Little haul at Halls - 2Jan16

TR by Redwood

Trip date: 2/1/2016

Participants: Diesel, Sunshiner, ScottyD, Panno,
Rylin, Gemini, Stormin, Tunny & Redwood 

Launch Site:  Middle Groyne

Conditions: 5-10knot wind from the South

Keen Angler Program: None

Finally my availability and good weather conditions coincided and it was time to hit our magnificent Laguna Bay. I arrived at 4.15 only to find empty roof racks. Seems launch time was 4.15 not arrival time. Fellow Gentleman's Hour devotee Weeksie joined me for an easy launch, Weeksie feeling a bit naked as he'd left his PFD behind.

I made a callout to see where everybody was headed and I was reliably informed that most had gone to Jew Shoal, but Tunny and Stormin had opted for Halls, which is what I oped for as well. Tunny and Stormin were already at Little Halls when I first put blade to water. I was running a Slimy Mac on a Tunny special hoping to attract the interest of a Spaniard.

I was half way to Halls when Diesel announced that he'd boated a legal Spotty to break his Spotty Mac duck (a goodie over 85cm as it turns out). He landed another a little while later, whist Sunshiner radioed in that he's caught and released a Mac Tuna. ScottyD mentioned that he thought some Tuna were about and as I learned later he also dropped a Spaniard.

Diesel breaks his Spotted Mackerel duck.

It seemed like there was more action East than North and I started to wonder if I should change course and head for JS.

Then I heard a sound that should be bannered from broadcast; a screaming reel that seemed to go on and on. Tunny was hooked up to something big just as I had just released a small shark that had my Slimey Mac for brekkie. Stormin announced he was leaving Halls for the greener grass of JS; he headed out to the South East and not long after he announced he'd boated a Spotty caught on a 1m white Halco 120. He also announced that some birds had started to work in front of him. Plans for JS were hastily dismissed.

Tunny finally announced after what seemed an age, that he'd brought a 2m shark very close to the boat before he cut it off.

By now the birds were starting to arrive in numbers and bustups happing sporadically around us. It felt like Spotty Mac Mayhem from a few years ago and I was starting to get exited. It's seems we'd picked exactly the right spot on the Bay! I readied my slug outfit, fired at a bustup and hooked up straight away. After a short fight and a good gaff I had a 65+ Spotty in the hatch. I quickly removed the twisty and fired again into the bust up and hooked up immediately again. I brought the Spotty boat-side and was a little unsure if it was legal size so did not gaff straight away. My batteries had dislodged from the "super velcro" for the hundredth time (my arse it's super velcro) and as I went to move the box the Spotty went for another run and has it did so, broke the tip of my graphite rod. Bugger! Broken rod and a lost Spotty!

Never mind, no time for tears as there were Spotty Mac's to catch. I put a new twisty on my second graphite rod and radioed Stormin to find out where the action was. Just behind me as it turned out. I fired into the bustup and could see the fish chasing the lure all the way to the boat. I could even see a number of them pass under the boat. I fired again and this time hooked up. Again I brought it yak-side and again I was unsure if it was legal so did not gaff straight away. I tried to get it close to the ruler sticker on the side of the yak so I could ascertain the size and as before the Spotty decided to go for another run and again my rod broke! But this time the fish stayed on and I was able to get it back and boat it. I'm not sure how I could have avoided these breakages. One way could have been to play the fish more so that it had nothing in the tank for yak-side runs. This is difficult to do when you're in the middle of SMM; you just want to get it in the hatch so you can try for the next one. I could have gaffed earlier but may have landed up gaffing an undersized fish. I don't think I did anything wrong technically, I think I was just unlucky that the fish went for a hard run at the wrong angle--the angle that graphite rods do not like.

By this time Tunny had also boated a couple of Spotties (with rods in tact), also on twisty's and Stormin had landed another on a trolled pillie. The mayhem was still going on so I put the twisty on my big trolling outfit (7" Ugly Stick and 7500 Pen Spinfisher). It was a dog to cast and I couldn't cast it far enough to get into the bustups. It was also very difficult to fast wind the big reel. I decided to put the Stradic 2500 on and see if that faired any better and indeed I was now able to cast 40-50m even with a rod that was as stiff as a guy on blue pills. The action was starting to subside but the fish were still there even though they weren't busting up. I got a few more bumps on the twisty but no further hookups. There were around 4 boats at Halls with us, but neither Tunny or myself recalled them hooking up. Odd considering the number of fish.

Stormin announced that he was going to start heading back as he intended to go again the next day so wanted to leave something in the tank. My arm had been wound off, so I decided to troll a HBL back, hoping a stray Spotty might attack it. Tunny also headed back. We arrived back at the beach with no more action along the way.

Couple of extra eager fish holders. Thanks Kids.

Stormin, Tunny & Redwood's Spotties

Diesel's Spotties

Sunshiner's small movie from today

What a friggin beautiful day, even with two broken rods. Hope to do it all again tomorrow (minus the broken rods).

Redwood

PS - As I am the acting Recorder I am giving myself the record for number of rods broken on one trip, beating my old, but numerous, single rod breakages. If anyone needs the butt end of a Sahara let me know.

Pre-storm Lake Mac quicky - 27Dec15

TR by Gemini


Wind: light, but heavy gusts as the storm approached
Launch point: Lake MacDonald, Hoy's Road ramp
Participants: Gemini

I dashed out to Lake Mac in the late afternoon after finishing a day out with the kidlets. The weather was on the turn, but I was determined to catch at least one fish before I had to avoid the rain and lightning. I launched at the Hoy Road ramp and headed south into the lilies.

I paddled around for a couple of hours with absolutely nothing to report. No strikes or surface action at all, and by this stage the smell of rain was on the wind. I decided to head back to the ute and bail out, casting along the way.

It was only a few casts after my decision to bail that I had a good couple of strikes on the baby vibe under some lilies. I managed to spook that particular fish, but a cast immediately after in the opposite direction had me nailed by another. It wasn't a long fight, but he managed to get tangled in the weeds, forcing my yak to come to him rather than other way around. It was a good 40cm bass.





After releasing I pressed on back to the ramp and packed up just in time to avoid the rain!

Spaniard, Spotties, Sweetlip - 27 December 2015

TR by Tunny

Trip date: 27 December 2015

Participants: Stormin, Sunshiner, Pedro, Irish luck, Diesel, Cuddles, Imax and Tunny all launching from MG, with Scatter from Doggie Beach

Conditions: Perfect, wind N less than 5 knots, Low Tide 2.30 am, High Tide 9.20 am

Keen Angler Program: 1 Spaniard frame donated

Scatter launched from Doggie Beach, dry-bummed it out through a rip right in front of the car park and headed for Sunshine Reef.  The rest of us launched from MG and opted to head for Little Halls and Halls Reefs as Stormin had seen bird action and fish bust-ups there the day before while I thought it best to avoid Jew Shoal on a day when the boating masses would be out.

The tide was still very low when we launched which meant hardly any boats were crossing the bar as we headed for Little Halls.  Diesel pushed straight on to Halls where Pedro was already fishing, while Sunshiner and I did circuits of Little Halls.

Perfect conditions at Little Halls

There was bait on the sounder but no bust ups or bird action early on.  I was trolling a weighted pilchard while Sunshiner used a Halco lure.  At 4.30 am my reel started screeming as line peeled off. The initial few runs were powerful and the fish was clearly bigger than my recent Spottie catches. After a short battle a nice Spaniard was visible beneath the kayak, then gaffed (two attempts as you embarrassingly see on the video), before being placed in the hatch.

Tunny's Spaniard

Stormin, who had started a little later was approaching Little Halls when his Halco lure got taken by a nice Spottie while I caught a Spottie about half an hour later on a weighted pilchard.  Scatter then hooked up to a Spottie out at Sunshine Reef using a trolled slimey.




Little Halls went quiet after the initial Spaniard and two Spotties so we continued on to Halls Reef. Here the surface action and fish bust-ups were more abundant, with Longtail Tuna busting the surface and clearing the water as they fed on bait fish near the surface.  But despite the better surface action at Halls the only pelagic caught there was a Spottie by Pedro.

I continued trolling while others switched to bottom bashing, with both Irish Luck and Cuddles catching good sized Sweetlip. Cuddles caught his on a shad soft plastic and is the biggest fish he has caught since moving to Australia.

I was chasing a fast moving patch of diving birds and ended up half way back to Little Halls.  As I had caught fish there but not at Halls I decided to continue to LH with Stormin not far behind.  On arrival at Little Halls I pulled up near Stormin and asked whether he had caught any more fish.  Just as he said "No" his reel started screeming and he was clearly into a big fish.  He had just switched over from a trolled pillie to a Halco lure.  I pulled up my line and took a few photos of the action:

The initial powerful run

Longtail circling below the kayak

After about a 20 minute struggle the fish started circling under the kayak, a move typical of Longtail Tuna.  I was interest in seeing the Tuna caught as we had arranged a trade, where I would give Stormin my Spaniard (his favourite fish) for his Longtail (my family's favourite).   This battle continued for another 10 minutes and the Tuna was close to the kayak when the line parted.

Stormin switched to bottom bashing (I guess he was tired!) and a short while later boated a Sweetlip. We then headed back to MG.  I decided to donate my Spaniard to Stormin, who in turn is donating the frame to Fisheries Keen Angler Program.

Cuddles with his big Sweetlip

Tunny's Spaniard - not bad hey?

Spotties by Tunny (top) and Stormin (bottom)

Scatter's Spottie

Sweetlip caught by Irish Luck

Boxing Day Spanish. 26Dec15

TR by Aussie_stu

Participants: Stormin, Diesel, Weeksie, Aussie_Stu
Conditions: wind S approx 10 knots, Low Tide 2.00 am, High Tide 8.40 am
Keen Angler Program: 1 Spaniard frame donated

By the time Norman and I launched from MG, Diesel was well and truly on his way out to Sunshine. 'Twas an easy launch and after setting up Norman decided to head to Little Halls Reef while I headed to Jew Shoal, later followed by weeksie and later again joined by diesel after a solid effort paddling to Sunshine and back.

Was a very slow morning, trolled hard bodies out to the shoal, then swapped to a pillie and a gar on skirted rigs and continued to cut laps of Jew Shoal. Norman reported bait and birds at little halls and we had similar activity on Jew shoal, with some bust ups here and there that seemed to be small spotties or Mac tuna. After trolling for a few hours at about 7.30 my pillie was hit and the fish started to take a bit of line. I kindly let the others know I was hooked up by letting the drag sing through the VHF and as the fight rounded up Diesel rolled in to lend a hand to get the Spaniard into my rear well and take the pics.

After that it was quiet again so headed in to the beach. Cheers to weeksie for lending me the mat for the shots, and after a few gawkers on the beach and nice young lady called Casey from Darwin kindly held the fish for a shot (again by diesel), it made it into the Yeehaa zone by 2cm and is a new PB for me.

Cheers
Stew

Ido's first marlin. 25Dec15

TR by isobar (pronounced eesobar), with beach view contribution from sunshiner


My TR: Pushing the limits of kayak fishing
Conditions: S-SE wind 15 knots with gusts, 1.5m swell

Following ScottyD's (aka "shoulders") marlin catch on Wed, the promising forecast for Xmas day and considering I haven't caught a decent fish for a while, I was keen as to try my luck at Sunshine Beach.

The night before I went through my rigs and made sure that they're all in good condition, replacing hooks and wire as needed and thawing some pillies and yakkas that I caught a few weeks ago.

Morning came and I was ready to launch by 5:30, despite an annoying wind and quite noticeable surf.

Launch was fairly easy and I made my way towards the reef, while trolling my favorite Halco LP. The wind grew stronger as I ventured further offshore with some white caps forming, but as I said, I was determined…

The plan was to paddle against the wind, following the reef line (based on my GPS marks). A couple of minutes after turning towards the wind, I noticed that some line was creeping out of the reel (no clicker on this old faithful). Reeling in was easy as I was moving fast back towards the line by the wind. At the end of the line was a small tuna, which looks a lot like a juvenile yellowfin, but without the recognizable vertical pattern typical to those fish (might be a juvenile longtail, albacore or big eye).

Only about 40cm long. What is it? From Ido later: "According to my Japanese expert, juvenile longtails have such long pectoral fins, so he suggested that would be the fish (would have been great for my research)"

Once the tuna was safe in the hatch, I changed to a pillie on a safa rig and continued trolling without success for another half an hour. By then I was at the South end of the reef, so I decided to change to a light weighted bait and let the wind push me back north.

As I was rigging the bait a wave rolled on top of me and rolled me over. I had to put my Eskimo roll to the test (after not having to execute a combat roll in ages), so I dropped everything, and while upside down, reached for the paddle, grabbed it from the deck bungies and rolled back (to be honest, the first one failed and I had to retry). Once upright I saw my box of bait drifting away open, with bait floating/sinking around. I managed to grab the box, a pillie and a yakka and looked for my dead bait rigs, which luckily (or not, you tell) were hanging off various points of my PFD.

After that drama was settled, I rigged the yakka on a safa rig, with a light-weighted octopus teaser (taken off a pulsator rig I got from Dennis) and started my drift with the wind in my back. Not long after, line was coming fast out of the reel. I peeked behind my shoulder and there was a marlin launching to the air over and over again. The adrenaline was rushing through my veins, but I had to stay focused with a fish so strong, at these sea conditions, so I played it nice and easy, while trying to get my cameras to work (without success unfortunately).

The plan now was to get the fish close enough for good footage, without putting myself at risk (and after having a marlin jump out of the air 10 metres from you, you really take it seriously). After 30 minutes or so of a tow and retrieve game, the marlin settled in circles under the kayak, just like a tuna would do. Again, I tried to take an underwater photo or video, but couldn't operate the DSLR in the case. By then the fish was really exhausted, so I tightened the drag and brought it to the surface. It was done…

I grabbed its tail and hauled it over my deck. That extra weight (probably 20-25kg) over the deck changed the centre of mass of the kayak and it was really unstable now. I tried to secure the fish somehow, but couldn't do much except balancing it across the deck (over my skirt, the widest part of my flimsy kayak) because tying that much weight to me or the kayak would have been extremely unwise in these conditions, and started paddling back.

I had plenty of time to think about my beach entry strategy during the 1.5 hours of slow paddle back with strong side winds and swell. I was so focused on balancing, I didn't notice that a rogue wave decided to crumble on top of me… I don't know how, but I managed to brace it, stay upright and keep the fish on.

I realised my best option to get both me and the fish past the surf, would be to reattach it to the fishing line, drop it overboard outside the impact zone and reel it in once on the beach. It only meant I had to rethread the line through the rod guides and tie it to the rig hanging from the fish mouth, which I did slowly and carefully each time the swell eased a bit for me to keep my balance.

When I got to the beach, I executed my plan perfectly (though Kev, who by chance came down to the beach right then, thought that I lost the fish). Back on the beach, Kev (and Panno who came as well with his son) was extremely helpful measuring the fish, helping out and taking pictures.

######
Kev's account of the beach return
With all Xmas presents and family time sorted just before 9:00am, I decided to stroll down to my local beach and perhaps encounter one or two of the Noosa Yakkers I was aware had intended to launch on Xmas morning. Of course I carried my VHF radio and camera.

I tried a radio call on our usual channel, as I walked, from the high ground overlooking the ocean. The only response I got was from panno, who told me he was monitoring the channel from his nearby home. I explained what I was doing and he asked me to call him if I came across a marlin in a kayak on the beach. I agreed and continued on my stroll.

Once I'd arrived at the beach I found huge shoreys bashing in (top of a big tide, and augmented by a stiff SE wind). Close in shore conditions were nasty, I can tell you, and I was glad I was comfortably on the beach. Peering out to sea I just caught the flash of a paddle and a white yak way, way out the back. As I watched I could tell that the approaching paddler was isobar in his magnificent white SIK. He was travelling very slowly and carefully, not his usual boisterous self, but I couldn't discern any reason for this except perhaps the rough conditions. He could not recognize me, of course, as I was just one of many people enjoying a walk on the beach on Christmas morning.

He approached the shore very carefully picking a nice gap in the swell, but still facing the massive shore break. In the last 100 metres of his approach I spotted what at first looked like some broken off tree branches in the surge about 40m or so behind him. Then the penny dropped: he was towing a marlin with its bill and one of the pectoral fins showing intermittently above the surface.

On his entering the shore break zone I was pretty sure he'd be totally smashed so I started to run toward him to assist in any way I could. The marlin had now disappeared. Expertly, ido braced on the final smashing shorey and disappeared completely in the maelstrom but emerged still in his yak, going sideways up the beach, right way up. He jumped out and dragged his yak up the beach out of the reach of the surge, then picked up his rod off the deck and immediately started to winch in his fish, which at this stage was still hidden in the maelstrom of the beach fringe. I was truly astonished when the marlin appeared through the shore break. Wow!

I'll bet he was glad to get a good handgrip on the fish!

Check out the waves out the back!

#####
Back to ido:

All the footage therefore was taken on the beach (thanks again to Kev), a reminder for me to get my cameras sorted.

It went 168cm, no doubt to scottyD's relief.

I must admit that yesterday's trip was one of the most challenging I had ever experienced, in marginal Straddie-like conditions (some would say I peaked too early), but one I'll never forget.

Video added 29Dec15

https://vimeo.com/150216795

Merry Christmas and a happy new year, Ido

Spanish for Christmas. 24Dec15

TR by sunshiner


Wind: to 5 knot westerly
Swell: about 1m SE
Water temp: 26.1°C
Tides: Low 12:32am (0.19m); High 07:10am (2.06m)
Current: none detected
Launch point: Middle Groyne and Doggie Beach (redgreg)
Surface action: None
Participants: redgreg, weeksie, sunshiner
My trip distance: 16km
Redmap: No sightings provided
Keen Angler Program: One mackerel frame donated

Alone, very early. The waxing moon (near full) had set and the overcast sky to the east was reluctant to give up any early light. So it was pretty dark when I launched into a small sea around 0355, easily dodging the occasional larger set.

I took my time in setting up and by about 0410 was on my way north, toward Jew Shoal, my chosen destination today. At about the 2.8 km mark I put out my trolling outfit, armed with a medium running HLP 120. Of surface action there was no sign, but I was pleased to see a squadron of six terns overtake me and stay on my heading. Perhaps they had some arcane knowledge of a food supply out there near Jew Shoal. I hoped so.

I trolled over The Pinnacles, noting that there seemed to be the usual indications of baitfish in the vicinity, but nothing extraordinary. One of my favourite marks to the N was my next target. Bingo, heaps of baitfish, mostly hugging the bottom in 20-22m, and stacking up to the 10m mark. This looked so promising that I opted to stop trolling and try for a snapper, while hanging around to see if anything would happen on the surface.

A typical sonar display from today.

After several casts with the SP without result and with the sonar still showing huge amounts of bait but no surface explosions I arrived at the notion that surely some big predators would show up some time so I should start trolling again. By now the terns had discovered that some of the bait schools were rippling the surface so moved in for brekky, dipping and fluttering, picking up unwary bait as it packed up to the surface.

Conditions were great for trolling, with light winds making it easy to choose a paddle in any direction. The terns were showing where the bait was and were scattered over several acres so I just kept to where they were active, steadily plugging away at 4-5kph, turning through 180° as necessary to cover the active ground.

By now, redgreg had called up from off Doggie Beach, telling me he was heading to fish out wide at Sunshine Reef. I had the place pretty much to myself, except for a couple of jetski fishers who buzzed around burning fuel for no result. Then weeksie let me know he'd launched at Middle Groyne, so I passed on the news about the baitfish. His response was that he'd see me in about 30 minutes. By the time I spotted weeksie arriving at the shoal I'd been trolling steadily for nearly an hour for no result. But the bait was thick so sticking with the trolling plan seemed the best idea. Also, I had a deadline which meant a departure for Middle Groyne by around 06:45 to meet family on the beach.

At around 06:28 (according to the GoPro), the trolling rod went off with a beautiful howl. After a brief but vigorous battle I looked down into the clear water to see my first Spaniard of the 15/16 season with the HLP fastened firmly to its lower jaw. The fish was knackered by the time it came within gaff range and barely reacted when the point went in just behind the head. Game over (all captured on video embedded below).

A great view, I'm sure you'll agree.

A few minutes later, weeksie kindly offered to take a pic.

By weeksie. Thanks mate.

My time was up, and I had my fish so I paddled the 4+ km back to Middle Groyne without a lure out, although I did have a slug outfit available if some spotties had put in an appearance.

It being the top of a fairly big tide, there were some nice little rollers available at the groyne. One of them delivered me quick smart onto the beach (right way up) where new Noosa Yakker bluedog (on childcare duty for the day) greeted me on arrival.

Beach pics

On the mat. 115cm.

Taken by my son, Nick, who was down there to meet me with seabass, his son (3yo).

Movie, two minutes, of the capture

Thanks for reading.

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

Doggie Beach marlin. 23Dec15

TR by scottyD


This post, with comments, also appears on our Facebook group page, as does the video (see lower down in this post).

Launch point: Doggie Beach
Participants: scottyD alone

I've been trying to fish Sunshine Reef as much as I can lately for mackerel or any other pelagic and was lucky enough to hook my first marlin on a slow trolled dead slimy mackerel. It's one I'll never forget and doubt I'll top any time soon.

Short GoPro movie of the trip



Apologies if any one disagrees with taking a marlin for the plate.

Beach pics

Scotty