Heading out to NPD for first time

[Dan23]

Hi guys,

Looks like I have tuesday off and the weather might be ok so I'm going to try out npd. Looking at the map the area around Bullocky Rest could be good. Any suggestions if this is a good place to start or if I should try somewhere else. I'll just be throwing slugs and plastics around. I've never fished for bass in my life so I'll have no idea what I'm doing. Also do bass prefer a slow retrieve with short jerks or a faster retrieve? Here's hoping for beginner's luck.

[Tim a]

there are bass around bullocky's at the moment, I get loads of bass just slow rolling the sp's as long as they have a tail action.

[Dan23]

Sweet, what sort of plastics do you use? Similar to flat head and bream? Any never fails that I should pick up before I go?

[Tim a]

ummm. Paddle tails like sliders, grassminnows or atomics, atomics are the cheapest and work well at 15 for 8$. They are like the 'no frills' or soft plastics I rekon, no sent on them or anything but they do work, they are also quite tough in that you can catch a good 15 bass on the same lure with out it getting hacked beyond use.

[STU]

I think you would do better around forgans cove and baby bass slider grub is a good plastic for bass

[reef_raider]

what time are you going there Dan?

[Dan23]

My tentative plan is to get there around daybreak and drive around for likely spots. Go for a bit of an explore. If I get onto some fish first try I'll be happy but I really just want to check the place out. Then if I haven't fished myself tired I'll head over to cabbage tree around lunch time and fish the out going tide to get some flatties.

[Brian D]

Hey Dan, I'm no expert but you'll be doing more walking then driving, so make sure you wear some good walking shoes.

Dam land based bass fishing is a bit different to other LB fishing. By this I mean sometimes it seems that you are casting out into the middle of nowhere. There are no trees, snags, moving water etc. Try the point areas that have the steepist banks leading into the water, here you'll find the deeper holes. Conversely, the points with a soft decline are usually shallower.

After selecting the point you want to work, cast away on the left hand side, then the right hand side and straight out. Count you lure down until it hits the bottom. The side that takes the longest for the lure to hit the bottom is the deepest side. A bit like rock fishing.

Mate please excuse me if I am speaking what you allready know but just trying to save you time and waste a few work hours.

Good luck;)

[rayke1938]

They were on at MacGavins view this morning I got there around 0615 and they were biting untill 0730 just walk to point ot fishing boundary.

Ray

[Dan23]

Thanks heaps fellas. I'm pretty good at estuary fishing for flatties but I have never really fished fresh water. So any advice is more than welcome. Thanks for the heads up on the shoes, I figure I'll take my hiking boots out for a run. I bought a spinner and a cheap lure that looks like an sx48 today plus I have a few other likely looking hardbodies. Plus I have a few small slugs so I'll have heaps of fun experimenting. So are you basically saying look for the deep holes and drop off Brian? do bass tend to live in the deeper waters?

[Brian D]

Yeah that's it mate but unlike esturary the drop offs are not that easy to see.

Just let the dry land show you the angle and follow it into the water.

The best HB's are the bibless cranks like jackells or G vibes. From my knowledge the bass will be deeper and in schools, so you need lures that sink. That is also why the sp's work.

Dam bass school up while wild bass go solo. About where bass live, they change with the water temp and season. Both those statements should be qualified by someone who knows more then me. Schultzy?

I had sussess with 20 gm gold halco metal slugs.

[Dan23]

man, I'll go see how I go but I might need to do a detour and get some more lures!! I nearly bought a Gvibe for about 4 bucks a few weeks ago but swapped it for a sprog which hasn't caught me anything. Wish I didn't have to work this arvo so I could hit Amart allsports.

[Dan23]

Well I didn't have any luck at NPD yesterday. Got there at 5:30 and worked my way from the plastic barrier near the spillway to the left around the two cul de sacs if that makes any sense. Think I had one hit but I really had a poor selection of lures. Going to have to get a few G vibes I think. None of my lures would dive deep enough. Tried a few slugs and a spinner but no luck. Gave it away about 9am and headed to Cabbage with similar luck levels. I'll have to watch the forums for when some AFO members are going so I can learn the ropes. Also need to go shopping for better lures. Should have just gone to the tackle store first yesterday and gotten down to the dam a bit later. Was worth it though for the sunrise. [img size=375]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/grassy.jpg

[PLASTICK]

hi im new to fresh water fishing too ive been goin to npd a bit lately and have had luck using 10 to 20g raider slugs ive been fishing bullockys rest side down near the dam wall so far ive landed 2 36cm and one 30cm bass and was surprised at how hard they fight ive been getting there about 430 in the arvo and fishing till about 6 and having most luck around 530 when the suns nearlly dropped behing the mountains. can anyone tell me what other species live down there

cheers

[Dan23]

A few of us will probably be at Bullocky on the point near the pipe tomorrow morning 6am. I haven't caught anything there yet but there are apparently bass, yellowbelly, eels, cod, tilapia and I reckon there'd have to be at least one escaped barra

[PLASTICK]

does anyone no if you can eat the bass from npd a mate of mine said you shouldnt because of blue green algie does that sound right ?

[Dan23]

Lots of people do. I haven't (haven't caught one). There's a sign that says make sure you gut it. I asked Ray and he reckons there isn't any blue green algae at the moment and the bass are fine to eat. they just put up warnings to cover themselves. That said eat at your own risk!!

[Plastic Man]

mate im pretty sure that you can im sure that some of our guys from here have been taking some home for a feed and welcome to the site mate

[PLASTICK]

ok thanks guys, also whats the go with the karma thing

[Dan23]

It's just a little thing where if someone helps you out you can press the thumbs up icon on their post. Alternatively if someone does something of poor character then you can take karma away. It's just a credit thing really so people can see who's been helpful and that sort of thing. I wouldn't go taking people's karma away in a hurry though. People get very protective over it. If you look at some of the guys with High Karma then you will know they are a good person to ask questions.

[PLASTICK]

ok thanks for that

[Cowfish13]

A member here was crazy enough to swim out 100m in NPD to troll lures around while swimming. He caught a few and suffered no ill effects from the algae that I know of.

[MichaelJ]

who swam out and ive taken my only bass from there home 42cm and it tasted really muddy

[fishtales]

whatnow wrote:

who swam out and ive taken my only bass from there home 42cm and it tasted really muddy

Funny that. I have fished this dam for a while now and take my 2 bag limit when the freezer is empty.I have NEVER tasted a muddy bass yet.

Chris

[Fisher_90]

It was Jordan the video is or was on youtube.

[Tim a]

Yeah I've swum there a few times and still havn't gotten sick, and a mate yesterday took home his limit and said they tasted really good? maybe you didn't cook it properly?

[rayke1938]

Like all fresh water fish you have to make certain you remove the fat when you fillet them. If you chill them slightly the fat really stands out and you just pull it off.

Ray

[Dinodadog]

I put mine in a saltwater brine for a day or two and it tastes the same as some ocean fish, yum yum.

Dino

[MichaelJ]

my bass was just cooked whole lol