Palm Beach -17/5/15

[SgtBundy]

Had no plans to fish this weekend as I had booked monday for a day off to have a go in the harbour, but with no plans for anything else I got the green light to go out. Picked Palm beach because I wanted to try the north end of it.

Setup around 4:30pm with the Sun going down. Had some frozen yakkas and squid I caught a few weeks back and some salted pillies as backup.

Not long in I had a flurry of activity just before sunset. My heavier rod had a hit but on checking I was mistaken, but as I set that back my small rod with a tiny squid strip washing in close was going off. A short fight with something with a bit of go resulted in a nice chromed up bream. Didnt measure but around 30cm - kept for the table.

It was quiet for a while then a slab of a big squid got snatched by a salmon - not huge but about 45cm - another of those fights where they race at you and you have to scramble to pick up line. I had a few more hits on the squid which I guess were salmon because of a similar fight but lost in the fight - including one that really gave me some stick.

Turned quiet again until a bit after the turn of the tide. Hoping for a chance of a jewie I opted to try some fresher bait and took a fillet off the salmon and set that out. There was a steady stream of picker hits but no takes. The next fillet sat a while until I felt an odd take and nothing - as I picked up line I felt weight and set the hook. Dragging it in I could tell I had something but it was sedate and heavy so I suspected a ray. As I got it in it didnt like the shore and took some big shakes and a run, repeat a few times until out of the wash I hauled in a big solid wobbegong - I guess about 1.4m. As I tried to snap some photos he chomped through the 50lb leader (thankfully - I didnt want to handle him as it was in a foul mood) and waddled back out.

I tried a last fillet but with no activity I called it a night to get back for an early start on the mornings tide.

Pleasant night out with a clear view of the milkyway and a half dozen shooting stars, with a couple of fillets for a feed.

[antonywardle]

Nice write up mate.

I don't think I'd be so keen getting the hook out of that big fish either!

[Loco Mofo]

Nice report as always Sarg.

Myself and a mate were actually fishing just down the beach from you last night. We set up around 5:30pm and fished til about 8:30pm. We had a very similar experience to you, very quiet with an odd hit every hour. I ended up with a 37cm bream for the table and a couple 60cm & 45cm salmons. All caught off frozen squid, no touches on prawn.

My mate unfortunately struck out.

Always a nice sesh there at Palmy though gazing at the stars.

[night_rider]

That's a fat Wobby! Glad to hear you managed to keep away from the bitey end....

[SgtBundy]

Yeah - he was thrashing about and not happy, and I know they can turn on themselves so I wasn't about to get to personal with him, especially at that size.

[Ryder]

Thats a big fish mate. Well done.

I didnt know they can turn back on themselves.

Do you mean they can bite you tail dragging them?

[SgtBundy]

Yeah, they can turn completely on their tail, learned that when a mate got a small one and it nearly got him when it turned as he grabbed its tail.

I have been told they are "just big puppy dogs" but the one last night really didn't give me that impression. Good to know my gear can take that weight but still looking for that silver ghost.

[krause]

Is a wobbe doing to be able to grab you? I haven't seen one in ages, but handled them with out a care thinking they can't bite (not in a bad way). I watch other sharks with real teeth though.... There are some bad stories it there

[SgtBundy]

I did some reading after the first one I caught and they can give you a fair bite but they are not chompers like the more teethy ones.