Sandbank called Panno's 15Apr13

TR by sunshiner with contribution by bomber

Wind: Calm
Swell: 2m ESE
Current: at Jew Shoal, SW to NE, pretty quick
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: stormin, bomber, sunshiner

All night I could hear the surf booming on Sunshine Beach and put it down to low overnight temperature transmitting the sound better than the warm nights we've been having. After all, hadn't I checked Middle Groyne yesterday arvo and given the launch the thumbs up? The swell was practically non-existent then.

There was a little, shall we say, "reservation" about the demeanour of my two companions when I arrived last, but on time at the carpark in the dark this morning. They told me that they'd been down to the beach for a look and it didn’t look as good as they thought it would be. It wasn't the wind, which was non-existent, but the swell. Somehow yesterday’s low swell had changed overnight, perhaps in response to that deep low way down near Sydney. Curious, I went down for a peep and witnessed a couple of serious close-outs right across the front of the groyne, but 30m out, where the sandbank now named "Panno's", had formed. Still haven't found that rod holder screwed to a jagged piece of blue and white fibreglass have we?

Anyway to placate the two youngsters I proposed we wait until it got a little bit light before launching (or not) and they too readily agreed. The light came and revealed the three of us with our yaks in ready to go configuration, but no one in a hurry to be first. I pointed out the lulls and counted the biggies, no more than three in each set, and still no one moved. As I have the least to lose, being the only one who has already lived an almost full lifetime, and no longer with dependants, the pressure was on me to run the gauntlet and find out whether it was survivable. Bomber was by now showing his intention of having a go, or perhaps he was just stalling, by adding various extra tie-downs to his Esky and stashing as much stuff as possible below decks. Stormin, a veteran of this sort of stuff, could do no more to his yak, everything being already stashed and double strapped and I think was considering going into the bush to attend to another call of nature. Eventually the suspense got to me. Muttering something about young blokes being supposed to look after the old blokes, I floated my boat and jumped on.

The Middle Groyne express was roaring along today. My paddle blades were barely wet before I was into the deeper holding area at the end of the wall, backpaddling to avoid being dragged into the gaping maw of the sand monster just 30m ahead. Two decent waves and then a lull appeared. Off I went, and just as suddenly stopped and backpaddled as another wave face popped up out of nowhere then broke satisfyingly about 20m ahead. The Stealth made short work of that one and I was away again, charging toward the next face, forming already but thankfully not so big as some this morning. With a loud slap we cleared that nasty just before it broke and I was in clear water, paddling like hell, cresting two more before I could truly relax and retrieve the floating lip gripper dragging along on its leash behind me. (I'd changed its securing system but this was its first test run; Fail.)

Now I could settle back and enjoy the show. "One at a time!" I'd warned the youngsters on the beach and soon I could see bomber's white paddle blades upping and downing. There were some pretty big waves coming in and it reminded me of that day a few months back at the end of a trip when Jaro and I were waiting out the back and Jaro got smashed from behind… but that's another story. Anyway I was feeling sorry for young bomber because there was no turning around now. He waited and seemed to make a pretty good call but I knew he was in trouble when he only just punched through one wave, sending spray flying as his bow broke through, and with reduced forward speed faced another, bigger wave which was curling nastily. Remember, I'm out the back, and seeing only that point of view. That wave closed out with a roar, itself sending spray flying vertically upward as the dropping face bounced off the flat surface and bomber, which received it. Next thing I see is the underside of bomber's boat with its stern facing out to sea, left behind in the white frothy mess as the wave continued on its way to our beach. Sand monster scores one.

While bomber made his way on foot, chest deep, back to the beach to lick his wounds, find stuff that had broken loose and explain to early morning beach walkers what he was doing, stormin was afloat and on the move toward the end of the groyne. He patiently waited and eventually cracked the right combination and joined me quite quickly, finishing with a big grin and a flourish by pedalling through the last couple of steep faces.

Bomber followed soon afterward, this time laughing at the sand monster as he passed.

Bomber emotionally relates his experience with the sand monster

So, now in good order, we soon set course for Jew Shoal, hoping that the water out there might be a little clearer than here, where murk was everywhere and not a creature dimpled the glassy surface.

Jew Shoal was a little better, clarity wise, but still not perfect. Bomber regained some ground by nailing a keeper grassy almost immediately, on a pillie. Also using bait, stormin was still fishless, as was I, using SPs when, about 08:15 we all decided to head west toward Little Halls Reef to check the prospects there. All we had seen at Jew Shoal were a few splashes, probably marauding longtail, and two dolphins. There was plenty of bait showing on the sounder but we had nothing but bomber's grassy in the fishboxes.

Travelling in loose formation, we were all trolling similar hb lures toward Little Halls Reef and the water was getting murkier, I thought. No doubt the fresh water and debris again pouring through the river mouth were the main cause. Then a quick radio call from stormin, down the back: "I'm on". I was pretty sure this would probably be a longtail and immediately told stormin that I was heading back toward him to get some pics, knowing that stormin has never had a happy encounter with a longtail in the past.

The sea was rolling but like glass and the sun was starting to peep through. Here are a few pics of the action.

Stormin's first longtail

Bomber had hung around to witness the capture and now the three of us continued south with no further action, but a few sightings of longtail, and water becoming more murky until we arrived at Middle Groyne. Guess what, the sand monster was still hanging around, although there was now a little more water over Panno's.

Bomber contrived to get there first and stormin let me know that bomber had "taken a bath" although I think he'd actually made it almost all the way in before the monster snuck up behind and got him. Doc Dog was on the beach at this time, too, just to say hello and so I was on my best behaviour when I went through, unscathed, second. Stormin had stowed the 12kg longtail in his fish bag strapped to the stern and we watched with interest as he slowly and teasingly approached the monster which was rearing up suddenly from time to time. The beach commentary went something like this "Go stormin, go" "Ah, shit", "He's gone". Stormin was in the break zone and had successfully allowed a large wave to roll under him but then had failed to notice that a bigger version was next. Actually we all thought he had a chance for a second or two and we had a clear view of him as if we were viewing him and his yak from above as he stared at the ocean floor when his yak went down the steep face of the wave. Amazingly, he survived the first drop and all we could see was two legs up in the air as he held the yak "upright" on the broken wave. But soon he too was in the drink. Sand monster scores two.

A couple of beach pics

Right on one metre

Thanks for coming along guys, great company.

Kev
sunshiner

---

Contribution by bomber

Well folks as Kev has already stated I headed out this morning with him and Stormin. Stormin and I had arrived first and decided to take a look at the beach while we waited for Kev. Although it was dark we could see some pretty serious shadows of looming dumpers well out past the rock wall. When Kev arrived we waited until light and observed some serious dumpers but with enough time in between sets, maybe! Well Kev told it pretty well actually. When I timed my run I made it past two serious waves only to look up and see an even bigger one ready to break pretty much on top of me. I have rowed surf boats for a number of years so wasn't too concerned about getting nailed, adds to the adventure. What I didn't count on was the bag attached to the rear of my kayak seat ripped open and out floated my sounder, GPS and tackle box. I also had a laser pro lure in the bag which managed to lodge itself in my rash shirt and in my lower back. Oh well luckily I got my gear back and made it to the beach where I asked to passers by if they could assist in removing the hook. It was all fun and games. I then repacked the yak and set off again this time making it out. Once out we all had a good laugh and headed for jew shoal. Now I am usually a SP fisherman as I became addicted to this form of fishing on a trip to Weipa last year. However here at Noosa I have had very little luck so used a snell rig with whole pillies which was hit within 30 seconds of dropping it down and I landed a legal sweetlip, 36cm so not huge but great dinner size fish. After that had a few other strikes but nothing overly decent. Did have the shit scared out of me though by a dolphin that decided to surface directly beside my yak. After that Kev pretty much covered our trip to little halls and Stormins fish. I did see some schools of longtail tuna hitting baits on the surface at times. Yes I did get wet again on trip in but it was no where near as spectacular as Stormin's entrance and I felt like getting wet anyway, at least that's my excuse. Thanks also to Stormin who decided to cut some fair decent slabs off his Tuna so Kev and I could take a bit home. All in all, good company, good laugh and a few fillets of fish for dinner so thanks boys.

Bomber