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Dad Cleans Up!

AUS-BNE-FISHO

By AUS-BNE-FISHO
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AUS-BNE-FISHO Grand Master

AUS-BNE-FISHO

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Hi all

Well first of all, I have lots of reports to do, so this one is just going to be quick. It's something I'd been wanting to do for a long time, ever since someone told me that they'd been getting great results in there! Now that the 100% lily coverage was gone and I could see them swimming just metres away from the bank, it was time to give them a crack. 

Since it was Mother's Day the next day, my hopes of going somewhere on the yak were off. Oh well. So, first of all, a big thanks to @GregOug for the rods and reels you gave me! I rigged up an Alvey 5 foot rod, on a 'Easy Cast' system, and another 6 foot rod. On that rod I put my little 1000 Sienna, so everything matched up quite nicely. I was fishing nice and light with 6lb, and a little sinker/unweighted hooks. Before we left, I made some putty/dough. I got an ice-cream tub, some plain flour, milk, and water, and mixed it all together. I probably made too much, but eventually had a nice consistency of it. It was a bit too sticky but was easy to mold onto the hook. At about 8:00PM, we departed with two rods and got fishing.

At first, we tried at the start of the pond. We fished here for about five minutes, with the weighted bait. Then, we decided to move along the path for longer. We found another opening, and deployed the baits here. We fished here for about ten minutes for no love, and by now both lines were deployed. I moved up a bit more, still casting with my Alvey (boy, these things are simple) but still had no luck. It was nearing 9:00PM now too, which meant it was almost time to go. Just as I was rebaiting for one of my last casts though, I heard my Sienna screaming.

I got there, and Dad gave the rod to me (thanks Dad). The fish was running pretty hard, so I tightened the drag. Once this happened, the fight got reallly good! I was holding the rod out in front of me, not under my arm or on my hip, and slowly doing the lift and wind technique to land the fish. I would do a little wind, then the fish would go off again. It was really fun! I kept up the fight, and it probably was a back and fourth (running and reeling) fight for about three minutes. The moment of truth soon arose, and we had the fish bankside in about another minute. It stayed there though, caught in some weeds and shrubs. Dad clambered down the side of the bank, and then, we had...

Our first ever Tilapia!!! 🙂 

IMG_8370.JPG.266f4e5e7020f1578e9030f83e45f2b1.JPG

Tilly, about 38CM

IMG_8371.JPG.1e0101e0fec6a3506a23cd29426664fd.JPG

That is me... I think 😉 

Anyways, now with a bit of an adrenaline rush, we stayed a bit longer. The tilly was dehooked (I also had to retie the hook as the hook bent), and I got a quick photo (for once I avoided touching the fish, as I didn't want to reek when I got home, Lol). The sticky dough bait was moulded back onto hooks, and lines were casted back out. I sat back down and Dad and I had a quite chat, waiting for something to bite. In about another 15 minutes, just as we were going to leave, Dad hooked up to something. Once again, I was given the rod after Dad brought it in a bit. This one wasn't fighting as hard, so I loosened the drag for some more fun. Even with this loose drag the fish wasn't the world's best fighter, but it still went on one OK run. Eventually, we got a look at him, and to my dismay, it was a fat eel. Maybe the next one (if I catch another) I catch I will keep for shark bait, but this one got tangled in the reeds again. I think next time I will bring a wooden plank so I can slide the catch up on something. Anyways, it was this eels lucky day: he bit through my six pound leader just as I was figuring out how to land him (I also didn't realise it at the time, it was lucky the rod didn't snap because I was high sticking it so much to try and get him out 🥴. 

Anyways, after that, we left the cart there and went to the bin that was far away from anyone who'd be walking, unfortunately it was full, so we jammed it in there sealed tightly in a plastic bag. Hopefully it will be emptied ASAP so it does not pong. Next time I think we will dig a hole and give a tree some fertiliser. After that, we walked back home with the cart, and I warmed up with a shower, then off to bed after a successful mission!

Here are the stats of the trip for anyone interested - 

Moon Phase: 6.9%, Waning Crescent

Tackle Used: 10LB braid mainline, (Line on Alvey seems around that too), 6LB FC Rock leaders, tiny long shank hook (and crappy brass one too), tiny sinker. 

Bait Used: Sticky Dough made from plain flour, Norco Milk, and Hot Water

Fish Caught: Tilapia x 1, Eel x 1

Bait Caught: (I made dough though)

Air Pressure: 1014 

Humidity: 67%

Weather: Cloudy, not too chilly, few stars out.

Temperature: High, 26oC, Low, 20oC

General Notes: Tillies seemed to bite better after we stopped talking, shining the light, and were silent for a little while. Maybe that shows they are quite a spooky fish? The dough bait seemed OK, but not wildfire. Next time I will catch worms and shrimp and see if they're any better. Unweighted seemed the way to go. Though trickier to cast, maybe it makes bait look more natural?

Overall Success Rate: 100% - I mean, goal achieved! We caught a tilly. 

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. 

Cheers Hamish

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AUS-BNE-FISHO Grand Master

AUS-BNE-FISHO

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8 hours ago, Angry51 said:

The title had me thinking the old bloke

was cleaning out the shed.:yikes:

You had me fooled Hamish, but that's not hard to do.

Haha, normally he is the one cleaning up, but it was for the wrong reason yesterday.

48 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Nice success story, Hamish. Sounds like it was pretty fun to angle the tilly.

Cheers Brian. I think I will try and hook a few of my mates on to them, I'm having a birthday party next Friday night so we may be able to land some then 😄 (Birthday is tomorrow).

Cheers Hamish

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3 hours ago, Jimmyjack said:

Plenty of people eat tilapia, fillet with crumbs in  oil or batter. 

Hey Jimmyjack

Maybe I’d try it one day, I’ve heard it’s supposed to be tasty, only problem is I don’t know how they’d go being eaten out of that pond... And it’s ‘illegal’. Lol

1 hour ago, Tuna are fish said:

happy birthday.  that talapia looks quite big what was the size on that, and also did you release it or dispose of it. 

Cheers! He was only about thirty seven, I know someone who has pulled fourty pluses out of there so he was not too big. I did state in the report he was binned after being caught too. 👍

1 hour ago, Drop Bear said:

Nice one mate. Tilly Busting is a great thing to do. Next spring they will fire up and be a lot easier to catch than they are right now. 

 

Thanks Robbie. I’ve heard they are easier to catch in hotter months too. 

Cheers Hamish

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19 hours ago, ellicat said:

Happy birthday for tomorrow !

18 hours ago, Angry51 said:

Happy Birthday for tomorrow Hamish.

Hope all your fish bite at once.:ausflag:

10 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

Happy birthday Hamish.

5 hours ago, Ed. said:

Happy Birthday Hamish 🎂.

Thanks very much Brian, Gary, Steve, and Ed! I appreciate it 🙂.

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10 minutes ago, ellicat said:

So, what did you score ?

Well, so far, a lightweight hiking tent, which I am very happy with, as it means I won't need to be borrowing a filthy one with broken poles from Scouts, haha, 300M of 15LB Braid, A high power head torch (will be handy for night fishing and hikes, and NightNavs, which is a night Rogaine I do once a week with a mate)...

And.

There is one more thing I am getting. I have no clue what it is, but it was supposed to arrive this afternoon, though somehow it ended up in Logan, so hopefully it will be here tomorrow! 🙂 

Cheers Hamish

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  • 4 weeks later...
Kat Mentor

Kat

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On 10/05/2021 at 6:03 PM, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Well, so far, a lightweight hiking tent, which I am very happy with, as it means I won't need to be borrowing a filthy one with broken poles from Scouts, haha, 300M of 15LB Braid, A high power head torch (will be handy for night fishing and hikes, and NightNavs, which is a night Rogaine I do once a week with a mate)...

And.

There is one more thing I am getting. I have no clue what it is, but it was supposed to arrive this afternoon, though somehow it ended up in Logan, so hopefully it will be here tomorrow! 🙂 

Cheers Hamish

So Hamish, late Happy Birthday!  What arrived that was stuck in Logan?

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23 minutes ago, Kat said:

So Hamish, late Happy Birthday!  What arrived that was stuck in Logan?

 

18 minutes ago, Drop Bear said:

Good pick up. hits refresh button.... bites nails. 

Right! Thanks Kat. 

*drumroll*

A Shimano Stradic 3000!!! I tried it last week and I love it, now to hook up to something that's not a catty 🙂. 

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