arpie Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 (edited) Hi guys Well ....... What a Blast!!! I arrived home late yesterday afternoon, having left at 12.30pm. I was knackered after 6 solid days of fishing (the other 3 days were pouring with rain!) - sometimes 3 fishing sessions a day! I arrived last weekend (the other half was supposed to do the triathlon but didn't, so I stayed on for therest of the week, having booked it over 6 months ago & you don't get a refund if you pull out!! They also charge like wounded bull! $48/night for 2!!!) Keith went down to Husskisson with a buddy for a Half Ironman on the Sat, competed on the Sunday (won his age group) and came home Monday. Between us, we have covered a lot of ground, but I got the campervan!!! Arrived on the Sat to find someone parked on my slab/campsite & a downpour of rain! Not a good sign. Finally got the person to move & set up my Campervan & tent. More rain! Bugger! Sunday loomed much the same, only more rain than ever!!! Bucketting down most of the day. I basically just sat in my camper & watched a couple of DVDs ...... my fly casting should be better next time I go out! Monday was more of Saturday & Sunday combined, with patches of sun, so I ventured out along the beach & was happy to come upon a 'beach worm patch!' I pulled a few out & busted off about 30 heads! I don't like doing that ..... got drenched 3 times during the process & then put them on hooks & sacrificed them to the Fish Gods ...... small tho they were ..... little whiting. Very little! All put back. SWR township getting a soaking Toni arrived on Mon and set up her camp - all colour co-ordinated ..... the car matched the camper trailer, which matched the yak! Very Noice!! Then Paul (of Marlin fame ...... see Game Fishing Reports!) & Lynette arrived on Tues, managing to set up between downpours. Toni & I got on like a house on fire!! We could have been twins - both into yakking, fishing & tinkering with things & a love of Tips!!! Her surf rod is to die for - her dad made it from a Snyder blank & casts a country mile! Yeah, I know, I am jealous!!! But the good news is, I did manage to find a blackie/bream snyder blank in the tackle shop & got it for $50, so was pretty happy about that!! A new project for me to build it up!!! Lighthouse Beach lighthouse rocks Tues am, Toni & I hit Lighthouse beach, to try & find some worms, as she was keen to learn & there weren't many on Trial Bay. Hah! There weren't ANY on Lighthouse! I walked all the way to the rocks at the bottom of the lighthouse & back for NOTHING!! Had a climb on the rocks there & spotted some fish hiding behind the rocks. Tide was falling, but I reckon that would be a top spot on top of the tide! Lots of cabbage & bit of weed on the rocks, too, so I reckon blackies & drummer would be about too. Toni fishing the beach Toni had a couple of good hits on Pillies, but because we didn't have a beach permit to drive, we were stuck on the northern bit, so didn't get down to Fish Rock, where there were (apparantly) lots of worms & plenty of fish! Furry & not so furry friends! Lots of furry (and not so furry) critters around the camp - if you are not careful, some of the furry ones with long thin tails will come in at night & chew thru your bread & bananas ..... Make sure everything is put away in plastic containers!!! We hit the back creek later that evening with my special 'mullet float' & bread & cleaned up on the mullet! First time Toni had been mullet fishing & LOVED IT!!! There were 3 blokes on the other side of the creek who were already there & would occasionally hook one, only to reef the rod into the air & rip the hook out of its mouth!!! Toni & I set up on the other side & burley up with some bread, toss the float out & catch fish after fish!!! First cast & I come up with a humongous bream - at least mid 30'scm!!! As I lifted it in with my tiny hook, it dropped back into the water! Darn it! Then the mullet came a-lookin'! These guys couldn't believe it!!! We got 10 mullet from about 15cm to 25cm!! They had, like, 1!!! We went back to camp & the next morning went around offering anyone that wanted some, fresh mullet for bait!!!! Some took it out to sea to put a slab out, others to the river or creek to use as normal bait. Shame is, we didn't get any pics of the mullet!! Very remiss of us!!! More later, Roberta Edited March 4, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hey Roberta, Great report... I love the way you tell a tale, smile time at work! I know it's wrong but I still think one of the best feelings in fishing is when you pull up besides someone in a boat or on a beach and proceed to clean up while they're sitting there getting nothing but a case of the green eyed devil. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE teach me how to catch beach worms if we ever end up on the same stretch of sand... maybe at the Entrance Social if you go. There has to be something you want that I could give you for this apparently arcane and secret knowledge... how about one of my daughters as your beach slave to carry all your gear?? The couple of times I've tried I've found heaps of worms but only managed to get my fingers on one, and then just got a head. Cheers, Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james7 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Great report Roberta. Fantastic photos too. Just love SWR! Hope the knee is improving. Cheers Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inhlanzi Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Good stuff Roberta great report. gee it looks good up there... Give up your day job and start a fishing newspaper!! Cheers inhlanzi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewgaffer Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 ...... Her surf rod is to die for - her dad made it from a Snyder blank & casts a country mile! Yeah, I know, I am jealous!!! But the good news is, I did manage to find a blackie/bream snyder blank in the tackle shop & got it for $50, so was pretty happy about that!! A new project for me to build it up!!! Roberta Hi Roberta you certainly had a great time up there. Your mullet rig is a terrific little weapon and that lone bull mullet wouldn't be too lonely for long on the beach at South West Rocks at night that's for sure. That Snyder blank would look real nice with Roberta engraved on it in gold. Must bring it down to Hawkesbury for an early autumn session with Peter luderick59 and your brother Sails, sorry but it's been hard getting it all together for Hawkesbury but it looks like it will get better up there very soon. Regards, Byron. jewgaffer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 (edited) Hey Slinky .... no worries - I had a blast at the Entrance last year ..... have we got a date for it yet??? Just hope it doesn't clash with any of my other half's triathlon events!! I got Wildfish & Outdoor Dan into their first worms caught last year at the social! I may need your daughter to carry my gear ..... I managed to stab myself in my thigh with my fishing knife last year & had to leave the beach with Gyropilot to seek medical assistance, whilst trying to stem the blood loss!! I kept that a pretty well kept secret for a while!!!! Hi Peter, thanks for the concern .... the knee is still just a bit tender .... I'll be jumping down the breakwall after the blackies soon ..... well, maybe not jumping .... more clambering! Cheerio Roberta Edited February 26, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 (edited) Wednesday, I am pretty sure it may have been really, really wet!! Had an easy day earlier, then went mullet fishing in the back creek in the late afternoon & got some top mullet, but I fell over with a bucket full of fish & water, after trying to keep them alive for the guys that went out to sea, and landed face first in a muddy pool of fish!!! Just put a bit of water in after that ..... much easier! Stuffed my knee, but took some anti inflams when I got back & rubbed with gel & the next day (after I thought I wouldn't be able to walk) managed to get out paddling the next day! On Thursday, Toni & Lynette & I hit the Back creek, to see what we could catch! Lynette only recently got her yak & first fishing rod/reel at Xmas & we were really hoping to get her into some good fish up the creek, but the fishing was sparse! She is a natural in a yak & comes from a strong rowing background, so very fit! When we weren't throwing everything we had at the fish, we were comparing our lures ..... Which one should we try next?? I wanted to try all I had in the box, but kept reverting back to the poppers ...... We stayed away from the bridge as it was full of kids jumping off it into the channel below ..... one set of parents were up there encouraging a 10 year old girl to do it!!! Why weren't they at school, anyway, I hear you ask??? Just when it was becoming a bit repetitive, I called out "I'm on"!! A nice whiting took a liking to my see thru popper & I had seen it hoon thru the water to grab it & thought it was a big pike!! No, nice whiting instead! Had a couple of follows & hits, but no more hookups. There are some terrific little offshoots within the creek at high tide - I reckon there would be mangrove jacks & all sorts of toothy critters all along up there! Didn't see them tho ... I spooked a big school of fish that scooted past the yak into the main channel - I couldn't even identify them .... possibly blackies, as they appeared very dark! I came back into the main channel & started throwing my popper around with gay abandon ..... when it happened!!! I caught the biggest thing out there (other than the bridge ......) a tree!!! Damn!! Not just down low ...... high up in the branches!! Double Damn!! It was the most expensive of all my poppers & the only one that had caught a fish on the trip so I wasn't about to leave it there! Didn't want to put too much pressure on it as it was only 6lb Crystal Fireline with 10lb leader, so had to work out how to get it down!! It was way out of reach & securely wrapped around the branch & leaves 4 or 5 times. The tide was so high, the lower branches of the tree were under water, so tied off my yak to them. Then, very gingerly, I attempted to stand up on the yak, figuring that would be the only way I would be able to retrieve the lure!!! I felt very insecure, as the tide had turned & was now going out!! I reeled in the lure till it was almost at the top of the rod & grabbed hold of some branches with my right hand to steady myself. Dropped the rod, hanging in mid air (via the lure) as I used 2 hands to reach higher! Oooops .... got the wobbles, steadied it ..... then grabbed the rod & pulled it down as far as I could so I could reach up towards the lure. I inched my way up to it & finally managed to grab a handful of leaves that were close to the lure & managed to break the branch & retrieve. I'm not sure what Toni & Lynette thought I was up to ..... but i got it back!!! Just as well too, cos it was instrumental in my bigger fish the next day!!! Bling on my popper! Later that afternoon, Toni & I grabbed some of our mullet from the previous nights & hit the beach in search of these elusive little blighters, the Beach Worm!!! She really wanted to get one! I had found some a couple of days previous & hoped they'd still be there ...... not so lucky this time, very slim pickings!! I managed to raise a few heads, some got a fright & disappeared, some I grabbed & slipped out of my pliers & now have a severe headache & others are just plain Headless!!! They sacrificed themselves to our pursuit of offerings to the Fish God!! However, Toni is now very competent at recognising a rising worm & when she visits Forster next, I reckon I'll be able to get her into her first one!! That night, once again, we hit the wharves for some mullet, but the tide & time was against us, Toni got one & mine got off! We saw the most fantastic sunset tho! Mind you, we saw a fantastic sunset every evening!!! Another fun filled day at the Yakkin' & Fishin' at SWR! Home to a well earned coldie & hot meal!! Cheerio Roberta Edited February 26, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hi Roberta, I haven't fished SWR for ages but I am itching to get back there. A mate has bought a house there and reckons he'll pull the pin on work in a year or two and set up home there, so SWR here I come. We got some great mullet out the creek too, went out on the very tip of the breakwall, right on the top of the high tide when the water was slack. Hooked them in the nose with no weight and out they go. Poor little things were shakeing like nothing else before they were smashed by jew. We land 5 in an hour. Your trip sounds great except for the rain but, it gives the whole thing a different perspective. I love the rain but can't do the wind. The beach shot looks like the gutter from hell. Tailer or sambos you think? Thanks for your reply about my cod. Cheers, Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hi Brian Isn't SWR the best? One of the best kept secrets, I reckon! I've been going there for the last 8 or more years & coming from Forster ....... that is a real compliment!!! Terrific to have a mate there, hope he invites you to stay there!!! God Knows the National Parks charge like wounded bulls ..... it is now $48 for 2 per night at the Gaol !! Oooooh, I'd love to drop a mullet over the back - not sure what I'd do if I hooked up on a whopper! Probably Throw up! Hooked big ones on the breakwall here before, but usually only fishing for bream & busted off quick smart!!! Landed a couple of soapies, tho - they really do taste nice, no matter what others may say! It really is a top spot to fish - good for kids too ...... on the quieter parts of the beach, like close to town! We think it was tailor, as we got some in the river later on. Shame nothing hooked up, as the water looked sooooo fishy!!! Ne'er mind ..... next time! Enjoyed reading about your cod! Gorgeous looking fish, eh?? Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Bennett Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hi Brian Isn't SWR the best? One of the best kept secrets, I reckon! I've been going there for the last 8 or more years & coming from Forster ....... that is a real compliment!!! Terrific to have a mate there, hope he invites you to stay there!!! God Knows the National Parks charge like wounded bulls ..... it is now $48 for 2 per night at the Gaol !! Oooooh, I'd love to drop a mullet over the back - not sure what I'd do if I hooked up on a whopper! Probably Throw up! Hooked big ones on the breakwall here before, but usually only fishing for bream & busted off quick smart!!! Landed a couple of soapies, tho - they really do taste nice, no matter what others may say! It really is a top spot to fish - good for kids too ...... on the quieter parts of the beach, like close to town! We think it was tailor, as we got some in the river later on. Shame nothing hooked up, as the water looked sooooo fishy!!! Ne'er mind ..... next time! Enjoyed reading about your cod! Gorgeous looking fish, eh?? Roberta Hi Roberta, Sounds like you had a good time during your stay at SWR's. It certainly is a top spot and it's little wonder more and more anglers are heading up this way each year. I fished the river a few times during the week you were up, and it was hard not to spot all the canoes. One day I think I counted 6 brightly colourd Hobbies, definitly an unusual site at SWR's! Friends heading out to sea said there was even more canoes off the jail. Been some big sharks out there lately, I think I'll keep my canoe in the river! You're not wrong about the camp fees, they certainly know how to charge. Apparently the dearest camp fees in Aus... Probably better off getting a motel. Cheers Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 (edited) Hi Phil I was in the littlest Hobie - the grey SPORT! We were all over the place!! I reckon the brighter the colour, the better!! They are hard to miss!! Grant (who's landed 3 marlin in the last 12 months but didn't have the freight train following him with cameras to record it from every angle ....) was out off the Gaol tolling, when a charter boat crossed his line & hooked it with their own! When they pulled his up, they just cut his line - no attempt made just to drop it! He not only lost his rig, but half a spool of line as well!! He knows most charters up there, as he is there every weekend at this time of year .... Boy! Was he !!! The operator later told the tackle shop that he didn't see the yak till he was almost on it, & the guy was in camo! He wasn't ..... and he also had a fluoro green 'araphat' on - shouldn't be too difficult to see! However, one guy had put one of those bright orange 'bicycle flags on a whippy pole' on his yak & everyone knew where he was! I reckon a few will make their own ones up now for when out to sea. Mind you - I got 'driven at' by dork boaties twice!!! I tried the universal 'slow down' sign (hands flat, palms down, moving both up & down) & they thought I was waving at them!!!!! When the middle finger went up, they got the message! They didn't slow down & was heading to go in front of me. When I motioned for them to go behind me (I thought that was the rule) they got abusive & yelled for me to move!!! As If ....... That was the only angst amongst the boaties, tho - most of them were very helpful to the guys, especially when they realised Paul was onto a good fish. There were less boats out there than we thought there would be - probably due to all the rain & dirty water coming out of the river! It was like chocolate! One local later told us that there was a huge Tiger Shark hanging around the area over the last few weeks In the river we trolled, tossed sps, poppers, metals & hbs .... no huge fish caught, but lots of fun was had by all!! Off the Gaol, there would have been up to 15 or more out at any one tiime. 2 guys had the South African Fishing Skis - a totally different concept from the normal yak setup. They pull in huge fish over in SA from them. Even tho the Gaol charges way, way too high (Dec - April is the peak time) it is just so convenient to launch yaks or even small boats. That little bay is terrific & normally very calm. Boy, does the tide go out or what??? a 1km walk to the water at low! Also, with most being in the same area, it was fun just yakking (as in talking!) about everything - always a few people around somewhere!! You certainly do have a terrific back yard!! I was surprised that the river was as fishable as it was in the yak - didn't have to anchor up at all - was always able to find a quieter spot to troll or cast. Cheers Roberta Edited February 26, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Thanks for a great report & pics Roberta. Looks like you had a blast! Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Hi Brian Isn't SWR the best? One of the best kept secrets, I reckon! I've been going there for the last 8 or more years & coming from Forster ....... that is a real compliment!!! That is a compliment but, it tend to agree, although Forster is pretty good too. I'll be in Forster from the 15/03 >> 25/03. Staying at Forster Gardens in Middle Street. Drop in and say hi one day. I'll have the big tinnie. I just hope we get a decent few days with the weather. Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 Here's the next installment ..... Friday loomed and we decided to hit the river this time! Toni's rig looked terrific & got many admiring glances & comments, especially because they were colour coded! They hadn't seen her Camper Trailer yet, either! Same colour too! Very Noice. Toni was terrific - so I didn't have to pull my campervan & tent etc apart every time I needed to go anywhere, she ferried me around everywhere!!! Many thanks for that, Toni! I immediately headed over towards the little rock wall near the Power poles, with Lynette in hot pursuit & we threw poppers & hbs all over the place!! I had a couple of hits & follows on the yellow translucent one, but not hookups. I then moved on to the boats moored in the bay & flicked around them without a hit! Very disappointing! But when the day looks like this, who will complain?? Gradually I worked my way around the bay & found a really shallow set of oyster covered rocks & a 3m drop-off! It was in front of an old shack & there were rusty poles sticking in the water too. I flicked around these obstructions & suddenly a big swirl made my popper move violently! It didn't connect, so I waited a second & tweaked it again ..... this time, in the clear water, I could see the big bream just eye balling the lure, then he SMACKED IT!! He went a smidgeon under 34cm, so I was one happy yakky chappy! Guess which lure it took?? The see thru one that I had rescued from the tree the day before!!!! I had the drag done up fairly tight, so he didn't take me into the oyster covered rocks & as I brought him to the boat, and put him on my lap, I let out my War Cry .......Wooooohooooo!! I'm on!! I heard a cry from the other side of the wall - Toni & Lynette asked "what have you got??" My reply "A big Bream:!! What a buzz!! We continued on fishing for some hours more & eventually it was time to make tracks for home ...... Had to laugh at this one tho - they had a sign up saying "Private Jetty - Enter at your own Risk"!!! As if you'd want to!!! In the afternoon, I harrassed Dan into coming worming with me, as he was keen to land his first whole worm. He'd pulled off heads before, so I hoped we could do it! There were even fewer worms there than the few days previous! Peter came too & very soon, we had 3 experienced lots of eyes yelling "There's one" & we would all 'take the stance' to try & coax the little blighters out of their holes!! I took off a few heads, frightened a few & gave a few headaches when they slipped thru my pliers ..... to no avail! Then Red turns up with a handful of pippies (also very much in short supply) & even tho they were a little small, I grabbed one to use as 'hand bait'! Very quickly Red was giving us all a lesson in catching worms by hand!! He makes it look soooo easy!!! I usually use worming pliers as the big ones can be so hard to pull out sometimes ...... eventually I ditched the pliers & had a go by hand! Wouldn't you know it, I shortly had one nibbling my thumb instead of the pippie!!! He was also very shy & I had him between my thumb & forefinger for about 3 minutes, before I finally tightened up & got him half out of the sand!!! Then he dug his toes in & didn't want to come out any further ...... Red gave me a hand & we got half of him out, then he broke! I was elated!! I hadn't hand caught a worm in 3 years! I will definitely try it again when back home, as it is far kinder to the worm than the pliers! Dan also got at least one head, using his fingers, so top result!! By the end of the session, Red had pulled about 10-15 worms!!!! I am in awe of that bloke! Many thanks for the lesson, Red!!! That day, Grant had hooked a lovely big Yellowfin Tuna & very kindly donated it to the troops for dinner and Paul & Ken threw in some yummy snags whilst we waited for our dinner to be cooked by some very able chefs!!! There was a bit of a queue for the one wood fired bbq, so I trotted to my camp & grabbed my trusty single burner gas stove & brought my steak pan back & started cooking our Yellowfin Tuna steaks up for Toni, Paul, Lynette & myself. Lynette had done a terrific salad & even if I say so myself ...... I reckon this would have cost $50-80 dollars at any other restaurant!!! Very 'cuisine nouveaux'!! Another fantastic day on the water - magnificent sunsets, terrific company. Those pesky roos were a bit of a bit of a pain - you can see how close they get to your camp ...... I had one guarding the entrance to my tent one night (bigger than this one) and it wasn't going to move. It stood up eyeballing me, as I moved closer & closer! I didn't fancy copping his feet in my guts, so I tapped him on the nose with the tip of my flick stick & he finally got the message!!! Everyone was just so enthusiastic about everyone else's captures or near misses, no 'green eyed monsters' for those who hadn't caught anything to date ..... planning the next day's plan of attack ..... some sat round chatting about yakking (and other things ..... ) till after 2am!!! Some were a little seedy the next morning when the call came to "OK Let's hit the beach" Cheerio Roberta This has become an epic!!! And there is still Sat and Sun to post!!!! And I have had to be very selective from over 100 photos!!! Many thanks to another buddy, Kerrie for allowing me to dump all my photos onto her laptop, when my camera told me there was no more space & I knew I only had 70 pics on it!! I had already gone back into the files & deleted duplicate shots, but still kept running out of space when taking new ones! We had a cunning plan!! Kerrie downloaded my photos via the card slot, I deleted all the photos from my camera & then re-formatted the card, gave it back to Kerrie who then transferred her copy of my photos back onto the card & then (after checking that they were back on my camera) just deleted them from her own computer!!! It worked!! Suddenly, I had as much storage as I wanted for the rest of the trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Hi again Roberta, Just wanted to say I love your reports. Really makes me wish I was there (and that they made yaks big enough for me! ) Cheers, Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 Hi Slinky Thanks for the kind words ...... I am sure there are yaks out there for everyone!!! They are pretty stable these days!!! Sit in or sit on! Just go to a dealer that is close to water, so you can 'test drive' a few different models! Different brands & styles cater for different weights - perhaps that is why I threw up on Sat, it was a bit lumpy out off the Gaol, perhaps I wasn't heavy enough to get mine sitting deeper in the water, to take advantage of the side 'wings' to stabilize me!!!?? Cheerio Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Bennett Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 (edited) Hi Roberta, I was going to say it would have to be a bit dicy out off the jail in a canoe or kayak when there's any form of swell (you're not easly seen) and a few boats around. The local charter fleet can be pretty obnoxious at times, charging to reefs with little or no respect for those already there fishing there. I've had to wind lines in so they don't chop them off, and I know all the skippers! God help the holiday makers- and especially anyone in a canoe. Good idea all the flags and brightly coloured yaks. Mine full camo, I'd get run over for sure! Sounds like you and the crew had a great time, and that's what fishing is supposed to be all about. Cheers Phil Edited February 27, 2008 by Phil Bennett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 (edited) Yes Phil - when the swell comes up, as I indicate below in my "Sat" happenings, it is a bit disconcerting!!! As with any form of fishing, safety is paramount! Saturday morning looms and I hadn't had much sleep - was it excitement or trepidation. I had been putting off going out to sea, having only done it once before at Forster (when I rolled my yak in a 2ft wave with my non waterproof camera in my pocket ...) I had read bits indicating that it was not really a place for novices to use as a practise spot - do that where you know & then try the harder spots ...... The day before, Toni, Lynette & I decided that Sat was the day for Toni & I to burst the newbie bubble & give it a go!!! I am out of bed at shortly after 5am. We had decided to head off at 6am as it is still fairly dark prior to that (the price you pay for Daylight Saving ... they are from Qld) & no-one was keen to go out in the dark! I plodded around & checked that I had all my gear on the yak tied on or stowed correctly. Got the vacuum pack bait out (squid heads & flaps plus one of the mullet) adn thought about breakfast. Prior, I'd been indulging in Fried eggs & bacon every morning but thought it might be a bit greasy for offshore, so thought I'd try something different ..... creamed rice! Keith eats it before & after competing in triathlons & it is yummy to eat, digests quickly and, in hindsight, comes back up just as easily!! 5.40am and I am still the only one up & about!! I go to Toni's camper & say "It's 20 to 6, time to get up!" I am greeted with a GRUNT! "Aaaagh - I didn't get to bed until after 2 & I think I had a few too many beers! I'll think about it later" Off to Paul & Lynette's tent with the same statement & Lynette says "It's still dark out there! I'll wait till daylight!" Hmmmm, looks like I am on my own at this point in time .....I look down the road & see a couple of guys preparing to set off, so I pick up my yak & prepare to join them. I could see that some were already out & Red was about to launch from near the breakwall rocks. I dragged the yak (bloody wheels didn't make a lot of difference) across the sand & into the water & 'walked' it up towards the Yellow Shallow Water markers ..... less waves down there!!! I hop on the yak & YIPEE!! I have successfully launched into the Big Blue Briny!! I head straight out, keeping very aware of any small waves breaking, trying to avoid them or slice thru them & go over. I feel pretty good!!! Head out around the back of the small breakwall - there is a fizz boat going round in circles pulling in bait fish. 2 guys at the back of the boat, no-one at the wheel. I think they almost have it tied so it just goes in circles ..... made sure I took a wide berth of them .... thought what they were doing was extremely dangerous! I can see that Red has launched & I catch up with him, he took a shortcut from his launch site & went across the shallows! Great to have his company, made me feel much more secure. Approaching the Main Breakwall I see the sun rising - what a magic sight! I reckon I'd been out there about an hour & it is time to put out some bait out. Not much swell at this moment - I open the bag of Squid Heads I'd brought out. BIG MISTAKE!! Instant dry retch! Ooooh! I manage to put one onto my double hook set up & let it drift out the back, putting the opened bag into the hatch & locking the smell in! OMG it was awful!! I paddle around in no special direction & figure I may as well get a shot of the Gaol. In hindsight, perhaps I went further out than I thought .... or is it just the wide angle lens of the camera that makes it further away?? The chop was getting a bit bumpier & there were some big troughs appearing - when you are in the dip you don't see anyone or anything else!! I can feel some squishiness starting up in my tummy & knew that the inevitable would happen ..... shortly after, wouldn't you know it, I started my own burley trail! No diced carrots in it, tho! After 6 heave ho's, I felt pretty gutted & just hoped no-one was close enough to get a photo! I brought the squid in & biffed it, then reached into the hatch & emptied all the rest of them into the sea, as well as the mullet & all the 'real' bait I had brought out! Should have left it at home, I reckon! Mental note to self - DON"T TAKE BAIT OUT NEXT TIME!! Perhaps I should try my bigger shad sps (not as big as the Sex Toy, tho) What I thought was a large jig head barely cut thru the water when I put it in! I persevered with it for a while, then the icky feeling came back & I thought I would make my way back towards quieter water. Quite a few other yakkers had by now passed me in their quest for big fish as I headed for home, after about 2hrs out to sea at this point! Still no sign of Lynette & Toni!! Lynette had already been out a couple of times, mainly pedaling rather than fishing, Toni (like me) had put it off ..... As I approached the breakwall, John came over & asked if I was OK .... I told him my sorry tale & he kindly said he would paddle back with me to make sure I got back in OK! That was really nice of him! I really appreciated it. We paddled along for a while & then a pod of dolphins surfed in front of Dave's yak! About 5 of them! I was watching them when I looked around & saw that Red was only a little way further out from us! Then I hear an almighty SPLASH & I nearly sh*t myself!! I turned round & could only see boiling water right next to the r/h side of my yak!! Didn't know what it was!! Then Red paddles over, highly excited and shows me a photo (2" big on rolling seas) muttering excitedly about a dolphin & a kayak ..... I thought it was a photo of John & the dolphins & said "Terrific shot, Red". Only after we got back to shore, did I see it again & realise it was Me and the Dolphins!!! Two of them! One wasn't too far from the back of my head as he jumps clear over my yak!!! Top Shot Red!!!! John is in the shot too. I keep paddling around towards the yellow bouys - Ken had advised me to go to the first one then turn left. John headed into the shallows towards the small breakwall, but it was too choppy, only to turn back & head back out towards me & then going further along the beach again! Many thanks for your company, John. Before reaching shore, I came upon an intrepid bunch of yakkers ..... nearly 9am & Lynette, Toni & Paul are heading out .... finally!!! There was going to be a big blow up after 10.30, so I was pleased to be going in the opposite direction! On the way in, I caught a couple of small waves & was turning around every second or so, checking that no rogue waves were sneaking up on me! Using my paddle this time (didn't have it out in Forster when I rolled!!) I kept the yak nice & straight & enjoyed the ride. Got off in the shallows without tipping over That's a first for me ...... hmmmm throwing up from a yak - that was a first, toooo! First to throw up off the yak at SWR ..... another first!!! or perhaps just the first to admit to it ..... Now I know why I always launch from the grass at Wallis Lake! It is a REALLY HARD SLOG dragging that yak up the beach, even with the wheels on!! I went back to camp & grabbed some rope, to rig a shoulder harness to assist me up the beach. That made it a bit easier. I had a pretty quiet time after that, rethinking my next breakfast & what else to do with the day. Chatted to lots of the folk along the beach front, took some photos of yaks & different setups, just had some quiet time! Toni and I had been burning the candle at both ends - fishing 3 times a day. Even the evening before, we had hit the River breakwall - sacrificing some more mullet to the cause - I got a few bream (put back) and Toni got a nice flattie! Later on, after Toni, Lynette & Paul returned, I think Paul had a mack tuna & had cut off a hammerhead, Grant had another Bluefin tuna (thanks Iceman), then we all retired to Paul & Lynette's tent for some serious discussion on rigging up for the next day ...... and that is when the Sex Toy was born!!! Some of the fish caught... Later in the afternoon, Toni & I hit the creek again for some more mullet (we had become the designated bait catchers, as livies appeared to be thin on the ground) & couldn't raise any, so then headed to the breakwall for a look & at high tide, spotted some blackies mooching around. We decided to come back at the bottom of the low (later in the afternoon) to give them a go. Had no joy then either, so headed back home for dinner. Toni made up this terrific Cream Cheese & bacon mix that gets stuffed into a bread case & heated up. You use the pulled out bread to eat it, like a dip & it was scrummy!! A few ales went down & tall tales told! Great Company! Lots of fun. Lynette & Paul were keen to head out again on Sunday - after my shitty day on the briny, Toni & I decided to join some other guys on the river instead!!! It seemed the right decision at the time ....... All up, it was an exciting day on the water! Cheerio Roberta Edited March 3, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Iceman Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 What a great adventure Roberta Lookiing forward to reading some more The fish in the second pic looks like a northern bluefin Must have been fun in a yak they are really quick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 (edited) Hi Iceman - Grant got a bluefin & a yellowfin & one other bloke got a Big Eye something Tuna too! The big fish were few & far between, but when hooked, everyone got excited!!!! Roberta Only got Sunday to come now .... Edited February 28, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 (edited) OK, final chapter on the week I spent at SWR .... Promise!!! Sunday morning was absolutley gorgeous - clear, bright skies & the surf was calm & inviting. After my shitty day on the water the day before, Toni & I decided to hit the River again, whilst Lynette & Paul were going out to sea again in the eternal quest for 'the big one'! As Lynette wasn't going with us this time, I needed to find someone else capable of getting my yak to the river without too much hassle and Patrick kindly offered his trailer as a solution! With both our yaks on the trailer, we headed for the river! The day before, various yakkers had been badly affected on the river with big winds, big waves (sounds like my situation ...) & lost some big fish! Today, it was gloriously flat & wind free! Even Phil Bennet says that he was amazed at seeing so many yaks in the one place, both river & off the Gaol at the same time! I immediately went to where I'd caught my nice bream the other day & cast poppers around with gay abandon, for no result! Didn't even have any hits or follows! I even resorted to tossing half a water logged pizza around (someone had tossed from a yacht) in the hope I could attract a hit whilst they chewed the pizza. Noooo! Toni & Patrick were out in the middle & I got a shout from Toni that she had hooked up on a nice tailor (35cm) whilst trolling some shallow hbs. She went on to get another nice tailor as well (holding one up in the background.) Patrick & Toni I trotted trolled one, hooking almost immediately onto a smaller 30cm tailor, which went back, to grow bigger! 30cm tailor Then I remembered Rod telling me he'd lost a big bream in front of the green shack around the corner from where I'd caught my nice bream earlier! I pedalled over there & found a fantastic oyster encrusted reef extending from the island out into the river, about 8-10 metres long & very narrow. This really looked promising! Also very snaggy, as Patrick was to find out, to his misfortune! At low tide, you can see the reef on the sounder, and in the clear water, see it easily in higher tides. The Yellow 'Shallow Water' buoy was about 20m in behind the reef, hence of no practical use as a warning at all ..... plus it was totally submerged when the tide was high as well!! I started flicking around there, hoping to get lucky. Had a couple of hits & one hook-up that got off. Then Rod, & buddies came back & we all started trolling in front of the island .... it was a bit of a convoy! Got a good hit that I hoped was a bream, but turned out to be a cod!! 30cm cod I'd only taken out poppers & other hb lures today, so must have had a thousand casts for not a lot of fish!! Also caught a small flattie that self released. It was a terrific day out on the river & we headed back to port, satisfied with having really given the river a good tryout!! WHilst we were loading our yaks, a boat came in & the guy told us about this 'idiot in a kayak' that was 'hooked on a marlin & heading out towards NZ with 5 other yakkers following him!!' Woohooo!! Toni & I immediately said "Hope it is Paul & wouldn't it be funny if he got it on the Squidgie" We were right on both counts!!! As Patrick had to leave early to pack up & be gone by 1pm, I'd lost my lift, so after discussion with Rod & Toni, it was decided that Toni would take her yak back, then come back for me! Allow at least 1hr. ABout 20mins later, I heard her 4WD arrive (very distinctive muffler!) Quick, she says, Paul is coming round the rockwall, if we get there quick enough, we can see him come in!!! We throw my yak on the roof & hoon off towards the Gaol! Wouldn't you know it ..... Bloody Sunday Drivers ....... all of them doing the Speed Limit or slower!!! Funny how you can justify your own speed if you have a perceived emergency!!! Finally, after an agonisingly slow drive, we reached the camp & drove straight to the beachfront sites & raced to the beach ..... all the exciting bits (Paul coming in with the marlin, wrestling it in & the big group of people) were over, but the fish was still on the beach! We forced Paul to pose for pics Yet Again (which he did, very graciously) then the marlin was loaded onto his ute and taken to the rocks to be carved up expertly by Dan!! What a superb Job he did!! To the victor, goes the trophies After bagging the marlin in 'reasonable portions' Paul, Lynette, Toni & I went round, delivering the rest of the marlin to the remaining yakkers still on site & kept a bag full of steaks for dinner that night. For more pics & info on the capture, please refer to the post I put on the Gamefishing Site http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=28758 and Paul's own account of the epic battle http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=28912 Toni & I trotted up to the shops & got some salad stuff & a bottle or 2 of Brut, to help celebrate the fantastic capture & Paul's heroic efforts and most partook of that, along with plenty of ales going down! I took my lttle 12v 10" TV (that reads SD cards) and watched Rod's magnificent photos of his time at SWR including some brilliant sunsets - not often you can get sunsets over water on the east coast!! Terrific shots! Everyone was on a high - the buzz had gone all round town - everyone knew about it & were all amazed!! Paul, Lynette, Toni & I were strangers 10 days ago, but are now bonded for life, by a single marlin capture! What a fantastic way to finish off the weekend. Everyone talked about it, hoped it would happen, but deep down probably didn't think it would! Paul Made it Happen!!! WooHooo! More Power to Him!! Cheerio Roberta THE END!!! The Fearsome Foursome before we headed off in our different directions, Monday Morning! PS I just dropped a couple of Marlin Steaks off to my friend Noel's widow, Helen. She was stoked! Never had marlin before! Edited March 3, 2008 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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