Yakking For Longtails

HobiePaulo · May 27, 2008

This one is from a few weeks back. Ive been busy

Finally a break in the weather and a full weekend at the coast. I had to row in the Qld Masters Titles at Kawana so planned an early fish both mornings.

I arrived at the launch on Sat at 5am with just a few light gusts of wind and a 1.5m swell. The tide is out and that shore dump is a lot bigger than it was last week. I made it out through the break only having to punch through the one that stood up, rigged up the rods and set off trolling to the reef. As the sun rose over the horizon I could see birds hitting the water about a k further out. As the light grew, I noticed birds working boils all around. I cut the chatter off the Daiwa 20lb Saltwater Advantage and rigged up a slightly larger silver slug than the ones Id had no luck with the week before. After dozens of casts, some of which should have hit them on the head, I decided to crank the bail arm closed and start winding before the lure hit the water. Crank.. crank... zzzzzzzzzziiiiiingggg. That sweet music played as the certate's drag kicked in and the fish took off. I titghtened the drag a little more and the yak picked up speed but still the line is peeling off. I hit the pedals and gave chase. After 20 mins of runs, violent head shakes and circling back and forth under the yak I tailed a nice metre long NB into my lap and caught my breath. After a quick bleeding I slid the fish into the yakski behind me and headed for home. I got dumped the week before in the mean little shore break so I derigged everything and made for the beach. Five metres off I jumped off and grabbed the yak to drag it up the beach, when the shore break sucked it up and rolled it over.

Sunday morning I met Greg and we set off at sunrise again. No birds working and the swell has lifted with some of the sets well over 6 foot. We timed our runs and made it out, rigged up and trolled towards the rock. With no birds working I tied on an XRap 20 hoping to entice a bottom dweller on the way out. After 15 mins or so the new saltist kicked into life. I grabbed the rod, tightened the drag some more, swung the yak around and laid into the fish. The second run was just as intense only shorter. Then it swam towards me. Snapper! I pumped the Tcurve and lifted the fish from the bottom with ease. Grabbing the fish behind the gills I lifted it in. A quick bleed and into the bag. We worked the reef a little more and then chased a few sparse boils with no luck. In much bigger sets I made it to the beach in textbook style. Just before three big 8ft sets rolled in.