Offshore with the boy

[kiwicraig]

I really needed to get out for a fish this weekend.  My son has been saying he'd like to come so I asked if he wanted to come and he said yes.  

We set off at a kid friendly 8am.  Beautiful morning in Brisbane Water. We cruised out past Box Head and made for West Reef.  I was thinking we'd drift over the reef a few times.  I've been getting heaps of bycatch here and he is happy catching anything.

I pulled up a bit short to judge the drift and we dropped a couple of lines over.  Within minutes we were both on to little fish and pulled in a pair of little flatties that we released.  By now I had the direction of the drift sorted so we moved the boat, revisited and drifted across the front of the reef.  We pulled in several red rock cod on the first drift, getting bites as soon a as we got into the bottom 1/3 of the water.  There was a bit of swell - about 1-1.5m.  My son said he was starting to feel a bit sick.  I decided we would move out a little wider to get off the reef and try for flatties.  Figured in the deeper water out a bit the waves would not be quite so pronounced.

I moved to a mark I have in about 33m of water where I have caught flatties before.  I didn't want to take him further out in case he got properly sea sick.

I put the first rod down and it buckled straight away.  Technically it was Ollie's rod, but as he was lying face down in the cabin I brought it in.  He perked up a bit when we landed a nice fat 38cm flounder! Great fish!  But he still wanted to go in.  I said let's give it 10.  I rebaited his rod and sent it back down, but didn't bother with the other one as he was looking a little pale.

Again the rod was hit straight away, but this time they took the bait and left.  I really wanted to stay, it just felt like it was on.  But I didn't want to turn a good experience for the boy into a bad one so we headed in.  

Got home to hear the the words a fisherman hates hearing... You're home early.

All up the boy had a good time and the wife and I got to share the flounder for lunch. Did it whole on the BBQ and served with a burnt butter and sage sauce.  Delicious.

[saltrix]

Great to be out with your son, and a nice flounder.

[Scratchie]

Nice work Craig! It’s always when the fish are on that someone feels sick! Damn! At least he’s all smiles at the end. 

Cheers scratchie!!! 

[kiwicraig]

? 

I asked my son what he learned today. He said how to hold fish for photos.

Ah well - that is a pretty important angler skill.

[blaxland]

Lucky you 

[mrsswordfisherman]

13 hours ago, kiwicraig said:

?

I asked my son what he learned today. He said how to hold fish for photos.

Ah well - that is a pretty important angler skill.

A smart young man heh heh

Good work Ollie and good work spending time with your boy Craig

[sam bros]

Nice report

[DaveBM]

On 10/20/2018 at 6:37 PM, kiwicraig said:

?

I asked my son what he learned today. He said how to hold fish for photos.

Ah well - that is a pretty important angler skill.

Sure is, and kiddo makes this look like an all-tackle record halibut!

[GordoRetired]

Good to bring them in when they start to feel crook otherwise you risk putting them off fishing for life. Nice flounder and lovely to eat ?