FAD trip Sunday

[Welster]

What a great weekend it turned out to be.   Saturday my daughter won her Baseball grand final.  A few celebratory drinks on Saturday night and me free to fish on Sunday. 

After seeing a few positive reports during the week we had the Hacking Fad in mind.  As usual during the week we watched the forecasts and hoped it would work out.  

Sunday arrives and we launch around 6 and off to collect some bait.   First spot was dead.  Try another spot and we had 20 bait size yakkas in good time.  

Whilst collecting them the wind really picked up leaving us in some doubt our plan would work soon enough it backed off again ?  .  We started to head out, the conditions were being nicer to us than we expected allowing mid 30km speeds on the way out.   Happy days!

On arrival the place was a carpark with at least 10 boats around.  Weekend fishing .  We joined the crowd  and...... nothing doing.

The crowd started to thin out to just a few boats and shortly after we both got hits with Steve hooking up and landing his first in the mid 60s.  After a few clumsy attempts with the net we had one in the boat.

With renewed enthusiasm we started a new drift and a few minutes later Steve’s drag is singing again with a much better fish.  Using all its tricks jumping, pulling side on into the current, down deep these dollies are really good sport.  After a longer battle his mid 80s fish is in the boat.  Yep the gaff is heaps easier than net.  Surely I’m due I am thinking. 

Another drift and what would you know Steve is on again.   This fish pulling harder than the last.  I’d say this tussle went on for around 10 minutes.  This fish went close to 90cm.  The wind was picking up, surely I’m not going home on a duck. 

We made the call for two more drifts before heading back.  The wind was really pushing our drift along noticably faster with the next drift producing nothing.

Last drift last chance.  Livies out and off we go.   Shortly after my drag starts screaming, set the hook and the battle begins.  After a tense few moments I had my first Dolphin fish in the boat. Yippee! These fish are awesome fun.   This fish around 87 on the lie detector.  

The trip back in was much slower but so worth it.  

[Rock&Beach]

Great report and we'll done on the dollys. Cheers R&B

[Scratchie]

Congrats on your first dolly! They can be frustrating at times and don’t they go beserk when they hit the deck! Enjoy! 

Cheers scratchie!!! 

[Stu-SP]

Awesome work on your first Dollie! I only started targeting them this year and I’m hooked. Great sport fish on the light gear, stickbaits work a treat too!!

[Welster]

On 18/03/2018 at 10:16 PM, Scratchie said:

Congrats on your first dolly! They can be frustrating at times and don’t they go beserk when they hit the deck! Enjoy! 

Cheers scratchie!!! 

Thanks Scratchie,.  Especially the first one the smallest he came in very quick and then went ballistic making a huge mess in the boat.

10 hours ago, Stu-SP said:

Awesome work on your first Dollie! I only started targeting them this year and I’m hooked. Great sport fish on the light gear, stickbaits work a treat too!!

We had a couple of cracks at them last year and landed some but I hadn’t.   This was the first time this year.    

 

We were using livies my mate had 15lb leader two hooks rig on a 4000 size reel and I had 30lb single hook on 6000 size.  I think I will go to the lighter set up next time.    Any thoughts on two hook rig or one? 

This weekend will be a no go for me I’m doing the vhf course on Saturday and kids sport Sunday. 

Edited March 21, 2018 by Welster