Jimbo's Clayton's Trip, 21Aug12

TR by Jimbo
Wind: Very variable, initially S-SSW ~5k, then swinging S-SSE-SE and increasing to ~8k, then dropping to almost nil on return into the lee of National park headland.
Current : NW>SE ~1k at Lt Halls Rf
Launch Point : Middle groyne
Participants : Jimbo & Eli (Tarzan)

I arrived in the MG car park at 0545 and dry-bum launched at 0610 in pancake flat, very low tide conditions. I literally had to drag the yak over a sandbar to about 15-20m from the seaward end of the rock groyne before I even got my feet wet.

I trolled a HLP across the river mouth and in close up along the lower north shore and then out to Little Halls Reef. I bottom bashed with prawns and a trailing pillie for about an hour, and then for another half hour at a mark just south of Halls Reef, all with nil result, save for a couple of small reefies.

Only two things worth noting:

1. Shortly after arriving at Little Halls, an unrecognized yakker approached from the direction of MG. This turned out to be Eli, aka Tarzan, trying out his new kayak just purchased on eBay and picked up for the Gold Coast yesterday. I didn't catch the make but it looked quite impressive. It is about twice the length of, and a considerable improvement on, his previous modified "surf ski". Separately, I am uncertain that Eli recognizes nor wants that nickname.

After a brief chat, Eli continued trolling north towards Halls Reef, obviously hoping to snare another random Longtail. Eli doesn't have a radio so I can't report his success or otherwise. Eli .... how did you go, and tell us a bit about your new yak?

2. There was a considerable NW to SE current flowing in the vicinity of Little Halls which at one point practically negated the brisk S-SE breeze resulting in me being almost stationary, despite the drogue being well deployed. I had to withdraw the drogue to get some reasonable drift "over the ground".

Although I wasn't confident of any better results, I trolled to Jew Shoal and bottom bashed at a few marks to the West and SW of the Pinnacles, again with nil result. At 10:30, having donated about a dozen nice banana prawns to the reefies, I pulled the pin and trolled back to MG for a (still) dry bum landing at 11:20am.

A nice paddle and some upper body exercise, but no fish. I think I'll stick to the river until someone reports some action on the close-in reefs.

Jimbo