Subject: spotty macs in the bay
Date: Thursday, 19 March 2009 10:52 AM
Hi yakkers
I was kicking myself for not going out yesterday early -- put off by pouring rain so decided to get out this morning.
Found perfect launch conditions:
0608hrs. 10knot SE breeze, flat sea.
My intention was to work over the area inshore of the Nat Park shark net, using soft plastics. But the sight of birds working to the north changed my mind and I headed over toward them -- not trolling, but I had a casting outfit rigged up with a slug.
I could see another yakker out there and recognized the little yak which was fishing near us when we nailed the longtails on 13Feb. We both converged on the flock of wheeling terns when I saw the other guy, who was trolling, stop paddling and start cranking his reel, the rod tip bent. As this was my opportunity to say hello, find out what he'd caught and possibly take a pic, I paddled straight toward him and got there just as he gaffed the fish -- which I expected to be a mac tuna. He agreed to be photographed then held up a nice spotty mac saying "What sort is this?" in a north American accent.
0628hrs. John, an escapee from Hawaii, who now lives in Kin Kin, and his first spotty mac. Yak is a Mission Flow - very small.
John's total equipment list seems to be a rod & reel, a couple of lures, a gaff, and a paddle. Having taken the pic, and the birds and fish school having by now dispersed, I opted to go back to Plan A, as I was quite close to the shark nets I was intending to work anyway. Once I got there I re-rigged for soft plastics, had a couple of casts and saw that the birds were working again. Plan B looked better -- so I switched again and re-rigged once more and headed off trollling a lure with a slug ready for casting.
My best efforts to nail a spotty mac failed. But there were scattered bustups all over the place, all within 1 km of MG. There were plenty of what looked like longtail tuna about 4-5kg leaping clear of the water, with that bronze sheen characteristic of the species. But I got very few opportunities to get a cast away. The only fish I got was a Watson's leaping bonito, one of a large school hammering bait near the Boiling Pot.
0751hrs. Watson's leaping bonito, taken on a cast slug. Released.
I'd promised Mary that I'd be home for brekky so gave it away shortly after this and before long I was on the verandah having coffee with the catch of my life.
Seabreeze is showing a drop in the breeze this arvo so I think I'll go again, after lunch, when Mary's at her art class. Any other starters?
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
No comments:
Post a Comment