Subject: fishing today -- 05Oct09. WOW!
Date: Monday, 5 October 2009 3:27 PM
New snapper record . Jaro bags out . Humpback on a snapback
Jaro, madcowes (Brian) and I fronted today. The weather had been crappy for offshore fishing for several days and this morning provided the first forecast lull in the wind. As it was still blowing 20 knots at DI Point at 10pm last night I was a little sceptical of our chances of a launch 7 hours later. But, there we were at 0500, at Middle Groyne. The sea was ruffled, indicating a breeze once the shelter of the land was left behind but the swell was very small, so what the hell...
0515hrs, the agreed launch time. madcowes and Jaro were already out there, setting up, and I was out there too a couple of minutes later.
The inshore breeze being a southerly, I allowed it to push me along in the direction I needed to go anyway, while setting up. The shark net, 500m out, scooted past, underneath the breeze-propelled yak which simply slid over it. That's neat -- 500 metres done already while setting up and I'd hardly paddled yet...
The destination was Sunshine Reef -- 5km or so distant, but only 4.2km in a straight line, over the mountain. The usual string of yakkers eventuated, jaro first, then madcowes, then sunshiner (me). A solitary early morning walker peered out at me from the lookout at Boiling Pot. I'll bet he was wishing he could be out with me, out with the waves and the dolphins and the breeze and the terns and the unknown...
By the time I'd reached Granite Bay (about 25 minutes out) I could tell that it was going to be lumpy out there. Fortunately, having Jaro out there as forward scout, with radio, I could tell it wasn't too bad as Jaro would have mentioned if it was too windy to fish. But there was a hint of concern and Jaro radioed, in his usual style, "Seabreeze says the wind's going to drop so it should be OK in an hour or so". The wind didn't drop, but neither did it stop us -- the biggest problem with wind (at least wind 10- 20 knots) is that it makes fishing really difficult. Of course, over 20 knots it's no place to be. We passed Hells Gates and sallied out into the open sea, the SE chop and the low SE swell.
0626hrs. Sea conditions nearing the reef. (Still from video)
Jaro and madcowes were both fishing before I got there. We'd all chosen to fish in the same general area but by the time I'd arrived no fish had been boated. It didn't take long, however. Brian announced the capture of a pretty good snapper and not long afterward, Jaro did also. I fished on... Then Brian announced another and Jaro another, then Brian again. By now it was 8am and I was still fishless, my mates had 5 keepers between them and my confidence was starting to fail me. Then, just in time, the unmistakeable bump of a "take" down deep and the fight was on. Before long I too, was on the board with a snapper. Now I could relax a little...
0805hrs. I'm on the board -- 51cm snapper.
All the time we'd been out there this morning there'd been whales travelling through, mostly several hundred metres away. Their exhalations of expired air as they surfaced (often incorrectly called "spouts") stood out clearly to us, bobbing along at sea level, as they were silhouetted against the darker cloud background which lined the horizon. But every now and again we'd hear a snort or see a splash, very close. Then Brian (aka "whalebait") popped up on the radio to tell us that he'd had a whale surface 5 metres away (expletive!). Later it transpired that he'd cast his soft plastic (a Snapback -- a type that he and I favour for its resilience) about 20 metres from the kayak. Barely had it started its journey to the seabed when a humpback whale surfaced between Brian and the jighead splash-down point. It was in a prime position to collide and entangle with Brian's fishing line, which, Murphy's Law being rampant out at sea, of course, it did. Brian was left hanging on to a rod whose reel was howling as the whale swam away, apparently unconcerned at such a trivial matter. Reasonably, I think, Brian leaned back and busted the lure off rather than be towed to Antarctica. Hence humpback on a snapback (Brian's neat phrase).
Fast forward to 0845. Jaro's boated another snapper and Brian has nailed a nice fat sweetlip. Jaro has lost his drogue in the choppy conditions, replaced it with his plastic fish bag jury-rigged and lost that too. They have 7 keepers between them -- they're having fun, and so am I, really -- it gives me great pleasure to hear that my two mates are catching fish -- poor buggers completely missed out last trip, last Wednesday. So, just before 9am, I'm contentedly drifting west of Jaro, about 150m away. I glance over toward him and notice that his yak has swung, nose into the wind, and his rod, in his hands, has a healthy bend in it, which is not characteristic of the unyielding bend caused by a snag. After a few moments I decide to call him on the radio and ask him to confirm it's a fish. As he doesn't respond quickly I'm reasonably sure that my supposition is accurate and that Jaro has his hands full. A couple of minutes pass then Jaro responds that he's caught his biggest ever snapper and he's busy boating it and securing it. With that I offered to cross the small water gap between us and record the moment for posterity. With alacrity and a radio call he takes up my offer, and a couple of minutes later I'm there. It is indeed a nice snapper. My first estimate was that it was at least high sixties, but I noted that it was very fat, unlike us kayak fishers. Jaro was beaming and the sun was starting to break through the murk. I decided to do an on-water "interview" TV style...
0905hrs. Jaro telling us all about his fish. (Still from video).
But I had to get a few hi-res shots also...
The ocean, Alexandria Bay and Noosa National Park act as backdrops to this wonderful pic of a Noosa Yakker, his yak and his biggest ever snapper, so far.
Look at that bump on the head. Jaro was perhaps a bit too zealous with his donger!
VIDEO
It's only one minute. You'll feel the wind, lurch with the swell and surge, and rejoice with Jaro as he talks about his biggest ever snapper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqLJMHl0lSg
We fished on, Jaro now on four keepers, one short of his bag limit. At 0930, Jaro and I were drifting along together when I heard him yell in triumph. His trailing outfit, baited with a deep-trailed pilchard, had gone off again. It only took a couple of minutes -- Jaro had bagged out, on snapper. He's bagged out on spotty macs before, but never snapper. This is an occasion.
The bag-out caused us to head for home. Even though I had only one snapper, I was happy to go as I was thinking I might get out again tomorrow (will my body cope?) and I didn't want to miss the hullabaloo on the beach when Jaro pulled out his whopper. We left at 0955 and were hove-to off the launch point at 1045, 50 minutes and 5km later.
So we hit the beach... no challenge there -- tiny waves. Fewer holidaymakers than last week, but before long we'd drawn a small crowd, especially when Jaro undid his neat fish box cover and dragged out his limit catch.
Above, my snapper.
Above, madcowes' catch (less three grinners, returned to water). Sorry, Brian, some fish slime on the lens.
Above, Jaro's beast, a new Noosa Yakkers record snapper at 76cm.
Above. We weighed Jaro's beast later, at my home. 4.4kg.
Above, Jaro's bag limit catch. Lots of people in Sunshine Beach eating snapper in the next few days.
Above board, I can assure you. Jaro and new found friend.
Above: Jaro with his all of his fish tether clips used up.
Thanks for organizing Jaro, and thanks for coming along madcowes. (I like whalebait better, Brian, especially after today's events.)
See some of you Thursday night, at the inaugural Noosa Yakkers monthly yakfest. All welcome, so why don't you get out of your cosy TV chair and join us for a beer and snacks? Details from Brian.
What a great morning!!
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://noosayakers.blogspot.com
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