Subject: fishing today -- 15nov09
Date: Sunday, 15 November 2009 3:37 PM
. seven yakkers . sharks . Alex cleans up . a big flathead .
For the third day in four, Jaro and I fronted for the Sunshine Reef marine marathon. "Make hay while the sun shines" is an apt metaphor when it comes to kayak fishing. When the weather's just right you just have to go. The next opportunity may not be for a couple of weeks, or never if you're an old codger like some of us.
And so it happened that there was feverish activity at the MG carpark at first light (around 0430). Alex, a uni student from Brisbane and budding Noosa Yakker was there with his Kingfisher as well as Andy, whalebait, Jaro and I. Ian's car was parked in the same place as yesterday as he'd launched in darkness an hour or so earlier. Hollywood had indicated that he'd probably be a little late and intended to launch from Sunshine Beach.
0446hrs -- launch time. From left: Alex, Andy, Jaro, whalebait. The oldest was 44 years old when the yougest was born.
The sea was as flat as a nun's chest so we all launched without drama, and pretty soon we were paddling toward Sunshine Reef, saying good morning to our friendly local pod of dolphins on the way. It being Sunday, and very good boating weather, a stream of noisy powered fishing craft of great variety passed us as we silently and stealthily made our way along the coastline toward the open sea.
Despite the presence of many baitfish in the bay there were no signs of serious predators. One gets the feeling that the Bay is like a pressure cooker about to blow its top. Pretty soon some big pelagics should turn up to take advantage of the abundance of fresh food.
Andy, Alex and I opted to head for the close-in mark while Jaro and whalebait headed toward the outer marks, more to the north, the better to take advantage of the forecast northerly. When we three arrived at the mark there was Ian in usual pose: large straw hat and three rods deployed. Our questions revealed that he'd caught a pearlie just as the sun rose, but nothing else. Without further ado, we got down to business, I with a slightly different priority than the others: get perfect kayak fishing photos. Initially at least, the fishing was slow, with little showing on the sonar, a westerly breeze and a ~1kph southerly current which vectorised into a drift toward the SE.
Hollywood turned up, paddling from Sunshine Beach as planned, apparently an easy launch. We had no fish to tell him about when he arrived. As the northerly two had reported all quiet on that front, Hollywood opted to stay with us.
The slowness continued, although at some time before 0800 Alex boated a keeper sweetlip. Just after this Ian's Blade lure was nailed by something and I sidled over to him, ready with the big camera.
0814hrs. The sharks are back, but not as plentiful as last Thursday. This one was returned to the water.
And then the action started to pick up, at our spot anyway. Alex caught a nice keeper snapper, and again I was on hand to record the image. Now you possibly understand why I'm not catching many fish these last few days -- every time I wish to take a pic I have to pull in all lines and drogue, stow the rods and prepare my yak for an up-close encounter with the yak of the successful yakker.
0829hrs. Alex and snapper caught on SP.
While this had been going on Andy had been having an encounter of his own with a school of small mackerel tuna. He hooked one, possibly his first and, after he'd paddled over to me I agreed to take his pic "for his Mum".
0837hrs. Andy and his mac tuna, which gave him a a great fight, as they do, on light gear.
Shortly after this Jaro and whalebait announced that they were thinking of heading in at around 0900, as they'd had no action at all. I'd been keeping them up to date with events at my location and I had occasion to update that once more when Alex phoned me and asked about Venus Tusk Fish legal parameters. We had a brief discussion and I had a pretty clear idea that the minimum length was 30cm, maybe 35cm (30cm turned out to be correct). As his tuskfish exceeded 35cm, he bagged it. Passing this info on to Jaro and whalebait, I think, prompted their decision to join us and shortly they could be seen on the horizon, heading straight for our position. Then Ian yelled out that he was hooked up. Again I prepped the yak and paddled over.
0918hrs. Ian with nice fat keeper grass sweetlip, on SP.
By now Jaro and whalebait had joined us and were on our drift, which, as a result of the loss of the westerly breeze, was now toward the south and due solely to the current. In the transit to our position Jaro had been delayed somewhat as he explained over the radio, and in more detail after he'd joined us. He'd been paddling along when his sonar showed a couple of fish directly below. He stopped promptly and deployed his bait rig (pilchard) then cast out his soft plastic. The bait was almost immediately taken, by what turned out to be a pretty big shark which promptly swam around the yak entangling with the SP line hanging limply in its path. As will be readily understood by anyone who has been in this position, this is a situation of chaos. After a long pause in radio reports from Jaro he eventually announced that he had cleared up the mess and returned the shark to the water.
So now he was drifting with us. Andy had left for home, leaving six of us, all on this drift. Whalebait announced over the radio that he was at last on the board. He'd caught a large flathead (see pic later). Just before 0930 Jaro yelled, in characteristic fashion "Yeeesss!". I was nearby and turned to see his rod with a serious bend in it. I packed up and paddled over with the cameras... video first
0925hrs. Jaro fighting his second shark for the day, which is charging at the yak under pressure from Jaro. (Still from video)
... then quality still camera.
0928hrs. That's a neat head grip. I wonder if vets are taught how to handle sharks safely?
Having finished my photography duties with Jaro and his shark I opted to paddle back up-drift intending to fish the drift again. On the way back I encountered whalebait who invited me to take a look at his large flathead. So out came the camera again.
0939hrs. Brian's (aka whalebait) legal-sized flathead (which are slot limited 40cm-75cm) and a neat balancing act especially on a kayak, in the ocean, sporting a damaged left foot (see first pic).
We'd come to general agreement that we'd head back by 10am. Whalebait departed slightly earlier as he had a threatened stint in the doghouse if he tarried, and the rest of us started to pack up to leave just before 10am as the forecast northerly wind kicked in and started to quickly increase in speed. Hollywood, committed to a beach landing at nearby Sunshine Beach, opted to stay on the drift as it was heading in the right direction. The paddle home was normal, quite arduous but bearable, especially if fitness is welcomed as one of the fringe benefits of paddling such distances. Alex reported later that near Hells Gates he'd had an unstoppable strike on a lure he was trolling with the result that he had to bust off or accept a spooling [fishing a tad too light, I think Alex ;-)]
We were all on the beach before 11am so had made pretty good time, especially as we battled a head current in the initial 2km or so.
Ian, a pretty good paddler, had cleared the beach and stowed his fish by the time we last three (Jaro, Alex and I) beached our yaks so I have no pic of his take home catch (1xpearl perch + 1xsweetlip). But Alex delighted the beachgoers who huddled around us when he revealed his stowed fish.
Alex's take home catch. Two snapper, left, a Venus Tuskfish, and a grass sweetlip, lower right.
Some of the beachgoers who expressed interest in the fish and the yaks (and yakkers, of course).
Over to you Jaro and thanks all for your company and cooperation and patience with the kayak fishing photos.
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://noosayakers.blogspot.com
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