December is prime time for Greg Catt and myself to drag out our Australis Bass kayaks and head down to our local creeks or swamps for an afternoon and night fish to for Bass. We head off about 3 hours before dark and fish about 3 hours after depending how the fish are biting. I start fishing with small diving lures, (Feralcatt and Taylor made) casting them into shadows, under trees and edge weed beds. When casting a diving lure, let it sit on the water for few seconds and give it a twitch to trigger any surface strikes before working slowly back. As the sun drops I change to a Taylor Made Surface walker and or small fizzers and wait for a big swamp or creek bass to frighten the hell out of me with water frothing surface strike. I usually start by casting my surface lure close to cover or the edge of the weed or reeds and let it sit still for few seconds before working it back with a few pauses on the way. Remember not to strike until your line tightens. If you strike before you will often pull the lure away before the fish is hooked. If I do not get any strikes with a slow retrieve I will often work my surface fizzer a lot faster with more surface disturbance with two or three cast over the same area this will often draw a fish from deeper water or from cover.
When you are fishing, look ahead for any movement of small bait fish, shrimp flipping and insects on the water or water bring disturbed by feeding fish. If you see insects fall in the water, take the time to watch it for a while and if there is a bass around he’ll eat it. If he does, cast your lure to the spot and get ready, as most times he will eat your lure. All good Bass fishermen are in tune with what is going on around them. It’s the little things that they pick up on means the difference between fish and no fish
Catch and Release
Most Bass anglers release their fish. This is even more important in small creeks because of the small numbers of fish that live in some creeks and don’t fish these areas too hard, as the fish will become harder to catch. Try to fish different creeks or areas and rotate these areas. This takes the pressure off the Bass
Make sure that you take a small pack with a torch, insect repellent, water, snacks and all other tackle needs and leave your mobile phone at home as my last trip mine went for a swim
December is the time of the year when all our summer fish should be on the bite.
The pelagic in both Broken Bay and Sydney Harbour should be smashing into the bait schools.
Last year in December the waters of Broken Bay and Pittwater had warmed up and there was bait schools everywhere and large schools of tailor and smaller schools of salmon and kingfish are feeding on them. We have had some days that we have caught over 100 fish, most of these we released we only keep enough for a meal or two. It shouldn’t be too long before the bonito and small tuna turn up. Most of the tailor and salmon have been taken on small metals, small poppers and flies.
The kingfish where a little fussier. Most where caught on live baits, squid, yellow tail and live garfish. Slugos cast around the marker post, moored boats and drums also accounted for a lot of kings. Amber jacks and samson fish where also caught in good numbers.
Over the last few week the first of the king fish have turned up in middle harbour with a lot being caught around the Spit on live squid also up around Sugarloaf on top with lures.
There has also been schools of salmon and tailor around the Harbour and near the heads
If you find a school fish working the top, take the time to see what direction and speed the fish are travelling. Don’t rush into the middle of the feeding school as often this will put the fish down for the day.
Most schools work into the wind, so position the boat up wind and wait for the fish to come to you. Often the boat will be surrounded by fish.
Try to give other anglers room to move and fish, if a lot of boats are on the school, look around as quite often in the distance you will see birds flying around another school working. I will often head of to the other school as to many boats around schools of fish can make the gun shy.
It can be dangerous with all those metal lures flying through the air in all directions with a lot of angler not knowing how to cast lure in the direction that they want it to go.
If you are new to casting lures at schools fish go down to you local park or paddock and learn how to cast low, fast and straight or go out with a guide or a casting instructor and ask him to teach you how to cast maximum distance and accuracy with minimum effort.
Not only how but where to cast the lure and how to find and work the schools of fish. A day on the water with someone that knows how to work and catch fish can fast track you learning
I always spend the first 30 to 40 minutes teaching them how to cast before I go within sight of a school of fish. Casting is like hitting a golf ball. It’s not how hard cast, it’s the timing of the release. Any one interest in learning to cast or how to catch these pelagic.
Give me a ring on 040 8334 892
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