Hat Head 2011/2012

[kadavu]

Well after 4 months of no fishing its good to finally put a post up.

For around 3 weeks we went up to Hat Head/South West Rocks and experienced some mixed fishing and weather conditions. The first week was spent sitting in the van drinking and enjoying christmas due to rough seas not that we were complaining at that point and new years day saw us get out for the first time. We headed out to do some bottom bashing and pulled up some nice reddies and other mixed species and decided to trawl back to the ramp after the fish went quiet.We managed a couple more days of good bottom bashing with some nice fish being caught both on the bottom and reports of marlin and dolphin fish everywhere. One day we were fishing on the bottom with not much luck when we received a tip that one of our friends were on a log pulling up dollies ranging 8 kg+ every drop and in no time at all we were off with another fellow boat heading straight to the spot. Now the log wouldn't have been more then 2 metres long but without exagerating hundreds of Dolphin fish were everywhere and any lure that was let out was quickly taken by a fish. Being causcious with our bag limmit we decided to let the smaller fish around 60-80cm go saving up for fish around the metre mark and managed two nice fish before the following happened. My son was letting the two rods out (only me and him on board) when we did another round and passed by the log and within seconds had a hook up. At this point I wasnt surprised and kept driving slowly hoping for a double when he shouted out it was a marlin.Now me and him have talked about it many times since and have argued whether we would have preferred more dollies rather then a marlin but regardless we were hooked up and had about half a spool of line left before we began backing up on the fish. Seeing as we were only using small pakula skirts with 80 lb trace we werent very optimistic about landing this fish (that and the fact that it was on the 15kg outfit) and after gaining most of the line the fish went deep and the tugg of war began. About 40 minutes in we were a fair bit down the coast and the wind was starting to pick up as predicted and we decided to set the drag up past strike eager to get the fish in and release it with hope of still finding the log which still had a boat fishing near it.However the fish persisted on the light gear and a sudden realisation hit me, this is either a good fish or its tail wrapped. About an hour and fifteen minutes in we finally saw the fish near the boat and realised it had hooked itself in the corner of the mouth and wraped the line and short trace around its body. At this point the fish was upside down in the current and wasnt going to make it because of the position it had tangled itself up in and after a couple of close calls under the boat we had the fish gaffed and on board. At this point the wind was puffing at about 15 knots and we really needed to get back in and also due to the tide we began a wet journey home abandoning the log that had taken us 15 km's down the coast. We went to the weigh station and when the fish was being hauled up on the higher end of the gantry (because of its length) the bar snapped due to lack of use and we resorted to carrying the fish over to a nearby tree and weighed it there. The black went 89kg and was special in perticular because my son had now caught all 3 species of marlin. After that day we trawled a couple more times with no luck although a few more marlin were landed including some cobia near the headlands and the occasional big dolphinfish. Overall an exciting holdiday although the weather could have allowed for a couple more days and now the wait begins for next Christmas

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[martoiscool]

Hey squizzy,

My friend holidays at hat head every year for Chrisy and this year he hooked his first marlin. He also caught shitloads of dollies and was rubbing it in to me with pics while I was working!!! He was on a monster boat this year. You might have seen it, pretty hard to miss!! It's one of those big centre console American looking boats with twin yammy 350's hanging off the back. It's an awesome boat I got to admire it at his wedding at wooli. Well done I the fish, might have to get Chrissy of next year!!!

[kadavu]

Yea we know him up there unfortunately he can't launch it in the creek so he goes to the south west rocks ramp. They came across a big school of dollies like us and bagged out the day before we found the log

[Pearso]

Sounds like a great trip. I head up to hat head this weekend for 3 weeks with my cruise craft 685. Normally I launch I from south west rocks but am keen to try the creek. Is that a Haines 650 and how much either side of low tide did you allow to get in or did you retrieve off the beach?

[kadavu]

Yea mate it's a 650 off shore and in regards to the tide we normally find 3 hours after low and 3 hours before leaves us with enough water although king tides play a part in it as well