Shooting for king and coming up salmon

[Mike89]

With the end of summer closing on in, I've resolved to focus my efforts on getting at least one king for the summer in the bag. Too many distractions! Learning plastics and metals and the ever-present allure of the blackies over the last couple of months have meant less time on my tried and tested method of tossing out live baits. Back to basics then!

Hit the wharf at lunchtime yesterday on the rising tide. Figured I'd see about the yakkas and if they were on and the water looked good I'd toss them out there. My mate arrived and started spinning metals and before I'd thrown out my first jellybaby yakka he had nabbed himself a nice little bonnie.

I rigged up my 12kg rod and pitched out my livie. Before I had even set the rod down I felt an almighty thud followed by a quick run. That was quick! Unfortunately, so was I - in my excitement I hit the strike much much too soon and pulled the hook. It has been so long since I've had any decent takes on big baits that I'd actually forgotten that I am supposed to wait a little time before hitting it!

The action was pretty hard and fast and a steady soup of yakkas just below the wharf meant that I was able to keep fishing livies. Not long after the first I had another big run - this time I waited for what felt like an eternity but once again hit it far too soon. A third run a little later teased me as the fish dropped the bait after what seemed like a promising hit.

A fourth big hit and I was finally onto something. The sluggish nature of the resistance I was feeling led me to call it for a flathead. Up she came and into the net; not a baby but not a monster at 53cm.

The lightning and thunderclouds loomed over the horizon signaling our need to pack up reasonably soon. Still, I had a couple of livies left and continued to send them out. The efforts finally paid off on the last bait of the day as my rod buckled over and line began to spew out of my reel.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiinnnnnng! Ah yes, I do remember that sound! This time I actually waited. And waited. And finally grabbed my spool and yanked my rod up sharply. Twice to be safe. I was on this time!

Wishful thinking had me calling it for one of the rat kings we had seen chasing down my baits and my mate's lures, but some aerial acrobatics around the moorings revealed that it was a simple salmon on the end of my line. Apparently this just wasn't the day for my trophy summer king. Still, a good fight and nice to finally get into the pelagics this season.

By the time I had cleaned my fish and packed up the gear the rain had come down hard and I was soaking wet. Soaking wet but with a nice bag of fish for the table and some good baits for the next session.

Great day out with a mate and a productive session with non-stop excitement!

 

 

Edited February 17, 2017 by Mike89

[big Neil]

Well done Mike and Co...definitely worth the effort mate. Hope you get the elusive Kingie that you're after. Good report, BN

[raging]

Nice one. When is king season over for the harbour ?

[Ryder]

Certainly some good action before the storm. Check this out.

http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=22530

 

[ACJ]

Nice little mixed bag, just out of curiosity did you cook up the pike? I've never bene game but like most "bait" species we don't eat here in Aus i know lots of cultures love them.

[Mike89]

On 19/02/2017 at 3:28 PM, Ryder said:

Certainly some good action before the storm. Check this out.

http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=22530

 

Cheers Ryder. I thought I'd read something about dropping barometric pressure and gun fishing days.

Just had a read through. Something I'll definitely remember for next time!

As far as I'm aware you'll get kings all year round in the harbour, just with thicker action and more of the younger rats in over summer.

Pike was left for bait. Ate one when I was a kid though. Very bony!