Hey raiders,
just returned from what i expected to be a quiet bream session in roseville. How wrong i was! I'll start from the beginning. Arrived around 3 with 2 outfits. One 3-6kg stick with a 2500 Stradic and 20lb braid. The other a 2-4kg stick with a saros 2500 and 6lb braid. The plan was to fish unweighted prawns for a few bream that have been there lately while having the other rod out with a ganged pilchard. First cast of the session and bang, onto a lovely 30cm bream. Decided to put him back as i had bream a few nights earlier. Over the next hour i managed 6 bream between 24cm and 30cm. All were put back in as well. Around 4:15 as the sun began to fade away, my unweighted prawn was smashed by something of good size. Set the hook and whatever it was took off at 500km an hour! 10s later he busted me off. Thinking school jew or big salmon i kept persisting. Around 10 minutes later the same thing happened and abruptly ended after 20s. I was really frustrated by now not knowing what it was. Then another 10 mins later it happened again. It shot off and in no time at all it had taken around 100m of braid from my little saros. I could see the backing and started to panic. This is where the fight really began. I slowly tightened the drag on him to as much as i was comfortable with. A few minutes later and after gaining around 30m he took it back again. At this point i was thinking school jew for sure. After 20 minutes of 'tug of war' i finally got a look at him. A KINGIE! AT ROSEVILLE! IN WINTER! He was awfully close to the construction site so had to keep him under control. Eventually he was close enough to be netted! Not only was it my first kingie, but IT ATE A PRAWN! After all those sessions live baiting with squid and yakkas i finally get one in the middle of winter on a prawn! Crazy stuff. Anyway, measured him up and went 67cm. Not big but a lovely fish none the less and a real achievement for me on 6lb braid! I have cuts from the braid on my fingers but it was worth it! Might be a last minute entry in COTM! Sorry about the quality of the pics...
Cheers, Tom