tf211 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) Valentine's Day weather started out not looking too flash, but we went anyway. Left the dock in Pittwater around 6:30AM aiming to see if we could get some Kingies. Four of us - friends Ken and Nolene, wife Dianne and me.Headed over to some moorings off Church Pt. to find Yakkas, and they were there. As we were catching, we started to see Kingies around our baits. We put a livey on one rod, some squid on another and started jigging with a butterfly jig and also a chrome and blue ironman.These Kingies, often four or five of them, would swim all around our offering, nudging and almost eating it, but they just wouldn't hit. It was like they weren't feeding. Then one grabbed a dead squid bait on my rod and we had one (just legal) Kingy in the boat. Twenty minutes later a much bigger one took one of the Yakkas and wife had a great fight until it broke off.I HATE that! I HATE losing a fish to gear failure, and especially as it must have been one of my knots that let go. No matter how many fish I catch, the ones I remember are the ones I've dropped. Isn't that amazing.We stayed there for about five hours, but it was clear that things were slow and getting slower, so we decided to head up Pittwater, trolling at six knots. Ken was driving, Nolene was relaxing, I was in the Starboard stern trolling a Halco LaserPro and wife was in the Port stern trolling a Rapala. We trolled all the way up the Western shore, then across to Barrenjoey, around Barrenjoey and back to the Basin. Nothing. Not a scratch.Trolling back South along the Western shore, we got a massive hit on the LaserPro. It didn't stick, but the LaserPro gained some serious battle scars. I figured it was a big Kingie, but based on what happened ten minutes later, maybe it was something else ..... ?West of Stokes Point, wife's Rapala gets a solid hit, and it sticks. We all assume it's a big Kingie, and we get pretty excited. As the fish comes to the stern, I'm watching it and shake my head in disbelief. No - it can't be!But yes it is, a beautiful Spanish Mackerel, right on one meter long. None of us can believe you can get a Spanish Mackerel in Pittwater, but that's what happened.Oh, and by the way, I HATE treble hooks, so all my diving lures have been re-fitted with 5/0 Stainless BARBLESS J-hooks. Wife did a perfect job of keeping pressure on the fish, ensuring it couldn't spit the barbless hook. As we brought the fish into the boat (a pretty hilarious exercise, as we didn't have a gaff) the hook fell out of the fish's mouth.Gear (if you're interested):Rods: Shimano TCurve Revolution Offshore Travel 693GP Overhead 2.06m by Ian Miller (these are fabulous rods)Reels: Avet JX500m of Jerry Brown 30Kg white solid braid7m of 40lb Fluoro wind-on leader150lb snap swivel (Sampo ball bearing)1m of 80lb Fluoro leader (note - NOT wire) 160mm blue mackerel diving lures (see photo) ps: Cameldownunder asked "why barbless hooks?". I fish a lot for King (Chinook) Salmon offshore in Northern California. The regs there require that hooks used for salmon be barbless, and we very rarely lose fish. I read somewhere that barbs were originally put on hooks to hold the bait on. After removing the trebles, I just fitted the same 5/0 stainless barbless J-hook that I use on my salmon lures. If the fish is played well, the absence of a barb doesn't make much difference. Just keep the pressure on the fish. Edited February 18, 2014 by Chinook Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonardgid Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 congratulations on your catch! and there are some delicious meals in that fish , do try it curried if curried fish is your thing , it really is a meal you will not forget, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Your very lucky to score that Spaniard in Sydney. Well done to you. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockett1985 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 (edited) Wow well done! Heard of a few reports of spaniards around outside the heads but that's an awesome catch for pittwater! Edited February 16, 2014 by Rockett1985 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rev Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 awesome catch and eating - enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike2153 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Wow has anyone else ever heard of spanyards around sydney? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Williams Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 That is bloody awesome! Don't know how many would believe it if it wasn't for the background of that shot, clearly Pittwater. Heard of a couple outside over the years but that's the first inside Pitty. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oziodin Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Great Catch ! Specialy in Pittwater. Oziodin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foulhooked Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 amazing! I'll definitely be fishing pittwater tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shak4g63 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Hahahw did I hear pittwater??? Sure you didnt catch it in qld......? Well that's a tough one to beat....well done Tight lines!, Shakeel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 That's an amazing catch! Especially from pittwater. I think the fish was lost for sure! Lol Great job on that one! Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfisherman Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I'd go buy a lottery ticket. Well done Harry If it's to good to be true, it usually is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flattiefisher27 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Amazing fish!!!! Very lucky for Pittwater!!! Shame there's no rag in the photo cause that would have definately won COTM!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy ! Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Wow great catch buddy well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingie chaser Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I think it still has bits of the Brisbane courier mail stuck on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flickn Mad Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 That's mad, although some one on here was reporting being bitten clean of trolling off the heads a few weeks ago. as far as global warming being the cause im not so sure. probably 25 years ago there were reliable reports of green job fish caught at jb and I caught a 32 pound wahoo of the banks down there also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 (edited) Great effort! I'd love to get a Spaniard! Some of my skirted lures are still rigged on wire from several years ago and I was thinking about re-rigging them on mono. Now I'm having second thoughts! Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited February 17, 2014 by Berleyguts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssantoro Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Brilliant stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plankton Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I caught a big spotted mac in Pittwater once. Great catch there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamestown Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Not unbelievable, these fish frequent these waters if the water is right and like the previous poster said spotted mackerel are quite common. Well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Well done, nice catch. Persistence paid off. One question: "Oh, and by the way, I HATE treble hooks, so all my diving lures have been re-fitted with 5/0 Stainless BARBLESS J-hooks." I don't come across people or reports that use hooks without barbs. Pretty challenging. How come? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMac Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Amazing scenes!!!! Congrats to the Mrs. I don't recall being as envious on here ever before. Too good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foulhooked Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Went out in pittwater on monday to lose 1 slow trolled slimie bitten clean off and another sitting at a mooring near Careel bay. Maybe there are more than 1 around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Awesome capture and one to be very proud of. Although it isn't proof of Global Warming. Spanish Mackerel and Spotted Mackerel original distribution had them ranging as far south as Sydney. Not something you would encounter a lot, but they showed up occasionally before Global Warming concerns. Tell you what, I would much rather a Spanyard than a King, find them much better eating! Windy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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