Wind: Land breeze, SW, to 10 knots then calm
Swell: moderate easterly
Current: not detected
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: pedro, kiwibro (aka Mike), jimbo, jaro, sunshiner
05:45 this morning, pretty dark but light enough for us to see the surf from our seats at water level. I'm afloat in the channel next to the groyne, the current flowing strongly out to sea. Jaro is in the launch slot in front of me, patiently backpaddling and manoeuvering awaiting his chance to dart out through the waves. Jimbo, last to launch, is afloat behind me. Kiwibro is safely out there looking back at us like a hen looking after its brood. Pedro, well, we don't know where he is, but his truck’s in the car park.
Being close to low tide, every incoming wave breaks on the shallow sand bank just off the end of the groyne. Some are much bigger than others and the trick is to wait in the deeper water of the launch slot until you judge that the next few waves are littlies then go like a hooked longtail. If you've judged well you get through, but there’s no way there are going to be any totally dry bums today. If you misjudge you might get knocked off your yak and have to swim for it -- not a pleasant prospect at the start of a fishing trip.
My rudder makes it difficult to back paddle as efficiently as jaro can so to avoid cramping his style I am forced to circle in the confined space of the channel, riding small waves back toward the beach a little then turning back to run seaward again, swept along by the current. After I've done three circuits like this jaro decides to go and picks the lull quite well. I see my chance and charge through after him only to find his judgement is better than mine. The second of the two waves is the bigger and I can see it looming toward me. While I doubt that it’s big enough to roll me vertically, I know I’m going to get very wet at least. And I do, crashing through the wave just as it starts to break.
Leaving the surf zone behind you as you paddle out is a great feeling, even if you are soaked head to toe as I was. Jaro and kiwibro have a little giggle at my expense but we all know it’s part of the fun of offshore yak fishing. Jimbo joins us a couple of minutes later, also somewhat damp but I have the wettest bum today.
Kiwibro, just before 6:00am, out the back.
Preparations done, kiwi and I headed for Jew Shoal, while jimbo and jaro went for Hall’s Reef. The land breeze blew quite stiffly from the SW (its usual direction) all the way out. Jimbo changed his mind on account of murky water in close and decided to join us, leaving jaro to check the north shore and perhaps join us later.
When still about 2km from Jew Shoal I called pedro, who responded confirming that he was trolling at Jew Shoal and had experienced no action yet. I explained that we were very impressed that he’d launched in darkness through the waves we’d just traversed. ”Launched in Coward’s Corner,” was his response. Ah, so he’s not quite the superman we’d imagined.
I opted to drift fish using soft plastics as I often do. My drogue filled readily and the drift from the SW corner of Jew Shoal was pretty close to ideal speed. Even so, I had no significant action in the 700 metres I travelled on the breeze. I couldn't even catch a small reefie, even though there were heaps of bait schools on the sounder. No surface action other than a couple of isolated splashes was observed.
But pedro announced the capture of a snapper on a trolled slimy mackerel. Then later he nailed a spotty mac (potential new Noosa Yakkers Record, we think) which took a dead poddy mullet. Jimbo, meanwhile profitably used his supply of prawns to bag two or three small sweetlip and a small snapper all caught in shallow water (10m or so), near The Pinnacles.
Kiwibro decided to check out LH Reef on the way home and Jaro joined us from Halls Reef area as he could find no action out there. By 09:00, however, I was sure that I’d left my mojo on the beach and decided to pack it in, especially as we had to run the gauntlet again, and high tide (due soon) was a good time to do it. Jaro decided he’d also head for home, fishless, but pedro opted to try a bit longer.
And so it was that jaro and I arrived off Middle Groyne about 09:45. Kiwibro had landed sometime earlier and warned us by radio that the waves were standing up and to be careful with our timing. Ever since we’d left Jew Shoal we’d been able to see big waves striking the groyne, even from nearly 4km away so we were aware that a possible unintended bath was in the offing.
We always rig for rollover in such conditions, having been smashed a few times in the past. Today was no exception.
10:00am. Jaro, ready to go, awaits his chance at Middle Groyne. Note that his yak is parallel with the beach. That breaking wave is the second last of a set.
The trick here is to realize that you only have to cross about 30m or so of surf zone before you reach the safety of the deep water channel through which we launch. Timing is critical. Wait for a larger set of several waves to go through, making sure that you don't hold too close to the end of the groyne because the bigger waves will break further out and could take you out. When holding, always be ready to quickly bring the bow into a wave which threatens to break before it reaches you. The best way to hold is probably parallel to the beach so that you get a good view of oncoming waves and can quickly turn into a wave and just as quickly turn to run toward the beach. Sets usually consist of three or four big waves, but sometimes there are more, so wait for a few seconds after what you think is the last wave of the set. Then check out to sea to be as sure as you can be that the set is complete, turn toward shore and go as if your life depends on it. Do not turn back. Deep, safe water is not far away, very close to the western side of the wall, so aim for that. Be aware that there will be a strong outgoing current in that deep water area but it’s rarely so strong that you can’t make headway against it. If it is too strong for you, move a little away from the wall and take advantage of the spent waves moving toward the beach. Keep paddling hard until you hit the beach.
Jaro and I both made it through safely, using the technique described above. Jimbo now appeared just off the groyne so I walked out onto the wall with the camera. He also got in safely, this time avoiding the channel’s strong current.
Jimbo’s fish
Hopefully pedro will have even more to tell us. Any pics, pedro?
From pedro
Nothing more to report other than a roll over on the way in.
The spotty went 83 cm and the snapper 61.
Cheers
Pete
Well done on the Spotty Pedro. I didn't think it would take long for my record to be beaten!
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