TR by Redwood
Trip date: 16 January 2013
Participants: Redwood
Launch Site: Lions Park
Destination: Rivermouth
Conditions: Wind SE 15 knots at times, tide high running in
Very late in the day I decided to load up the yak and hit the river seeings as I would be right there for a meeting at Noosa Community Radio (or Noosa 101.3FM as they'd now like to be called). The meeting ended about 8.00 and I was in the water by 8.30. Although it was full moon their was full cloud cover, so it was much darker than expected, but I had remembered my headlamp this time.
I headed up to Ricky's and tootled between the boats in the Woods Bay trolling a gold bomber and R2S live minnow. I rounded the bay point and crossed over to the South side to the jetties just before Ricky's. As I approached Ricky's I could see a group of 'utes' (youths) fishing from one of the boat ramps. "You got lines out mate, 'cause so do we", one of them said. I'd started to head away from them when the reel went off. Bugger I thought, I've snagged their lines, but it turned out to be a Hairtail. The utes were most impressed. I told them what it was and that they were not very good eating, but one of them said he'd eat it. I paddled over and dropped the fish on the ramp at their feet, which was followed by an explosion of expletives from the boys and screeching from the girls. In short, they'd never seen anything like it. They were also not so keen to eat it any longer, so I put it back.
I did a couple of laps up and down past Ricky's but didn't get any more action, so decided to press on towards the rivermouth. I passed the sandbags and crossed for a run in the Frying Pan, which yielded nothing, so I hugged the North Shore and headed down to the mouth.
As I got closer to the mouth I could see a few fishermen on the bank. I tried to avoid their lines and thought I had succeeded, but the reel going off landed up being one of their lines. I beached the yak and spent 5 minutes untangling before continuing further down toward the mouth. Just as I headed off, the bomber went off and I reeled in another Hairtail. Somehow in trying to set the thing loose my lines had become tangled so I beached the yak again and sorted it out. I had unfortunately lost my R2S in the process. I re-rigged with something similar but smaller. Tying Albright knots in the wind is a bugger. I took a few pics of the Hairtail while I had it out of the water and noticed that it had a big chunk missing from it's tail which, might explain why it was jumping out of the water while I was reeling it in.
I sorted everything out and jumped back in the yak hoping for something better tasting and nicer looking. On the North West end of the mouth I could see a few waves breaking on a sandbank. They didn't look like much trouble but I was keen to avoid them and the sandbar causing them. The wind was pumping in from the South and the long Evo was putty in it's hands. Soon enough the bomber reel went off again and this time a 38cm Trevally. I reached for the net and secured the fish, but unfortunately the 3 trebles on the bomber had also secured themselves in the net's webbing. While trying to unhook them I was getting pushed quite rapidly toward the waves and before I knew it I was in amongst them. Not too much trouble I thought until one stood up, about 4 feet, and crashed over me and the open hatch. I was very fortunate that the bow of the boat was 90 degrees to the wave and the nose punched through. If I'd been a bit sideways I would have gone over for sure. I closed the hatch and paddled out of the waves and beached the yak again.
I quickly headed out again and very soon was on again, but it came off. Not to worry, because 2 minutes after that I landed another 40cm Trevally, this time without the net, just lifted and aimed for the open hatch. Once inside, I closed the hatch and beached the yak again. This looked like it might become the pattern for the evening. Headed out again from the North shore diagonally across to the fishing platform on the South bank, staying away from the waves as much as possible. I reached the other side and on my return was hit by something a bit bigger. This time a very nice Tailor that landed up measuring 56cm. Again, I managed to lift and drag it into the hatch and with line and hooks still in I paddled and beached the yak again.
By this time, around 10.30, the clouds had cleared and the full moon illuminated the landscape like a spotlight. There were a couple stinkies around and quite a few fishing from the South bank, but not as many as I would have expected on a full moon. I repeated the process and in a very similar spot landed a very nice 46cm Trevally. All the fish so far had been gained on the gold bomber.
I started trolling again and been hadn't been paddling long when I noticed a large black shape breach the water just behind me. I assumed the thing was going for my bomber which was dangling about 20cm above the water surface. I quickly dropped the bomber in the water and sure enough I was immediately onto what ever was chasing it; another Hairtail. I beached the yak and tried to release the Hairtail, but I think it was too far gone. I decided to to one more loop and then head for home. The loop yielded nothing and so did the paddle back.
I arrived back at Lions Park at midnight and unfortunately instead of coming back in piece and quiet, some drunken utes where having an altercation near the Sheraton. This is the second time I've come back to this type of nonsense in as many weeks. Unpleasant utes aside, what a top night and thanks again gold bomber.
Very late in the day I decided to load up the yak and hit the river seeings as I would be right there for a meeting at Noosa Community Radio (or Noosa 101.3FM as they'd now like to be called). The meeting ended about 8.00 and I was in the water by 8.30. Although it was full moon their was full cloud cover, so it was much darker than expected, but I had remembered my headlamp this time.
I headed up to Ricky's and tootled between the boats in the Woods Bay trolling a gold bomber and R2S live minnow. I rounded the bay point and crossed over to the South side to the jetties just before Ricky's. As I approached Ricky's I could see a group of 'utes' (youths) fishing from one of the boat ramps. "You got lines out mate, 'cause so do we", one of them said. I'd started to head away from them when the reel went off. Bugger I thought, I've snagged their lines, but it turned out to be a Hairtail. The utes were most impressed. I told them what it was and that they were not very good eating, but one of them said he'd eat it. I paddled over and dropped the fish on the ramp at their feet, which was followed by an explosion of expletives from the boys and screeching from the girls. In short, they'd never seen anything like it. They were also not so keen to eat it any longer, so I put it back.
I did a couple of laps up and down past Ricky's but didn't get any more action, so decided to press on towards the rivermouth. I passed the sandbags and crossed for a run in the Frying Pan, which yielded nothing, so I hugged the North Shore and headed down to the mouth.
As I got closer to the mouth I could see a few fishermen on the bank. I tried to avoid their lines and thought I had succeeded, but the reel going off landed up being one of their lines. I beached the yak and spent 5 minutes untangling before continuing further down toward the mouth. Just as I headed off, the bomber went off and I reeled in another Hairtail. Somehow in trying to set the thing loose my lines had become tangled so I beached the yak again and sorted it out. I had unfortunately lost my R2S in the process. I re-rigged with something similar but smaller. Tying Albright knots in the wind is a bugger. I took a few pics of the Hairtail while I had it out of the water and noticed that it had a big chunk missing from it's tail which, might explain why it was jumping out of the water while I was reeling it in.
 |
| Hairtail with some tail missing |
 |
| The stuff of nightmares (my daughter tells me she won't sleep after seeing this). |
I quickly headed out again and very soon was on again, but it came off. Not to worry, because 2 minutes after that I landed another 40cm Trevally, this time without the net, just lifted and aimed for the open hatch. Once inside, I closed the hatch and beached the yak again. This looked like it might become the pattern for the evening. Headed out again from the North shore diagonally across to the fishing platform on the South bank, staying away from the waves as much as possible. I reached the other side and on my return was hit by something a bit bigger. This time a very nice Tailor that landed up measuring 56cm. Again, I managed to lift and drag it into the hatch and with line and hooks still in I paddled and beached the yak again.
By this time, around 10.30, the clouds had cleared and the full moon illuminated the landscape like a spotlight. There were a couple stinkies around and quite a few fishing from the South bank, but not as many as I would have expected on a full moon. I repeated the process and in a very similar spot landed a very nice 46cm Trevally. All the fish so far had been gained on the gold bomber.
I started trolling again and been hadn't been paddling long when I noticed a large black shape breach the water just behind me. I assumed the thing was going for my bomber which was dangling about 20cm above the water surface. I quickly dropped the bomber in the water and sure enough I was immediately onto what ever was chasing it; another Hairtail. I beached the yak and tried to release the Hairtail, but I think it was too far gone. I decided to to one more loop and then head for home. The loop yielded nothing and so did the paddle back.
I arrived back at Lions Park at midnight and unfortunately instead of coming back in piece and quiet, some drunken utes where having an altercation near the Sheraton. This is the second time I've come back to this type of nonsense in as many weeks. Unpleasant utes aside, what a top night and thanks again gold bomber.
 |
| The nights bounty |
No comments:
Post a Comment