Aussie Day Long weekend at the 'pole

[adidaspeteman]

I’ll grab any chance I get to get away from the big smoke and wet a line in this great state. The Australia Day long weekend was drawing closer and closer and I was not that interested in the fireworks. I made the call and had the holiday house we stay at Walpole booked and all ours, yes!

The few weeks went past quickly and soon we were on the road south. After the customary pie stop in Mandurah we made tracks to Bream Mecca.



Saturday 5.30pm Da_houghsta and me jumped into the warm shallows of the Nornalup Inlet.



A few casts got weeded up but only a short time later the action started and was steady for the 4 wades we enjoyed that fine weekend.





Over 200 bream were landed between us two and a few whiting and other species showed up too.



But once again we saw no sign of the flathead.



Khamsins were the stand out lure again, and all the colours seemed to score.















It would have been nice to get bigger bream. The size seems to be gradually decreasing over the many times I visit the place, I don’t know why, maybe more angling pressure?!

I love the ‘pole!

[Two Utes]

Looks like you had a ball at what has become your favorite spot Pete.
When you fish those shallows, are you fishing in weed or clear spots between big clumps of weed?

[adidaspeteman]

The flats have a variety of structure. There are weed clumps, gravel patches, shell patches, mud patches, sand flats, bars , reeds, jetties, sticks and reef. I fish them all until i find where the bream are holding/feeding/sheltering and when the action starts I find that the rest of the bream will be similar structure for that period...

[da_houghsta]

Hey Pete,

had a fantastic weekend as well, just a shame i couldn't match you with the fish count on any session!! lol! i think it was 78 to 130 from memory. next time mate hehehe. thanks again for the trip though - and anytime you wanna go down again - i'll be there!

Mabey the size of the fish was down a bit cos of fishing pressure - remember I said there was a comp there? Might have been a few hundred bigger bream swimming round with peirced lips?

[adidaspeteman]

Hey mate, I think it could be the holidays fishing pressure and/or the breeders have gone up the rivers!

Cheers for emailing me the extra photo's, I'll put 'em up now.......

[Blackfish]

There's some great photos there Adidaspeteman.
Thanks,
B.F.

[chewy01]

Looks like a great trip,with good friends,...and some awesome pics as well.Think im going to have to chase some bream this winter.

[Nath86]

Nice work there Pete, looks like it was a good trip.
I went down the thursday after you guys were there for the first time fishing there, and I think I too have fallen in love with the place. Having not caught a bream over 30cm for some time, I was absolutely thrilled when I caught a pigeon pair around the 35cm mark in one quick fish, and the following the morning I finally joined the 40cm club with a 40 cm on the mark with my first cast, I got a few more around the 38 cm mark, and the smallest for the trip only went 30 cm, so a great time, and to top it off, i go a couple of trout on at my secret spot on the way back.
Since I've moved down to Margs and I'm now only about 2 1/2 hrs away, I think I'll be fishing there again soon.

Cheers Nath

[Beevor]

Aaah..... the old Bream slayer strikes again!

Sounds like fun Pete. You'll have to time one of your Tassie holidays with a qualifier or classic event down here, and come and tangle with some real specimens.

The average Bream size in the Derwent is 1kg, and I've never caught one under 32cm to fork there. It's interesting that you noted angling pressure though, as this years Derwent round produced some of the smallest fish weighed in at a Derwent event since the introduction of competition fishing. In saying that, there were some real stompers too

[adidaspeteman]

Aaah..... the old Bream slayer strikes again!

Sounds like fun Pete. You'll have to time one of your Tassie holidays with a qualifier or classic event down here, and come and tangle with some real specimens.

The average Bream size in the Derwent is 1kg, and I've never caught one under 32cm to fork there. It's interesting that you noted angling pressure though, as this years Derwent round produced some of the smallest fish weighed in at a Derwent event since the introduction of competition fishing. In saying that, there were some real stompers too

I've only had a tiny taste of the big blacks from Tassie, I'm hangin' out for the chance to get back mate.......