Kayaking
OLD
Biggera Waters blunder BRISBANE
Troy Brown
Kayak fishing has been one of the most rewarding pastimes I’ve ever engaged in, but it’s not without challenges. Like any form of fishing, as John Denver so lyrically put it, “Some days are diamonds, some days are stones”. If the ‘stones’ he referred to were as painful as a kidney stone and as stinky as the day after a bad curry, I’d have to agree! It’s great to review those good days on the water, but when you get a run of poor results, you start to question why we persist with our sport. Luckily, when the fishing is poor, we still have the allure of being at one with nature, but even that can be interrupted when Lady Luck plays its hand. I’d normally fish an area in my kayak for 3-4 consecutive weeks, to get a balanced view of a
knowledge, helping you find ways to get the most from a shut-down waterway and extracting at least a small reward. When you’re consistently fishing new areas, unless you have a knowledgeable local guide, you need to adapt quickly, have reasonable fishing skills and a sizeable helping of luck. That latter factor really comes into play for those lacking the other two attributes (like me). If you can’t successfully combine these essential attributes, you’re most likely to deliver what I would call the ‘Seinfeld’ article: an article about nothing. I’m not a fan of the show, yet the same concept is steadily unfolding on the page in front of you! Since an article about nothing is hard to slip past the eagle-eyed editor, I’m faced with three prospects. The first is to admit I’m a beaten man. I fished a creek and the creek won. Perhaps I could invent some success; I wouldn’t be the
a dog to look after. My wife and kids wouldn’t care if I disappeared, but my dog really likes me. Please don’t hurt me, as my dog would be sad, until someone else fed her). As I’m somewhat cowardly, plus my Photoshop skills are lacking and I couldn’t fudge the photos, I really had no choice. Man up! Admit that I am rubbish and the creek won! I’ll blame my ridiculous work commitments, Mother Nature with her mis-timed deluges, frustrating winds and some freak equipment failures for my disappointing outcomes. If you add a healthy dose of my own ineptitude, sunburn (which could be seen from the moon), overwhelming fatigue and a broken spirit to those challenges, there really could only be one result. I was presented with tough fishing situations on each visit and I wasn’t good enough to overcome them. On my best day, when
Some days the big fish just won’t come! new fishing spot. External factors have meant that my foray into the canals of Biggera Waters stretched over a much longer period, however my timing was awful. Only I, with my incredible organisation skills, could target a new location after every big rain event, during 30 knot winds and generally poor fishing conditions. I love fishing from my kayak, but when you’re running out of time to meet a magazine deadline, you’re often one trip away from total failure. Magazine deadlines aside, real people have jobs, the weather is always great during the week and terrible on the weekends, the fish sometimes aren’t active, and humans aren’t always at peak performance. When you’re writing about locations each issue, you also can’t continuously fish your favourite spot, as you quickly run out of content. When the going gets tough, nothing beats some local 50
DECEMBER 2022
first! Throw in some generic tips, grab some photos from another location, trim them so you can’t determine the whereabouts, then proceed to spin a believable tale. Alternatively, I could borrow some photos from other kayak anglers, use their tips and successfully hide my own incompetence. The third option is to hide. If I disappeared for a while, the issue would go to print, then I’d slip away quietly. I’ve heard rumours of what happened to writers who tried that tactic, but sadly none are alive to tell me if it’s a wise move. Strangely, these same fishing writers all suffered strange disappearances, or incredibly unlucky accidents. They all seem to have died perfectly natural deaths, such as falling into a meat mincer, so it was a tempting option. Perfectly explainable, natural demises… (Note to editor: We love your work! I have a wife, 17 kids and
I’m not fighting fatigue as well as the conditions, I’m confident the result would have been improved, but I doubt it would have been a significant change. Why? When you enter a system and NOBODY else is fishing there, something is wrong. If the locals aren’t patrolling the area in boats and kayaks, or simply sitting on their pontoons with a rod in hand, the area is doing it tough. I had the inevitable ‘How’d you go?’ discussions with the few boaters I encountered each day at the ramp, but apart from those who went out of the canals, the results were uniformly terrible. When you can’t control the days you hit the water, you take what you get, for better or worse. While my fishing days were dismal, I will return and I’m certain the results will improve. The canals fished poorly, but there were many external factors creating those unfavourable conditions. I contributed to
This beautiful waterway has so much potential but without proper preparation the author had to call it quits. the fiasco, as life caught up and my fishing brain turned to mush, but the waterway was also at its worst during my visits. Incessant weed, dirty water flowing into the system, weird tidal runs and many other influences were at play. Biggera Waters crushed me this time, but it also showed me enough promise to entice my return. My last visit was typical; I had a vast number of solid strikes, of which I managed to land none. I caught a couple of smaller fish, but easily failed to hook over 90% of the strikes. When the big hits came, they invariably occurred at times I was least alert, with the inevitable result of lost fish. Several bust-offs, some of which I can confidently say had to be mangrove jack, left me dispirited yet hopeful. When your drag is locked and your lure screams under a pontoon or towards a rock wall, even a bust-off will give you an adrenaline rush. As a kayaker, the lack of boat activity, plus the fact that ‘no wash’ areas seem to slow down the limited amount of traffic, this location has much to offer. The Lands End ramp is an easy launch, has plenty of parking if you arrive early and is also a gateway into the Broadwater. If you’re likely to start fishing from the moment you hit the water, the sand flat on the corner opposite the ramp should receive your attention as you enter the canals. With a good tidal flow over the bank and nice drop-offs to the sides, it is a flattie hotspot. I only managed some very modestly sized specimens, but when the water is clear and a soft wind provides a ripple across the surface, your first fish of the day should come moments after you launch. If I regret anything from my recent visits, it would be the fact I didn’t take more time to explore deep into the system. Fatigue and fishing aren’t a great mix, so I spent far too much time working the same areas near the mouth, rather than engaging the pedals on my Hobie
and fully reconnoitring the prototype designs, rather possibilities. When I finally than using my proven lures moved further inland, it or commercial offerings. was too late, as my time It was a poor decision, was limited and it was which I incredibly repeated only a visual inspection, on three consecutive trips. as opposed to a fishing Some of those new designs expedition. Unusually, I showed promise, but when was fishing alone and my the conditions are tough, fishing logic was over- or when you’re not at your ridden by an overwhelming peak, always pick up your desire to relax. It’s counter- ‘confidence’ lures. We all productive to beat yourself have at least a couple of up about results, when you ‘go-to’ lures, or at least we didn’t give yourself a chance should. Typically, we’ve to succeed, but that’s what a used so often, we know how tired mind can do. to get the best from them When I did venture under all conditions. Prior further to look, rather than to making my own designs, to fish, I found some stark every time the fishing was contrasts. I had essentially tough, I’d tie on a ZMan given up at that point and Trick SwimZ or a 2.5” was simply filing away GrubZ. On the toughest information for later, but a day, because I used them side creek gave me some so often, I always caught visual indications of what fish. Since making my own could be found. Moments designs, I have a few lures after a large mangrove jack that give me the feeling of swam tantalisingly close confidence, but instead of to my Hobie, seemingly deferring to those, at Biggera oblivious to my presence, Waters I doggedly persisted I encountered what looked with the new designs. The like an Australian bass. I’m untried lures resulted in nearly certain it must have many timid strikes, along been a misidentification, as with short-strikes caused by I’m not aware of how far imperfect hook position. I the side-creek extends and can design the shortcomings what feeds it, but it was a out of the lures, but I singlevery familiar body shape. mindedly persevered with For now, I’ll err towards them, as I wanted them tiredness and eyesight like to work on the day. Many Elmer Fudd, assuming it was would say it was a crazy a poorly identified grunter, tactic. They’d be right! You’reIfgoing love your n or similar saltwater species. you’re to a beginner, If you’d prefer You’re to launch going I’d recommend you follow to love your new S name in Australian boatin deeper into the system, the same route I did, after Australian you can save somename time by inan otherwise boating, fruitless strong, reliable units thatkn a using a makeshift ramp on introduction to lure fishing. strong, reliable units that are a w Kilmartin Esplanade. At low hardbody lures, until the Avoid water. They’re built to tide, the mostly rock wall you have someone to teach the water. They’re built Buy tough t is exposed along with some great to technique. youyou want go and then larger slabs of flat you concrete, 1-2toquality soft then plasticget b want go and youlures, need be. advice With a g which allows you to launch get to some need to be. With a great d nearly under the you Morala on matching the lures to fun in between. Avenue Bridge. It can beand a compatible jighead sizes, fun then in between. bit tricky, so don’tand consider learn how to fish those Timelures proven features o this unless you have some until design your technique Time design features offer str assistance, as well as proven a is automatic. You can and safety at prices that seem kayak that is easilyand handled. diversify yourthat tackle box like ‘ safety at prices seem I’d recommend you inspect later, but don’t fall victim the area from the water, after to the temptation if a shiny launching at Lands End, new lure until you have two before deciding if you can reliable performers. It’s a make use of the shortcut on great tactic, but I routinely future trips. Safety is always ignore my own advice while the first priority. product testing. My only As for lures and how to other advice? Check out fish the area? I compounded Biggera Waters. It’s a system my woes by choosing with great promise and I to test some of my own may even see you there!
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