SgtBundy Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Launched the kayak from Clontarf around 5:30 (non DST) and headed straight for the fridge to try for yakkas. Got about 6 but dropped a few trying to get them in the live bait tank. Strung one out and set out across the water towards the navy base hoping for kings. Half way across in front of Balmoral I stopped to check the livie, he was ok so put out again. As I let it out he got anxious then stopped - I took a little weight and it took off. I thought that was odd for a king (no smash) but it was running hard like a king. Between runs I could feel weight and was sure I was on to a good king. As I got it up to the kayak I got the distinct profile of a hammerhead - a small one about 80cm. As I struggled to get some photos before I figured out how I was going to release it he bit me off, thankfully. First shark to deal with on the kayak. I rerigged, set out a new yakka (after losing yet another as I got it out of the tank) and continued towards the navy base. I sat off the perimeter and flicked some plastics while I let the yakka swim. While having a snack I checked the plastic and was surprised to find a 25 odd cm snapper on it, which was released. I trolled the yakka out to in front of middle head where he got smacked but I missed the hookup. While the waves were a bit daunting I managed to rig the last yakka and trolled it across middle head and back where the last one was hit I was on. Not quite the power of a king but definately was strong with a rapid tail beat. Once landed I had a decent Bonito which I bled to take home, the first Bonito I have kepyt. Having no more yakkas I headed back the way I came trolling a lure and even found a floating popper next to middle head. I worked my way back to chinamans trying plastics along the way. I was unable to get any squid, so I tried for more yakkas at the fridge but no luck (really need that sounder). I decided to flick some plastics to finish out the session. I managed to snag a whiting near weed beds that was kept (I mistakenly assumed it was legal thinking the limit was 23cm, it was about 28cm so I should have checked seeing as the limit is 27cm). Another first in having a keeper whiting, even if size was a guess. As I worked the plastic I found some squid chasing so I switched to a jig and managed two decent calamari, and dropped one that was just hooked on the candle. With new live bait I set one out and repeated my circuit back to the navy base and middle head and back. By this time the sun was out in force, having spent the morning in a rain jacket. The long jog over and back took some time and resulted in nothing touching the squid. I got back to Clontarf around 2ish and kept the squid for home. The day ended with some annoying pratt parking stupidly close to my car so I couldnt load the kayak (despite explicitly parking by a walkway so I could do so, more annoying because they were clearly there for kayaking too) - an annoyance but worked around. With a good haul for dinner we had cajan bonito fillets, crumbed whiting and salt and pepper calamari. The kids even enjoyed it. Would have been nice to find some kings but a session with highlights none the less. Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryder Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Great day out mate. Hammerhead, bonito, and going back and forth to the fridges, WOW I know you've worked hard, now the hard work is paying off . Well done. I reckon that Yak has set you on the path to " Legend " status. Do we have that? Haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 Still a long way to go for that - the kayak certainly helps get around and trying new things, but there is a lot I don't know yet. Even workout out where to place stuff on the kayak is still in progress. Was a bit of a long run today - probably 14-16km all up I think over 8.5 hours. Surprisingly not that hard an effort - worst part was the overcast day deceiving me into not applying enough sunscreen and now my legs are red raw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witha Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Gotta love a bit of yak burn Haha. I've been caught out by the overcast a few times this summer [emoji14] Great work mate very productive day! Yakking gets very addictive, working out where everything goes is always a bit of fun. Looking forward to more of your reports Cheers Witha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRIER Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Well done on getting a few fish for a feed. Seems the yak is starting to produce some decent fish outings and I'm sure it will only keep getting better. Now you can actually get out and find the fish and not have to wait for the fish to find you. Plus some exercise thrown in for good measure. Win, win all around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fragmeister Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 What an interesting day out. Even a small shark is a surprise when you are that close to them. The Yak certainly seems to have expanded your fishing horizons the summer. Cheers and keep the reports coming. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 A few fish for a bit of entertainment and a feed. The last thing you want is a snappy hammerhead on board. Have pulled out a few around that size over the years, into the boat, and all they want to do it bite anything they can get their teeth into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cameldownunder Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Great report, made a nice reading. That shark would have given me the HeebyGeebies evan from my boat. Those waves at middle head are painful, even from the boat. So easy to turn green, especially early in the morning. Well done !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharknett Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Not a bad day out on the yak. In case you are not aware, it can be worth trying for squid in close on the Balmoral end of Middle Head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 A few fish for a bit of entertainment and a feed. The last thing you want is a snappy hammerhead on board. Have pulled out a few around that size over the years, into the boat, and all they want to do it bite anything they can get their teeth into. There isn't much room to handle any sizable fish on the kayak - the only real option is right between your legs. Thrashing flathead are bad enough, there was no way he was coming on board! Great report, made a nice reading. That shark would have given me the HeebyGeebies evan from my boat. Those waves at middle head are painful, even from the boat. So easy to turn green, especially early in the morning. Well done !!! It was interesting with the waves reflecting back from the headland - the other week I was out the incoming waves were enough to put me off even trying (in the trough it seemed like the waves were higher than me), it was a bit flatter this week but it was a bit of a ride none the less. Not a bad day out on the yak. In case you are not aware, it can be worth trying for squid in close on the Balmoral end of Middle Head. Do you mean just around the Balmoral side of the head along the rock ledges? I have got them around the Balmoral wharf before when land based. I did go looking for weed patches between cobblers and the navy base boundary but couldn't make out anything useful - the water was pretty green and with the overcast light at that time it was hard to distinguish the weed beds, but I recall reading people have caught them there. I have seen people going for yakkas just off rocky point too, but without a sounder though I wasn't going to try lucky dipping. My mark for the fridge was working out some reference points on google earth before I went out and roughly dropping the line around there. I have been meaning to put navonics on my phone to help mark places to hit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bojulabah Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Great report, I too have been getting hammerheads lately (out of boat), interesting as last season it was bronze whalers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 There isn't much room to handle any sizable fish on the kayak - the only real option is right between your legs. Thrashing flathead are bad enough, there was no way he was coming on board! Have only been spiked once on the inside of a leg by a flattie on a kayak, and once is enough. The flatties stay near my feet, do not want to get spiked by a flattie in the 'jatz crackers'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharknett Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Do you mean just around the Balmoral side of the head along the rock ledges? Approximately where I placed the red dot below. Have seen Raptor and a couple of other guides dropping jigs there as well as pulling a few ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stunami Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Awesome reading mate, would be very interesting if you could actually have your course plotted on here with your catches marked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krause Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Good read, and a good day out. I took the yak down south today, but I keep eyeing off middle harbor, i just don't have a clue what's where. Hit me up if you want to take me for a tour, or if you want a crash course in port kembla. Always keen to have company Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 Approximately where I placed the red dot below. Have seen Raptor and a couple of other guides dropping jigs there as well as pulling a few ourselves. MH.jpg Ok - its pretty much where I got the bonito. Awesome reading mate, would be very interesting if you could actually have your course plotted on here with your catches marked. That might give away when I get distracted near the nudie beach though... Good read, and a good day out. I took the yak down south today, but I keep eyeing off middle harbor, i just don't have a clue what's where. Hit me up if you want to take me for a tour, or if you want a crash course in port kembla. Always keen to have company I am still very much learning the area myself, just getting technique and my yak setup without dealing with learning a new area too. I have still been meaning to try over around in front of Dobroyd head or even trying to cross over to North head if conditions permit. I normally have Sunday mornings pencilled in for a session, depending on family needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytumer Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 Silly question time: When you guys say 'the fridge' across Contarf are you referring to this spot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtBundy Posted April 6, 2016 Author Share Posted April 6, 2016 I have it as south of there. My nav point for it on sunday was 100m straight out from the brown house next to the one under construction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytumer Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 Ok thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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