Brisbane River Paddle and a few firsts

[Canoedle]

I had to go to a tourism seminar in fernvale today, finished at 4pm, yak was on the car, what else would I do but drive to the nearest water?
I launched at twin bridges just outside of town and dropped a few things in the cockpit, no rod holders and no rear well makes life a bit interesting. I started by flicking a few gulps around, thought I felt a few touches, but the snags were very thick, a LOT of timber in this part of the river.
I decided to switch to surface lures and tied on a Tailor Made surface walker which attracted no interest.
Changed to the new Rapala skitter pop and had a few rises early on, but no contact. By this time the daylight was starting to fade and I started thinking about heading off when I spied a back water with some good overhang and snags, I paddled towards it and cast deep into the back water. Almost immediately there was a splash near the lure, and another, and then nothing. Cast again, a bit deeper this time, twitch twitch and I was on, but knew it wasn't anything big. In came a healthy little bass. It was nothing exciting, but I was stoked, my first fish from the kayak, first bass on a surface lure and first bass outside of an impoundment.

[cdenyer]

Well done mate. I've yet to target bass in my yak, but soon.....

Chris

[Matthias]

Mate I love those skitterpops in brown trout. They are great to walk the dog with too. Well done on all the firsts. They are much more fun to catch with surface lures.

Pete.

[blue-mako]

Good work mate. I got my first ever fish on a popper two nights ago down in Lake Macquarie while on holidays. Got him in about two foot of water. Also on a 70mm Rapala Skitter Pop. Though mine was in Firetiger colour not Brown Trout. I would have preferred the Brown Trout because of natural colours but lost it at Monduran .

It was a little 27cm Chopper Tailor . Tiny I know, but I was stokked. Also dropped a nice Long Tom in about 10cms of water two casts later on the same popper. Also the night before, got strike from a Long Tom but no hook up .

Troy

[turley]

Very jealous there Karl! I am still yet to pull my first bass from the brisbane river! I was talking with one of my managers at work the other day who used to do alot of paddling up above twin bridges and he reckons there are some huge saratoga floating around that section of the river aswell! Bass on the surface are soo much fun and keep trying with that surface buster! I like to use mine especially when there is an insect hatch as it can be left just floating there with the smallest twitches!

[Rainbowrunner]

in these days and ages any nonimpoundment bass is a good one I reckon, good to see, wheres fernvale?

[Kendall249]

Well done.

[shayned]

Karl, Just how bright, shiny and new does the yak look? Well done on the capture, especially on the surface like that. How does the new girl go in the water?

[Canoedle]

Shayne, the new yak is awesome, very slippery compared to the Espri, takes so little effort to get her moving, I love it, can't wait to get some rod holders fitted though.

Rainbowrunner, Fernvale is about 20mins drive north of ipswich, just south of wivenhoe dam on the Brisbane Valley Highway.

Turley, did you get wheels yet? I went for a paddle at colleges the other day and the weed has receded quite a bit, a few more warm weeks and we'll be in business down there again.
I think I pulled out the surface breaker a bit early and it would have been more effective closer to dark. With that massive bib on the front they're a bit tricky to get any distance in a cast.

[TIM-DONSELAAR]

Nice little bass there Karl...Well Done [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

cheers tim

[were-trout]

Nice one Karl. Do you have any pics of the scenery? What are the water levels like?

[Canoedle]

Here's a few I took a few months back.















pics all taken on a $30 reconditioned digital that I bought off ebay.

[turley]

na mate, no wheels yet. If anything I have gone backwards in that process! Good to hear the weed has receeded some though! Wouldn't surprise me if those tarpon made there way back upstream soon aswell with the warm weather on its way!

I got uni holidays comming up soon so I will definatley be keen to get paddling again (done a few trips to mt crosby from the shore with no success). I have even bought a rod holder for my kayak, though I am yet to actually install it yet! Let us know when ya heading down this way next time and I'll see if we can't meet up again.

[Canoedle]

No worries mate, I bought a new yak too, so it might even be a bit easier if we just use my kayaks, that way I can load them both on the car/trailer the night before. I've still got your mobile.

[-birdman-]

nice little bass mate. healthy looking fish, never fish bris river but looking forward to taking a trip up there my self. i just got a cobra fish n dive yak .im stoked with it.