Wind: SE up to 10knots
Swell: NE, low
Current: at Jew Shoal, none
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: richmond, noddy, beejay, hollywood, jaro, sunshiner
Weather had stopped us getting offshore since 1st December so I for one was keen to get out today. The forecast at 9:00pm showed light winds and this was reinforced in the 3:00am forecast today.
As Jaro and I found, the younger keen guys (richmond, noddy, beejay) had beaten us this morning and were already out the back by the time we were ready to launch. It was Beejay's first beach launch but he had seemed to carry it off with aplomb. Anyway, he was out there. But Jaro and I had a new toy to try out.
0441. Just before launch. Great new wheels. More later.
The end of the groyne is still holding sand and still a trap for unwary kayakers. Even though the pic above shows a flat sea, sets of dumping waves were coming through and care was required in timing the exit.
0501 hrs. Beejay just before paddling off on his first offshore KF trip.
Based on the fact that we didn't quite know what the wind was going to do, and hoping for mackerel anyway, all of us headed NW from launch, meandering toward Little Halls Reef. BJ stuck with me, while Richmond had already crested the horizon. Noddy was into a shark quite quickly and lost a lure in the ensuing melee, while jaro was playing with his sail.
Very soon, BJ was into his first kayak-on-the-ocean fish, another shark, hooked while trolling a HB lure. Dealing with sharks is a common need here in Noosa and BJ did the job well, using pliers, lipgripper, and some magic words to free the unwanted critter and get his lure back.
BJ and I continued toward Little Halls Reef while jaro doubled back to try the eastern part of the bay and Noddy (no VHF radio) opted to bay-stay. We were expecting the pelagics to turn up so wide reconnaisance was useful.
When we were abeam the river mouth Richmond radioed from further north that he'd hooked yet another shark. This was getting ridiculous -- Laguna Bay must have a huge population of baby sharks presently. Perhaps they'll resort to cannibalism and reduce the numbers themselves.
BJ was going well and so I pressed on toward Little Halls Reef and let him have a try at navigating, which forced him to pay attention to what his GPS was displaying. We were just short of this destination when richmond came on the radio with some valuable intelligence. He was at Jew Shoal and could see birds working nearby, a good sign.
Time to test my trainee navigator's skills. Which way, how far? Can you make it OK? BJ passed the test and off we went, paddling straight into the sun, the 3km or so to Jew Shoal, with a slightly strengthened SE breeze slowing us a little.
Having trolled all the way from Middle Groyne to Jew Shoal with just a shark to show for our efforts, I explained to BJ that at the shoal I intended to fish for snapper. He opted to join me in this quest and we set up a drift to take us from the SE corner to the NW corner. Meanwhile, jaro had arrived, having sailed from the eastern corner of the bay, down near the surf club, all the way to Jew Shoal. I must say that the sail, when deployed, reduces markedly the chances that he'll be run down by the ocean speedsters because we could see him clearly from miles away.
Third cast, I think, with my SP produced the goods. The snapper which arrived yakside was probably legal but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and set him free. Meantime, in patches all over the shoal, terns could be seen wheeling and diving. More eyecatching, occasional large splashes caught my attention. Less frequently, but more importantly, longtail tuna up to a metre in length and clear of the water could be seen flashing in the morning sunlight. It felt really FISHY.
Richmond was trolling, BJ and I were fishing with SPs, Jaro was fishing with bait and Hollywood was on his way from Middle Groyne.
Jaro reported that he had a (just) keeper snapper. I was on my second drift when my SP was smashed and an unmistakeable run revealed that I had a snapper on. Not for long, however. The hook came loose and I retrieved only a very battered and chopped up SP, which to be honest was close to retirement before the strike anyway.
Next came a struggling, brief radio call. You know the type, when you can tell the caller is busy with other things. Richmond: "Got something big on here!". He was fishing to the east of us, a few hundred metres away. Then, after a short while "Snapper, 70 to 80."
He agreed to my suggestion that we meet each other half way so that I could take pics. A few minutes later BJ and I (for BJ wanted to see this fish with his own eyes) were in position.
It was indeed a good snapper. Richmond and I rafted up, starboard to starboard, leg over, with the sun behind me and the big camera was withdrawn from its hidey hole in my hatch.
0724hrs. There's the lure, a Halco Laser Pro. A very pleased richmond.
Back to the fishing... For the next 30 minutes or so I got a lot of hits on my SP, but I suspect none were from snapper. Interestingly enough, neither I nor BJ had caught any small reefies or sweetlip which usually are significantly represented in Jew Shoal catches.
Hollywood had arrived just as I was taking the above pic and now joined us, drift fishing, even though he was equipped only to "come out for a couple of hours, catch my bag of spotties and go home" (his words).
And until at least 0800, the terns and the longtails persisted in their ravaging of the bait schools which, incidentally, were very visible on sonar. And after that the action tapered off somewhat, but not completely. But by 0845 I was ready to pack up and leave, having had no action for the last 30 minutes.
Having announced to all on our radio channel that I was heading off at 0900 I mentally said "Last cast", cast, and promptly hooked up. A short fight later I had a small but keeper snapper, very welcome in our household, in hand.
0859. Last cast snapper
OK, let's wait another 15 minutes. All this produced for me was a smiling grinner which, I could tell, knew he'd be released (why else would it be smiling?).
So by 0915 we were paddling MG-ward. Hollywood, a paddling speedster, world champ and legend in board shorts had left a little earlier to arrive a lot earlier than we did.
A radio call from richmond on the beach at Middle Groyne told us that he and hollywood were safely on firm ground but that the waves were standing up at the groyne, that there were many obstacles (ie people) in the water and he was ready with his camera to graphically record the stuff of embarrassment. Oh shit, that's all we need.
Jaro, who left Jew Shoal when we did, devoted his trip back to learning how to force the sail to work better. In fact he did pretty well, arriving at MG the same time as I and a little ahead of BJ even though he'd travelled about 1.3 times as far as we did.
The beach entry point was indeed challenging. Several surfers were picking up small waves fully 30 metres along the wall on the western side. As usual, good timing was crucial.
I was ready first but paddled over to BJ to dispense some last words of advice "Rig for rollover" and to hand him my rosary beads (no use to me anymore).
Paddling in toward the break I spotted our two smug chums standing, smirking, on the groyne. Many times I've run this gauntlet and still I'm not totally confident that I can pick the desired smallest waves. Jaro, for some reason, can. Perhaps he was traumatised early in his yakking experience and has sucked up the experience and necessary skillset.
Anyway, I reckon it's good to go now and charge off toward the beach, pick a nice little wave, surf it in and nearly come a cropper in the dinky little shore break. Nearly, I said. I jump out, grab the camera and head for the water, knowing that jaro and BJ are not far behind.
Want to know how they finished up? Watch the video, less than a minute.
Middle aged couple on the beach, watching: "We didn't realize that kayak fishing was a spectator sport until just now. Thank you!"
After the ambulance left we tidied up and I got a chance to try out the big wheeled trolley which jaro had arranged to have available on approval. I must say I was astounded at how easy it was to recover my Stealth up that slope of loose sand and miscellaneous items left behind by beachgoers. That trolley has solved one of my problems of how to continue kayak fishing into my eighties. There are several others to be solved and I'm working my way through the list.
Anyway, apparently jaro has already decided to buy this trolley, but the retailer is offering Noosa Yakkers a special deal, depending on quantity purchased (likely price: $275 incl freight, but may be lower if we get a few starters). I want one. Anyone else (email me please, ASAP)?
Jeff's snapper went 70cm, apparently. Nice fish, mate.
Great report Kev.
ReplyDeleteGreat snapper Jeff.
Great wheels Jaro
Welcome to MG BJ - it's all part of the learning process. Wait until the waves get seriously big then I'll teach you the "last resort" technique to surf back to the beach.
Jimbo