Kings are back in town

[quintrex480]

Went out last Sat 16th to see if I could land a jew and with all the reports on FR, I had my hopes up. Was supposed to had left the house at 5am, but didn't end up leaving till 11am, wife wasn't feeling too well in the morning. Got to the squid grounds around 12:30PM, and after about an 30 mins, not one squid to show for our efforts, noticed the water was pretty clean with the run in, so swapped the trusty pink for a green, and what do you know, within 5 casts I have 4 squid in the tank. So off we went molli to try our luck on kings, wasn't too optimistic as I haven't read too many reports on them on FR lately. But anyway, we tried and we landed 2 rats, then we tried Watts for some bream, but with wind blowing the other way to the current, this wasn't too much fun and it was getting late. So off we went back to Molli to try for my jew, put the squid down and waited, promised the wife that I'd be back by 7pm which gave me possibly an hour of waiting, so set the baitrunner on and waited.

So here I waited and waited whilst my mate kept on landing bream after bream, which was a little annoying as I could have been doing that too, but my goal of the day was to try and land a jew so I waited . 15 mins left and the baitrunner still hadn't made a sound. So here I was thinking maybe next time, and then the lovely sound of the baitrunner zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz goes off. Looked at my mate with the biggest grin and picked the rod up, this thing had probably taken about 50m of line before it stopped. Gave it a crank and I got it hooked, after about 3 more decent runs, I finally get colour and my estimate was at least 10kg. Now to try and get the thing in the boat, mate picks up the net, 1st go missed, 2nd go missed, 3rd go missed... I shout at him, hurry the F up!!!! but the jew just kept on splashing around, then tried it the 4th time and the jew gives one more kick and what happens?? it spits the hook!!!! I was cursing like there was no tomorrow! So dissappointed, it's been a couple of years since I've caught a jew and I had one at the boat and it spits the hook.... anyways... guess that's fishing but I am still having nightmares over it, the next day I went to buy a much bigger net.

So went out last Thursday to see if the jew would give me another chance, got to the bay around 10am, and went to get the squid again. First cast, I am on, and this thing's pulling quite hard and I knew it would be a big one, I get it to the surface and it was a monster!!! Now to get my net, and the net I got was a retractable one and it was on the other side of the boat. Thinking what should I do, didn't want to haul it it and risk pulling the hook out, so I left the rod on the side and dashed over to get the net, came back and what happens? squid's gone, So not very happy at all!!! thinking maybe it was still around, gave it another flick and I am on again but I knew it wasn't the same one but it wasn't too bad, well after 2 hours I've landed 12 very decent size squid. 4 blokes who were trying to land yakkas came over and wanted to buy some of the squid off me, and they offered me $20 bucks each, and I was pretty happy selling 5 of them

Off to molli to try my luck on kings, water wasn't running at all, and not one touch, pulled up anchor and headed over to the drums. Straight away, I am on, but it was probably the smallest king I have ever caught so far in my life, about 30cm, straight back in. Then the baitrunner goes off, and this thing is actually pulling line with drag set to about 7kg. Must be king, after a little while, in comes a 74cm king! pretty happy about that, then landed another one to 66cm, so pretty happy with 2 keepers. Landed another 5 rats all around 60cm which all went back in. Getting late, so back to Molli again for that jew.

But instead of a jew, landed another 6 kings, 2 of them keepers. As I was pulling up one of the kings, 2 guys who were downrigging decided to come over and give me a lesson on what a legal king was and shouted at me 'throw it back in!!' I didn't appreciate this at all, firstly they were about 30m away, and surely their telescopic vision isn't that good to tell the size of a king from that distance, and secondly I KNOW WHAT A LEGAL KING IS!!! anyways this king went right on 65cm and had a very large girth! but for the sake of the old guys, I shouted that it was legal but just for them I put the king back in the drink and told them to piss off! who the hell do these guys think they are?

Anyways, that jew didn't give me a second chance but the kings are still around so was pretty happy about that, and I would say it's 50/50 now catching a legal king whereas it was around 80/20 a couple months back (80 being the rats

So get out there with some freshly caught squid whilst the kings are still around.

[Guest hawkesbass]

With landing any fish with a net should have the net in the water and swim fish into it head first or have a decent gaff on board very frustrating losing good fish that way

[quintrex480]

With landing any fish with a net should have the net in the water and swim fish into it head first or have a decent gaff on board very frustrating losing good fish that way

thanks for the tip hawkesbass, it was just that my old net was pretty small. I've upsize to a much larger one and I have a gaff on board as well now. That jew ain't going to get away like that ever again!

[Penguin]

Well done on your legal Kings mate

cheers

[t187]

awesome stuff mate didnt think we'd be getting kings in the colder water now in the bay

[Guest hawkesbass]

Rats tend to go qiuet now and big kings will hang around the reefs and bait schools not many people chase the kings in winter my best catches have been around may

[Formosan]

That's a top effort mate. Dont' you hate those do gooders, they think any kings that they didn't catch are undersize from a mile away.

Just quietly, If you got surplus squid next time, $10 each what do you say?