New PB, two years in the making.
- mazman
- Rank: Murray Cod
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:45 pm
- Has liked: 137 times
- Likes received: 455 times
New PB, two years in the making.
Hey guys, over the weekend I made the call to go for one last big trip before exams. Made the call to go for a bit of a drive and go for bass and Perch up high in the snags. After a ridiculously early start and a longer than I recalled drive, I arrived at the system of choice. My aim was to get there at first light but I ended up about 30 mins late. Made the walk down to the water in record time and prayed that the slightly overcast conditions had drawn out the change of light bite a little bit.
Found a snag that just looked right and flicked my first couple of casts at it trying to work my cicada from a few different angles but didn't draw a bite, adamant that this snag held a fish I popped a cast just up current and twitched the cicada on the surface as it pushed past the outside edge. What followed was an astonishing take and a lot of line being taken far to close to the snags for my comfort. After what felt like forever and a lot of spool palming it's head hit the surface and it was clear this was a very big fish. Now that I had a bit more control I slowed down and started to plan how I was going to get it in the net. I had made the cast from an area where I had virtually no room to move and didn't think I would be able to reach the water but my decision was forced when the fish shot under a small branch near my feet and I just had to go for it jumping in, praying I would stay on my feet, I lifted the branch unwrapped my line and netted the fish. A wave of pure elation hit me. Clambered back up the bank whipped the brag mat out and it hit 50cm. After popping the hooks out, grabbing a quick snippet of footage on my phone. I released her to keep terrorising everything that comes past her snag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_jv_x1Dj1U
I sat down and tried to soak it all in for a little bit before trying to retie a new leader, I ended up having to wait a little while to do this because I was trembling like a leaf. I worked my way upstream flicking at a few snags that took my fancy but none of them had that feel to them, after working my way up a couple of hundred metres I watched a small bug fall out of a tree and get smashed virtually as it hit the water. No sooner than that happened my cicada was flying through the air to land under the tree that dropped the bug. I left it there motionless while the rings settled, just as they dissipated it got demolished and a bass went airborne. This time the fight was in more open water and I could back the drag off and take things a bit easier, although it still gave me a bit of grief. A smaller fish popped up but it still went 40cm.
After this the sun got up and the bite slowed right down, I kept fishing into the afternoon but didn't see anything or get any hits. I made the call to make my way back to the car at 2pm knowing I had a fair bit of walking in front of me and even more driving. I did get a little distracted on the way back watching a grayling sit in the bubble line and pick off some tiny insects as they drifted by for 10 minutes which was incredible to watch and capped off an unforgettable day.
Thanks for reading Alex
Found a snag that just looked right and flicked my first couple of casts at it trying to work my cicada from a few different angles but didn't draw a bite, adamant that this snag held a fish I popped a cast just up current and twitched the cicada on the surface as it pushed past the outside edge. What followed was an astonishing take and a lot of line being taken far to close to the snags for my comfort. After what felt like forever and a lot of spool palming it's head hit the surface and it was clear this was a very big fish. Now that I had a bit more control I slowed down and started to plan how I was going to get it in the net. I had made the cast from an area where I had virtually no room to move and didn't think I would be able to reach the water but my decision was forced when the fish shot under a small branch near my feet and I just had to go for it jumping in, praying I would stay on my feet, I lifted the branch unwrapped my line and netted the fish. A wave of pure elation hit me. Clambered back up the bank whipped the brag mat out and it hit 50cm. After popping the hooks out, grabbing a quick snippet of footage on my phone. I released her to keep terrorising everything that comes past her snag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_jv_x1Dj1U
I sat down and tried to soak it all in for a little bit before trying to retie a new leader, I ended up having to wait a little while to do this because I was trembling like a leaf. I worked my way upstream flicking at a few snags that took my fancy but none of them had that feel to them, after working my way up a couple of hundred metres I watched a small bug fall out of a tree and get smashed virtually as it hit the water. No sooner than that happened my cicada was flying through the air to land under the tree that dropped the bug. I left it there motionless while the rings settled, just as they dissipated it got demolished and a bass went airborne. This time the fight was in more open water and I could back the drag off and take things a bit easier, although it still gave me a bit of grief. A smaller fish popped up but it still went 40cm.
After this the sun got up and the bite slowed right down, I kept fishing into the afternoon but didn't see anything or get any hits. I made the call to make my way back to the car at 2pm knowing I had a fair bit of walking in front of me and even more driving. I did get a little distracted on the way back watching a grayling sit in the bubble line and pick off some tiny insects as they drifted by for 10 minutes which was incredible to watch and capped off an unforgettable day.
Thanks for reading Alex
Youtube channel:Hawkesy Fishing
- Sinsemilla
- Rank: Gummy Shark
- Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2016 2:35 pm
- Location: Northern Subs
- Likes received: 272 times
Re: New PB, two years in the making.
Man what a rush that would have been. I know those trembles all too well! Awesome that you landed it.
Hanging to get my first now!
Cheers, Anth
Hanging to get my first now!
Cheers, Anth
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- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:59 pm
- Has liked: 567 times
- Likes received: 1011 times
- Truedogz
- Rank: King George Whiting
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2016 6:52 pm
- Location: Tabilk
- Has liked: 32 times
- Likes received: 247 times
Re: New PB, two years in the making.
Great effort mate. 50 cm bass out of streams are a real buzz. One of this country's best sportsfish!
Best Wishes
Truedogz
Best Wishes
Truedogz
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- Rank: Murray Cod
- Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:39 pm
- Has liked: 136 times
- Likes received: 324 times
Re: New PB, two years in the making.
Do it! They're an awesome fish, and once over 40cm do they pull some stringSinsemilla wrote:Man what a rush that would have been. I know those trembles all too well! Awesome that you landed it.
Hanging to get my first now!
Cheers, Anth
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- Bluefin
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:21 pm
- Has liked: 72 times
- Likes received: 976 times
- Sinsemilla
- Rank: Gummy Shark
- Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2016 2:35 pm
- Location: Northern Subs
- Likes received: 272 times
Re: New PB, two years in the making.
Definitely a fish a want to tick off the list this year. What kind of gear do you guys use to target them?cobby wrote:Do it! They're an awesome fish, and once over 40cm do they pull some stringSinsemilla wrote:Man what a rush that would have been. I know those trembles all too well! Awesome that you landed it.
Hanging to get my first now!
Cheers, Anth
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- Rank: Premium Member
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:59 pm
- Has liked: 567 times
- Likes received: 1011 times
Re: New PB, two years in the making.
handlines are more than enough :tongue:Sinsemilla wrote:What kind of gear do you guys use to target them?
but if you must, then bream gear is what most use.
- mazman
- Rank: Murray Cod
- Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:45 pm
- Has liked: 137 times
- Likes received: 455 times
Re: New PB, two years in the making.
I have a few different outfits now depending on where I am and what I'm throwing.Sinsemilla wrote:Definitely a fish a want to tick off the list this year. What kind of gear do you guys use to target them?cobby wrote:Do it! They're an awesome fish, and once over 40cm do they pull some stringSinsemilla wrote:Man what a rush that would have been. I know those trembles all too well! Awesome that you landed it.
Hanging to get my first now!
Cheers, Anth
light spin 4-8lb 6'6 + 2500 reel this is my light bass rod if I want to throw any smaller lures or lightly weighted sps
heavy spin 5-10lb 6'6 + 2500 reel when I go landbased this is the rod I use 90% of the time, can still kind of cast light lures but heavy enough to get control of fish when you're not in a great area for landing them.
light bc 3-8lb 6'9 + alphas air Can still flick light lures but having your thumb on the spool helps to stop any first runs but still have drag set to not pull hooks in the back end of the fight.
heavy bc 4-12lb 6'8 + daiwa tatula spinner baits, buzz baits, big wakebaits.
That's just me though and I'm still learning about techniques.
Youtube channel:Hawkesy Fishing