Rough, windy but rewarding day 15Sep2012

TR by Richmond

Wind - S to SSE to 15/20kts
Swell - 1.5m southerly
Current - Unsure
Launch point - Middle Groyne
Participants - Eyetag, Kahuna, Baptism, Richmond

I got out of bed this morning at 4am and stuck my head outside to hear the wind whistling through the trees from the south. Hmmm, could be interesting out there today I thought.

I got to Middle Groyne at about 5am as arranged with Eyetag, after a quick setup we were down the beach and ready for launch. Kahuna and Baptism had turned up by this stage also.

With the wind predicted to be about 10kts from the south, we had decided to do some trolling around the Little Halls reef area. We deployed our lures, I had a shallow running Laser Pro waayyyyy out the back, about 80 metres out (40 strokes of the paddle), and a 5 metre deep diveing Manns Stretch 20 swimming in close. Eyetag had a similar lure set but opted for an X-Rap30 in close.

In typical Eyetag style, the fish whisperer hooked up just after we had crossed the bar. After a little tussle he boated a 3kg Mack Tuna. Ian ended up getting 3 MT's of similar size, 2 on the Laser Pro and 1 on his X-Rap 30 whilst sitting there idle untangling his other line! I just shook my head in bewilderment.

By now the wind was strengthening. Kahuna and Baptism had reached us at Little Halls. Eyetag and I were trolling a little pinnacle I found last week, good bit of structure with plenty of bait around. I went out a little wider when I hear Ian's ratchet on the radio. He's hooked up. I kept trolling until I had an almighty strike on my Manns lure. Wow! This fish stripped at least 200 metres of 30lb braid off the TSS4, I was down to my backing when the line pinged. The drag on my reel was blown apart. It was seized! In all my time of fishing, I have never had a strike like this one except for marlin on game boats. I was in shock. The braid had parted down near the leader. I'm tipping a big, big Longtail, but we'll never know.

It was nearing the top of the tide and Eyetag had nailed his fish after a torrid battle, a solid Longtail. Foolishly, I put another deep diving lure in the same colour on after I had rerigged and put it out the back for a swim. Why, I don't know, I had no drag at all on the TSS4 as it was seized up. In typical fashion, I had another strike and I lost that lure too!

OK, think smart. I put that rod away and changed the shallow running Laser Pro over to a 3 metre diving Laser Pro in pilchard pattern. After trolling a short distance I had another strike and hooked up. The wind was now at least 15kts gusting to 20kts out of the south. I had a couple of scary moments there when I was beam on to the sea whilst hooked up to a rampaging Longtail Tuna. Not nice. I let this fish have his head on its first initial run. This seemed to tire it out and I landed him shortly after. Food for thought there, let them run.

I'd had enough with the wind and chop so I alerted Baptism and Eyetag that I was heading in. Kahuna had left earlier for Middle Groyne. My Longtail had taken me 850mts north of Little Halls, so I had a horrendous paddle home in the slop.

We all had an easy landing with no dramas and compared fish on the beach. My Longtail went 106cm and weighed 11.6kg and Ian's fish was 105cm long and weighed in heavier at 12.1kg.

Kahuna and Baptism missed out today, but tomorrow's another day. Another successful day for the Noosa Yakkers, bring on the next trip and look out you reel seizing fish, we're coming after you!