Subject: fishing today -- 02nov09 -- the full version
Date: Monday, 2 November 2009 3:30 PM
. no whales, whew! . cobia . two unstoppable runs . some nice snapper . topless model . two beach chicks .
0457. Whalebait (WB) checks his recently repaired rudder before launch this morning. He and I were the only starters -- eat your hearts out yakkers.
Neither of us got a drop of water into the yaks at launch -- that's a great start. A 10 knot south-easterly caused ruffles on the bay as we headed out, following the land to our east, toward the open ocean exit at Hells Gates. Near Dolphin Point a swirl and a dark dorsal fin VERY close to the bow of the yak caught my attention until I recognized the local dolphin pod, which decided to travel with me briefly before swinging out wider and trying their charms on WB, a little behind and further out, no doubt detecting his love of marine mammals.
After working our way through the slop that characterises the Hells Gates' shallows in a sea such as this we could tell that sea conditions were better, but not much better, in the deeper water which was our planned destination at Sunshine Reef. There was no discernible current as we plugged our way out from the headland but there were a few whitecaps, right in our faces (where else?) and we knew the forecast was for an abatement of the breeze and we had only another 1.4km to go so why not go all the way. The swell was low, and from the east, with possibly a little north in it. The only question was "How fast would the drift be?". We found out pretty soon. After arriving at our mark we popped our drogues and concentrated on the info being fed to us by those remarkable slaves our GPS units. The drift was toward the west and the speed quite manageable. The water was a deep blue and very clear, with little trichodesmium present, but the usual underwater soup of micro organisms thrived in the water column, some glittering and some almost transparent. Should be a good day -- especially if the wind drops.
Having arrived at the mark at 0610, just under an hour after leaving the shark nets near MG, I was fishing 5 minutes later and after a further 10 minutes had adjusted my drift by paddling back upwind. The sounder was showing lots of small fish, especially over the shallower areas (around 28m), and not in the areas deeper than 30m, so I decided to concentrate on the shallows (The secret to fishing: Fish where the fish are).
Within 30 minutes of our arrival at the mark the radio blared. It was WB relating to me that he'd just been in danger of being spooled by a powerful fish which took off with his SP. WB reported that he was watching the spool of his 2500 sized threadline reel rapidly empty and was left with only one choice -- increase the drag. This action had the usual effect -- a bust-off at the hook-end knot. At least he got his line back. Sounds like the tuna were around...
By 0730 I hadn't had so much as an enquiry, other than a half-hearted and fleeting tap on the shop door. Around this time WB boated a 35cm snapper and released it. I kept plugging away at the shallows with WB nearby. The wind had started to drop away, as forecast, by around 7am, and shortly we found ourselves hardly drifting at all, but hanging around a spot on the reef which the sounder was telling us was the temporary residence for heaps of baitfish, potential brekky for the bigger guys.
Just before 8am I saw WB's bait outfit (overhead reel, weighted pilchard bait, drifting near the ocean floor) take a sudden bend then pop back. WB saw it also and picked up the rod, waiting for the tell-tale run which would signal a paying customer. Soon it came and he leaned back on the rod as the customer headed for home, trying to get away without paying. I was on the verge of moving at this time so decided to head over with the camera just in case the miscreant was worth filming. There were several splashes and surface runs which indicated to me that this was no snapper or sweetlip. WB, who also attracts sharks, was calling this for a shark, but as I approached I spotted the tell tale white striped flanks and the short dorsal fin typical of a cobia as it swirled around his yak in the topmost metre or so of water. I got into position and started the video, recording the last minute or so of the tussle as WB boated the first cobia he'd ever seen.
0757hrs. The cobia objects to WB's first attempt to get it into the yak. (Still from video)
But soon he had it under control in the yak and kindly agreed to let me take a classic pic for the record.
0803hrs. WB's first cobia (Rachycentron canadus). Min legal size 75cm, bag limit 2.
As this fish was judged to exceed 75cm it was "bagged" (especially as they are very good to eat). I think it was shortly after this that WB then caught a snapper which he deemed worthy of keeping (see photos later). Meanwhile, I still hadn't had a decent enquiry. But the baitfish were still hanging around down there and it should only be a matter of time before a hungry predator turns up looking for an easy meal. And so it proved to be. Around 0830 my cast soft plastic's gentle drift was violently interrupted. The rod bent and line poured off the spool against the drag as the hooked fish panicked in an attempt to escape.
0831hrs. My first serious customer for the morning. Chest-cam view. (Still from video)
This sort of struggle is usually decided in the first 20 seconds. If you can maintain contact with the fish and your drag is set and working properly, you'll either be reefed pretty quickly or you'll gain the upper hand. It's important not to try to rush the fish back to the boat as often the hook is only lightly embedded in the jaw so a little more pressure than is absolutely necessary might cause it to pull free. At first I thought this might be a sweetlip but after a brief battle those gleaming pink-white flanks appeared about 10m down -- what a wonderful sight for a fisho who'd been trying for over two hours without a touch. Soon a 60cm snapper was in the yak. I was on the board!
0835hrs. A nice nobby graces the yak. Note the SP and jig head prominently displayed.
Shortly after this, I saw WB's SP outfit take an impressive bend. Having just boated a decent snapper, I wasn't so envious as I would have been 20 minutes earlier. He played the fish out and brought it up to the yak and discovered it was a pretty big tailor (2-3kg?). He was about to deliver the CdG when the hook pulled out and went flying over his shoulder and into the water on the opposite side of the yak where it was promptly seized by a.. (just kidding, guys).
And again, within a few minutes of WB's tailor, I hooked up. This fish had snaffled the cast SP right at the bottom of its traverse. It didn't feel particularly big but did manage to strip a little line off against the drag as I hauled it up the near 30m from the seabed. Vomiting a couple of newly eaten crabs, up popped the largest scorpion cod I've yet seen off Noosa. I decided to photograph and tell about it because they are fairly common, albeit at sizes smaller than this one, and more importantly, they are dangerous, in that their numerous spines are venomous.
0858hrs. Brilliantly red scorpion cod (aka red rock cod). If ever there was a reason to carry pliers on the yak, this is it. Handle with great care, if possible don't get your hands near the spines. While not fatal, a puncture wound from these spines will ruin your day and take all the enjoyment out of the 1-hour paddle home.
But, it's not over yet. No sooner had I returned Mr Scorpion Cod to his home, when, on my very next cast, my SP got clobbered again. This felt like another snapper and sure enough, after a typical bumping drag-squawking fight another nice snapper lay in my yak.
0909hrs. My snapper #2.
Same fish. Pic to remind the few remaining Noosa Yakkers who've not been bitten by a snapper not to get their fingers (or any other valued appendages) in there!
Around about now, WB and I agreed that we'd pack up and head for home around 0930. We started one last drift over the same area, quite close together. In preparation for the trip home I retrieved my trailing outfit's SP (which hadn't registered a single strike) and tied on a Rapala lure for the long troll back. This done, I announced that I was having One Last Cast, and did so. As the jighead and SP which were the subject of this cast were sinking slowly to the seabed I felt a bump on the line and tightened up to be met with some resistance, then no pressure at all. WB was very close to me at this time and I mentioned that I'd just had a hit. Thinking that the fish had now gone, I started to retrieve the jighead only to find that I was connected to Speedy Gonzales (marine version). The fish headed east, spinning the yak through 180 degrees, and my reel spool was howling as the 12 pound monofilament followed Speedy at an unsustainable rate. Rather than lose more line than absolutely necessary, I retrieved the drogue and just hung on with the rod pointing in the approximate direction of New Caledonia, the yak being towed at a good speed, but line still being taken from the spool. WB paddled along for the ride, pulling out his camera...
WB's pic of me being towed by ... what?
After several minutes of this, I still had a lot of line out but was starting to make some progress, ie, I got back 10 metres or so of line, to put a little meat on the spool. But I was nowhere near in control. The run was reminiscent of that of a longtail tuna, pretty much dead straight and powerful, certainly too much of a load for the light outfit. So it was that I experienced mixed feelings when I found I was retrieving line without resistance and eventually reeled in my jighead and SP, pretty much undamaged. The hook had come loose from the jaw. If it hadn't I might still be out there, even as you read this.
And so, with that finale, we turned for home. The trip back was uneventful, and pleasant. There was little or no swell at the landing point so by 1100hrs we were back on the beach to be subjected to the everlasting adulation of our (somewhat depleted) cheer squad, but, alas, no morning tea. Anyway, some pics...
WB's cobia (80cm) and snapper (47cm)
My two snapper (60cm and 57cm).
Here's the promised topless model. WB and his PB cobia.
Our cheer squad. Mother and daughter. The mother surprised me by correctly identifying the cobia and then revealed that she'd just last week permanently farewelled her 82 year old husband, a keen fisherman, like her. Hope I'm still fishing at 82, and in my kayak, in Noosa.
Thanks for coming along, whalebait. What a great morning.
OK, who's going tomorrow? That northerly willl probably dominate things.
VIDEOS
I got some fishing footage from this fishing trip which may be instructive for some of the newer Noosa Yakkers and of entertainment value to those not in that category. Three short videos have been made..
(1) whalebait's cobia capture (approx 1 min of the final part of the fight). Watch whalebait get water splashed in his face by an animal with a brain the size of a pea (NOT me!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bchxyWiXO9o
(2) snapper capture -- chest-cam view complete with howling drag and bent rod and live semi-coherent commentary (~3min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5NZEt4e0-8
(3) me being towed by that probable longtail tuna (or was it a BIG cobia?) -- chest-cam view complete with howling drag and bent rod and live semi-coherent commentary. We'll never know what it was. (about 30sec)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODhA7fCVuk8
No music was stolen for the making of these three videos. Much of the background noise was supplied by the tortured products of Mr Shimano...
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://noosayakers.blogspot.com
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