Extreme Fishing Friday

[helliconia]

Ok so it's not REALLY extreme fishing but we made a few jokes to our partners about braving the southerly weather on Botany Bay when we organised it!

Thursday night 2 of me best mates who hadn't seen my boat yet came over. Neither of them had fished the Bay before either so we organised earlier in the week for an early start on friday. Armed with my new found knowledge, courtesy of SQUIDN and the numerous posts on this site, I boldly declared we'd chase some Kings.

It must be noted that my fishing ability is amateur at best, so making the call that we'd target a particular species was a bit like picking the winner of a WWF Wrestling match without knowing the script!

Anyway, we arrived at the ramp at 6am got the boat in the water and we battled the swell and messy wind chop to Yarra Bay. Spent 30 mins trying to get some squid or yakkas for not even a nibble. Since the trip there was so slow (on account of not wanting to porpoise my poor little boat into the waves) I'd dropped out a lure and trolled my way there, so we had one bonnie that I'd chanced upon for bait.

Moli Pt was practically vacant (I should have taken a photo!) and nothing was showing on the sounder there so I made the sad decision we'd try Watts Reef for a few drifts for some flatties. We managed a flattie for one of the crew and the other hauled in a very nice flounder but the ride was a bit uncomfortable at the end of each drift once we left the dubious shelter of Kurnell.

As we reached the end of the last drift near the north clear water marker just east of the drums I noticed a massive bait school under us with lots of fish signs on the sounder. My deduction as that "something" must be happening down there so we anchored up and had a crack at them. I must have jigged softies for an hour trying to get something happening til I gave up with an aching shoulder and was feeling very disappointed. All we'd managed we're some undersized squire on bonito strips and one of the guys got spectacularly busted off by something that nearly spooled his bream rod in 10 seconds flat

So we're sitting on a bait school, listening to the fish alarm tease us on the sounder, we've stripped every bait we could from the bonnie and I'm thinking we need to find another, when my mate announces he's gunna try a woolworths banana prawn. He peels it and puts half on his hook and drops it down. A minute later he gets smashed and he's on.

30 minutes later, after swapping the net for the gaff and back again a dozen times my mate boats his first every Kingie! 57cm's on his 3kg bream outfit!

Although I finished the trip fishless I was insanely stoked to have helped my mate land such a great catch. Was a great day for us all!

In no small part i have to give credit to the advise and info I've gotten off here reading all the reports from my fellow fishraiders. Thanks guys!

Edited January 28, 2011 by EmptyHooks

[MOE^MOE]

great report brian its good 2 see you rememberd a couple of spot and congratulations on your mates first kingie