Great Night Out Fishing The Harbour

[zephi]

We arrived at Rose Bay wharf at about 10:30pm and found it was packed with people fishing... So we walked along the edge to drop a few squid jigs to get a couple of tiny squid and cuttles for livebait. They were very picky and extremely annoying to get. Altogether it took about an hour and we ended up with only 2 of each species.

We noticed a group of people had left the wharf so we all migrated over there, we tried squidding there for about an 2 hours without any success.. Although we ended up with a couple of yakkas instead.

Looking around us we spotted about 4 HUGE rays circling the wharf, they were about 1.5m wide.

Another group of people left us, and more came at the same time (although they didn't fish for long, they quickly caught 2 arrows in quick succession and left).

Soon afterward I finally hooked up to one, this is my first time I actually caught a squid without spotting it first lol... Ended up being a nice 20cm arrow squid measured at the hood. Very satisfied with my first catch.

We kept going for about 2 hours (by now, it's about 3am), and ended up with about 3 arrows. Live yakkas on one of my rods weren't getting any hits for several hours now, and I thought I would rig up some old squid heads we head from a previous session, within 10 minutes I noticed the rod tip moving, at the same time my uncle was bringing in his line and I thought he had crossed over mine, so I didn't really react to it until he responds saying his line is already in.

I rushed to the rod just as it was starting to bend heavily, damn massive hookup, reel screams, I progressively tightened the drag to almost max and it's still pulling line out like its no tomorrow. We all believed it was a massive stingray (probably one of those which were circling the wharf all night), my god they are unbelievably powerful on my light rod, (4000 reel with only 20lb fireline). Probably got back about 30 metres of line all up in the whole fight. The fight lasted well over 15 minutes before it broke me off.

My brother recorded this during the fight.

Re-rigged and stopped fishing for a while, and went back to squidding.

My brother hooks a nice sized arrow squid, and he kept bringing them in for the next half an hour. A nice sized school of Arrows had finally moved in to the area and we brought in about 13 in half an hour. Greatest squidding session ever. My uncle ended up with about 5 as well. (All up 18 squid). Well that's gonna be our Christmas feast of calamari.

Managed another 2 squid just as the horizon started to light up, quickly put a squid on to a sliding snell rig and threw it out. About 20 minutes later the rod goes off violently and a rat king at 58cm is landed. Snapped a few photos and back it went. Soon my uncle's rod goes off, he was using a large live tailor, this one pulled like a train and didn't stop, he had no chance of bringing back any line, and it reefed him.

I threw out another squid without any takers, and called it a day/night.

[Brooker435]

Nice Video and you guys sure cleaned up on the squid!!!! well done.

Regards,

Nathan

[hooklineandsinker]

sounds like you had a ball

your efforts paid off thats for sure

nice rat king too

mike

[Mondo Rock]

Great commitment zephi - all night at the wharf!!

Looks like it paid off though, proving that old fishing adage "the harder I work the luckier I get"!!

[outfisher]

Good catch of arrows mate

but just to let you know they are not calamari

the southern squid are calamari.

Arrows are more a bait variety but you can still eat them.

cheers

[tevoro]

Top post zephi........ talk abt commitment!

awesome video too....

[Mytime]

Nice try

A simiar thing happened off Watsons Bay last weekend, two guys were fishing with live yellowtail and brought them in.They were both huge rays.

I spent most of the mornings high tide with a huge ray below the water line where i was fishing.

You guys are great squiders.

Well done. Better luck next time.

Edited December 26, 2009 by emitym

[Basil D]

great video footage, watch those cockroaches, they crunch when you step on them ay sounds like you had a great night.

[Day's Fishin]

Good one zephi,you may not have landed him but the fight would have made the night worth while.

Regards Jeff

[zephi]

Yeah the fight was well worth it, glad it broke cuz I wouldn't wanna try landing it.

the other day I hooked up again! on another ray, this time it attacked a shiny snapper lead attached with a baitless hook haha. Fight was short cuz it ran straight for structure.

Anyway we got lucky with those squid, they happend to cruise past us.

[robust]

Well Done Zephi,

Atleast you got out mate, i've been stuck at home now for a week umming and ahring about whether or not to go out.......this weather sucks lol

Cheers,

Rob