Kooks Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Well I've finally got my legal kingie. It's taken 2 years of early mornings, a few bust offs and a whole lot of by catch but I've done it. So for all you landbased guys...put the time in and it will come. I feel I have been doing everything right for so long and that little bit of luck just never went my way. I guess I'm pretty lucky in other parts of my life instead. Any ways here's my report. So it's my usual Sunday morning. I get up at 4am and pack the car to hit my old faithful wharf in the east. It was bitterly cold this morning but I check the water temp and it's 22º so I was feeling optimistic about a getting my kingie today. I get to the wharf and burely up...the yakkas were playng hard ball today and only got 5 before the sweep and trevors took over. So I chuck a yakka out on a float and pick up my jig stick and start prospecting for squid. After about 10 min I pull up a small iphone size cuttlefish. There's something about cutlefish that I like and would normally chuck him back but i'm on a mission. So I pull in my yakka and let him go an then double hook the little cuttle and chuck him out. I watch it land then walk about 3 paces to get my squid stick again. I turn to check the float only to see it disappear below the surface. I drop the rod and race over to my arching 9 foot 8kg rod (matched with pfluger salt 50). I grab the screaming rod and set the hook. I felt a lot of weight but not the blistering runs I've had before...those are unstoppable. So I feel i'm in with a chance. The fish had not raced out to the morrings...he was fighting close...plus I wasn't giving him much option as I tightened the drag up. After doing a few laps of the wharf he was tiring. He'd been battling for 5 minutes. I don't carry a net when I fish this place so after a few heart pounding moments I hauled him on to the deck via the 40 pound leader. It was bitterly cold and windy 7am...not a soul around to hi five me. It didn't matter I'd achieved my goal. So I choofed off home and have about 2kgs of fillets in the fridge. On another note my girl has won a day out with ET fishng this Thursday and she's be goading me about how she'll get a kingie before me...oh how wrong she was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quintrex480 Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 (edited) Top effort Kooks! awesome report, reading it kinda reminded me of my first kingie, you'll remember it for a long time... WOW 2 years, good on you for persisting, the first one is always the hardest. Here's to you landing even bigger ones Edited May 13, 2012 by quintrex480 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhype Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Landbase Kings.. Top effort! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeb870 Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Well done mate, top fish and top efforts. Did you measure the fish by any chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kooks Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 Yep I measured him. Bang on 80cm. Which makes him about 6.5kg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Hooked Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Congrats mate! He had your name written all over him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Incredible Hull Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Good read and awesome fish, well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooooled Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Nice kingie top effort!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kooks Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 im inthe same place you were . i go to balmoral wharf nearly every sunday morning for sunrise and chuck a couple of livies out and burley and thrown lures around and all sorts but never landed a kingy Well you have the persistence thing down pat. I've tried a probably about 7 different locations around syd...So it can't hurt to mix it up. My only advice is try and catch squid. I've seen a couple of 120+ kingies swim up to a livie under my float only rebuff it. It was a mere morsel for these beast but the didn't want it. If it was a squid I doubt they would have rejected it but on the other hand my 20lb line would have stood a chance. Actually I have a few more words of advice as now I'm a complete expert I've known this for a while but circumstance and habits stopped me...If you want a better chance of catching one you probably hit a ocean ledge. There are a few around syd but my mates aren't crazy enough to get up at 4 am with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeb870 Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 Yep I measured him. Bang on 80cm. Which makes him about 6.5kg. Well worth the wait, 80cm king landbased is a fish to remember on all scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel.pringle Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Awesome effort, well done. Hearing this will keep me motivated to keep trying for landbased Kingfish. Hrgh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaki10 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Wow was that at greenwhich wharf or the boat yard around there? If you don't mind me asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinsoi Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 What a catch!! Top effort and nice report Congratulations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Stalker Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Congrats! You did well to get him up on the wharf with such a light rod. How far above the water does the wharf sit? Down here my local one is about 5 metres, it would have been a mission there. Good work on the light leader too, I never use less than 50lb for kings and go up to 150+lb when off the stones (to give me the best chance if they get to the reef), they don't seem to be leader shy at all. Good work on a long awaited fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trentarena89 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Congratulations mate! Gives us all hope that big fish do exist for land based Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Beautiful Kingie, Landbased firsts and pb's are the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Zod Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 :thumbup: Congrats to you. At 80cm he must of pulled hard for landbased, you'll never forget it. Looks like ur persistence has payed of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C85 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Well done mate. Landed my first LB kingie this summer too, its a good feeling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Knot Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Good stuff Kooks that is excellent Cheers Blood Knot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzeenees Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Great fish. If you're using the NSW Fisheries weight table the measurement needs to be done to the fork. An 80cm fish is probably 75cm to the fork = 5.5kg give or take a bit. But that's still 12lb in the old units. A very decent chunk of fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kooks Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hey all, Thanks for the kind words. I just reread my post...I sound like i'm a eager teenager when in fact I'm a 36 year old. I guess you're never too old for firsts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C85 Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Hey all, Thanks for the kind words. I just reread my post...I sound like i'm a eager teenager when in fact I'm a 36 year old. I guess you're never too old for firsts. Doesnt matter how old you are mate, its a damn good feeling when you land that first one. I was giddy for a few days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaki10 Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 One awesome fish im still in the suspense of landing my first one could anyone pm me some tips and hints on where to go around the harbour somewhere no one knows about and I'll be sure to keep it secret because I'd hate for people to use and abuse it that's my number one thing I dislike turning up to a public wharf and seeing all these idiots there! If anyone could help it would be much appreciated thanks by the way I am land based no boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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