Nowra ANSA Comp

[Talks 2 Fish]

Sorry about the long report but it was an eventful weekend.

As alluded to in Hookerbruce's earlier post we fished the annual Nowra ANSA competition over the weekend.

The plan was for myself and Bruce to head down early on Friday morning and I could pretend to be "working from home" while we fished offshore for the day before the rest of the clan came down in the evening. Was not to be with work getting in the way of my fishing again, I would have to wait till Saturday to wet a line.

Saturday morning arrived and with 8 people having to get organised into 2 boats including a 3 year old, a 4 year old and a 5 year old there was no early starts.

With boats launched and boarded by 8am we weren't going to bad. In my boat I had my wife and 2 boys (3 and 5) with my bother and his family and Bruce (our father) in Hookerbuce's boat. The comp was on, never mind the actually competition family bragging rights is all that really matters.

The fishing started with a great amount of excitement. The first bait was cast up current and set to drift back over the shallow flats with the flooding tide. Before I could even set the second bait we were on.

Rather then drifting back with the tide the first line was slowly moving into the current. The fish was heavy and slow moving, seeming to be behave like a nice flatty. With the fish swimming around the front of the boat, short 3 year old arms trying to hold the rod and line out from the boat, and 1kg line rubbing dangerously across the gunnels it wasn't looking good. The fish luckily changing directions, disaster was averted. As the fish glided past swimming with the current not 3 metres from the boat we got sight of our finned adversary. Not sure who got more excited as the 80-85cm cruised past. Alas it wasn't to be with the hooks pulling about 2 minutes later. Not to worry we had one very excited 3 year old on our hands.

Things went quite after that, very quite. After about an hour of not much happening we motored back up to the other boat to check on their progress. They were doing much better than us so we kept quite and kept moving.

The hours, the fishing spots and the crew members came and went and still no fish. Bruce's crew and my youngest son were dropped back at the boat ramp with Kobi now swapping boats to fish with Grandpa.

Still no fish for my boat.

We noticed that Bruce's boat had disappeared. Either Kobi had convinced him to drop into Greenwell Point for fish and chips or they were onto a good fish and had to give chase. Sometime later they re-appeared with Kobi proudly hold up a large Australian salmon which took him about 30 minutes and a 1.5km chase to land on 1kg line. The fish would later weigh in at 2.42kg and is a pending ANSA national sub junior record.

My boat was still fishless.

For the last couple of hours my number 2 son and brother returned and we rafted the 2 boats together. The tally was standing at their boat 1 salmon and a mixed bag of 10 bream and flathead, us 1 bream, we couldn't even find poddy mullet and had to borrow some.

As the tide dropped to bight came on, well for their boat anyway, seems we had rafted to the wrong side of them.

As the end of the day approached the last livie was sent over. It didn't last long. With a large heavy fish moving slowly around in the current it was called for a large flat head. After about 5 minutes of what can only be described as a sluggish fight it came into view. What a beast. After another five minutes of jumping from one boat to the other it was netted, and what a fat flatty it was. No where near the longest I had caught but boy was it fat.

It was quickly placed into the esky along with 100L of aerated water as we made the dash back to the weighin determined to keep the fish alive for release. The flathead measured in at a stumpy 85cm but weighed in at an astonishing 5.9kg and is a pending national ANSA record for a flathead on 1kg line.

After a few quick photos she taken back to river and released swimming away stongly after being swum for a few minutes.

Sunday morning came and we were determined to get number 2 son a fish. His first chance was an approx 3kg salmon on 1kg line. Unfortunately he was a little outgunned and his short 3 year old arms saw him unable to hold the line far enough from the boat and after about 15 minutes the fish won its freedom. I'm not sure who was more upset Tyler or Daddy.

Anyway after settling down and a cold drink for myself and some lollies for Tyler he was ready to try again. This time we hooked a more manageably sized fish and had upgraded to 2kg line. After a relatively short 10 minute fight and to great excitement we boated his first Salmon which weighed in at 1.5kg.

This was to be our only fish for the day as we headed of for the sausage sizzling lunch and the presentation.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend and although we didn't catch a lot of fish we caught some quality fish.

And while we don't fish for the trophies or the records they sure are nice when they come your way. We ended up for the weekend with 2 pending national records and taking out 1st place for sub junior, 1st and 3rd for junior, myself 1st for estuary and hookerbruce 2nd, my wife fourth in the ladies, champion club, and Kobi's salmon deemed to be Most Meritorious Capture for the whole competition.

[mrsswordfisherman]

What a great report and thanks for sharing that. Your boys are absolutely real little men aren't they! I bet those awards and that trip will always stay in their memories.

You certainly cleaned up with the prizes!

[GWG]

Great work the effort put in to release the flathead.

[Oscarthebeagle]

Well done, you didn't get many fish for the weekend but they where certainly quality fish. I had the dubious honour of being net person for both the 1st & 2nd placed estuary fish and putting my hand into the esky to get the flathead out.

[brad_tate]

That is one fat Flatty

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Scratchie]

Wow! What a great report and some great fish as well. Congrats on the the awards by the boys and the smile on their face says it all.

Cheers scratchie!!!

[Jewhunter]

:clapping:

Awesome! Well done to you & Bruce & what a fantastic experience for the young fella.

Congrats.

Cheers,

Grant.