Subject: Fishing today, 12Dec08 -- something different
Date: Friday, 12 December 2008 4:27 PM
The meeting arrangement was 0500 at Middle Groyne. Harry, Jaro, the dynamic duo Steven and Charles, and I had put up our hands to go. Steve had also but was a late withdrawal.
All were early or on time. In fact Steve and Charles had got up seriously early and paddled from near their new residence in Noosaville down the river to the river beach opposite Middle Groyne and then manhandled their Viking Nemo over to the ocean beach. They were relaxing on the sand waiting for us when I, the first to unload, trolleyed my yak down to the beach.
As usual, it was a glorious morning and I roped in the only other person around, a walker on the beach, to take a picture of the group before launch.
0500 hrs today. From left, Charles, Steven, Kev (your scribe), Jaro and Harry. Average age: about 41.
With the formalities out of the way, it was down to business and within a few minutes we were all waterborne. With my greater set up time (sounder and GPS), I was second last to set course, being followed by Jaro who had opted to troll with two rods, including one dragging a large garfish bait. This was fortunate for me as I subsequently had someone to take a pic for me, as you will discover.
I'd opted to troll only one lure, a cheap 180mm Berkley Killer, which was set up on my heavy trolling outfit and, as usual, I deployed this as soon as I'd cleared the shark nets.
My course was for Jew Shoal, and Jaro followed a few hundred metres behind me. About 15 minutes and 1500 metres into my journey I was enjoying the ambience, the light effort of paddling and the frequent appearance of dolphins in my path when the ratchet on my trolling reel growled briefly, but not screamingly, more as if the lure had been taken by a small fish which had then given up the fight and was happy to come along for the ride. I picked up the rod and confirmed, by the resistance, that there was in fact something out there, attached to my lure about 50 metres or so back. It was only when I started to retrieve the lure that I discovered that there was rather more to this fish than I'd thought as line was steadily taken off the reel against the firm but safe drag setting and the yak was dragged south. The fight reminded me of a snapper but I thought it was unlikely that I'd hooked such a fish in this stretch of water. The water was only 10m deep but the fish soon decided that the bottom was where it wanted to be for after a few minutes of to-and-fro it settled into a dogged resistance directly under the yak. By this time I'd been dragged by the fish quite a way back along my path and Jaro had seen that I was fighting a fish so made a wide detour around me (thanks, Jaro, good thinking) and set about reeling in his lines in case I needed assistance.
Several minutes later I could just see the fish about three metres down in the early morning light. Shark, I thought, making a quick judgement based on shape and colour -- an unusual capture on a lure, but not unknown. But then I realised that it was in fact a cobia, especially when it rolled on its side near the yak and once more went for the bottom. A couple of minutes later I gaffed the fish and dragged her over the side of the yak into the foot well accompanied by a fair bit of splashing and thumping of that powerful tail. I secured a tether around the tail wrist and then asked Jaro, standing by, to take a pic with my camera. Thanks again, Jaro.
Cobia, Laguna Bay. 0534hrs, 12Dec08. The bow of Jaro's yak, and one of his fishing outfits in the foreground.
I'd never caught a cobia from my kayak before and found that getting it into the fish box behind me was a tight squeeze. It took me about ten minutes to stow the fish and tidy up, during which time Jaro had departed for the reef. Harry and the dynamic duo were already there. As I was one third of the way there already I opted to head for the reef also.
Unfortunately, that was the only significant capture of the day. Jaro fought "the biggest fish he'd ever hooked" only to lose it without sighting it after a long fight (yes, on a soft plastic). He also hooked what we later confirmed to be an oceanic long tom, about "4 feet long" which, in typical fashion, leapt and cartwheeled over the surface before biting through the line. Harry nailed the smallest bonito I've ever seen and brought it over for a photo before using it for bait.
This bonito took Harry's trolled lure (which was at least as big as the fish) and was discovered, dead, only when Harry retrieved his lure on arrival at the reef.
The Dynamic Duo, at the reef shortly before they had to depart to deal with a World Financial Crisis problem.
I did not get a single nibble out at the reef, but there were some mackerel around as I saw a couple of guys in a tinny trolling pilchard baits catch several. At 0900, concerned for the condition of my fish, now dead for three hours and not on ice, headed for the beach where I photographed the fish on the measure mat for the record.
The cobia on the measure mat. The inset at bottom right indicates a size of 91+cm. The strange patches of skin discolouration are common in certain species when they are stored after capture.
Thanks for coming along guys and thanks Jaro for organizing. Now, how about next Tuesday? Harry, staunch member of Noosa Yakkers, departs Noosa tomorrow for southern parts until end of Feb when he promises to be back all fired up and ready to get out after the mackerel which should be around by then. AND, Harvey W is back in town. Welcome back Harv -- hopefully we'll see you soon, socially if not on the water.
Kev
Red & Yellow Espri, black paddle
VHF channel 09 or 22 (if alone), Call Sign: sunshiner
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