Subject: fishing today -- 13dec09 -- spaniard!!
Date: Sunday, 13 December 2009 12:50 PM
It had been a sultry overcast night and in the carpark the light at 4.30am was still very low, even with only 10 days or so to go to the summer solstice. Jaro was already there, unloaded and yak waiting on the beach, when I pulled in just before 0430. There was no sign at that time of Hollywood nor of Jay, both of whom had responded that they'd probably go this morning.
Five minutes later I was trundling my yak down to the beach, while Jaro was out near the shark net setting up. Launch time view...
0440hrs. Note the showers out to sea.
Jaro opted to head for the Dolphin Point area as our plan had previously been agreed that we'd stay within Laguna Bay, perhaps working our way to the west if we couldn't find what we were looking for in close. I was still setting up when Hollywood paddled out to me. The sea was glassy and the swell tiny, and the sun still masked by Noosa headland and its light diffused by cloud cover. Magnificent!
Hollywood and I soon followed Jaro toward the north east, following the land. At this time there were very few birds visible, possibly because of the low light levels, but there were plenty of signs of activity by very small predatory pelagics, most likely bonito and mac tuna which have been feeding heavily on schools of glassies, temporarily in residence in the bay. Jaro soon announced the capture of a small bonito, then another. With no other action evident, distant and perhaps greener fields beckoned and we turned toward Jew Shoal where yesterday there were baitfish aplenty. We were all trolling our favoured lures and soon arrived at Jew Shoal only to find it was little different from inshore -- lots of small baitfish schools taking occasional hits by tiny predators who charged through their ranks like cavalry cutting through demoralised infantry.
I opted to keep heading west from Jew Shoal toward Halls Reef, some 3.8km distant, while Jaro, who had taken one hit, but hooks pulled, on a trolled lure, and Hollywood decided to stay at JS for a while. About 3km into the paddle to Halls I decided to check my lure as I was coming in to an area which had plenty of evidence of small pelagics. On retrieving the lure I found that I'd hooked a small (aren't they all?) bonito and it had been swimming along with me for a while. This was released and I continued west where there were more and more signs of baitfish as flocks of terns wheeled around trying to get their fair share of the glassies. Several times I cast a small slug into the feeding fish but couldn't raise a hit. There was no way I could "match the hatch" as the glassies are less than 20mm long and transparent and there seemed to be no bigger fish feeding on the bonito.
After some navigation discussion on the radio I was joined by Hollywood and Jaro. Fish showing on the sonar was enough to start us trying for reefies around Halls Reef but the sea glassed off completely and the sun, now after 7am, was starting to make its presence felt in the heating area. It was serenely beautiful out there with the only noises coming from occasional noisy motor cycle traffic on the North Shore beach (typical of Sunday) and the crump of waves breaking on that shore, about 1.5km away to the west.
0730hrs. Two Noosa Yakkers (Hollywood and Jaro) show their mutual colour sense out at Halls Reef.
By 0800 we'd decided to head for home as the temperature was steadily rising and no cooling breeze seemed likely. Besides, the fish, if present, weren't biting. I selected MG (Middle Groyne) as my waypoint in the GPS which responded immediately by telling me that MG was 5km distant. So one by one we departed Halls for the lonely 50 minute paddle across a glassy sea.
0807hrs. With 4km still to go. I told you it was glassy.
Even with a trolled lure out I had no trouble maintaining 6kph all the way home and so Hollywood and I arrived off MG at about 0845. Jaro had opted to take a slightly longer route, back over toward the eastern shore of the Bay. The return to shore through the tiny break was as easy as it ever gets and before long Hollywood and I were enjoying a refreshing and cooling dip in the clear waters at the landing point. We knew Jaro would be along soon, certainly within 30 minutes and so took our time washing and loading the yaks and chatting before wandering back down to the beach to see how Jaro was going. He was just landing so Hollywood went off to grab Jaro's trolley for him while I went down to the beach intending to help Jaro drag his yak up to the wash point. Jaro bounced out of the yak and started running up the beach toward me, not seeing me initially. Then he recognized me and beckoned me over to the yak saying "Look what I've caught -- its tail is sticking out of the fishbox!". It was, too. Clearly a pelagic. "It's my first spaniard." cried Jaro. It bloody was too! And he'd caught it within 50 metres of the shark net just as he was retrieving his lure in preparation for stowing his gear for the surf run. After 15km of ocean paddling and at the last possible opportunity he'd nailed a Spaniard 500 metres from our launch point.
As you can imagine, Jaro was still pumped up from this capture, one of his cherished milestones achieved. A pic was appropriate, the hunter and his boat.
0942hrs. Jaro's first Spaniard. 90cm.
This fish was so fresh that the rosy pink sheen caused by the phenomenon known as structural colour was still visible, as can be seen in this picture taken from the appropriate angle to the incoming light.
Just then, another kayak appeared at the end of the groyne. I recognized it as Jay, in his blue and white Espri. Jay had slept in a little and decided to come anyway, but when he arrived the rest of us had gone and he had no means of contacting us. On the beach after coming in he told us that he'd paddled out to Sunshine Reef, never having been there before, found a patch of reef with his sonar, and caught a reasonable snapper to boot. But he was somewhat weary, as the current was still running as bad as yesterday's. I kept him awake long enough to take this pic of him with his snapper.
Jay, smiling.
Jaro and I (and Doug?) are thinking of possibly going tomorrow (yes, again, three days in a row) but staying within cooee of the shark net. It was noticeable that terns were maintaining strong interest in that general area, right in to the SE corner of the bay when we returned to the beach. After 34km paddling in two days I reckon a couple of hours spent mooching in that general area may prove to be a nice change.
Thanks for coming along Jaro, Harry and Jay. And congrats on your first spaniard, Jaro and the first for the 2009/10 season for Noosa Yakkers. May there be many more. Remember: min size 75cm; bag limit: 3.
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://noosayakers.blogspot.com
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