Labour Day, vid, Laguna Bay, 07May12

TR by sunshiner, with contributions by corie and pedro at the end.

Wind: SW landbreeze, starting at 5-7 knots, dropping off to calm by 09:30
Swell: moderate east
Current: non detected
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: stormin, corie, isobar and friend Ben, imax, pedro, bigkev and friend Mark, sunshiner

It was quite a relief this morning to see that the swell had dropped overnight, or at least was not affecting MG launch conditions as badly as we thought it might. 05:40am at MG carpark -- Bigkev and Mark (friend and recent kayak fishing uptaker) were unloading Kev’s sleek newish Stealth Evo 495 and Mark’s Espri while stormin was ready and raring to go again.

While the biggest breakers at the end of the groyne this morning were every bit as big and steep as those I’d photographed yesterday afternoon, they were much rarer. This meant that small timing errors, which can often easily lead to a wet bum or a swim, were less likely to be disastrous today.

Bigkev and Mark had launched and successfully negotiated the break by the time stormin and I were ready to go. It was time for stormin to earn his Noosa Yakkers stickers which I’d just presented to him. ”Off you go, stormin,” I said, and politely stood back and let him launch before me. To his credit, he instantly stepped up to the challenge, wiping the sweat from his brow before dragging his rig into the water.

06:12. Stormin steps up to the mark.

He did a great job, cresting a couple of waves after holding in the hole and waiting for a few others to break. I soon joined him out the back having managed to get out without even a wet bum this time. Maybe my timing’s getting better!

The moon today was of course full, and coincidentally just about as close to earth as its elliptical orbit brings it. Hence we had bigger tides than usual and the moon seemed brighter because it was actually slightly bigger than we usually perceive it. Our totally cloudless sky enhanced this effect. See what I mean:

06:25. ”Super moon” shot, just after launch.

Stormin opted to stick with me, and off we went toward JS, leaving Mark and Kev finalizing their setup. On the way I radioed pedro who revealed that he was heading for SR, having failed to get any garfish for fresh bait in Granite Bay.

I was keen to try for a snapper or sweetlip today and set up a perfect drift with the land breeze pushing me gently from SW to NE over Jew Shoal. I dropped a light SP out drifting behind me on one rod while I fished my favourite rig by the usual casting downwind, letting it fall and retrieving it once the yak had passed over it. On my fourth cast this outfit went off. My hope for a snapper faded very quickly as the fish never once stopped on a long fast run toward the north. Bigkev had just mentioned by radio that he’d been spooled (but eventually got his line but nothing else back) on his first cast this morning. I’d given an opinion that it was probably a longtail, based on my recent experiences. Anyway, I have 200m of 6kg braid plus backing on the spool of my Stradic. Very quickly I was looking at the backing and the fish hadn’t even slowed down. Typical longtail on light tackle SP situation! The water drag on the line eventually caused the knot at the jighead to break before the backing entirely disappeared. And, like Kev, I got it all back including the leader intact.

This has happened to me at least three times in the last couple of months; exact same SP and 1/8 ounce jighead. On one of those occasions the Stradic’s drag was stuffed as a result. And the same rig accounted for the present Noosa Yakkers Record snapper so it’s worth persisting with. All I want is a snapper or sweetlip to grab it instead of a longtail! Surely that’s not too much to ask.

By 08:45 I’d had no further action so decided to come in, knowing that high tide, which offered the best chance of a dry bum on return to the beach, was at 09:30. Mark had already left (seasick) and stormin came back in with me. Bigkev was also heading in but was travelling faster and on a different track from ours.

And so we arrived back at Middle Groyne after a trip home with the swell building like mountains behind us. Fortunately these waves were de-energized somewhat by the time they’d travelled all the way up the bay to Middle Groyne. It didn’t look too bad at all. Stormin, having by now experienced the tricky waves at our landing point (see TR from last week), set about stowing all his gear and announced to me that he was going to try pedalling in this time (paddling having failed to avoid a ducking last time).

There were some nice lulls and I picked one and cruised in. Richmond (with video camera), imax, bigkev and Mark were basking in the bright sunlight on the wall or on the beach hoping for a spectacle as the surf zone transit was now complicated by assorted swimmers, boogie boarders etc hanging about right where we were coming in.

In came stormin Norman, determined to conquer the break with Mirage drive, although he did have the paddle in his hands, just in case. He was managing to keep a straight track, and even started to surf straight down the face of a three footer. But the inevitable happened. The bow went sharply to the left and over he went. His chosen path was slightly further west than ideal so he gained no benefit from the deep channel right next to the rocks. On rollover he’d kept hold of the paddle but the leash broke under the force of the surf so he was now separated from the yak which was drifting upside down in the surf zone, being dodged by all who encountered it. The yak was now being pulled toward the channel by the current and was in danger of being swept out to sea. Stormin was safe in his PFD but could not easily get to the yak so bigkev dashed heroically into the surf and swam out to intercept the yak and drag it back out of the channel. Eventually all were back on the beach with no real harm done. I understand that richmond got it all on video so we’ll likely be able to youtube it soon. As richmond said, some good lessons there.

Update 15May12. Video created and uploaded



While we were gathering at the washpoint, with not a fish between us, up from the beach came isobar and his friend Ben, who, unbeknown to us (no radios), had just returned to the beach. Ben, on his first ever trip offshore, had nailed a longtail about 98cm near Jew Shoal. He’d also apparently been rolled on his way out! (Ben, if you lost your straw hat, see corie’s comment later.)

Ben, from Tewantin, with his first yak-caught fish.

I think that both Mark and Ben are prospective Noosa Yakkers and have invited them to apply for membership. Isobar and Bigkev, please encourage them to join in as they both seem pretty good guys.

At the time of writing we don’t know how pedro went. How about an update, pedro?

Pretty much every day this week looks good and there’s even the possibility of a Doggie Beach launch on the weekend if the forecast holds. Hope you can make it.

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Email from corie about today:

”Launch was easier this morning. I made it out and back without incident. I came in early this morning as it was a hard slog out there at 5.30 with the early westerly. I went out to Abay reef for a little over an hour but was drifting too fast over the reef to fish plastics. I turned home around 7.30 passing a few guys on their way out. After I landed I realised the wind had died right off. Conditions look awesome now off sunshine. And whoever rolled on their way out and lost a straw hat it’s on the lifesavers’ rack.”

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From pedro
I launched around 5am about 100m up on eastern side of MG as the waves were slightly smaller and I had a better view of what was coming, resulting in a slightly wet bum.
As was mentioned I anchored in Granite Bay and set up a burley trail to catch garfish.

By 6.30 and no gar to be seen I packed up and trolled bait and lure south around the headland down as far as the surf club, with no surface activity seen I drift fished for a few hours.

Slowly heading north with the light winds I ended up opposite the southern end of the headland and with no bait lost or even a bite I trolled back via the edge of JS. 34k on the gps.

The beach at MG at 1pm was standing up and dumping on the sandbank, so after a full packdown and waiting just out the back of the sand monster for a lull I made it in between waves upright.

Cheers
Pedro