2 Pbs

[riceball]

Got a morning call from a fishing mate today, checked the weather was great. Backed up with some old baits, we planned to go on to the rock at bondi, target whatever shows up.

Got to Bondi at 12ish, tide was running out, we spend nearly 2 hours picked up some red crabs on the rocks. got a slow beginning, nth happening till around 2.30.

But finally its happended. something grabbed the crab bait, went like a train. After about 5 mints battle, i have landed my pb blue groper. It weighted approximently 8-10 kg (i guessed the weight, didn't bring a scale, any expert can give a tip?) The fish was very fat and healthy. It was carefully released after a few photoes with the fish of my lifetime.

half an hour later, the same rig, hooked up another monster, it didn't go that hard, and i could pull it in easily. but i was shocked after i see this meter plus port jackson shark. Another 15 mints were all spend on landing this monster. but we managed a great success. Another PB!! This fishe was released as well.

Couldn't manage to take anything back for a feed today, but it was very nice to see those beauty swim away and disappear in the deep water.

(By the way, Can i enter those catch in this month's Comp.?)

Edited August 13, 2006 by riceball

[wombat]

Good going on the Blue RB. Congrats on letting it go too.

Wombat

[Jewhunter]

Nice session there Riceball.

That's not a bad guess on the groper mate. Looks 6-8kgs for sure. Well worth entering that fish in the fish of the month comp. Good on ya for letting it go as well.

P.J's are very common at this time of year. They don't fight much & can be a big pest at times but they still look cool.

Well done on the p.b's.

Cheers,

[gio]

Well done mate some nice specimens there and good on you for letting them both go

Edited August 12, 2006 by gio

[Outnumbered]

great looking blue congrats on the PB,

fish of the month is sure shaping up to be another hard one to pick this month.

[femalefisho]

great looking blue congrats on the PB,

Congrats!!!!

[riceball]

Thanks for all the reply guys. sorry about the photo quality, i was using the phone camera. I have to say a big "Thank You" to my fishing mate, without him, i wouldn't be able to land any of these fish. The situation was extremly hard to land a fish, on a slippery rock platform, the wave was coming up too.

The Blue went very hard, i never thought those thing will fight that hard. Personally, i think those beautiful species are just far too valuable to kill, not only by legislation. It feels so good to see it swim away.

i will try to enter it in to the FOTM.

[James]

well done on that groper mate worthy contestant for fish of the month.

also pat on the back for you for the release.

you have my vote

[barrykrocker]

awesome. good of u to release the groper

[Flattieman]

Sensational stuff, riceball. That's a great groper - definitely in the running for FOTM. Also good to hear that it's still swimming around for others to catch in the future.

Flattieman.

[Penguin]

Well done mate nice report

penguin

[Bashir]

great blue mate! What sort of gear were you using?

[wrasseman]

Great going RB.

Thats a real nice blue. Well done for releasing it too (after diving with them they're one fish I couldn't ever keep). Sounds like a good day with some nice fishies.

Cheers

Col.

[riceball]

great blue mate! What sort of gear were you using?

Thanks mate, I was using 20lb main line 40lb leader. I was lucky that the line snapped just after i landed it. I think she was trying very hard to cut me off on a cave.

[riceball]

Check out the short video. How hard that groper went. I spend 2 hours on editing, looks alrite. The quality is not that good, it was taken by the phone.

[OWZAT]

G`day Fellas ,

RB , as an old die hard Rockie from way back , I can tell you that Groper of that size once upon a time were quite common around the headlands .

But It didn`t take too long , before they were in danger of extinction and overfishing for them.

So it is heart warming to see a good size one again after all this time , and even more so , the fact you released it , congatulations , and well done.

Rockhoppers will know , the success rate of landing one of those buggers is about 1 in 10 , because most times they just dart out of a crevice or cave , snatch your bait , and disappear back into their den , leaving you to have to re-rig time and again.

Funny thing now is , When thinking back , I never gave all that lost gear a second thought , but there was a white haired "Diver" , who I saw on a few occaisions collecting sinkers that were lost by the trailer load at Ben Buckler.

Mick

[insolent]

Blue with envy, my PB Groper was about as big as from the tip of the lip of your fish to the back of the gill cover.

Cheers