accesories and fashion to suit girls. For example Shimano have a range of pink rods titled "Lipstiks" with many fashionable shirts and hats.




45cm Carp on G Loomis GLX



Nice Little Silver Trevally

















There are many times that Jessi has fished me, and many species she has caught that I haven't in freshwater and saltwater species. Most guys who regularly fish with a wife, daughter, or girlfriend may have noticed a strange phenomenon: the girls seem to out-fish the guys with startling regularity. Is it just coincidence? Is the fairer sex better at feeling strikes, and setting the hook? Do they have a faster reaction time? Or is all of this just a bunch of hooey? Don’t be too fast to make a judgment—according to scientific research, women may have an innate advantage over men, when it comes to certain types of fishing.



Fishing For Australian Salmon in Swansea


MILF - "Man I Love Fishing"