Remember When Kingfish Were Rare?

[Spanker]

Hi FR friends,

I caught myself sighing "not another boring kingie post" today and scrolling past looking for something more interesting like a craggy blue-nosed bream, tail thmuping jew capure or someone's kayak antics. By gosh how things have changed! Wasn't it only 5 or 6 years ago on FR that the subduing of a decent kingie warranted 1,000 's of views (okay there were only a couple 100 of us back then but seemed like EVERYONE was enthralled)and gasping praise from the uninitiated?

Now every man and his downrigger are claiming slimey scalps, catches of under 75cm are scoffed at and only 1m+ specimens garner up much enthusiam from the kingfish fatigued audience. The "new normal" is a kingie post mantled with terms like bagged out, PB, on fire and so forth. Eyebrows are only raised at the infrequent admissions of total failure, few and far between.

What does this mean dear friends? Have the early pioneers of the Kingfish craft been so influential in proselytizing to the masses the fervour and technique required that now the Holy Grail is the rarely fail? Or are our waters now so stocked with kingfish that even the untrained have success?

Whatever the reason, I miss the excitement, the newness, the sense of shared specialness of the taming of a decent kingie. As this current craze moves from the exception to the normal, I wonder what will be next, can any speciies create such excitement to once again hurry my mouse pointer across the screen, hungry to participate in that small way the shared glory of a great catch well earned.

Thoughtfully

Spanker

[netic]

Mate i think that with resources like the internet and Websites like FR people can now get to now the more experience anglers and learn from them, 5 years ago Downrigging for Kings in Sydney was a very rare way of targeting them and now it seems to be the most common way, i think new anglers who have a love for fishing can now learn faster and learn from seasoned anglers.

And to be honest i still love a good kingy report, for me its not always the fish that were caught but the writing up of the report....

If i saw a report showing a 110cm king with nothing but " caught this in the harbour this morning at Spot X" that report wont get a congrats reply from me, i like to read the report and imagine being there...

[cut_loose]

I argee with Netic.

It doesn't bother me about the fish in the report but the report itself, nothing better then reading a day out on the water while sitting back.

I wish i could go back to see what fishing was like in 2001, to bad i was only 6.

The internet is the biggest source of information, information straight from the anglers that fish, none of the stuff from the newspaper reports, or reading books, which is still good, but you can't beat the word of mouth from an angler.

Maybe with the banning from Kingie traps has helped with the increase of captures ?

Anyways, good topic, would be interested to see other peoples views.

Cheers

Edited December 2, 2010 by cut_loose

[Lucky]

Indeed Spanker, it is due to the generosity of spirit shown by the experienced fishraider members that new members can learn quickly.

Cheers Lucky

Edited December 2, 2010 by Lucky

[Spanker]

I am hearing you and no doubt you guys are on the mark, due to the internet and great communinities like FR, information and expertise are accessible like never before. What took years of hard earned expertise in years gone by can now be accelerated by online chat and reading reports.

What remains unanswered or rather unaddressed for me personally is "where is the magic?" Has instant gratification and high volume exposure via www.whatever eroded the mystery of the sea? The what if's are becoming the daily report. Not sure if I am expressing myself well - I guess i no longer marvel at catches that used to get me excited, just another sign of our shrinking world.

Well, I am off to check-in with the psychiatrist for session #1 of my mid-life crisis. Wish me luck

Spanker

[davegroves68]

I see where you are all coming from guys, but I still get a HUGE buzz when i have one on the end of a line.

And if that feeling ever goes away, i think its time to pack up my rod and climb into my coffin.

dave

[Jewhunter]

Having lived through the decimation of kingfish from floating traps & when it was near impossible to catch one I love reading the reports of how well they have come back in the harbour.

Keep 'em coming all!

Cheers,

Grant.

[greatwhitefin]

sounds like a bad case of "been there seen that", i kinda understand, but the way i see it if you love a movie say jaws youll watch it over n over again, even tho youve seen it before n know whats comin next youll still get off on it, im probaly goin a little off track here with the movie thing, but i know what i mean, im looking forward to be posting a kingie report myself this summer as reading em and learning from them................please someone start a kingfish tactics, i would, but im a kingie virgin

[Breambucket]

The new normal

Great album

[iMick]

I completely agree, kings in the warmer months are the new normal. Kings in Winter, Kings over 1 metre or Kings on Bream gear all get my attention. I guess it's just human nature, we see enough of something we become immune to the excitement. John Dory.... now that's a fish that gets my attention every time, I wonder if in 10 years they will the new normal.

Mick