MORE THAN JUST A CREEK (South Creek)

BLACK WATER

As many know, I'm an avid angler of  South Creek (A major vein to the Hawksbury River) recently a there has been a real problem happening along this Creek that has not just outraged myself... but outraged a whole community of Bass Anglers from the area and outside of the area.

An abandoned factory fire in Dunheved on 17th January is suspected to have leaked Methanol into drainage and therefore into South Creek. The drains surrounding the factory should have been shut off to contain the spill and prevent contamination entering the waterway. 

The Council of Penrith made an original statement stating that it was cooking oil that entered the waterway. I believe this to be false. Not sure what's happening here but cooking oil will not discolour the fish as they lat on the surface dead. Lizards. Turtles. Snakes. Fish. Birds... they are all dying from direct contact with this waterway. The stench of the water is terrible. Black Water (Dead water) is flooding the creek, as of today i done a full interview with a Newspaper company and also a photoshoot onsite today at Richmond Road bridge and the Black Water is terrible. It sits inside the creek (a run off from the main South Creek) like an oil slick.

As of last week, the presence of chemicals burnt your eyes and nose. There is a huge community of Fisherman in Western Sydney and also outside of Western Sydney who are outraged and want answers.

I have a link provided to read the story of the factory fire:

http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/massive-fire-erupts-in-industrial-area-at-st-marys-near-munitions-filling-factory/story-fni0cx12-1227188005486

Now Penrith Councilhave made a statement on their website that says "It is cooking oil that has contaminated the waterway". This is absolute lies! what cooking oil does this to fish?

http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/Our-Services/Environment/Pollution/

As you can see first hand, the Black Water and decomposed fish! The fish are so badly decomposed in just over a week since the fire that when we removed an Eel from the water, it just went to sludge in the net. I have never seen a fish decompose like that in such a short time span. The chemical is rotting them from the inside out!

If you look at the photo, you can see where the Black Water (Dead water) meets the main current where the rainwater is flowing over the top of the dead water but the nook in little creek has no flow cause it dies down and becomes shallow upstream to a small run-off, so the Black water is just sitting there! But, tell me now? is this caused from cooking oil as first stated by Penrith Council? No! This is chemical related.

I has an an onsite interview and photo shoot at Richmond Road today with a Newspaper Company, I am withholding the name of, that will be running a full story on the South Creek contamination, and have also been contacted by a correspondent from a Television Network, that I am also withholding the name of,.. All will be reported shortly.

Stay tuned for an update!

I WILL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF ALL THIS, BECAUSE WE ARE ANGLERS THAT FISH THIS CREEK AND NOW IT HAS BEEN DEVASTATED!!

UPDATE!

South Creek Contamination Spill reaches front cover of three newspapers!

PLASTIC BREAMN' THE FLATS

DRIFTING DROP ZONES

Flicking plastics around the flats these holidays for some Bream, and turns out there are some really good models getting around this Summer. Utilizing the right jig head weights that is suited for the depth of water and current your fishing will definitely have you hooked up to some stonkers this season.

Here are just a few shots working the flats and monitoring a drop off zone that goes from 2 metres to 2.6 metres and just lightly bringing the plastic down the drop off giving it plenty of time to flutter down as we are using finesse 1/16 - 1/20 jig heads.

I tend to monitor the Lowrance sounder on Down Structure Scan and traditional Sonar monitoring the bait under neath and feeding arches but also making sure I'm in close to the drop zone just sitting back off it and casting over it so thus the plastic hops down it, If you drift off the drop zone just electric motor back over it.

A NOTE WORTHY CHANGE

A Look Into Bass Behavioural Changes to Wind and Temperatures 

This is a continuation from where I left off from a previous blog entry in October talking about wind dramatically changing water temperatures which seems to be shut Bass down.
I have monitored it more lately and noticed in the early afternoon when the wind is around 7-8 knots and it's a East-North Easterly there are parts of my local hole that are blocked by the wind and the waters surface temperature is around 22-23 degrees and the Bass are firing the surface. But as we drift upstream it begins to be exposed around a bend to wind and the surface temperature seems to dramatically drop 3-5 degrees, now at this time I am still sounding up strong structure on the Lowrance unit, both on Side scan and broadband and fish are present, but the Bass have shut down.

The Barometer pressure is still around 1021 hPa and rising, but yet the Bass shut down. Now I have also noted that as my drift continues through this bend and begins to takes a direction change that now puts me directly out of the wind, the surface temperature of the water starts to rise back into the 20's the Bass begin to strike surface lures again.

Now in this time I have not had a lure change, and to make things a little more confusing the wind has actually picked up to around 10 knots by the late afternoon and changes direction to a southerly which then puts me directly into the wind and to my knowledge again..... The bass shut down once
again.

Now I have also noted that When the midday sun has shone on parts of the water for most of the day and has heated the water to around 24 degrees  and now has no sun exposure on this particular part of the waters pocket and the shadows have set in. The Bass will strike surface lures, Then once the wind picks up from 5 knots to 10 knots, but still hasn't changed direction.... The Bass stop feeding in that corner. I then motored over to scan the water's temperature and same familiar notes I had recognized from previous summaries matched, the water had dramatically decreased to 19-20 degrees.

 Anyone that lives close to the sea will tell you that on sunny days there is a constant 'On Shore Breeze' during the day and an 'Offshore Breeze' during the night. Which I believe if I'm not wrong is a direct result of the way the Earth cools the land during the day and then sea surface at night. Now that onshore breeze is cooling, but is it a "Fact" that the breeze can cool parts of inland waters so dramatically that it "Shuts Down the Bass?"

Now I'm a strong believer in the fact that the low Barometer tends to seize the bite with Bass due to the low pressure knocking around there swim bladder causing them to be lethargic and stop feeding.
You know that feeling when its raining outside and the change of air pressure has you moving slower as you get to work, whilst fighting fatigue? Well humans are not alone, Certain fish feel this lethargic feeling and a change in equilibrium. But I'm not so sure about the rapid decent of water temps that stop the Bass in their tracks!

I h ave gone more into detail in past articles a few years back for LureandFly.com when I wrote an article on freshwater winter fishing. Link provided below.

 Freshwater Essentials In The Off-Season

FROM COUNTRY TO COAST (With a spot of Prawning)

KEMPSEY NSW

I made a recent trip to Kempsey NSW to fish on the Macleay River for Bass. Here a a few good shots from the trip

My uncle James with a solid mid 400mm surface Bass

Gotta love Bass on surface

Few mid 400mm Macleay River surface Bass

Bass nailing cicada lure

                                                THE ENTRANCE NSW

A quick weekend trip to take some kids fishing and do some prawning for the start of the season. Stayed in a beautiful resort on the Central Coast NSW and had a ball just relaxing and going back to basics with the kids while doing a spot of prawning on the flats. Here is a few shots.... Enjoy

Nothing better than showing kids how to fish.

Tried to get away for a quick lure flick myself

My wife Jessi lending her hand in the teaching.

Young Isaac with the goods. 

Little Indiannah showing how it's done.

Beautiful part of the coastline.

Just a quick shot a few Prawns from the flats.