21Jan09 part 2, striped tuna plus

From: "Jim Thompson"
Subject: Re: Fishing Today 21Jan09 -Part 2
Date: Thursday, 22 January 2009 8:16 PM

G'day Yakkers

Further to Kevin's report (sent separately), I add the following (if you haven't already read Kev's report, I suggest you read it before mine).

As Kev mentioned, he and Jaro were about 400m ahead of me enroute to Jew Shoal (JS) when Kev's radio transmission alerted Jaro and me to the huge flock of birds on the north-eastern (far) side of JS, probably still 800m away from me. A few minutes later Kev had suddenly stopped paddling and was now playing a sizeable fish but I didn't realise just how big it was as there didn't seem to be too much bend in his rod. I now realise the lack of rod bend was probably due to Kev allowing his quarry to run on the drag. As I passed Kev he was certainly enjoying the tussle but I didn't wait around to see the coupe-de-grace as I was intent on getting to the huge flock of birds before the feeding frenzy of pelagics, that must have been going on underneath, stopped. I also noted that Jaro had stopped paddling and was, I thought, re-rigging his gear in preparation for attacking the feeding frenzy, as I was about to do. I now realise Jaro was untangling his two trolling lines which unfortunately delayed his arrival at the feeding frenzy, and probably cost him the same enjoyment I was about to have...

At about 50m from the epi-centre of the most dense swirl of birds I have ever seen, I could now make out a brown "shape" about 3m diameter just under the surface. As I paddled a little closer I realised the brown "shape" was actually at least half a dozen sharks feeding on what I guessed must have been a number of pelagics (which were in turn most likely feeding on a shoal of bait fish). The sight of 4-5 dorsal fins about 25cm high scything through the top of the feeding frenzy didn't concern me unduly, but I did wonder what I might hook into as I cast a silver slug across the other side of the melee and started to retrieve quickly. I was delighted when almost instantly the line went heavy and then the drag on my little Shimano Sedona started screaming as line was stripped off. I was also a little relieved as I realised this fish, although sizeable, was going to be just manageable on my light weight (6kg) line and rod. And so a ten minute tussle ensued which eventually resulted in me gaffing a nice 54cm striped tuna (see photo below). During this time Jaro paddled past, shouting encouragement, in hot pursuit of the feeding frenzy, which I was now separated from by some hundreds of metres.

About this time, Kev reported via radio (sounding very chuffed)... "I have just landed a REEEALLY nice spaniard"... and asked Jaro if he would paddle over with his new camera to take a photo of him with the fish. Jaro's reply... "Photo will have to wait!!! I'm chasing the birds!!!"... With a lumpy wind chop on top of a ~2m swell I had lost visual contact with Jaro and could no longer see the birds swirling, so decided to commence the standard fishing technique with soft plastics drifting across the shoal. Kev reported that he was now returning to Middle Groyne as he could not fit any more fish into his kayak, and Jaro, still desperate to land a fish, continued to chase the birds all over Laguna Bay. Ultimately, neither Jaro nor I landed any more fish, but there was certainly plenty of pelagics out there feeding. I got bitten off twice immediately after my cast soft plastic hit the water, and Jaro reported ..."having two of the biggest strikes” he had ever had in his life! One fish being... "so big it bit through my stainless steel wire trace!"

At around 0815 I had had enough of the lumpy conditions and started paddling back to MG at about the same time as three other yakkers (previously unknown to me, but one of whom, Paul, had also caught a striped tuna about the same size as mine). With the tide having dropped since our departure over three hours earlier, but the swell substantially unchanged, the return crossing of the surf zone on to Main Beach was an interesting affair. One of the other three yakkers, Paul, got rolled, but his young son, James, and I, and a little later Jaro, all managed to catch and/or avoid rogue waves and stay upright all the way into the beach. Kev has made a funky video of these amazing kayak/surfing feats and will put it up on to YouTube when he gets a bit of spare time.

Me and my 54cm striped tuna back on the beach. Notice Jaro animatedly telling Steve & Kerrie Crisp about... "the two monsters that got away!”

A great day to celebrate my return to yak fishing following an enforced three month lay-off due to a broken collarbone and ribs.

Cheers,
Jimbo

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