Port Hacking - Nice by-catch!

[fiveflies]

Hey Raiders,

I hope you're all having a good weekend and managing some time out, on or near the water!

Friday the 13th turned out to be lucky for me! I decided to head out on the kayak, launching from Gray's Point and heading downstream. I usually drift along the river here and pick up flatties and bream with the odd whiting thrown in.

This day I wanted to head up around the corner to the deeper water between Gymea and Yowie bays. I've caught a kingfish there before and I wanted to try jigging for them again. There wasn't much action on the paddle along so decided to head straight for the area in about 16m of water.

Got to my place and put a SP jig over the side to work its magic. Thought I might snag a snapper whilst I was there so lobbed a prawn over the other side on the light tackle rod, with 2500 baitrunner reel and sat back to enjoy the beautiful day. Sunshine, blue skies and no wind.

After about 10 minutes the baitrunner has a touch and a bit of line is taken. Then a bit more. Then its off like mad! Kingy I thought and started to panic as its 4lb braid and 8lb fc leader. Take it easy I tell myself and don't fight it too hard.

As I'm thinking all this and trying to stay calm the fish is getting tangled up in the SP line over the other side so I'm having to try and untangle and fight the fish at the same time, not easy in a kayak! Decided to chance it and put the rod in the holder while I untangled and prayed that it wouldn't get loose and spit the hook. Working as fast as I could I managed to untangle and bring in the SP line.

Now, back to the fight. There was some decent weight in the fish and it started to slow and I was able to bring back some line. A few more half-hearted runs and I could see colour at last. Its length was good and nice a sliver and I was thinking "kingy"!

But as it came up and then hit the surface I couldn't believe it - a jewie! Nice big, fat jewfish flapping on the surface. Cleared the decks on the kayak and out came the lip grips and brought it over the side.

A quick measure and I reckon it was around 72cm, a PB for me and a legal fish! I had no ice, a small esky and so, after a few snaps, decided to let the lovely fish go and fight another day. A fantastic, lucky by-catch and had me smiling for the rest of the afternoon!

[adamski]

Well done FiveFlies and congrats on the PB! Good on ya for letting the fish go too, a lot of people would've been tempted to keep it even without the ice.

[Fab1]

You would be please with a by catch like that any day of the week.Well done!

[Yowie]

That is a nice jewie for the Hacking, Good work from the yak.

[wwatson]

Nice fish mate, that's a great size for Port Hacking the fish are screaming there!

[W4z]

Great catch mate! That wouldve been the best surprise and made your day im sure

[Ndale91]

Awesome catch mate, just landed my first kingy off the port hacking yesterday.
Wouldn't mind landing one of these bad boys either.

Nelson