From: sunshiner
Date: 18/03/2011 1:38 PM
At last the weather came good. It's been two weeks since we were reasonably able to get out and today was a cracker, with low swell, light winds, overcast, and pelagic fish chasing smaller fish right in close to our launch point...
Weather
Cloud cover: overcast
Wind direction & speed: none
Sea state: low swell
Participants: kodaz (Jon); andy_cav (Andy), whalebait (Brian), Hollywood (Harry); sunshiner (Kev -- me)
With Jaro's absence for several weeks I've taken over as trip coordinator so called for a 0530 launch this morning -- just on first light. Whalebait's presence was a pleasant surprise to me and he'd brought along his brand spanking new Profish to launch it for the first time in the hallowed waters of Laguna Bay. All of us were there on time and we assembled on the beach together ready to launch, on our way passing a plump blonde lady with very long and prominent legs who was sleeping alone just beside our trolley track down to the beach. Probably she was also the person who'd used my favourite parking spot.
0540. L-R Hollywood; andy_cav; kodaz; whalebait
Above: whalebait's Profish
We launched together and were all afloat out the back by 0545. Immediately noticeable was extensive dimpling of the smooth water all around us as baitfish came up to say good morning. This looked promising. Then Hollywood pointed out that there were birds working just to our north, well within view even though the sun was still way below the horizon.
No one needed directing as to where to go and before long we were all headed in the same approximate direction like a Wild West posse who have the baddies in sight. Well inside the shark net (which floats 600m offshore) we could see swirls and the occasional splash as predatory fish took advantage of the improving light to acquire fresh breakfast.
For various reasons today, only whalebait and I had radios. And before long he and I were approaching an active area just near the shark net anchored off National Park. There were huge numbers of terns wherever we looked. Also in view were splashes, some large, some small, some in company with lots of others and some just loners.
Whalebait was the first to hook up (on a cast slug) and I opted to get some pics so hung around him to see what he'd nailed.
0602. Brian's hooked up. Note the birds on the horizon. A small swell hides the kayak.
We both thought it was a tuna and as this was the first fish in a new boat an occasion worth recording. Here he is again, a few minutes later, same fish:
0608. First fish in a new yak -- not a bad start. The very plump mac tuna, about 5kg, was released.
Above: baitfish about 75mm long, one of two regurgitated on whalebait's yak by the tuna
Shortly after this we encountered Hollywood, looking a bit startled. He'd already lost two slugs and had been almost spooled. Later the fish really cleaned him up -- I came across him and he showed me his casting outfit whose spool was completely devoid of line. Unstoppable...
Attracted by different bustups, whalebait and I now drifted apart. I got a couple of casts away but couldn't raise any interest with my Halco slug, even though the fish were blasting through the baitfish only a few metres away from where I was casting. Then whalebait came up on the radio "Got a nice cobia...". OK, I need pics of a cobia so we paddled to a rendezvous where I took a few pics.
0634. Second fish, first trip in a new yak. Cobia about 1m, taken on slimy mac (dead, with skirt) which was drifting behind while he was casting to feeding tuna, 500m north of the NP shark net.
Just after I took that pic, we noticed kodaz nearby with a severely bent rod. Whalebait and I paddled over to see whether assistance was needed. At this stage, I might add, I hadn't hooked up at all and had spent quite some time on the camera, or trying unsuccessfully to entice a strike. Whenever possible during this activity I short trolled a Halco Laser Pro and had received one explosive surface strike on it which didn't hook up.
Kodaz was of the opinion that he also had hooked a cobia so I hung around to get the photos, shooting movie from time to time.
0637. Kodaz hooked up on trolled HB lure (image cropped from movie frame)
Despite Kodaz' best efforts this fish unhooked itself very late in the fight just after he identified it as a longtail tuna.
OK, now it was time for me to get serious. I decided to switch slugs as I'd given the Halco Twisty many opportunities to attract a strike and it had failed to deliver. In all fairness, perhaps the fine wire trace I was using was making a difference today. And as there appeared to be no mackerel around the chance of a bite-off was reduced. So on went a brand new lure, a River2Sea SeaRock, 14gm, without wire trace.
The next bustup I approached I had one cast for no result, then a second ...
0758. Hookup. (image from chestcam movie frame)
This fish fought so doggedly on the 12 pound line that I was convinced it was a longtail tuna, of which I've caught a few. It took me 20 minutes to subdue it but eventually I could see that it was a very nuggety mac tuna. Because I intended to release it I grabbed it by the tail wrist as eyetag does and hauled it aboard for a photo with the Sea Rock bling it had picked up.
Above: with R2S Sea Rock lure, a work of art as well as a fish attractor
Below: Just before release
While I was fighting this fish whalebait came up on the radio and reported that he was hooked up too, about one click away but that he'd just seen a large shark attacking a bait school right next to him and was attempting to leave the area.
Later I met up with whalebait again and he told me he had also caught and released a couple more mac tuna and a couple of sharks, the latter caught on dead baits.
The activity continued but whalebait and I decided to give it away and were back on the beach before 0930. Our three companions from earlier had presumably left or were still out there somewhere.
Whalebait's cobia, his PB at 103cm (when straightened)
If anyone else has anything of interest to add, please don't hesitate to tell us by reply email. Thanks for coming along guys.
[See emails below]
Tomorrow's yakkers should have an interesting time and we look forward to hearing how you went. All the action we encountered was in the inner bay no further than 1.6km from the beach. Just look out for the terns. And hope for some spotty macs to show up.
Kev
Red & white Stealth Supalite, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://www.noosayakkers.blogspot.com/
Email from Jono
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Subject: RE: fishing today -- 18mar11
From: Jono Lomas
Date: 19/03/2011 11:17 AM
I'll pick up from when kev paddled off after witnessing me lose a respectable long-tail at the side of the yak.
As I watched Kev paddle off towards the immeasurable number of birds working the waters, I set about trolling up my red-head rapala countdown lure which had been the agent of choice on the lost fish. It wasn't long before it was smashed just off from the first set of shark nets off main beach. It became immediately clear this was a big fish and was seriously out gunning my 20lb outfit. It almost spooled me on the first run but I was able to get the line back to the start of the leader when it took off again before I could see what it was. Three runs later I could feel the heat radiating from the reel's drag and I was beginning to realise this was most likely a large tuna. By the time I got to the leader after the 4th run my heart skipped a beat when a saw the unmistakable irridescent fluoro markings of a 15-20kg yellowfin tuna. It probably did the same thing when it saw me because it took off again swinging around to head out to sea. This was about the one hour mark in what would turn out to be a 3 hour battle with the beast. At this stage I was still pretty fresh and spurred on by the possibility of landing my first yellowfin. Over the next hour the fish steadily made its way out to jew shoal and it was beginning to get really hard to get anything back on the reel. At the 2 hour mark I got to the leader and understood why it was now so much harder; the bugger had hooked himself on the side of the gill plate so I was having to contend with not only the power of the fish but also its drag through the water, which was amplified by the fact he was spending almost all his time directly underneath me.
After more dogged fighting I was starting to get a little nervous as I watched the sounder hit 35 metres, I knew I must have passed Jew shoal. By the time I looked at my GPS I realised I was probably 10 or 12 km offshore and way past the reef. Although the wind was next to nil I was starting to get pretty exhausted and dehydrated as my water supply was not easily accessible with this fish on. By 3 hours my arms were aching of lactic acid and my mouth was dry and I knew time was up, especially since I didn't have an EPIRB. I tightened up the drag up and started to try to skull drag him up to the surface. I eventually got colour but he was just too strong and continued to circle underneath the yak out of gaffing distance. Eventually after yet another run down to the 40 meter mark the leader knot failed and he was gone. The few seconds of utter disappointment were quickly replaced by a feeling of relief that the ordeal was over. I drank up, put on some more sunscreen, and made the arduous paddle back to middle groyne arriving just after 12:30.
In retrospect I know I would never have let myself get so far out with even a small chance of bad weather, but yesterday's conditions were sublime even by the time I was leaving noosa at 3pm. Still, it's made me think about getting an EPIRB and definately convinced me to get a radio.
No picture of the fish unfortunately, all I have is my GPS plot which shows the journey (attached).
See you next time
Jono
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Email from Andy Cav
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Subject: Re: fishing today -- 18mar11
From: andy_cav
Date: 19/03/2011 12:29 PM
What an eventful morning it was for me.
After a longer than usual float out the back to rig my rods (left my pre-rigged leaders on the kitchen table) I finally got underway to be confronted by bust-ups in all directions so I decided to head south towards the most activity. I trolled a lure I hadn't used before, a Bolt Mystique 14cm in Qantas colours. Literally after a dozen strokes my rod bent over and I managed to hook a small shark (50cm) which I was able to release pretty promptly with a flick of the gaff and then continued on my path to the south to hook up again on a larger shark (70cm) with this one also released.
Third time lucky and 5 minutes later I hooked another shark (60cm) but this time it managed to engulf the leading lure and I could not dislodge it with my gaff. Having grabbed the shark behind the head I proceeded to work the lure out of the shark with my pliers and knife. Without warning and 3 minutes into the lure extraction the shark decided to shake causing me to lose my grip slightly so I decided that I would drop it (as my rod was leashed and it wasn't going anywhere) and start the process again. In theory it was a good option but in practice not so good with the rear treble deciding to embed itself in my thumb on the way down.
With the shark in the water trying to escape and the lure attached to my thumb I had no option but to drag the shark aboard using my thumb. This achieved getting the shark onboard, forcing the hook out through the other side, also tearing a hole down the side of my thumb and having a couple of 4 letter words leave my mouth. After quickly securing the shark with my feet I proceeded to try and separate the shark from the lure with my knife as my pliers weren't capable of cutting through the large treble. After about 5 minutes I wasn't able to achieve much but signalled to a couple of fellow yakkers to assist with the situation and thankfully they were able to. Thanks guys! (I was sorry I didn't get their names at the time)
After sawing through the shark's mouth we were able to remove the shark from the lure and then finally cut the treble from the lure (with someone else's pliers) which enabled me to push the remainder of the hook through my thumb and out the other side. After wrapping my thumb with a bit of a rag I decided that I wouldn't venture too far from the beach so that I could return to shore if need be. I only managed to troll for a further half an hour or so before my thumb became too sore to continue.
With a slow but event free return to the beach and one-handed pack-up, I dropped in at the local medical centre to have my thumb looked at. A quick inspection of my thumb confirmed that stiches were required and I now have 5 stiches and a good reason not to mow the lawn.
Whilst it wasn't the first lure I had removed from my hand it emphasised an oversight on my part that I didn't have a set of pliers capable of cutting through the size trebles I was using. (This has now been resolved with a pair of wire cutters being added to my yak tackle box.)
I thought this experience was worth sharing so others may consider what to do in a similar situation.
Cheers
Andy
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