Beast of a sweetie. 10Nov12

TR by sunshiner

Wind: Westerly, maybe 1 knot
Swell: 1.5 metre easterly
Current: at Little Halls Reef, none
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: jaro, doctor dog, sunshiner

Gentle rain pattering on the roof. 4:00am. No wind. Let’s go!

By 04:15 I'm in the carpark, grabbing my favourite spot. No one else in sight. Five minutes later I'm on the beach with the yak. Getting light quickly now. I wander back up to the carpark and find that Jaro has just arrived.

There were a few waves which could have threatened my dry bum situation but I was patient and soon got out with no hassles. Less than five minutes later I'm on the way to Little Halls Reef, with Jaro having just launched behind me.

Today was to be a quick trip for me as I had a two hour work commitment which needed to be knocked over by 11:00am. Paddling conditions were superb. No breeze, glassy sea, slight swell, overcast, silence.

The HLP was out the back, an irresistible temptation to any decent pelagic, and some indecent ones also. Unfortunately, none present today. I did encounter a 2-3m shark, however. It was cruising gently along within a short cast distance, the tips of its tail and dorsal fin just showing and indicating its identity and size. In many years kayak fishing that's the first I've seen just mooching along on the surface. I've seen many however, chopping in to baitfish, sharing the spoils with tuna, mackerel, etc in those spectacular bustups we get in the warmer months.

At Little Halls Reef I expected to encounter baitfish and sure enough, there they were, exposed by the fishfinder. There were many such displays all around Little Halls Reef central. No signs of surface activity however. One thing noticeable was that the number of terns had increased, with every now and again a packet of them heading north east or north, or just wheeling around near us.

Baitfish near the bottom.

Jaro had settled into his banana routine and I was playing around with SPs, one trailing. Then a muffled call on the radio. "Hooked up". From Jaro. I responded by suggesting he'd picked up a shark, as he usually does. Then he comes back a few minutes later with the news he has a huge sweety in his lap. I was only a couple of hundred metres away so paddled over to take a pic.

Nice fish indeed

Doctor Dog joined us shortly after this, having called us on the radio as soon as he'd launched.

My deadline was fast approaching so I headed for home, dodging the Middle Groyne sand monster by getting the yak up on the plane (wave assisted). Hit the beach at 8:00 am to be met by Corie, engaged in uncle duties with two young nephews.

Jaro's sweetie (official Record Claim pic). Hard luck, Jag-one.

I understand that Doc Dog had no more action than I had. Jaro dropped around later to get the measurement photo and he'd released a just size snapper, but had nothing else.

Now to line up for the surf session. At least the overcast should result in easier parking. See some of you there.

Kev (sunshiner)