Pb Jewfish 4/4/09

[ASJ]

It had been raining all week. The forecast said that the weather would clear up by Sunday. All my research and experiences told me that this Saturday night was going to be it. With the weather forecasted to clear up, I expected a spike in the barometer, a change in the wind direction and hopefully a run of hungry jewfish.

So Saturday came, I readied my gear, got my bait and had a final check of the weather forcast. The forecast was not looking very promising for this night. The wind was blowing S/E at 20 - 30 knots. There was a chance of a few showers. The swells were at 2 - 3 metres. Everything was looking bad. With great swells come great clumps of seaweed, and if you're a beach fishermen cleaning the beach of seaweed is definatly NOT what you come out for. But I went out anyway, because like all people addicted to anything, they will always do something if there is even the slightest possibility of reward in it. So I left my home at 5 pm, and did the 2 hour drive up to The Entrance beach. A 2 hour drive just for a fish did sound crazy to me a few months ago but like I said before, if you're addicted to anything you will do it. Even if there is the slightest possibility of reward in it.

So I arrived, at my usual spot at The Entrance beach at 7pm with all my gear, only to find it over run with the big 2 - 3 meter swell. For a moment there I almost lost hope, but having come so far I did not want to give up so easily. I found myself a high vantage point and gazed out along the beach. The tide was falling and I didn't have much hope of finding a deep gutter that would be within casting range at low tide. But I was very wrong in underestimating the offerings of a beach. I could see a very deep gutter that was forming within casting distance and that would exist through low tide. I repacked my gear into the car and drove to a parking spot that would be closer to the gutter.

Once at the gutter, I set up my gear and threw a line out. I sat down and was about to pop a drink when my rod bent and line was being taken. There was a time when my blood would have pumped with adrenalin but not this time. In fact I was pissed off. Because the bend in the rod and periodic pull of the line with the waves told me I was caught in seaweed. So just as I expected the big swells brought big seaweed. I pulled the line in and went through the tedious process of untangling line from the weed. This process was repeated over and over again for 3 hours with masses of seaweed sometimes weighing at about 5 kilos and putting up great fights that would put any decent sized sting ray to shame.

So came low tide, and I found my self moving down the beach over the 3 hour period as the gutter changed shape. The seaweed was really putting me off and I found myself standing on the beach alone as other fishermen gave up and went home one by one. The rain was also comming and going all this time and I pondered leaving as well. Then all of a sudden I was on! The rod bent and bounced and the drag was singing. As I was fighting the fish I felt big, wide, slow head shakes until it began to tire. I got the fish to the edge of the shore line where there was a big sand bar and found myself in a stale mate with the fish. I could not get it up and above the sand bar to beach it. I started to grow impatient and so I tighted the drag to full and attempted to skull drag the fish above the shore line. BIG mistake. As I was pulling back a wash out from a big wave pulled the fish out and snapped the line. TWANG. I was kicking myself and vowed never to make that mistake again.

I had hope again and decided to fish on. Another 3 hours passed. All the while I was bringing in record catches of seaweed and also praying to the fish gods for another chance.... I made a cast that somehow landed in a spot where for once my line stayed straight and unmoved for more than 2 minutes. Perhaps my stubborness had finally won and I cleaned up all the seaweed, but at least I was in for a chance, and I was. The rod bent slightly bounced up then bent back down in half. I grabbed the rod, line was peeling, drag was singing and the fish's head was shaking! I let the fish run all the while watching my spool empty to about half before the fish stopped its first run. I pumped and wound, and the fish took back any line taken in with each wave that flushed out. Eventually the fish was tiring to a point where it could not turn its body to utilise the wave surges effectively and I gradually got my line back. Now was the big test, with the big 2 - 3 meter swells I was in danger of loosing the fish at the sand bar again. I made sure never to over tighten the drag and kept playing with the fish until I realised that no line was being taken, and each turn of the reel did not gain any line. I searched the shore line in the light of my head lamp, and found a big gapeing mouth stare back at me. I had finally beached the fish! I ran to the fish, quickly gilled it and dragged it up the sand. I let out a sigh of relief and let a big grin spread across my face. I stared down looking at the shiny silver spots, and the movement of the white belly as my personal best Jewfish croaked at me. I snapped out of the aweing moment as I realised there could be a school of them passing by. I rebaited and recast, only to be attacked by seaweed again. I decided then that I should call it a night.

Geez the scales on this thing are the size of 20 cent coins.

Any way the stats are:

105 cms

10kg

Jewfish

[jahajo]

WOW what a jewie well done

Cheers hazza

[Tiger Cam]

Great read ASJ. Your determination paid off in the end and you were rewarded for your addiction with a thumper Jewie in trying conditions I'm sure you relived it again and again on your drive back home

Regards,

Cam

[stylo]

You rippa !

Thanks for sharing.

[mr kingy]

nice jewie mate

see persistance is the difference between keen fishos & your regular fisho ,youve been well rewarded for your efforts . nice jewie of the beach .

keep up the good work mate

[marcel haber]

It had been raining all week. The forecast said that the weather would clear up by Sunday. All my research and experiences told me that this Saturday night was going to be it. With the weather forecasted to clear up, I expected a spike in the barometer, a change in the wind direction and hopefully a run of hungry jewfish.

So Saturday came, I readied my gear, got my bait and had a final check of the weather forcast. The forecast was not looking very promising for this night. The wind was blowing S/E at 20 - 30 knots. There was a chance of a few showers. The swells were at 2 - 3 metres. Everything was looking bad. With great swells come great clumps of seaweed, and if you're a beach fishermen cleaning the beach of seaweed is definatly NOT what you come out for. But I went out anyway, because like all people addicted to anything, they will always do something if there is even the slightest possibility of reward in it. So I left my home at 5 pm, and did the 2 hour drive up to The Entrance beach. A 2 hour drive just for a fish did sound crazy to me a few months ago but like I said before, if you're addicted to anything you will do it. Even if there is the slightest possibility of reward in it.

So I arrived, at my usual spot at The Entrance beach at 7pm with all my gear, only to find it over run with the big 2 - 3 meter swell. For a moment there I almost lost hope, but having come so far I did not want to give up so easily. I found myself a high vantage point and gazed out along the beach. The tide was falling and I didn't have much hope of finding a deep gutter that would be within casting range at low tide. But I was very wrong in underestimating the offerings of a beach. I could see a very deep gutter that was forming within casting distance and that would exist through low tide. I repacked my gear into the car and drove to a parking spot that would be closer to the gutter.

Once at the gutter, I set up my gear and threw a line out. I sat down and was about to pop a drink when my rod bent and line was being taken. There was a time when my blood would have pumped with adrenalin but not this time. In fact I was pissed off. Because the bend in the rod and periodic pull of the line with the waves told me I was caught in seaweed. So just as I expected the big swells brought big seaweed. I pulled the line in and went through the tedious process of untangling line from the weed. This process was repeated over and over again for 3 hours with masses of seaweed sometimes weighing at about 5 kilos and putting up great fights that would put any decent sized sting ray to shame.

So came low tide, and I found my self moving down the beach over the 3 hour period as the gutter changed shape. The seaweed was really putting me off and I found myself standing on the beach alone as other fishermen gave up and went home one by one. The rain was also comming and going all this time and I pondered leaving as well. Then all of a sudden I was on! The rod bent and bounced and the drag was singing. As I was fighting the fish I felt big, wide, slow head shakes until it began to tire. I got the fish to the edge of the shore line where there was a big sand bar and found myself in a stale mate with the fish. I could not get it up and above the sand bar to beach it. I started to grow impatient and so I tighted the drag to full and attempted to skull drag the fish above the shore line. BIG mistake. As I was pulling back a wash out from a big wave pulled the fish out and snapped the line. TWANG. I was kicking myself and vowed never to make that mistake again.

I had hope again and decided to fish on. Another 3 hours passed. All the while I was bringing in record catches of seaweed and also praying to the fish gods for another chance.... I made a cast that somehow landed in a spot where for once my line stayed straight and unmoved for more than 2 minutes. Perhaps my stubborness had finally won and I cleaned up all the seaweed, but at least I was in for a chance, and I was. The rod bent slightly bounced up then bent back down in half. I grabbed the rod, line was peeling, drag was singing and the fish's head was shaking! I let the fish run all the while watching my spool empty to about half before the fish stopped its first run. I pumped and wound, and the fish took back any line taken in with each wave that flushed out. Eventually the fish was tiring to a point where it could not turn its body to utilise the wave surges effectively and I gradually got my line back. Now was the big test, with the big 2 - 3 meter swells I was in danger of loosing the fish at the sand bar again. I made sure never to over tighten the drag and kept playing with the fish until I realised that no line was being taken, and each turn of the reel did not gain any line. I searched the shore line in the light of my head lamp, and found a big gapeing mouth stare back at me. I had finally beached the fish! I ran to the fish, quickly gilled it and dragged it up the sand. I let out a sigh of relief and let a big grin spread across my face. I stared down looking at the shiny silver spots, and the movement of the white belly as my personal best Jewfish croaked at me. I snapped out of the aweing moment as I realised there could be a school of them passing by. I rebaited and recast, only to be attacked by seaweed again. I decided then that I should call it a night.

Geez the scales on this thing are the size of 20 cent coins.

Any way the stats are:

105 cms

10kg

Jewfish

Mate ASJ, CONGRATULATIONS..... YOU ARE A BLOODY FREAK .

Thats one nice jewie mate , I recognised your face and recall you catching a monster kingfish off narrabeen not so long ago.

ASJ, your persistance has paid off once again and your attention to detail as you recall the story is second to none.

Fantastic super effort.

Twin 1

[Salmon_Hunter]

Cracking fish. Congrats.

I am heading out over the easter break for my first ever jewie fish.

[Blood Knot]

A great fish a great read and a lesson in perserverence. Well done

John

[jenno64]

Congrats on a stanker and beautifully penned....a great read!

[jewgaffer]

Very impressive beach fishing ASJ ! .......you can now add a good size beach jew to your good size beach Kingfish! You picked out that gutter well and persevered until a school came thru, that's good fishing staying on in lousy weather which still looked an ok night to give it a go all the same....

Cheers

jewgaffer

[cat-as-trophy]

OMG, that is one hell of a fish. Congratulations mate, you should be proud.

Cheers

Mrs Flightmanager

[luderick59]

a lot of people would have given up with all that weed

good on you for your patience thats what makes a good fisherman cheers peter

[GregL]

Mate great read and what a fish to show!

Well done and you deserved that fish!

Greg

[glennmreid]

Great report and well done on catching a monster of a jewie

[BTK]

Wow awsome fish mate, its posts like this that make me hungry to get out on the beach and go for a fish!

if you dont mind me asking what bait were you using for this monster?

cheers

Cory

[cruisecraft]

Great read and cracker of a fish.

regards Kit

[Wantingaboat]

A monster jew and sounds like the effort was rewarded. Going on Jewhunters/gaffers post a while back "the bigger they are the better they taste" plus my theory that if you caught it then it definately tastes better that will be one meal to savour. I admire your determination. Mike

[bongie555]

mate thats one bad addiction you have there. your persistence is admirable but the reward, sweet and enviable. again a brilliant report,well done. pity you couldnt make sushi with all that seaweed you hauled in.

[Frizzy]

Well done ASJ!!! Great report and great fish!!

[zen801]

Hi Mate,

Well done!

Now thats what it takes to catch jewies sometimes.

Been there done that but you were rewarded with a very nice PB.

I sat at home last night thinking what a top night it was for a beach jewie.

I am going out for todays low tide and then again Thursaday morning looking for a MH jew.

Very good report to read - thanks. You gotta love the jewie stories.

Cheers and enjoy - Mike.

[Bolts]

Awesome read mate.

Great catch. You persisted and was rewarded with the ultimate prize.

Congratulations!

[naddy]

WOW!

Congratulations dude, that is one hell of a report.

As jewgaffer said, now it can sit alongside your Good sized kingfish off the beach!

Well earned, well deserved and Well done.

[tide'n'knots]

well done ASJ, thats a great fish in some pretty ordinary conditions!!

do you mind if I ask what you used for bait?? a slab of tailor, livie, or worms?

pete.

[Mondo Rock]

Fantastic story and result. I loved reading every word of it.

This is what Fishraider is all about!!!

[sanger]

Great fish well done!!!!