Friday Morning Jew/king Session On Syd Harbour

[roosterman]

hi guys,

well i finally got the boat out and hit the harbour very early friday for a jew and kingy session..

spent a couple hours at spit for only 4 squid but yakkas/taylor were abundant as usual there.

got to the jew spot in main harbour for the tide change till sunrise but nothing happening there except getting harassed about my anchor light on the rocket launcher not bright enough to see from 2k away.. ..

i passed all other things with flying colors even though my lanyard for bucket was my rod lanyard as well...

prob a good idea guys to check your lights are not only visable without obstructions but also bright enough to see from 2k away,he did write my details in a big book he had but didnt say anymore...

he did keep the driver about 10 metres away from us so that was a change as every other time they bloody pull right up alongside,coulda kept my lines in the water,prob why i never got that 30kg jew as i pulled the bait away from her to deal with this stuff. ..

back to hunt kings as sun popped up,there was some good bait sounding at spot x and predators feeding on them...

after a couple of passes the release clips sprung and "excalibur" with tyrnos and 24kg screams with 4-5kg strike drag.. .

mmmm could be a good fish as i pull the rod out and stick it to him..

after a couple of minutes i get a very spirited thick king about 75cm boatside...

while checking for followers he has a last ditched run and finds the 2nd dr bomb i forgot to pull up and hes gooooooone....

now paul thats a good lesson of what not to do eh mate,i think you even said something about do we need the bomb up as well , well i was pretty buggered with lack of sleep of late..

not to worry as it was good to finally get some good drag pulling action on my kingy weapon "excalibur"

got back into it and next pass the live squid gets pinched,bugger... back again and then the last live ones gone,the kings by then had thinned out and were moving on but we persisted a while later but the pickers would get the strip baits each pass..

we used yakkas as well on 2nd rigger but didnt get hit...

i think paul was impressed as i showed him the ways of d/r and kings on the sounder rising and following the baits etc..

interestingly the yakka did get some stalking but the fussy buggers were into calamari that morning...

left and tried all the usual haunts but not much bait was sounding and others we saw/spoke to were doing it very hard...

got back to spot x for the tide change to find a charter guy there anchored right on the spot and he had a big "0" but told me he got about 20 rats day before and lost some better ones.. amazing change in 24hrs eh...

we scooted over to a school of fish boiling with birds working but while we rigged up to a bloody idiot decided to come over and drive through them to see what they were i presume ..

they never surfaced after that and birds were prob as pissed as us...

the weather was about as good as it gets and not having to deal with all the weekend warriors(except one) on the harbour was the best...

went home at lunchtime but sounded through mh on way back to roseville and there was not alot happening but found something for next trip to check out..

im kicking myself at the moment on the lost fish as i am pretty pedantic some would say with clearing deckspace for downrigging and making and checking leaders night before etc.etc.. i always assess my trips to learn more and this one was make sure prep works done(time lost rigging up is not good when the kings don't hang around for long) and don't be fatigued/tired as mistakes are costly(trebble gouged deep 3 inch cut in forarm)..

at the end of the day i got out on the water on a great sunny day with a mate who at least got to see a kingy and learn a bit about downrigging...

also i had issues with motor sorted out and it ran great this trip(first trip since service)

so for me the trip was a success.. thanx again paul for the company and hopefully next time we can get you onto one...

cheers...steve....

[james7]

G'day Steve

Sounds like a day of mixed fortunes (I can relate to that). Shame about the kingy but at least Paul got to see it.

I've been fixing my boat up lately to get it "night" legal. Just waiting to be checked.

Hope your arm is okay

Cheers

Peter

[Penguin]

Bad luck on losing that King Steve, and as some have already

stated, at least you got to see him.

There were a few Kings where u saw us, but they were very finiky,

we did manage a few rats, and got teased by the bigger followers that

trailed them up to the boat, they wouldnt touch anything we threw at em.

Were you downrigging around the spot where you saw us, as I remember

only one boat DRing while we were there.

cheers

penguin

[roosterman]

hi peter, yeh the arms ok and at least some blood was spilled on boat that day...just wish it was fish blood...

also got bit by a taylor and a first for me....a squid.... gotta be more attentive in future

double check alls legal as they are being ruthless due to obvious reasons...

can make for an expensive trip...

as a side note when at night i always wear my life jacket just in case.its low profile one and also helped keep warm as it got a little chilly that night......

hi penguin,

i was in the little 14ft red/white old pongrass...

we didnt d/r but came over to check out if there was anything happening on my way back to the place i lost the king that morning for tide change...

they def were fussy that morning as with the sounder i can see them herding and compressing the bait and they rise and follow the d/r bait...

i watched one of them kingy dvd's a couple yrs ago and the underwater footage showed them looking/following and being very curious for what seemed ages.then smack from side on they hit it...

well they certainly were curious and followed but were very timid in hitting the baits and hooks only stuck the once on the live squid...

there was no shortage of pickers though as when the kings moved on the pickers smashed the squid strips every pass...

you guys certainly fish 5star style....

did the kings hang around for a long time or did they move on.. curious as to whether burly trail kept them around even though they were fussy buggers....

well done on getting a feed...

cheers...steve...

ps:you know its a hard day when the ppp didnt even work...

Edited March 8, 2009 by roosterman

[Penguin]

The Kings seemed to be there most of the time we were, they would show

themselves everytime we would hook a rat or a Bream or Trevor and

follow it to the boat, and it wouldnt be only one follower either. I even kept

a hooked Trev in the water for about 10mins and the Kings stayed with him,

but would not take anything we fed down, only swim up and take a few looks

and then go back to following the trev. The rats we caught were also hooked

down deep we could see the Kings on the sounder just 2mtrs off the bottom.

penguin

[arpie]

Hi Steve

Shame about the bustoff kingie!! Bummer!! Interesting to see the crackdown on night lighting on the boat - I had heard of others being checked as well recently. I got a new light for my yak the other week & I reckon you can see this one from 4km away! Initially I thought it was overkill, but then again ....... better to be seen than not!

Better luck next time!

Roberta