Great kayak session near Rip Bridge

[kiwicraig]

Been a while since I posted. For the last couple of months the only times I have been able to get out it has been from my mate's boat in the morning before work - which has not left much time for posting afterwards.

I decided to try something different today and took the kayak out for a soft plastic only session. I launched near the Blackwall boat ramp and paddled out to the moored boats and then started drifting towards Woy Woy on the incoming tide. I put one rod in the holder behind me and let it trail a 6.5 inch Berkley tail in the Nemesis pattern, rigged on a 1/4 ounce jighead. I've recently taken to using quite a large soft plastic on the drift as it seems to cut down on the undersized flathead - though I am still sometimes surprised at how small a fish with take a big plastic - greedy buggers

The other rod I started to work actively casting ahead of the drift with a much lighter jig head and a smaller, curly tail grub body. I say started because the second rod was barely in the water when the first one got smashed. I swapped rods and brought a good flathead along side and reached for the net.

This is where the trouble started. On the kayak I use a folding net because it takes less room. I opened it up and stuck it behind the flattie and it just folded straight up again. I tried several times but could just not get the net to lock into the open position. I dropped the net and reached over to try and lift it in, but one last headshake and he was gone. I'd put the size at about 45 cm. Good eating size - I was sorry to see him go.

I continued my drift down past the island covered in pelicans, in the channel between the island and the shore. (Not to be confused with the island actually called Pelican Island up near the ferry wharf in Woy Woy). About 100m past the island I was starting to get bogged down in weed so I decided to paddle back to my starting point and drift again.

I reeled in the lines and started paddling back. On the way back I decided to cut the corner and head back in a straight line rather than follow the channel back around. On the way I came across a large area of sandy bottom among all the weed and decided to have a cast, thinking there may be a flattie or two lying in there. I grabbed the rod with the bigger tail on it as I wanted the heavier jighead to help casting in the wind. I landed it in the clear and started working it back and then the rod bucked and the reel started peeling off line. Looking down I could clearly see little crab holes in the sandy bottom - I was in very skinny water. I started to work the fish and knew fairly quickly this was no flattie. I played it towards the kayak and let it have a few runs. I wanted to wear it down a bit as at this stage I had no confidence in the folding net and would have to lift it in. Eventually I got it back to the kayak and found out it was a good sized whiting! Definitely a better flattie bycatch than a stingray! I dispatched him an put him in the keeper bin. Later measured at 38cm. I have never really targeted whiting and this was the first legal one I have landed - so happy with a new PB.

I reset at the start and drifted again. The wind had picked up a bit and was pushing me away from where I wanted to drift, so instead of drifting as far I stayed close to the boats and did shorter drifts. On the first of these I picked up another flattie about the same size as the first one and this time was able to lift it in (later measured at 44cm). Next drift I hooked up again on the big plastic. I dropped the other rod into the holder and started working it back. This one was a big flathead. I worked up towards the kayak and it was pulling but coming up fairly well. Then the other rod bucks over. I put a hand on it long enough to confirm that it is a fish and not just snagged, then redouble my efforts on the first one. I nearly have it in - but then when it saw the kayak it surged off - rubbing the leader off and taking my SP with it. I got a look at it though - real shovel head that I'd put around the 60cm mark. I'd have let it go anyway so it was more efficient this way Having lost one I put the busted off rod in the holder and started working the other one in. Unfortunately I had not wound the first all the way in and the leader floating in the breeze floated straight into my reel and tangled up. I had to take the pressure off for a few seconds to clear it - but it was enough for the second fish to gain its freedom. This one felt smaller so I was not too worried - but still a pain to have a double hookup and lose both

The wind was coming up again and the fish I had was enough for dinner, but not on a lot of ice so I decided to head back in. All and all a great little session that served to remind me what fun fishing from a kayak can be.

[Witha]

Awesome report mate!

Keen yak fisher myself and I can completely put myself in your shoes imagining the scramble with 2 rods and unhelpful fish [emoji14]

Cracker whiting and some good flatties well done!

Witha

[Farvos]

good effort on the yak. I release my big flatties to. good practice

[kiwicraig]

good effort on the yak. I release my big flatties to. good practice

To be honest I kept a 64cm one once because we'd not been catching anything else and I was really disappointed. The flesh was quite dry even when super fresh.

I keep them between 40 and 55 cm now. Smaller than that and the fillets are pretty tiny, better to let them go to get a bit bigger. Bigger and they are decided poor eating so I release them to make more little ones.

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