Subject: fishing today -- 24dec09 -- Ho! Ho! Ho!
Date: Thursday, 24 December 2009 11:39 AM
This spell of good kayak fishing weather looks as if it's ended, today being the last for a while. We've had a ball recently so can't complain but even so Jaro, Alex and I fronted at 0400-ish today to be met with perfect launch conditions. Turtleboy had nominated to join us but must have got waylaid on the way to Middle Groyne, but he did front later.
0429hrs. Jaro and Alex launching this morning.
Shortly after we launched we set course for Little Halls Reef, the place where the previous few days had yielded some action. As we cruised past the Noosa River entrance hundreds of terns and several power boats were exiting the river, all headed toward the same place we intended to go. Clearly, the word was out that the action was about to get underway.
And it wasn't long in coming. As we approached LH Reef we split up, with Jaro heading inshore while I stayed wider, not far away from Alex who has no radio. Jaro (again!) calls up "I'm on!". I wasn't surprised as there were terns scattered all over this part of the ocean and occasional brief bust ups into which Alex and I had cast once or twice but just too late to catch the action. I told Alex about Jaro's hookup, then paddled over toward Jaro in case he needed assistance, but mainly to add to my photo collection of Jaro with big fish.
0517hrs. Jaro with his first for the day. A keeper spotty mac, taken on his favourite lure (trolled).
The photography chores over, Jaro and I returned to the fishing, just trolling more or less in large circles and waiting for an opportunity to cast into the bust ups which happened frequently. Most of these scenes of frenetic activity had small mackerel tuna as main players and despite quite a few casts into them by yakkers, we couldn't elicit a strike, and nor could anyone else as far as we could tell. Then Jaro was on again.
0526hrs. This time Jaro boats an undersized cobia (min size 75cm) which he released after gently removing the hooks.
All of this time, when I wasn't taking photos, I was trolling a different sort of lure to Jaro's. Alex, with a lure identical to Jaro's hadn't taken a hit either, yet! Soon, Jaro was in again.
0544hrs. This time a better spotty mac.
Bloody hell, this was getting embarrassing. After finishing my latest bout of photography with Jaro I decided to tie on my largest lure, a behemoth which I could barely troll, but hell it looked good in the water. Half way through the process of switching lures I looked up to see the radio-less Alex paddling toward me with an enormous smirk on his face. Oh, Oh! I had an inkling why he was here. Alex, 21 years old, had never caught a mackerel of any species before but now he proudly displayed his first mackerel "A Spaniard, I think", as he said.
0554hrs. Alex with his first mackerel (a Spaniard, of course) and possibly his largest kayak caught fish to date.
By now it was 0600 and the action just shut down, although there were several patches of baitfish being harrassed by small mac tuna. We trolled around for a bit longer and bumped into a fishless turtleboy who'd left the launch point much later than we did.
We all had Christmas Eve commitments so opted to head for home around 0700 and duly hit the beach safe and sound without further fish activity.
Alex's Spaniard. Pic #1. Turtleboy and Alex in background.
Here it is again. 90cm on the mat. Alex, you should enter this fish in the AKFF Summer Comp in the bluewater section.
Jaro's two spotties.
A very happy Noosa Yakker.
Thanks for organising, Jaro, and thanks for coming along all and volunteering to pose for photos. This latter is much appreciated. Hopefully by this time next year you'll see some tangible results from all this mucking around.
Merry Christmas, all. See you back on the water when the wind abates.
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
http://noosayakers.blogspot.com
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