Sunday Spanish Special 31May15

TR by Diesel

Trip date: 31/5/15

Participants: Sunshiner, ScottieD, Jaro, Redwood, Diesel

Launch Site:  Middle Groyne

Conditions: Low swell, light winds from North, early fog for a period

Keen Angler Program: None

Sunrise behind the clouds that eventually enveloped us

I arrived at Middle Groyne at around 0530 , thinking I would be first, only to find Redwood and Scotty D already there.

I went and checked out the beach for launch conditions and found perfect for a  dry bum launch.  A fog covered the main beach and we had 30 cm waves to contend with and almost high tide.  Perfect!

Sunshiner had arrived so we set up to launch, Four Stealth kayaks lined up on the beach  in the pre dawn light. As there is no collective noun for stealths , I made one up!  A slyness of Stealths!

Jaro arrived soon after and we set out for Little Halls Reef  (Shark Alley) which should provide smooth conditions and has been productive over the last few weeks.

I was chasing any thing that swims in the sea and there was a big possibility of a shark between MG and LHR. Being an ex Victorian we don't mind a bit of flake.

I was trolling with a 120 Halco minnow pattern HBL and a pilly set up on a mack special rig.

Diesel's Spanish special

The sun had risen behind the fog on the horizon and it  was coming on 0700 when my Shimano Charter Special  started to squawk.  With line coming off at walking pace I was thinking it would be a shark leisurely swimming off with my tackle so I casually  jacked up the drag on the Charter and  started recovering  my 120 HBL on the other rod and generally tidying up the deck to make room for a Shark.

After recovering around 200 metres of line back onto the reel and a not so difficult fight I got colour for the first time and to my surprise it was a Spanish Mackerel, now I wasn't casual any more, this was serious, my first Spaniard.

After a couple of short sharp runs I had him along side the yak and with a single stroke with the gaff it was out of the water and  into the hatch. Well not quite so easy, I had to twist and jiggle it quite a bit to fit it in!

A tight squeeze. Time to celebrate with some ice-cream

I called sunshiner and told him of the catch and started paddling in his direction for some on water pics.

My first Spaniard

There is a bit of radio chatter with Yakkers  being bitten off  by hit and run pelagics. Redwood lost a 160 deep diver to one of Halls Reef denizens of the deep.

I started  bottom bashing for something different  and within five minutes I had a very angry shark sharing the cockpit, the day is getting better. The hatch is filling fast!

Over the next half hour I hooked two more sharks which were released back to the reef none the worse for wear. By now its after eight and the fog rolled in. Visibility at this time was reduced to around 70 metres so using the GPS was the order of the day. Everyone continued to troll or bottom bash without result. We bumbled around in the fog till it lifted then the exodus started, back to Middle Groyne. I had travelled quite a way north and therefore was the last one back at just after eleven.

Sunshiner and Redwood waited for me to land and then the show and tell started.

I enlisted the services of two lovely young ladies on the beach to help with the photo's.

Danielle and Camilla from Saskatchewan, Canada who are holidaying in Noosa  were more than happy to hold the fish for the photo's.

Danielle and Camilla from Saskatchewan, Canada. Spanish Mackerel from Laguna Bay.

These girls could have a big career in fish modelling. Just joking!  Thanks girls, enjoy your stay in Aust.

Thanks to Sunshiner for the pics.

My first Mackerel, it doesn't get any better.

Another day in paradise!