micl Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 A shower or 2 turned into heavy rain. Coffee in the thermos, forgot the milk. Unpredicted swell resulted in me and my mate feeling a little ill. First whiting caught, escaped out of the keeper net. The first few hours was hell but we decided to push through. On the water by 7.30 and the above events took us up until 1.00 when luck started to come our way. Flicking plastics around my mate managed to land a 31 cm whiting which we bagged and realised the first one we caught had escaped. With heavy weight on the other end of his line he managed to land a nice 66m flattie which was a nice fight on his 2-4kg paired with a 2500 symtre spooled with 4lb braid and 4lb leader. A few minutes after he landed the flattie 4lb line started peeling off my 1000 stradic paired with a 1-3kg T-curve. After minutes of babying this fish to the boat and 5 laps around the boat i managed to land a 45cm trev. Bagged that and we were starting to forget about the terrible start to the morning. I got my plastic back out there and within a few moments i was on again. Not as much of a fight but each time he saw the boat he'd go for a dart. After alot of fun I landed my PB whiting, 44cm. By now we're stoked. It started to quiet down so we decided to try another spot closer to the boat ramp before calling it a day. With a change of lures I was on to what we came for, a nice 36cm bream landed. Not the biggest of bream but definately a nice size with nice broad shoulders. Another 30+cm whiting landed and now we were on top of the world. Not worrying about the traffic we were going to cop on the way home we decided to give one more spot ago. As the boat was about to plane i heard a thud on the side of the boat. As soon as I heard the thud i knew straight away that we had forgot to retrieve the keeper net. I turned to look and saw the rope was still tied to the boat but had snapped away from the net. All fish gone. We were gutted. Due to our stupidity we had lost our dinner. I don't mind at all to catch and release fish, I actually have more days releasing fish than keeping fish, but to think those fish are not back in our waters breeding or on the dinner plate feeding our families.. Devesated. I'm sure we won't do that again. Micl.. P.S. First post, and only had photos of the flattie, whiting, and trev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjlynden Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 That's tough mate. Sounds like your mate has the same setup as me. Better luck next time. - Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formosan Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 That's just badluck mate. You did well anyways to land them. Bring an esky and ice blocks and put the fish you want to keep in there and then it surely will end up at the dinner table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manhands Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 (edited) Shattering, extreme bad luck- stonker whiting though at least you have photos mate Edited January 30, 2012 by manhands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micl Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 That's just badluck mate. You did well anyways to land them. Bring an esky and ice blocks and put the fish you want to keep in there and then it surely will end up at the dinner table. Thanks mate. Might give that a go. But I like to keep as much space on the deck as I can in the 4m runabout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhype Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Thanks mate. Might give that a go. But I like to keep as much space on the deck as I can in the 4m runabout. Great report mate .. looked like you got and then lost a few nice fish! If space is an issue in your tinny but still want a esky why not remove your current seats and install an esky seat? This is the 70L esky seat i had in my 3.9m tinny.. the "seat" was topped with some foam and did a fantasic job as a seat and esky. Just make sure you make it removable for cleaning etc... i made a frame and secured it with bungee/canopy buttons. cheers Trung Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micl Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 Great report mate .. looked like you got and then lost a few nice fish! If space is an issue in your tinny but still want a esky why not remove your current seats and install an esky seat? This is the 70L esky seat i had in my 3.9m tinny.. the "seat" was topped with some foam and did a fantasic job as a seat and esky. Just make sure you make it removable for cleaning etc... i made a frame and secured it with bungee/canopy buttons. cheers Trung oh wow! thats awesome! ill have to pitch the idea to my old man considering it is his boat after all.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenno64 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Shame about the lost cracker fish there but I bet the esky seat idea cheered you up. I'm going to install one in every room in the house!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesgold Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 (edited) Be careful about removing any seat which is full width of the boat and fastened to the sides, It is probably a part of the boats structural strength and if there were an accident, like the boat cracking or collapsing in a heavy landing in rough sea, also a lot of seats contain bouyancy, and altering the seating could affect the rated pasenger capacity. apart from the injury risk, the insurance company would have something to say and little to pay! life gets so dam technical these days. if the seat was already an 'island' seat it would be better. great idea though. You could also make a removable bracket to mount your esky 'over the side' whilst fishing, or tie the surplus cord from your net to the steering with a slip Knot as a reminder?..................Johnno Edited January 30, 2012 by piratesgold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Be careful about removing any seat which is full width of the boat and fastened to the sides, It is probably a part of the boats structural strength and if there were an accident, like the boat cracking or collapsing in a heavy landing in rough sea, also a lot of seats contain bouyancy, and altering the seating could affect the rated pasenger capacity. apart from the injury risk, the insurance company would have something to say and little to pay! life gets so dam technical these days. if the seat was already an 'island' seat it would be better. great idea though. You could also make a removable bracket to mount your esky 'over the side' whilst fishing, or tie the surplus cord from your net to the steering with a slip Knot as a reminder?..................Johnno Absolutely right Johnno, The only suggestion I could add here is there could be a possibility of replacing the pedestal seats for a long esky. It would need to be wide enough for two people to sit on (if mounted port to starboard) and must be properly mounted to the floor so it doesn't move. Also, need to take into account the extra weight it would put on the bow - you don't want that if punching into a headsea. You would be wearing waves over the windscreen. An esky is the best idea, but you need to think long and hard about where to mount it, how it will be used, filled, emptied, impact on your boating and fishing logistics, etc. It's not an easy modification to make. Shame about the lost fish - there were some quality fish in there... Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piratesgold Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 (edited) Absolutely right Johnno, The only suggestion I could add here is there could be a possibility of replacing the pedestal seats for a long esky. It would need to be wide enough for two people to sit on (if mounted port to starboard) and must be properly mounted to the floor so it doesn't move. Also, need to take into account the extra weight it would put on the bow - you don't want that if punching into a headsea. You would be wearing waves over the windscreen. An esky is the best idea, but you need to think long and hard about where to mount it, how it will be used, filled, emptied, impact on your boating and fishing logistics, etc. It's not an easy modification to make. Shame about the lost fish - there were some quality fish in there... Tony Thanks Tony,I hate to point out these things, but with the recent sinkings (unrelated to mods i hope) it has to be mentioned or people could get into all sorts of strife. think of it like modding your boat is like modding your car, some things require engineering. I feel like I am peeing on someones campfire sometimes, sorry guys. (and the slipknot on the net cord is for easy release in a hurry if you need to steer, covering my own a#@) oh and yeah, shame such a hard earned catch was lost too Edited January 31, 2012 by piratesgold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkat87 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Ohh thats a shame mate I can definitely feel your pain.. Lucky you took some pics.. Havent heard of many whiting being caught on softies before? Which ones did you use if you dont mind me asking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross patti Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 (edited) Yeah, micl . . . I have to add my vote to the esky idea. Most of the reasons have been already mentioned, so no need to go over them again. I have avoided keeper nets for 2 reasons : First, that horrible thud sound as you motor away to a new spot . . . but more importantly is the resting place of the net in the top 1/2 meter or so of the water. In summer, I guess the temp in that top-water would be maybe 25 or more?. If you turn the fish twice, they are poached even before you get home !! Mate, I have a 4.3m open tinny with a removable esky. Get yourself sorted with a good quality "keeps ice frozen for 7 days" esky, buy a bag of ice each trip and tip in a litre or so of river water to make an ice slurry. It is a more humane way of knocking out the fish you want to keep, and I guarantee you will notice an improvement in the quality and taste of the fish you keep! Nice whiting, btw . . . Edited January 31, 2012 by Rosco 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denzor Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Nice catch mate, but I have to say if I was out there with you boys we all would have been taking some fish home for dinner lol. Thats a horse of a whiting,get it on the poppers ? See ya on the water soon. Denzor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostincable Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Some nice fish mate, bummer about the bag but at least you have it all on record. What plastics where you using to catch them?? Will be out there on Saturday in a blue yalta craft no top if you see me shout and say gday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micl Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Thanks for all the replies, sympathy, ideas, legalities, and all the rest of it too. I have to admit i have never thought about spooking fish with keeper net in the water and/ or chucking it in every time we arrive at a new spot. I think i am leaning towards having a removable esky like Rosco 1 has suggested. I too havent heard too much of whiting being caught on SP's. I caught them on Berkley Gulp 3" Minnows Banana Prawn. They worked an absolute treat! A must in the tackle bag. And yes having a handful of photos has made the whole experience bareable, hahah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hey Micl, Not a bad website eh ? There are some very experienced people on this site who can give you some excellent feedback from many angles. The learning curve is virtually flattened out for you overnight in many areas... But there is always something new to learn... Something that keeps us experimenting. These things are called 'experience' - and only you can teach yourself that.. That's what makes it so satisfying - knowing you worked it out yourself. The next thumper whiting will melt in your mouth, not on the seabed. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross patti Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 pm sent micl . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostincable Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) Thanks for all the replies, sympathy, ideas, legalities, and all the rest of it too. I have to admit i have never thought about spooking fish with keeper net in the water and/ or chucking it in every time we arrive at a new spot. I think i am leaning towards having a removable esky like Rosco 1 has suggested. I too havent heard too much of whiting being caught on SP's. I caught them on Berkley Gulp 3" Minnows Banana Prawn. They worked an absolute treat! A must in the tackle bag. And yes having a handful of photos has made the whole experience bareable, hahah. Nice work mate, what size hook and jighead where you using? Bream and whiting where supposed to be hard to catch on plastics but I have found over the last few weeks they have been wolfing them down without a second thought. Not sure if it is something in the water? Edited February 1, 2012 by lostincable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micl Posted February 5, 2012 Author Share Posted February 5, 2012 Nice work mate, what size hook and jighead where you using? Bream and whiting where supposed to be hard to catch on plastics but I have found over the last few weeks they have been wolfing them down without a second thought. Not sure if it is something in the water? 1/28 jighead 2H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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