16-6-09
PORT MACQUARIE ABT
Last weekend’s road trip down to Port Mac had so many funny events that this blog could go forever. Travelling down with Tristan Taylor and rookie sensation Tom Slater, we got off to a cracking start setting a great pace on the freeway to get there early for a prefish. The pace was so great, I had a run in with the law and then got the rule book thrown at me by some well versed policeman for my speed ‘with a boat’!! Hey we had a prefish to get to!! So after paying my NSW Arrival Tax, we were on our way to attack the infamous Port Mac oyster racks.
After only being on the water for an hour or so, Tom nailed a cracker 29cm bream after wrestling it out of nasty rack terrain with his 1-3kg Samurai Rod and 6lb Sunline super PE. We then ventured towards the seaway to fish the drop offs in search for bream lurking in the deep. After several drifts Tristan latched onto a great 32cm specimen which inhaled a 2” Atomic fat grub on a 1/12 jighead. So after a quick prefish we were ready for the next day.
The next day I was paired with boater Chris Russell from Newcastle. Chris’ stomping ground is Lake Macquarie near Newcastle where he targets the flats chasing big bream. We first started fishing deep water off the rock walls where Chris got off to a great start nailing a 27cm and 26cm on our first drift leaving me still on the dredged donut. After that we ventured up river towards the highway bridge where Chris wanted to tackle the weedy flats with his trademark unweighted plastic technique. I decided to work to my strengths and threw my ‘go to’ lure in the shallow Jackall Chubby in pink suji shrimp with the train of thought ‘if it works in Brissie’ why not here. In quick succession I caught 2 flathead and several bream with 3 being legals having the biggest go 31cm. We then shot to the racks where I got a 27cm leaving me one to fill my bag. As the sun shone over our heads we decided to go deep finding deep reefs where bream would still be feeding. We did several drifts outside Edgewater caravan park fishing in 5m of water where I got my fifth and Chris proceeded to fill his bag both using 2” Gulp shrimp (Peppered Prawn) rigged on 1/8 TT jigheads. After day one Chris was in 6th (Boater) and I was in 4th (Non Boater) with 2.23kg, only being 330 grams off the lead.
Day two saw me paired with a Port Mac local Steve Gardoll who was pretty new to ABT events with only having a few classics under his belt. Steve panicked more than I did about me being in fourth as he was worried he wouldn’t put me onto fish. Much to Steve’s credit he was awesome in taking me to where I wanted to go and asked heaps of questions about flats fishing and the styles we use in Brisbane. We quickly shot (as quick as a 385 Quintrex Explorer with a 25hp Yammie can take you!!) to my first day honey hole up near the highway bridge. There saw me pull 4 undersize bream in 6 casts but I knew we were in the right area. We then started our drift throwing shallow chubbies (Pink Suji Shrimp and Ayu) over weeds beds up against the bank with great results and after one drift I had three legals and Steve had two. Our second drift was a little less fruitful with Steve picking up only one legal at 27cm fork length. We then hit some sunken racks on the opposite side of Edgewater caravan park fishing in 4ft of water, slow rolling chubbies along the structure where I got nailed by a 27.5cm bream in quick time. We persisted with this technique as fellow anglers found it tough fishing in the deep. Then with one hour to go I got my fifth and final fish, a Port Mac special, 32cm bream that raced out of the racks and smashed my lure. After a fight that had me pulling out more moves than on the dancefloor, we landed this fine kicker fish leaving me with a racing heart rate, endless happiness and a stiff neck!!!
After weighing in early, I finished the weekend with 10/10 fish at 4.19kg anxiously waiting for the other day one leaders to come in. At the end I took out my first ABT victory by 800grams being the only non boater to get his full bag and earned myself a spot at the ABT Grand final on Sydney Harbour in November. I would like to thank my boaters, Chris and Steve, for giving me great days on the water, Tom Slater, Dave McKenzie, Tony Moore (for laughing at my stupid jokes!!) and Tristan Taylor, who’s relaxed nature, breaming experience and endless encouragement kept me calm all weekend and it’s Tristo I thank the most for showing me the way to victory.
Happy Breaming,
Grayson
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