From: sunshiner
Date: 27/02/2011 12:54 PM
Weather
Cloud cover: 1/10
Wind direction & speed: tiny southerly zephyrs, then calm
Sea state: low swell
Participants: eyetag, jaro, sunshiner, gemini
Jaro and I probably should have gone to the old folks' club morning tea this morning, but bugger it, the offshore weather was perfect, so we fronted again, assembling with gemini, the youngster, in the carpark w-a-a-ay before sunrise. Just in case you haven't already guessed, eyetag's car was in the carpark, engine cold -- he'd launched about two hours before our planned 5.15am launch. And, as you know, he'd also paddled yesterday, but he's relatively young too!
Perfect morning -- but being a Sunday, traffic on the water was heavy. After my close call yesterday I subtly reminded my fellow paddlers of the run-down danger but we three were on the water by 0515 -- when it was still too dark to take decent pics from a kayak moving in three dimensions simultaneously (which they do, constantly, out on the ocean). Jaro was champing at the bit to get underway and soon shot through toward the NE with the stated intentions of (a) keeping in touch with us by radio and (b) heading out toward Granite Bay and then swinging back toward the west, all the time trolling and keeping a lookout for surface action.
I waited the few minutes it took for gemini to get set up, just sitting, floating, enjoying the coolness and calmness of the morning and the gentle rise and fall of the swell. Far better than the old folks' club, which, incidentally, wouldn't even be open yet!
Gemini, as yet not GPS equipped, opted to travel with me and so I outlined a plan to troll gently toward Jew Shoal, watching all the time as we travelled for danger from our left rear (the powerboats exiting the river) and for signs of tern activity signifying baitfish and possible predators.
We allowed a couple of speeding. thumping, vessels to get past and then noticed, when still 1.5km from Jew Shoal, increasing bird activity toward the west, in the direction of Little Halls Reef. Heading toward the birds, we let Jaro know by radio of the situation, which was, according to his radio response, not much different from where he was, out near Granite Bay -- lots of terns, some tuna splashing around. Speaking of radios, we hadn't been able to raise eyetag and had put it down to the possible fact that he was at distant Sunshine Reef, despite his stated intention to head north along the beach from MG. The reason was soon revealed -- there he was paddling around near Little Hall's Reef, without PFD and radio. I felt he was a touch embarrassed when he explained that, after rising at 2am, he'd forgotten to put his PFD with radio into the car. Never mind, we were now in close contact using the unaided Human Voice Mark 1.
Interestingly, eyetag reported that on starting fishing with baits at LH Reef before sunrise hoping for a sweetlip or two, he'd bagged out on snapper (all former keepers and all returned to the water in view of the present closed season). This was the only action he'd had. Gemini, he and I sat around chewing the fat, bathed in the early sunlight while all around us individual isolated splashes showed the presence of predators of some sort, probably mac tuna.
Time to get underway again. Off we paddled, more or less together at first but then gradually diverging, all within one km or so of LH Reef. After a fishless trip yesterday, I was delighted to very soon hear the drag clicker of my Charter Special, my trolling outfit, crackle into action. Hoping for a mackerel, even a spotty, I was disillusioned by the sluggish nature of my adversary, at first. Although it put up a good performance once it started to be drawn toward the surface, I was not surprised to find that a small whaler shark had taken a liking to my Laser Pro. With just a little difficulty I soon had him (actually a her) under control by getting a gaff through the jaw.
0648hrs. Whaler (?) shark takes Halco Laser Pro.
As gemini expressed interest in eating the shark (not immediately, mind) I happily handed it over to him after extracting the lure.
We paddled on, occasional splashes still confirming the presence of pelagic predators. Soon eyetag and I crossed paths. We paused and I told him about the shark while he told me he'd caught a Great Trevally (GT) on a slug cast into some feeding fish then rummaged through his wet towels and stuff and produced this:
0701hrs. No, Ian hadn't eaten it. A well sharked GT.
The trolling continued. About 0715hrs I noticed that Ian's yak was being towed by something which was also causing a spectacular bend in his rod. Sensing a photo opportunity, I started paddling over to him, about 250m away.
His trolled Laser Pro had been smashed and was now providing the connection between eyetag and the smasher. I paddled along behind him and measured the continuous tow speed at 3 to 4 kph according to my GPS. The towing went on for quite a while and all the time I was trying to get in place to take a pic without getting too close. I called it for a shark but eyetag, while partly agreeing with me, reckoned it had a bit of a tuna feel to it.
0720hrs. Eyetag's been hooked up a while and still doesn't know what he's hooked. Beautiful day out there, eh?
Because the water was a little murky out there today, it wasn't until the very end of the fight that eyetag could see what he'd hooked. It was knackered and as it feebly passed under the yak's port side eyetag deftly grabbed it by the tail wrist and hauled it in.
0730hrs. A very chubby longtail tuna with Laguna Bay backdrop.
Right up until the final stages of the fight we'd both been pretty sure that he had a shark on. But we've recently had a bit of longtail action so a longtail was the next most likely candidate. Hopefully they'll now start visiting us more regularly as there's a lot of food swimming around in the bay. While eyetag was stowing this tuna Jaro turned up from out east somewhere. We three chatted briefly before Jaro decided he had to head for the beach as he had to pack his bag for an overseas trip starting this afternoon. He left knowing that it's likely that during his absence for the next several weeks pelagic gamefish such as the longtails will dominate local kayak fishing.
"Hooked up" calls gemini, one of the newer Noosa Yakkers. Again, I paddle over as this may be his first Noosa fish, and I'm sure that he'd like a record of the capture. It proved to be another shark, which escaped with his lure right next to the yak, long before I could get to him.
By now it's noticeable that the surface action has pretty much shut down. The terns have noticed this also as they've departed for their daytime roost on the sandbanks of the nearby Noosa River. It's getting hot and the breeze has dropped right out causing a mirror sea. Time to head for home beach, a smooth water paddle of around 2.5km.
We all trolled back and about half way back gemini hooked up again. It soon proved to be yet another shark. As he was on his possession limit already, this one is destined for release. But before then I manage to get close enough for a pic.
Eyetag's longtail tuna, 96cm, weight unknown.
My shark (whaler of some sort?), handed over to gemini. About 94cm.
VIDEO of eyetag's longtail capture
A very enjoyable morning. Thanks for organizing, Jaro and have a great trip to South America. We'll look after the fish while you're gone, and tell you about the important catches.
Kev
Red & white Stealth Supalite, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://www.noosayakkers.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment