Solo FW Mission Part Deux

Have been either too busy with bloody irritating Myer or simply not enough time spent coming into the office that I've never blogged for awhile. But honestly, there were a few occasion here and there for the saltwater front but it has been turning out fruitless or simply, nothing substantial worth blogging or bragging about. Weather hasn't been too kind for me this summer and knowingly that I'm about to return back to Singapore, it is not really doing much justice to me. Guess it might be a sign shown to me that it's time to stop farking around with fishing here and go back to reality! Anyway, that's not what I'm supposed to do here by ranting, instead, it's about another FW trip I made to the Nepean on Friday as I wasn't rostered that day. Got off to quite a late start as I was busy preparing my ExxonMobil 'paper' application to be sent to sunny Singapura. Didn't wanna fark around with the application form and so took quite an effort to make sure everything is alright, so now it's just fingers-crossed and hope for the best. Whilst at the post office, made a quick stop to Coles and got 2 cans of corns. Then, being a complete idiot, I left HQ without the can opener! I'd only realised it when I was already on the Parramatta road in Burwood! Didn't wanna do a U-turn back and so made a quick stop at Woolies in Burwood and got another can of woolie's brand of corns which happens to have a self-opening lid, bloody Coles! Made a rush to the M4 and thankfully there wasn't any traffic jam. Took the toll instead of exiting at Silverwater road as I was really pressed for time by then. Got to the Nepean weir at around past 5.30pm and knew I'll only have about 2 hours there. This time round, I had the usual spot to myself. So as always, 1st up was to burley up the surface with bread and the splashes starts happening. Rigged up my blackhole lure rod with a small gama hook and it didn't take long till I had a good decent bass hit the bread with gusto.

As always, the 1st few pieces of bread on hook is easier to catch the fishes but they will soon wise up to the trap that we've placed for them. However, there are still times when you can catch them if you know how to bait up properly and strike at the right time. This herring was actually foul hook and the poor bugger was bleeding.

By the looks of the picture, I am always wondering if it's a mullet or herring. By then, I had already done baiting the other rod with corn and waiting for the 'down'. It was time to stop mucking around with the bread and so popping was in mind. Tried using a new popper I got recently from a tackle shop for ridiculous price. It's the Rebel Pop-R that was featured in the fishing DVD with Uncle Starlo using it to great effect on the whitings (they always managed to). Great effect to foul hook infant herring me thinks... KNNBCCB!!!

It was time to change luring tactics and instead of always trying for top water action, I gutsily clipped on a small sinking lure I got awhile back in eBay for like 6 bucks. It's the Yo-Zuri Aile Goby in white which I bought it for use in night breaming but after trying to mod it, it doesn't float! Anyway, it has been sitting in the tackle box for quite sometime and I thought might as well. Being a really small profile lure (a mere 2cm plus lure) and with only a single treble, it drags through the thick weed with ease (sometimes). Few casts later with it, bang... (fwah, the take by bass on lures is truly amazing!)... no Zzzz leh... Sianz... A small bass easily came in for a photo shoot on my sexy leg... Muahahahaha...

Then, another smaller bass was caught on the same lure. It was turning out to be a good lure for use in the thick Nepean weed beds! Now, the baiting rod hasn't been getting much mention, as there weren't any 'downs' or decisive 'downs' to make it worth mentioning! As last light was fast approaching, so did the 'downs' began to happen. It was with a specific 'down' that I know a fish was on and that the gama must have already well hooked the bugger. Zzzzz off the cheap reel goes and this bastard decided to swim under the weeds and bricked me instantly! Knew straightaway it was a decent carp but no matter how I tried to free it, it didn't budge. No choice but to yank it out but surprisingly I didn't loose the whole float setup, even got my hook back! Shit... lost that fish me heart pain...

Anyway, rigged up again and continue the waiting game. The sky was getting really dark and the 'downs' were getting more rampant. On one not-really decisive 'down', I gave a good strike and the feeling was super dead-weight. I could feel it was something heavy but had no idea what it was, especially with a crap fighting fish like the eel-tail catfish I thought it might not even be that specie. Lo and behold... what I eventually manage to hoist it out was a freshwater turtle!

WTF?! I am catching all sorts of weirdos in freshwater man! Thing is, when I told Chen about it, he was over-the-moon and commented that FW turtles are worth a fortune! He said in pet shops they can go for like 100 bucks for a baby-size! Man... mine certainly wasn't a baby! That bugger was unfortunately deeply hooked and I had to cut the line to free it. Poor bugger had to be flipped over for me to perform the surgery cos' as soon as you let it be on it's belly side, it will try and scurry away! As soon as the line was cut, it did that and went back into the drink, with a gama hook in its mouth, sad man... Hope it survives! Not my fault what... how I know turtles eat corns also! Just before packing up for the ultimate long haul back, an eel-tailed catfish was caught.

Luckily it was barely hooked on the lip and so easy job to release it. Two uncles walked past me and asked how I did, told them about the turtle and they were laughing it off. Told me better luck next time and I then began the 45 minutes drive back.

Got a few new items recently with Chen ordering some nice stuffs from Japan. Got him to help me get a new roll of Fluoro as my 5lb Nitlon DARM was running out. So he got me the 'Toray' Bawo Super Finesse in 4lb and their diameter ratio is a bit on the high side. He gave me a small gift in the form of a Lucky Craft wristband and I was completely stoked with his prez, THANKS HEAPS BRO! Was in Otto's tackle shop in Drummoyne recently and bought new Gulps in the form of 2inch sandworms! Was going $25 for 3 packs and got Chen a pack of the camo and myself as well as another colour in the Motor Oil Redfleck. Then, as mentioned earlier, the Rebel Popper for $16, tamade!!!

Gotta admit, we fishos are real suckers for these stuffs... sad but true...

Ronald