Port Kembla 24/01/07

[Lewis]

G,day Raiders.

Hit the water at 5.30am from Port harbour today, water is still very cold only 15.2 degrees. Tried for some yakkas just inside the harbour to no avail, so headed over to W/gong lighthouse for a try on the gravel, put the pick out and started the berly trail of cubed and crushed pillies for 2.5 hours with not even as much as a touch. I then start thinking its time to try else where, when a bloody seal turns up making my decision to move much easier.

I pulled up anchor and strated to motor off towards Pig Island when I notice a few birds on the water so I rigged up a couple of 75mm skirted lures one in pink the other in red and drop them out the back and head off at 8kts towards the islands, all was quiet until I got to approx 700mtrs from Toothbrush and the pink lure got hit, nothing big but a handy 45cm bonnie. I put the lure back down and headed off again, passed around the back of Toothbrush and the headed along the reef line towards Pig when almost half way between the islands the pink lure gets absolutely smashed, line is screaming of the reel, the rods got a pretty decent bend in it, so I knock the boat out of gear and set to the task at hand. This fish is running hard and I'm thinking king, But its not heading for the reef, its heading wide of the boat. I tighten the drag a bit more and start to gain some line, when I feel very little weight if any. The fish has turned its heading straight back towards the boat, I wind like crazy to try and keep some weight on the line, then it lets me know that its still on by turning again but this time its running deep but still not straight to the bottom like a king would do. I start to pump the fish back to the boat then a few minutes later I am surprised to see the beautiful 67cm bonnie come up from the depths, nice fish.

I then start to troll around the eastern side of Pig and head back towards Toothbrush again with no other hits, when I get around half way between the islands again I notice a few ripples on the water, so I motor over for a closer look being carefull not to get to close that I may spook what ever is feeding. I managed a couple of circuits of the school without a strike so I threw on a small 30grm silver halco spoon on and cast just wide of the school on the 3rd cast I notice a fish haveing a go at the lure so I backed off then sped up realy quickly and the fish struck, bang off she goes straight for the bottom an d pulling hard this was definately a king, but luckily I,m in 90ft of water so I've got time to turn the fish, slowly it turns and I get some line back. Up, up up she comes then off she goes again line peeling of the reel, this senario was repeated a further two times and then success a very nice 65cm king came to play. I landed 3 others all undersize before the southerly blew up at 10ish, I trolled back along Cono beach with out a hit then called it a day.

A great couple of hours on the water and a feed to boot, can't ask for much more.