Arriving at MG from Brissy around 3:20am, I decided to catch a few minutes sleep before heading out to nail a cobia. I met up with Jono and then Tim (redwood). We all launched without any issues. I rigged the rods up with 15lb fluorocarbon as I couldn't find my 40lb. This didn't bother me too much as I was after a cobia. Only got about 30m or so when the Tyrnos started singing, soon after I had a small shark yak side. I seriously thought about keeping him but thought it would be good karma to release and try for something bigger.
It wasn't long till I had another hit but this time the little Tyrnos was smoking. I slowly upped the drag and felt the braid pop almost instantly. Rigged up again and continued on my way to Jew Shoal. Once at Jew Shoal I was greeted with another nice little run but it missed the treble only by a few millimetres (pillie was cut clean in half).
Spent the next few hours trolling and drifting unweighted pillies with no luck. By now the wind and swell had picked up so I decided to do one last run before heading back to MG and I picked up a nice bonito soon after. Putting on my last pillie I only got about 100m when I got hit fast and hard. It had a few nice good runs. Then the trouble started. I couldn't believe what I saw. Somehow I'd hooked my first Spanish mackerel. After getting it yak side she did a few more small runs and about 25-30 passes until I eventually tail grabbed it with my 15 lb fluorocarbon leader painfully close to its mouth.
Once I had my precious Spaniard safely in the hatch I inspected my leader to find it had been rubbing up against its teeth during the fight. It broke very easily when tested; another run and the pedro would have been swimming away with some nice jewellery.
I arrived back at MG around 8:30 I think, and was greeted by Kev (Sunshiner) who had come down for a swim. He gladly took some photos for me and we had a chat as we watched jono land right next to us.
I am eagerly waiting for my next trip up to Noosa with Noosa Yakkers over the Christmas break if not sooner.
Thanks, Scotty
Addition by Redwood
I joined Scottie D and Jono in the car park at 4.30 and we were behind the back-line rigging up at 4.50. Not 2 min after starting the paddle to JS Scottie was onto what turned out to be a small shark. I thought I might troll my HLP190 in the same direction and I was immediately onto to something decent. It did a couple of small runs away from me, before coming straight at me and when I eventually got the line taught again the 4Olb leader snapped at the Albright. I assumed it was a shark because of Scottie's catch but after the event Scottie said he saw the fish jump out of the water--not typical shark behaviour. That was my second purple halco I'd lost this week.
Scottie and I decided to troll around the area a bit. I did a few laps before heading out to JS sticking close to the headland. Scottie followed a while later and told me he lost something halfway to JS, which is where Tunny and I had both picked up the Bonito 3 days prior.
As I got into JS I paddled up to Jono to see how he was going and while he was telling me that he had no action, he had a small bump on his trailed garfish, but no hookup. All the while talking to Jono I was reeling in my line to mitigate a tangle and when I got to the leader I saw my HLP120 was gone, the brand new wire cut clean in half. I don't even remember getting a bump. That was the third purple halco I'd lost this week.
I had a large Yazui HBL ready to go so I tied that on and trolled around for half an hour without any action. I switched it for a Qantas HLP120 and trolled that for another half hour for no result. Along the way I met Corie another NY from Brisbane. Seems the G20 had it's perks. He had no action either.
I decided to pull the pin around 7am as I couldn't stay out too long. But before I headed back I thought I'd better try and find Scottie and Jono as I couldn't see them and the wind from the North was blowing about 10 knots. I found them a fair way East of the Pinnacles and advised that as they both had no GPS or working radios that they should make sure they should try and keep the end of the headland in sight. A regular 4km paddle back to the beach could easily turn into a 6 or 7km. Wind is an off shore kayakers enemy number one and a GPS, even a cheapie, is a good investment to help keep track of how far and fast you're drifting.
The troll back was uneventful and surf return no trouble with good timing. I'm starting to be able to read the swell from the back, which is really good news.
On my way out, stuck in a traffic jam in Hastings St, I had a quick chat to Sunshiner who was heading in the other direction for a swim and I'm sure to have a chat with returning kayakers. As usual his timing was impeccable and got to the beach to greet Scottie and the first Spaniard of the season.
Two trips out this week and I was back at home before 9am. Not the worst way to start your day.
Redwood
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