Backyard Bassing
Downrigging mackerel, trolling for tuna, jigging kingfish are guaranteed to make our clients happy. But what happens when the weather is so bad you can’t get offshore?
We’ve had a shocking year for weather. A friend who was out on a Sydney charter boat recently told me the skipper had mentioned that, at one point, he had only been able to fish for two days – out of three weeks! Due to howling non-stop winds. Just an idea – and mainly an idea for metropolitan anglers – with something that’s been working like a dream for me lately.
Freshwater fishing. I’m usually pretty hard on Fisheries, but I’ve got to confess they’ve done a fantastic job in stocking dams here in Sydney.
I’ve been out chasing bass four times in the last ten days. Can’t recommend the experience too highly because it ticks so many boxes: local spots – meaning quick to get to, meaning you have time for a quick session after work – now that daylight saving has arrived (sorry, Queensland!) and yes I am hooked up, in this pic:
Inexpensive. I’m using a $200 used kayak and our $95 3 kilo spin combo. That scored me ten bass in Lake Parramatta on Monday night – including at one point, three fish in five casts. Small kayaks are cheap on Gumtree and eBay:
Exercise. Maybe not relevant for a lot of our readers but important for a bloke like me who spends most of his waking life sitting in front of a computer screen. Paddling around for a couple of hours is the light workout I need.
The fish are a bonus. Here’s a 32cm from Lake Parramatta on Monday:
How does it work? I like to be hooked up, plain and simple. And one of the best ways to make that happen is not to put all your eggs in one basket. So for instance, on Monday I arrived at Lake Parramatta and quickly set up our rod pod on the little deck. Mixed up a can of corn niblets ($1.30 from Coles) and a bag of breadcrumbs (90 cents from Coles) in a bucket, with a little water. Threw that out in front of the pod and set two rods, passing the baits into the burley zone. Turned on the alarms and went to sort the kayak and bass gear. If anything was to happen, the buzzers would let me know:
This tactic alone is deadly. All year I’ve been catching big carp from ponds here in Sydney - in just short sessions, after work:
Send me an email if you need some locations:
Here’s how to get started. Number 1: Check your local Fisheries web page for fish stockings in your area. Here’s where I’m headed on the next run. Forty thousand bass stocked in tiny Manly Dam – in the last eight years:
And here’s a link to the NSW Fisheries website. Five minutes on Google will find one in your State:
Two: Get a kayak. If you have to buy one they’re not expensive. But maybe you can borrow one? Fishing from a kayak is so much better than fishing from the bank:
Three: Get the right gear for the job. We have the perfect bass combo for just $95 + postage:
Needless to say it's not just for bass. Ideal for flathead, squid, bream, trout, salmon and FAD dollies. I even got a 12 kilo bluefin tuna on mine a few years ago:
Up until Christmas we'll even throw in a black bass lure of the sort that’s been working so well, over the last two weeks:
The whole outfit works beautifully and I should mention the reel itself is only $48 – in case you already have a suitable rod. Click here for more:
If you want to try the rod pods they are only $130 including delivery. Can’t recommend them too highly because you’ll be doubling the chances of a hookup on every trip. Note rod pod at top right:
In closing, here’s a video you might get a laugh from. From years ago, when we were at the 4WD and Boat Show, at Penrith Panthers. Our stand was next to the Sydney Bass & Bream Club, and I thought it would be rude not to buy a couple of spinner baits from one of the club members selling there. About 50 yards from our set up was the Aqua Golf pond, where people whack golf balls into the water for fun. Headed down to Aqua Golf with the new lure tied on, with blokes calling out ‘you’re not allowed to fish in there!’
Me: ‘I’m not fishing! I’m only casting.’
Here’s what happened next…
Thanks for reading and get back to me if you need any tips whatsoever on where to go and how to do it,
Andrew Hestelow
Managing Director
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