TR by sunshiner
Wind: light northerly
Swell: about 1m easterly
Water temp: 25.6°C
Tides: High 12:24am (1.22m); Low 05:59am (0.65m)
Current: weak easterly at Jew Shoal
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Surface action: None
Participants: sunshiner
My trip distance: 12.5km
Redmap: No sightings provided
Keen Angler Program: At least one snapper frame donated
The last three days Seabreeze has indicated for the Sunshine Coast a strong-ish northerly all day every day, but here in Noosa on those days the wind was almost non-existent until about 10am when the usual summer northerly kicked in. So I figured that today may be the same and started my preparations yesterday before Seabreeze had indicated that the northerly wind might moderate.
There was a gentle northerly, as it turned out, at 4:00am, but less than 5 knots, as MetEye had predicted. Tiny swell, and very little chop. Paddled out to Jew Shoal at my normal, measured pace, noting lack of terns. Jew Shoal, lack of baitfish, too. However I had the place completely to myself and the wind was perfect to try out a new mounting position for my GoPro. Wind from the north meant a drift toward the south, which meant my yak nose would be pointing toward the SW. As it's important to have the GoPro facing away from the rising sun, my new home-made GoPro bracket was in its element today, as you'll see from the movie embedded below.
I'd used up 30 minutes or so trolling and prospecting around Jew Shoal without result before I decided to set up a drift. As a start point I selected a mark NE of The Pinnacles, set up the trailing outfit (marlin rig?) and then mucked about for a while getting the camera into position. At last I was satisfied so picked up the casting outfit and laid out my first cast. The prawn-lookalike SP had been through quite a few battles and had been repaired with superglue at least twice (maybe snapper, grinner, pearl perch and ooglies like the smell of superglue) but just in case the glue's smell was a deterrent I'd tried to mask it by smearing on some of the scent which comes in the packet.
Watch the vid and you'll see the cast, the wait as the SP sinks gently, and the take. First cast, I'm on! Bewdy.
Short fight, typical of a snapper. Before I'd seen it I'd guessed it as a mid forties snapper, and so it turned out to be.
Nice start to my morning.
Movie (1min 30sec) with some possible tips for others who'd like to try.
I tried a little longer for more snapper but there was nothing much doing so I decided to head in early, trolling as I went. (Should have) kissed goodbye to my very old and battered HLP as I hung it out the back and paddled off. Five hundred metres, thumb in bum, mind in neutral, Charter Special screams its head off. That woke me up. The drag was set a little light and line was pouring off the reel so I bumped it up just a touch, nowhere near strike drag, felt the increased pressure then the dreaded sudden slack line. Shit! Shit! Reeled in to find the front eyelet of the small swivel still attached to the line. The rest of the swivel is out there somewhere, still attached to the wire trace, which in turn is still attached to the tow point of the lure, which is firmly attached to a rampaging Spaniard (I imagine).
Troll back to the beach with another battered HLP. No result.
On the beach:
If you catch a Spanish with a HLP in its mouth can I have the lure back please?
Kev Long
Sunshiner
Author Kayak Fishing Manual for iPhone, iPad and Mac (click linked text to view)
Stealth Supalite X, yellow/orange
FREE iBook "Kayak Fishing Laguna Bay & Jew Shoal" for iPhone, iPad and Mac
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