# Starting from Scratch Help required.



## Snooze (May 21, 2009)

Hi all

I just brought a brand new Dagger Drifter Kayak for the purpose of fishing on the Nepean river and as im new to pretty much all aspects of freswater fishing and kayaking I have some questions I hope you guys can help me out with.

1/ What is some suggestions of what rod and reel to buy thats easy to use for inexperienced person? Should i get Baitcaster thingy or the other one  (sorry I am very clueless)

2/ I hear the fish I will be targeting is mainly Bass and I have no idea what rig is the best or what Bait/Lure I should use any help there would be great? What other types of fish should I be targeting?

3/ Do you guys take the fish home to eat or is it catch and release? Where do you store the fish on the kayak? Is it safe to eat fish caught from the Nepean river?

4/ I live around Penrith so, where are some good places on the Nepean I should check out?

5/ Is there any essential gear/clothing I need to buy? Is there tackle boxes and storage bags specificaly for kayak fishing.

Sorry about the amount of questions but I dont know who else to ask.

Thanks heaps


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## ausbass (Feb 15, 2007)

Snooze said:


> 1/ What is some suggestions of what rod and reel to buy thats easy to use for inexperienced person? Should i get Baitcaster thingy or the other one  (sorry I am very clueless)


I almost use spinning reel setups exclusively for fishing for bass, only other time i use baitcasters or overhead reels is when using heavy baits/lures for jew, etc.
This is because I prefer them to baitcasters in their ability to cast light lures well.



Snooze said:


> 2/ I hear the fish I will be targeting is mainly Bass and I have no idea what rig is the best or what Bait/Lure I should use any help there would be great? What other types of fish should I be targeting?


I have never fished the Nepean River so I dont know what technique is best or what other species you could try for but Ill give you some lure advice;
I use surface lures that give a good wiggling action when retrived slowly eg. like jointed and unjointed jitterbugs, predatek spaddlers, river2sea cicadas. 
I also use small harbody lures like halco scorpions (the small ones), river2sea baby crank 30 and S40F, etc.
Havent had much success with spinnerbaits, though they do work (apparently 8) ). Softplastics like shads and paddle tail minnows work well if you go and fish some dams.



Snooze said:


> 3/ Do you guys take the fish home to eat or is it catch and release? Where do you store the fish on the kayak? Is it safe to eat fish caught from the Nepean river?


Some members catch and release, others like to keep a few fish for dinner providing they are of legal size. As discussed in this thread, what you keep is your decision and you shouldnt worry about criticism from other members if you keep a few. ;-) 
The people who keep the fish store them in insulated fish bags that can be bought from certain members and online stores or they use eskies filled with an ice slurry. 
I dont know about the health of the Nepean so I cannot comment on the edibility of the fish.



Snooze said:


> 4/ I live around Penrith so, where are some good places on the Nepean I should check out?


See the end of #3



Snooze said:


> 5/ Is there any essential gear/clothing I need to buy? Is there tackle boxes and storage bags specificaly for kayak fishing.


Yes a paddle.   But seriously you do not need anything more than a rod, tackle, 'yak and paddle. Oh and a place to fish.
I store my spare clothes, jackets, etc. in waterproof drybags, I use the SeatoSummit brand as they are tough and reliable, though there are many brands out there. You personally should be able to look into some tackle boxes that would suit you based on room in kayak and if they would fit into hatches: IF you dont already have any. Visit your local tackle store and ask about some some tips/lures that are succesfull for Nepean and surrounding areas, they will try to help you as best they can.



Snooze said:


> Sorry about the amount of questions but I dont know who else to ask


Dont be sorry, this is the right place to ask!


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## Snooze (May 21, 2009)

Thats very helpful, Thanks for taking the time. Ive already printed it for my reference. Cheers heaps for that.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Snooze , buy a cheap spinning rod of about 7 ft light in weight and able to take line up to 6 kgs also a spinning threadline reel capable of taking line up to 6 kgs , dont buy expensive stuff , i suggest you go to K -mart and get those, buy a few packs of soft plastics in say the minnow or worm configuration and some light weight say 1/8 oz jig heads and put those together . That should do you for a start in the Nepean, dont spend a lot of money until you KNOW what your doing . You can put your kayak in under the M4 expressway as theres a boat ramp there , paddle down river and cast your plastics at the bank to any overhanging trees or logs or rocks. Bass fisherman dont keep their Bass , these fish are to precious a commodity to eat , if you want fish to eat try the salt water and catch a few flathead or bream . You only have a few days left to fish the Nepean for bass , as the season closes from June 1st and re opens september 1st , so it might be an idea to try your hand at carp up the Nepean , and for Carp all youll need is a tin of corn , burley well with it and then slip a few kurnells on a hook , you cant eat carp either as they taste like mud and there too boney , but they fight like hell and they will give you the experiance of fishing and fighting a fish , good luck .


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## Westie (Feb 12, 2009)

G,day Snooze
Mate have been fishing for bass in the Nepean for close on 20 years & 6 months ago got into Kayak Fishing & can only say i wish i did it years ago. I have caught Bass from tinnies & shore based but nothing compares to hooking fish from water level & the oppportunities to explore shallow water have greatly helped me.
I will try & answer your questions in order based on my experiences.
Rods & reels- rods i use are 6-7ft light tip rods designed for flicking plastics such as berlely dropshots .Brands are a personal thing just make sure its not too stiff or you wont be able to cast light lures & plastics.
Reels -if your new i would stay away from baitcasters as they are only for experienced & are more trouble than they are worth when starting out. i am capable of using them & still wouldnt for bass fishing .they dont cast light lures as well as spin reels. get yourself a small eggbeater spin reel in the 1000-2000 size class that will balance well. I use 4-6 lb braid as i also use my rods for bream fishing.
Lures & target fish- Nepean is a great system for freshwater fishing & bass are definately top of the target list, unfortunately Bass season is ending soon while the fish spawn& head to salt & you are not allowed to catch them .over the last month & for the next couple bass shut down & are hard to catch anyway. Come september through to about march-april i would use surface lures such as abagast jitterbugs & poppers cast towards the banks & along the weedbeds. Soft plastics use them the same. For diving lures i like halco scorpions & blades & usually cat them or troll them up the channels along the weedbeds.
Other fish you can catch are Mullet & carp & they are usually caught float fishing with bread or corn.There are dedicated mullet &carp fishos that do this exclusively.
Eating fish - i dont eat the fish from the nepean although i think they are probably fine to eat in moderation , over the years the nepean has gone through clean & filthy stages & i know there was a lot of chemicals coming from farming land along the river entering the system as runoff.
Spots to fish- mate there use to be alot of access spots along the nepean but unfortunately they are now mostly closed .Kayaks have an advantage in that you dont need a boat ramp to launch.i tend to fish along the castleraegh end of the nepean & unfortunately your launching is restricted to either under the road bridge at the rowing club or your next available is devlins rd ,many kayak anglers use devlins rd &head back up towards penrith or down towards yarramundi.These are quiet areas to fish with no boat movement to scare fish unlike tench reserve & up towards the narrows that get alot of ski boat activity.
Gear /clothing - Mate two items i would make sure i have pfd for safety (i wear mine at all times) & a kayak trolley to help get the kayak & gear to the water in one trip.I have a homemade PVC trolley that i load up at the car & wheel to the waters edge. Other usefull items are drybas for keys & walllets etc.. a fish bag for when you want to keep fish, braid scissors , lip grips landing net. Most important to have rod leases attached to everything on the kayak so tou dont loose your gear if you tip.
Hope this helps .
any further questions specific to Nepean drop me a PM
Cheers Westie


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## kayaksportsmark (Apr 1, 2009)

Hey mate,
The drifter is a very stable sit in kayak with plenty of room in the cockpit between your legs and behind your seat. For a start you can duct tape a small plastic box, lure box or lunch box between your legs to hold your lures, hooks, sinkers etc and the bait you will use. Make sure you have a sponge as well to mop up any water that dribbles into the kayak from your paddle. The bungy cord deck rigging on the front of the boat could hold a small daypack with snacks and drinks, sunscreen ... as well as your landing net. If you decide to add two flush mounted rod holders behind you on the deck use one for your rod and the other for the net. If no rod holders thats ok, while paddling stick the rod behind your seat (attach it with something so it doesnt fall overboard) and pull it out when you reach your fishing spot. 
If you feel you need some help with the paddling side of it pop in to Horizonline canoes (Regatta Centre) and talk to Ben, is that where you got the boat? 
Enjoy your new sport.
Mark


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## Snooze (May 21, 2009)

Yep got it from regatta centre. That guy is very helpfull.
I sussed out the rowing club and im not sure about putting it in there because there where alot of rowers and it looks like im not allowed. There was a sign that may indicate its not for public use that aint right is it.
Im going to try my luck this weekend at catching a fish maybe devlin rd. Im taking bread as bait and ill get a smallish hook and im gonna get one of those bubble floats if i can find a good tackle shop in penrith.  
It will be my first attempt and ive got a spinning reel now and its just a short rod like a boat rod. Probably not the right one. 
Ive also got some kayak footwear.

Thanks for all the tips and if I catch something ill let you know. ;-)


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## fishingchap (Sep 7, 2007)

pers0naaly if i was starting again 1st things i w0uld buy are:
a berkley dr0psh0t
a daiwa regal
a envir0net (kn0ck0ffs are fine )
6 0r 8 p0und fireline
all the terminal tackle eg. h00ks,sinker, fl0ats and swivels
a pfd
a pair 0f pliers
A G00D PADDLE
2 flush m0und r0d h0lders(this means when travelling u can have a line 0ut ;-) )

and make sure y0u always strap 0n y0ur kayak pr0perly :lol:


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## Snooze (May 21, 2009)

Well I went to Nepean for my first fishing attempt and caught nothing not even a bite.  BUT I had fun going through the motions and I did see a fish jump out of the water. So ill keep on trying.

I had no idea if i was fishing in the right spot but I did notice when I left 2 guys fishing around the edges not where I was so I might try where they where next time. I was using bread on a very small hook for the mullet.


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