Avoiding The Moon

I have not fished much for a week or so because the moon has been out and bright on the water most nights, I seldom find good fishing in such conditions. We watch for good cloud cover on the big moon nights, the cloud obscures the moon and gets the bass out and about. A mid afternoon text from Jeff had me looking upward; a good cloud cover meant a bass outing was on the cards. When I pulled up at the river Jeff was already fishing, 3 casts for nothing. It was about a dozen casts later and his Koolabung cicada fizzer was boofed of the top, line peeled off and the little drag sang to the tune of a thin 35.5cm bass. It was not long after that his Koolabung was hit again, this time a better fish but sadly the hooks pulled as the fish made the drag sing yet again, the language was not fit for print. I decided to switch to the Cicada Fizzer and was rewarded with a hook up shortly after which was also dropped. A good 15 minutes later no more surface action forced a change to the ever-reliable black spinner-bait, the response was immediate and a fat 39cm bass belted me, my largest for the season so far. I was rewarded again with a smaller 32cm 5 minutes later, a fit and fat little bass. Jeff switched to a spinner bait about this time and shortly after hooked up to another good fish but once again it was dropped after the initial burst; once again the language was not fit for print. About 2 minutes later the moon appeared from behind the cloud cover and the fish activity stopped. We fished on for a little while but without a touch so called it a night. A few nights earlier we had a similar night with only one fish landed and several dropped until the moons emergence shut the fishing down. Hopefully the cloud cover will block the moon again tomorrow night and allow us a few hours bassing.

EP Addiction

Fishing is horribly addictive and my mate Jeff and I are a hopeless pair of Junkies. One would think that we'd have been happy with a 20 fish session but only two nights later we were back for another hit.

We returned to the location we had fished a few nights earlier and within a few minutes found a school of mid sized EP's. Their response to our surface lures sounded out in the still quiet of the cold night.


Schools shut down after a few fish have been released so we would move on and find another, C & R a few fish then move again, it never gets boring.

Unusually the bright moon was not upsetting the fish feeding but subtle surface presentations were needed or the lures would be ignored

After a few hours we had landed 15 EP's, we were once again happy so called it a night, the fish will be there when we return in a few nights time for another fix

Claytons Bass

The far south coast is always slow to get moving in regard to early season bass fishing. The water is still chilly and weather still cool, so despite having some minor success on opening day, the season does not really start in full for us until October when it warms a little. 

The lack of fishing over winter leaves a terrible itch that desperately needs scratching. For Jeff and myself EP's offer the most viable target until the bass become more active. They seem to be more active in the cooler water than bass and offer some fantastic fishing at this time of year.

Jeff was given a fathers day gift of 'fishing time' so we took full advantage and hit the water a little before dark. It did not take long for our surface offerings to gain the attention we wanted.

Gentle retrieves of surface lures with subtle actions seemed to attract boisterous takes. Anything noisy or with too much action was ignored, they seemed to be in cold water prawn mode, striking only on the pause.

By the time the run out tide came to a stop and shut the fish down we had landed just short of 20 EP's between us with many in the high 30's and the best a whisker under 40cm. 
 
EP’s are really the Claytons Bass, the bass you catch when your not really catching bass. 

WInter Exploration

I am not a man that likes to remain still for long, so I find winter a painful seasonal event with its confining weather. After a few weeks I itch to start walking, rafting and generally exploring spots that I intend to fish next season, "new territory" as my mate Peter calls it. We are addicted to new territory but I often don't want to gamble good summer fishing conditions on the unknown so...winter is the perfect time to explore my hunches.

A rare perfect winters day on Sunday allowed me a day to explore a small creek that was accessible via a tangle of rough 4x4 tracks and short beach walk. I had my eye on this one for a while and knew it well on Google Earth and topographic maps.

Like many of the small creeks I fish this one appears to flow tidal as the exception rather than the rule. Glass smooth, tannin stained waters where chilly even through my neoprene booties. 

Suffice to say I was happy with what I found, a delightful snaking creek with ample bankside cover. By the time I had covered a km or so I was content to put it on my trip list for next season as it would hold EP's and bass. It was certainly nice to be in a raft and paddling some new territory. Can’t wait to return with a rod next season.

Last bronze trip for the season

The first of the cool weather a month ago and subsequent drop in the water temperature signalled an end to what has been a difficult bass season on the far south coast. 

The bass turned and began their journey down stream to look for like-minded bass to make little bass with; I like to leave them in peace to do this. 

As an addict, I look for a different buzz to get my fix. EP’s in this part of the world are a month or so behind the bass and as such offer an extension to my fishing adventures, albeit only for a few weeks. 

About the time the first proper frosts ice the valley floor, I leave the EP’s to the important business that is essential to their continuity and search for a new buzz to see me through the winter. This time is very near.

With the prospect of a few months void of bronze coloured fish, I take the last weekend of the ‘season’ as a last chance opportunity for a trip.

We could fish locally, but the added bonus of some walking and camping in solitude draws us to lesser-frequented systems. 

The company of two of my favourite fishing companions makes for a really enjoyable adventure.

With time and observation certain predictability to fish behaviour is evident, this trip bore that out with EP’s taking our surface offerings in all the likely holds. Like bass, EP’s are structure based ambush predators. In a healthy system you can almost guarantee a fish from decent structure with a bit of tidal flow past it.

Fishing takes me to such beautiful places, this has led to a different appreciation of it nowadays; the landscapes, water, weather, ebbs and flows of nature all get noticed more.

I am lucky to live in a part of the world that abounds with places that are just beautiful to fish. The fishing in these locations can be spectacular but I would still travel there regardless of whether the fish were there or not. 

I am sure the distractions of nature mean I catch less fish, it does not seem to matter though, it makes me a worse fisherman but a better person.

So, another season of chasing bronze coloured fish is over and I will now chase bream until the frozen months pass. No doubt the cold nights spent pouring over google earth and topo maps will lengthen my already long wish list of trips for next season, but three months is such a looooong time.

Season change Bonnies

Well the days are cooling as autumn takes hold and the daylight hours get shorter.  The bass are no longer worth the effort of chasing, as they no longer look upwards in search of dinner.  EPs are beginning to school up to breed and the big blue nose bream are heading up into the creeks,  I will begin chasing some trophy estuary fish soon.  

At this time of year the coastal currents have finished heading south bringing warm water and pelagic fish to the far south coast.  In a few weeks the currents will turn and head north taking the fish with them.  In the mean time some excellent surface fishing is to be had with schools of big bonito cruising the inshore waters smashing baitfish schools.

The usual haunts such as washes and inshore current lines are the obvious place to start throwing baitfish imitations for these speedsters but watching the birds is an easier way to ensure you find them.  Diving birds are a sure fire indicator of pelagic action and more often that not a guarantee that you'll get fish casting slugs or flies.

As the day progresses it my be necessary to sink your lure or fly down deeper to find fish.  Trolling a deep diving minnows along the rocks is a good way to locate schools.  Once hooked up it pays to cast back over the school as often mulitple fish can be taken.

Bonnies are a great sport fish; they take a range of slugs, flies and trolled minnows and are easily targeted by the inshore angler.  Occasionally Stripped Tuna, Kingfish or Autralian Salmon are also chasing the baitfish and make for great by catch.  

Time you enjoy wasting

Bertrand Russell said: "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Sometimes fishing adventures can be exactly that, time you enjoy wasting.

Easter is such a time for me, with the southern bass season all but over, I head off for a walk, some camping, some time just sitting quietly enjoying what nature has to offer.

My expectations at this time of year are not great, EP's provide some entertainment until the wintery winds bring a stop to my coastal adventures. 

I can waste hours on the flats; exploring, walking and searching for evidence

I watch the movement of the tides, finding perfection in the patterns left by the passage of the day, the movement of water.

I ponder the similarity of the sand and rock; a day to shape one, thousands of years to shape the other, such a contrast in the passage of time. 

Like the sand and rocks, the melaleuca trees take character by the interaction of wind, sun and water.

beneath the trees eyes scour upward, searching, looking, taking it all in. Sometimes I see myself in those eyes

being in such beautiful places is a privilege
 

Lucky EP's, they live in such places