Lucky Strike - 14Oct15

TR by Redwood

Trip date: 14/10/2015

Participants: Sunshiner, Redwood

Launch Site: Middle Groyne

Conditions: 1m swell, light winds (multiple directions), rain

Keen Angler Program: None (they don't want Cobia)

A yakless Zook greeted me at the MG carpark at around 5.15am—Sunshiner had already hit the big blue. I readied my yak and traversed the surf zone with ease and was headed out to JS to join Sunshiner by 5.30. I noticed that unusually the sounder was lighting up with bait fish and what appeared to be bigger fish not far off the rock wall and 15min after launching my heavy rig went with a HLP120 on the end went off. I grabbed the rod and gave the line a few short jerks to hopefully set the hook and then started to reel in. The fish must have been going toward me as I was able to get a lot of line in before the tension came on and when it did I knew it was a decent fish; I could tell it wasn’t a shark.

Unlike many impatient and unsuccessful attempts to boat large hook ups before, this time I was in no hurry and I made sure the drag was not too tight, I even lessened the tension and settled in to play the patient game. It didn’t take as long as I thought it would and less than 15min later I had a nice Cobia in the hatch. The hooks were not set very well and I’m very surprised they didn’t pull. Must be that tough Cobia skin. My watch alarm went off which meant it was 6am. 6am and only 2.5km from the beach meant it could be a very short day on the water for me, but I decided to head out to JS to at least keep Sunshiner company and perhaps bag another fish.

Nice Cobe caught only 2.5KM from MG

At around this time I heard a big clap of thunder so I checked the BOM radar and it looked small so I decided to keep going. The rain did come down pretty hard and both of us got pretty soaked. The sun behind the rain produced a very unusual glowing yellow sky—quite beautiful.

I arrived at JS and found Sunshiner who kindly took a few snaps of the Cobia.

I've still gotta learn how to hold that fish like a machine gun - pic by Sunshiner

Sunshiner said he’d found a spot with same baitfish so I decided to do a bit of SP drifting with him. After a while I thought I might try to bag a livey and see if that might attract another Cobia but was having no luck in the spot I was in. I paddled all around JS and finally found a big bait ball and jigged up 4 yakka’s, one of which went out on my livey rig.

By this time Sunshiner was also paddling around looking for baitfish but also just moving his muscles so he could warm up as the earlier soaking and made things a bit chilly. Sunshiner had a few nice hits early but didn't hook up and was not having much luck later in the morning. All was quiet at JS except for a number of dolphins and the occasional deep blow of a whale (I only heard it, didn't see it).

By 9am I was feeling a bit green from all the close work I was doing with the baitfish jigging and trying to undo the serious twist up of my livey and HLP rigs almost sent me over the edge. Sunshiner had organised for some of his family, who were up in Noosa on holiday, to be on the beach by 9.30am, so I was more than happy to head back.

We arrived back on the beach exacly at 9.30am and did the customary brag mat and fish holder pics with one brave Sunshinerite volunteering to hold the very slimy and fishy smelling Cobia. Thanks Annie!

Annie Sunshiner from Melbourne

On the beach I read the length as 1m and knew that was well under the record so didn't bother measuring too accurately, but looks like over 110 in the pic. 10cm worth of parallax? It's possible.

Looks like this guy may have been hooked before as the notch out of the bottom lip was not my hook. You can see where mine hooked in the corner of the mouth.

It was really good to get out on the bay again after what seems like a very long hiatus and to bag such a splendid eating fish was a big bonus. Thanks for the company and pics Sunshiner.