CarlRak Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Raiders, Merry New and all that. Hopefully you’ve had a great 2012/13 transition with a few fish thrown in. In short, I’m writing because I need to scream it from the rooftops, or at least broadcast it to an audience that may have some interest, my friends and family are useless when it comes to piscatorial tales…. The last week of 2010 saw me camping up the coast, in a regular spot, surfing, drinking and shit-talking with a bunch of cronies. I kept watching the fishermen dotted over the beaches and rocks at sunset catching dinner or gently amusing the fish. It looked romantic and generally that time of year is a little romantic so I resolved to buy a rod or two and learn how to do it myself. By the time the 2011/12 transition rolled around I was in the same place, with the same friends, with more than a rod or two, and catching a few fish but not bringing dinner back to camp consistently. Fishing isn’t entirely about dinner but I wanted a little more action. During 2012 I fished, I fished as much as I could. I chased little pelagics from the rocks, trout from dams, flatties in the shallows and a few blackfish in the depths of winter. I learnt where to find the fish a bit better and caught plenty but I still hadn’t got anything to really get my heart racing. Camp 2012/13. I was catching fish. Heaps. The other campers were enjoying the fresh produce to supplement the whole chickens, legs of goat and other assorted meaty treats being grilled over a roaring bed of coals at night. There was bream, whiting and a few flathead on the menu most nights. The pan was living in the car a few times we just made a fire on the beach and quickly cooked up the fish with a beer or two. This is why I started and it was more than satisfying to have finally figured it out after 2 years. Apart from the table fish mentioned above I caught two big mullet up the creek on 4lb gear and squidgy wrigglers while chasing flathead. The first one shocked me with its strength and stamina, the second had me wishing I knew how to target them more effectively with lures. Anyone have any ideas? Chief Foodie Dave (from earlier instalments) had become Dirty Dave, but when he screamed over a tidal mudflat about 2km upstream from the creek mouth ‘Carl, Carl I’ve got something serious’ I laughed then watched in amazement as he wrestled a sizable trevally to shore on 6lb gear. Anyone know what kind it is? After NYE our crew started to dwindle, the number of tents reduced, the vibe grew even more relaxed and the remaining soldiers were content doing their own thing. A night before I planned to leave, Psychedelic Simon wandered down to the beach to find me catching dart and a more bream and suggested that we hang around another day and see if we could find some bigger fish. I agreed. We went back to camp, made a fire and felt the first breaths of a gentle southerly rolling through. The next day we surfed, packed most of our gear up and headed out to a likely looking spot at about 5pm. I fished for a few more bream and Simon sat waiting with a big bait for a big fish that didn’t want to show up. The sky grew dark and overcast, the tide changed about 6.30pm the swell started to build and by 7.30 I was sick of the bream and rigged-up a heavier stick with a big lure, chuckled to myself that I was only fooling myself but why not give it a try….. Cast 1 Lure won’t bite the water, retrieve it to find trebles tangled with leader. Cast 2 Retrieve the slack, 3-4 quick cranks to get the lure down, another 3-4 slow cranks and bang something’s hit the lure with gusto. Off goes the drag, rod bent double, I’m screaming and hyperventilating. Guide the fish to the rocks, get her up and she starts shaking her head like mad, tosses the lure, wave comes in, takes the fish and with it Psychedelic Simon. Can see his head torch through the wash. He climbs out of the hole with cut hands but in reasonable shape. Estimated weight 8kg. Lost fish but my adrenalin pumping like crazy. Cast 3 Tell Simon I’ll run back to the car with him and patch him up with a first aid kit but give me one more cast. Out the lure goes. Another 5-6 cranks and bang I’m on again. Smaller fish, 55-60cm. Land it. Simon takes a pic and then runs over the headland to find my first-aid kit. Tells me to keep fishing. Cast 4 I’m on again in no time. Slightly bigger fish. Then she goes around the point and I lose her in the rocks and surge. Lure gone. Dark. Shaking with excitement. Cast 5 After 3 attempts at tying a new leader, due to being so giddy with adrenalin, I’ve finally got a new lure on and sent it out. Crank crank crank, bang, here we go again. Get the fish in. Take a pic or two, send her back. About 65cm. Cast 6 Psychedelic Simon returns after a self-bandaging job and insists we keep fishing. Out the lure goes, in another fish comes. This is getting silly. More (terrible) pics. More high fives. A few more casts and I get nothing, put the rod down and take a breather. Then Simon’s onto one. Using a cocktail of live beach worm and squid strips. The fish runs around the point and he loses it in the rocks. Then he gets a smaller model of about 45-50cm which swam away fine despite losing a few scales. Finally what must have been a much more serious fish strips at least 100m off his reel, turned around the point and with a pitch black sky and building tide and swell we weren’t game to chase it. Couldn’t turn him and the leader was rubbed off on the rocks. A shovel nose spelled game over for the night. All-in-all an unforgettable experience. Two years of learning came together in 2 frantic hours of action. I got my first jewie and on a hardbody lure and got to share the experience with an old friend on my favourite bit of the coast. In total we landed 4 from 8 hook-ups and learnt that next time we might need some heavier gear and a net or gaff. Sorry for the sub-standard iPhone photos and lengthy ramble. May everyone’s 2013 be happy and fishy. Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wchh Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 While I share your excitement, you hit a Jew fish jackpot mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Knot Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Nibbles a great report Cheers Blood Knot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Well constructed report and thanks for the effort and sharing with us I was smiling the whole time I was reading it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Awesome report! Loved reading it! Cheers scratchie!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlRak Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 While I share your excitement, you hit a Jew fish jackpot mate. Well aware, right place at the right time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dfishin Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) NIBBLES. Kin hell mate. Best report i have seen on here. Like Mrsswordie said smiling all the way. Come on mate wheres your family holiday every new year ? Im guessing fairly north cuz im pretty sure that trevally you got is a golden trev. Nah dont say. Keep it to your self. Thats amazing, surfing and than catchin jewies off the rocks on lure regularly. Champion. Dave Edited January 9, 2013 by Dfishin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlRak Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) Well constructed report and thanks for the effort and sharing with us I was smiling the whole time I was reading it ! Nibbles a great report Cheers Blood Knot "NIBBLES. Kin hell mate. Best report i have seen on here. Like Mrsswordie said smiling all the way. Come on mate wheres your family holiday every new year ? Im guessing fairly north cuz im pretty sure that trevally you got is a golden trev. Nah dont say. Keep it to your self. Thats amazing, surfing and than catchin jewies off the rocks on lure regularly. Champion." "Awesome report! Loved reading it! Cheers scratchie!! " Thanks all, like writing them. (p.s. Admin, my multiquote function just went mad) Edited January 9, 2013 by Nibbles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dfishin Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Hey Nibbles I reckon its time to change that profile picture to something bigger Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insearchof Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Great report mate. Im also pretty interested in learning how to catch mullet more consistently. i've only ever caught them using a float and unweighted very small hook, using dough. Would love to know another technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dfishin Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Great report mate. Im also pretty interested in learning how to catch mullet more consistently. i've only ever caught them using a float and unweighted very small hook, using dough. Would love to know another technique. What ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insearchof Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 What ? He mentioned that he was catching mullet and asked if anyone had ideas about catching them on lures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dfishin Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 woops. sorry missed the mullet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlRak Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Hey Nibbles I reckon its time to change that profile picture to something bigger Dave Hehe, soon Dave. Sorry for the slow reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaysondanielgraham Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Mate just went over your report and it was awesome. love the Photos that Trev would have been good fun on light gear. We need to organize a trip to windag to catch some flattys and blue swimmers if your up for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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