Spaniard for eyetag, 03Jan10

From: "kevin long"
Subject: fishing today -- 03jan10
Date: Sunday, 3 January 2010 10:56 AM

Don't get excited guys, nothing much to report, but we did get out.

Jimbo, Stu and I all arrived at MG carpark between 0415 and 0430. Ian's Subie was there already in its standard spot -- clearly he'd launched somewhat earlier.

This being my first launch for 2010 I marked it by doing something dumb. I launched first and found myself near the exit waiting for an apparently endless set of breakers about 2-3 feet high to pass through. The biggest one of this set got me just as I was foolishly dead in the water, instead of powering ahead. Going backwards in a yak was never one of my strong suits and shortly I found myself standing waist deep in the surf next to my upside down Espri. Jim passed by on his way out, chortling to himself as I righted the yak and jumped back in the saddle for another go, this time successful. Stu joined us out the back shortly afterward.

Once ready we set out for Jew Shoal which, even at this early hour, was accumulating the holiday fishing set in boats from 12 feet to 12 metres. Just at the southern edge of JS I saw Stu, not far away to the east, stop trolling and start reeling, his rod tip bent over. Hoping for a photo I paddled over, just in time to see Stu's rod straighten and his jaw drop. The fish was gone. Teeth marks on his Gold Bomber lure indicated that a probable Spaniard had escaped the dinner table. That's fishing, Stu. It's early days yet and if the weather's kind to us you should have another go at a Spaniard soon.

At JS I came across Ian paddling gently, towing a slimy mackerel on a Spaniard Special. He'd had one strike on his bait, but had no fish in the boat when we parted shortly afterward. One large game boat/cruiser near me landed a reasonable spotty, or perhaps a doggie mack, but I saw no others take fish.

Hall's Reef, some 3.7km west, seemed a better option to me so I headed that way, leaving the Christmas crowd behind. There was an easterly current so the journey toward Hall's took longer than I normally would expect and when I was still about 1km out the northerly breeze started to freshen so, knowing that a strong northerly was due sometime today, I decided to change heading for Little Hall's Reef, to the south and closer to home. With the breeze now behind me, I cruised effortlessly toward LH Reef, coming across occasional isolated feeding events, unfortunately none of them initiated by spotties or Spaniards. Although I cast slugs into all of these and was continuing to troll a hard bodied lure, I couldn't raise a scale.

As the breeze increased in strength I turned for MG, still trolling, and landed there safely at just after 8am to find that Stu had beaten me by 10 minutes. He'd caught nothing except a couple of mac tuna. This trip qualified him for his Noosa Yakkers stickers which I duly presented in the car park.

By the time Stu and I had washed and racked our yaks Jimbo was approaching the beach so down we went to find that he also had caught nothing at all, but at least his Noosa Yakkers stickers, freshly applied to the shiny part of his Espri bows last night, were looking brand new, thus vouching for the quality of the glue.

I don't know how Ian went but I hope he lets us know.

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Later, from Ian

Hi All, The Spaniard I got went 1050mm and he was quite a fat fish for the length, I got him very close to the Pinnacle on JS. After stowing him and rebaiting I'd paddled back across the Pin and had another strike but the fish missed the hooks. Nothing else happened on Jew Shoal until I turned too sharp, my rig got a little close to the bottom and I caught a Red Scorpion Cod. I carefully released him and headed wide of LHR then turned and while crossing LHR I had a strike and failed to hook up after a screaming run that took at least 150m of line in about 15 seconds. I was using a Spaniard Special with Slimy Mackerel for every strike. The fish seemed deep as I was paddling very slowly with about 50-70 m of line out the back.

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Thanks for going guys. Over to you Jaro for the next NY outing (possibly midweek?)

Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://noosayakers.blogspot.com