Wind: calm early, with a northerly springing up later
Swell: about 1m SE
Water temp: 20°C
Current: at Jew Shoal, none
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: pedro, sunshiner
Keen Angler Program: N/A
Well, you know it's been cold lately. Hence my arrival at Middle Groyne at 08:10. Yep, pedro was already launched, despite the chilly and overcast morning. His big German yak carrier was parked in my and his favourite spot, so it was to my second choice parking spot today, although there were plenty of other spots to choose from, given that a few drops of rain were hitting the beach.
Before I'd even unloaded I dashed off to the beach with my radio and established immediate contact with pedro at Jew Shoal. His report was not encouraging. Been there since before dawn, hadn't had a touch on his succulent baits; bloody cool too; and showery. Sunshine Reef was beckoning him.
Dawn rainbow from Jew Shoal, by pedro.
Hmmm, go or not? Ah, wind was light, why not. I dashed back to the Zook, promising to call pedro as soon as I was launched.
Launch time
A couple of minutes later, pedro had better news. While I'd been launching he'd boated a keeper sweetie. He'd be staying at Jew Shoal for a while longer. I dialled up The Pinnacles and headed out in glassy conditions, releasing the HLP for its periodic, usually unmolested, 40 minute ocean swim.
A radio interruption from pedro… he'd nailed another sweetie, and dropped a decent flathead. His was the only dot on the horizon and I paddled up to within hailing distance, arriving as scheduled, at 09:20, retrieving the untouched ocean swimmer as we exchanged morning pleasantries. By now, he'd been at Jew Shoal for about three hours, with no action except for the last hour. Rarely the best dressed kayak fisher in Noosa, today pedro sported a pale blue scarf, or perhaps it was a towel, draped around his head and tied under his chin with his trademark large straw hat plonked on top, strapped down despite the lack of wind. Clearly the fish don't care about his attire as he'd boated yet another sweetie before I arrived.
His latest sweetie
Against my better judgement we soon set up a fishing comp between us: SP (me!) versus bait (him!), as we drifted in close proximity, gently toward the east. Start time: 09:25.
In five minutes, it was pedro 3, sunshiner nil. Admittedly his three were all released (one just legal snapper, and two way-undersize red emperor) and he offered to not count them. All of his fish had been taken on the same rig, which he held in his hand while two other outfits went untouched.
Red emperor, juvenile, pic included for benefit of members who may not be aware of it. This highly prized fish has a minimum legal size of 55cm and is sometimes taken at Jew Shoal, but we've never seen a legal specimen there or at Sunshine Reef. Pic by whalebait.
Pedro's rig.
Almost an hour later, the score was the same. By now we'd become separated somewhat as I'd set up a different drift pattern. And now I could sense pedro coming up behind me to check on how I was doing or possibly to make sure I was still alive (he's caring like that). Just as he got to me and in his full view, I hooked up to what seemed like a decent sweetie. The rod bent and the reel drag clicker made all the right sounds and I just knew that sweetlip was on the menu at my place. Ten seconds' fun was all I had. The hook pulled. A tiny chin scale, neatly and teasingly impaled on the jighead point, was the only bit of the sweetlip I recovered.
We fished on for another hour or so for no more result (other than a spinefoot hooked in its anal area by me) before pedro decided to head for New Zealand, checking out north Sunshine on the way. I reckon pedro will one day perform the first ever Noosa Yakkers 24 hour straight fishing session and is probably working on his next invention: a way to sleep comfortably without falling overboard on a Hobie Revo.
The sun came out and the breeze increased. I fished on until 12:30-ish and then headed for Middle Groyne, letting pedro, at Sunshine Reef, know as I left the shoal. You know what's coming, don't you? Yep, pedro radioed just as I got to the groyne telling me he'd won our comp fair and square as he'd just boated another keeper, a schoolie which had grabbed his new rig when it was being retrieved.
So pedro won, easily. Next bout, maybe next Wednesday.
Kev Long
Sunshiner
Author Kayak Fishing Manual for iPad and Mac (click linked text to view)
Stealth Supalite X, yellow/orange
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