Wind: SE 5 knots inside the bay, building to 15 knots southerly in open waters
Swell: low easterly
Current: none detected
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: richmond, eyetag, daveyg, sunshiner, stormin, turtleboy, whalerider
Launch conditions were ideal this morning, but we all were pretty sure that once we were a couple of km offshore things would chop up a bit. We were right, but, as it turned out, we had to battle an unforecast wind direction change also. Stormin, I and DaveyG, on his first launch as a Noosa Yakker (but by no means his first launch), launched together at around 0600, perhaps 30 minutes or so after eyetag and richmond and about 15 minutes before turtleboy and whalerider.
06:01. DaveyG finalizing his pre-launch preparations.
Based on the forecast, I’d opted to hug the shelter of the headland to the east then use the breeze to swing out to Jew Shoal where I thought some pelagics may be hanging around. A plan to target snapper was also in my mind. Stormin and DaveyG opted to tag along with me even though we’d found out straight after launch that eyetag and richmond were heading toward Hall’s Reef. The initial report of no action from these two confirmed in my mind that perhaps we had a reasonable plan (Wrong!).
Just before we three set off I noticed another yak fisher afloat just off the groyne. Wondering who this was I paddled over to find a young guy afloat on what looked like a bloated surf board, with two rods sticking out of it. It turned out that his name is Eli, from Kin Kin. I’d never seen him before and certainly had never seen an offshore fishing craft like his out there before.
Eli, who intends to join Noosa Yakkers.
It would have been ill-mannered of me not to invite him to come along with us so before long he’d made our trio a foursome. Stormin, having somewhat fallen out of love with his Hobie Outback after his first few encounters with the Middle Groyne launch, was riding a borrowed Hobie Revolution, a skinnier boat than his usual ride, and thus easier to paddle, a characteristic which is very useful in surf.
On the way to Jew Shoal I noticed that the wind seemed stronger than I’d hoped it would be but it was still safe in my opinion. To my amazement Eli had no problem keeping up with us, even with a chunk missing from one of his paddle blades. With little sign of pelagic action at Jew Shoal I rerigged both rods for snapper fishing only to start receiving info by radio that our chums to the west were now encountering plenty of pelagics. It was here that I noticed that the wind was much more southerly than the forecast SE, as my (too fast) drift track on my GPS clearly revealed.
OK, too fast to drift fish, no pelagics here, it was an easy decision. DaveyG had already taken it and started to move west. I also initially decided to head toward the action which by now was hotting up with eyetag and richmond exhorting us to ”get over here”. The trouble was that eyetag’s ”here” was over three kilometres away, across and down the wind. (Eyetag, of course, didn’t know our position, and neither should he.) And to get back to Middle Groyne from there involved an arduous plod directly into a probably strengthening southerly. See what I mean:
And here’s the actual wind at the time (note the change in direction at about launch time).
It was around now that a waterspout appeared to the west of a heavy shower under the dark mass of cloud to the north. I’ve seen several of these over the sea out from Noosa but this time I had my camera ready.
After a short time on the NW track I very quickly concluded that the trip wasn’t worth the trouble especially as both stormin and Eli (neither of whom had radios), might choose to follow me into a situation they perhaps were unprepared for.
Accordingly, I turned into the wind directly for Middle Groyne and noticed immediately that my GPS showed that my speed through the water dropped to around 3kph as a result of wind speed and chop. But at least I knew I was making headway and would get back to the beach in about an hour provided the wind didn’t strengthen. Both stormin and Eli travelled with me and after about 50 minutes of hard yakka we reached the more sheltered waters of the inner bay.
By now I was aware from radio reports that the others were also headed for home, slogging into the relentless southerly wind, a couple of them with quite a load of fish aboard.
The beach landing was of course, dead easy in the southerly wind. I went in first closely followed by stormin who then decided he’d go back out and try out the borrowed Revo in the tiny surf break.
Then came DaveyG
and Eli
The remaining four, eyetag, richmond, turtleboy and whalerider were together, about 30 minutes behind us. The fish the first two pulled out when they hit the beach caused a bit of excitement among the usual beachgoers. Richmond and eyetag had three longtails each, and all were in the range 90-100cm long. They were the only two to catch fish today and from what I heard they could have caught a lot more in the feeding frenzy they encountered.
Eyetag with his three longtails
Richmond with one of his three
The largest fish in each catch was measured and was found to be just on or under a metre long. Eyetag’s largest weighed 9.5kg. It’s interesting that the first longtail we caught this calendar year (February) was 105cm long (and stands as a NY Record). Since then we’ve caught many and all of them have been between 90 and 102cm long. They are hard fighting fish and we’re very fortunate that they’ve been in such abundance this year. The longtail season shows little sign of ending.
Contribution from richmond
I arrived in the MG car park at 4.45am. I was met by Eyetag shortly after. We rigged up and launched at 5.07 am. Although it was dark, dry bums and no dramas with the launch were enjoyed by both of us.
We had both decided to head north along the beach. I intended to head out to Halls Reef when I was directly west of it. Our paddle up to Halls was leisurely with the wind near on our backs, it was also uneventful with no hits on our trolled lures. Ian decided to keep trolling along the beach area and I headed out to Halls to soak a few baits and try and bag some Grassies. I didn’t last long out there as the wind was gusting up to 15kts and the drift was becoming too fast. Besides that, Ian kept interjecting on his radio with a screaming reel every couple of minutes.
Ian had bagged 2 Mack Tuna by the time I got to the feeding Longtail. They were everywhere, busting up, leaping out, smashing the tiny frogmouths.
First cast with the 40gm raider and I was on. Long hard run and I pulled the hooks. Cast again, strike, and I’m on again. 20 minutes later on 20lb braid loaded on the Daiwa 4000 Sol and I boat a very stubborn Longtail about a metre in length. After stowing that fish I sent out another cast, hookup, pulled hooks. Another cast, hookup, pulled hooks. They were ravenous.
I fire off another cast and hookup solid. The Longtails were on steroids today. This fish was so tough I couldn’t budge him from under the yak. He ended up dragging me 560 metres from hookup! The strong southerly wind didn’t help my cause. After close to 30 minutes I finally sink the gaff. My forearms were on fire.
With the strengthening southerly and a 6km paddle directly into the teeth of the wind, I decided to head for home.
For the trip home I decide to put a Manns stretch 20 minnow out the back. Why, I don’t know.
About a kilometre north of Little Halls I get a solid strike on my trolled lure. This fight was much quicker than the battles on the threadline. The Daiwa Sealine overhead loaded with 15kg mono quickly knocked this Longtail over much to my delight.
That was it for me, no more lines out, no more casting at fish. I had a brutal paddle home into the wind, the BFS was slapping like a retarded seal.
A top day for both Ian and myself with both of us landing three Longtails each. Ian also bagged a couple of Mack Tuna.
Was good to meet DaveyG on the beach, I hope you enjoyed your fish mate.
Jeff (Richmond)
Contribution from eyetag
I had a plan and I stuck to it.
The plan was to head North trolling a hardbody,hoping to find some fish. Jeff and I left Middle Groyne 5.05am and headed north. We'd paddled all the way to the second cutting and nothing had happened. Jeff’s plan was to head East to Halls and bash the bottom. I went the opposite way hoping for some pelagic action.
After about another half hour of paddling, the ocean seemed to come to life with tuna everywhere. I wound in my trolled lure and cast out a slug. Straight away I got hit and was locked in battle with a Mack Tuna, then another.
I got on the radio and let the other Noosa Yakkers know of the action but unfortunately most were too far away and by the time they arrived the action had slowed and the wind was up.
Meanwhile the fish were everywhere. Hoping for some longtail my wish was granted with the next fish, then another and another. I was reminded whilst fighting the second longtail that you don't high stick a graphite rod (hold it straight up with the load straight down). It snapped so I caught the last 2 Longies on a heavier outfit which was still a battle; they just don't know when to stop. Today was one of those days you remember for a longtail time.
Ian
callsign: eyetag
Great reports guys - very entertaining.
ReplyDelete