gundi4 Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Apologies for the lateness of this post but life sometimes gets in the way! Anyhow headed out last Sunday up to Broughton with a mate with the intentions of casting plastics for some tasty red creatures. Seeing as the swell was huge all week I had some wishful thinking about the snapper jumping all over our lures as everything got a good stir up previously. Got the first spot just before sunup and anticipation was high to say the least. A lightly westerly was pushing us slowly over reef in 10-15m. After a hundred cast or two and multiple drifts and not even a touch it was fair to say our bubble was slightly burst. So with the sun up our confidence took a hit but we also had a tide change at 9am so we were looking forward to that. We decided to go to another area in slightly deeper water and drift over that and see if anything was hungry. And first cast my mate comes up tight on the drop. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and the adrenaline starts pumping. Interesting to see low light period not producing even a hit and 10 mins before tide change we were straight on. So my mate is getting worked over with some big head shakes and this thing is pulling drag. But he manages to get it off the bottom and gain some line back after some nervous moments. After about 5 mins we see colour so he backs off the drag and it looks like a good fish. So I grab the net to get the celebrations started and the fish has other ideas and turns his head violently to get back to safety and the line goes slack. F%#+**%#k!!! I look at him and he’s proper devo as that looked like his PB fish by some margin. The end of the leader is all scuffed up so I’m thinking the fish was in the nasty stuff during the fight and it gave way a metre or so under the boat. His drag was backed right off so I don’t he did the wrong thing but you win some you lose some. So after gaining some composure back we do a big loop to start another drift and while my mate is retying his leader I give the 7 inch zman coconut ice (thanks scratchie!!) a cast and let out some line. So I’m looking at my mate and feeling pretty bummed but also slightly excited that there’s fish around. So much so that I don’t even notice my line zipping across the surface and my mate yells at me YOU’RE ON!!!!! I turn around and flick the bail arm over and my line starts peeling off and my rod buckles over. The first run was big. I thought I was a goner for sure. Somehow I was still connected so I started to try and turn his head and after a few pumps he runs again so I decide to cup the spool thinking it’s my only chance to not get reefed. The line goes slack and I’m about to about to curse myself when i figure out the fish is coming back towards the boat so I wind like a mad man and catch up with him. Back and forth the fight goes and I’m starting to win and get him closer the boat. I’m white knuckling with adrenaline and we finally see colour and this thing looks like a monster. Easily my biggest snapper and he surfaces and straight into the net. After a bit of yelling and yahooing we get it up for a photo coz I wanted to release it being such a big snapper. Unfortunately after swimming it for a good 5 mins it wouldn’t kick off as I think it’s swim bladder was just too bloated so I decided to keep it so it wouldn’t go to waste. The fish went 79cms and I weighed it back on shore with help of a pro prawner and his digital scales and it went 4.68kgs gutted, gilled and scaled. I thought it would have been at least 6 kilo whole but who knows 🤷🏽♂️maybe not. The fillets fed 8 people over a couple of nights so it didn’t go to waste and was certainly a great feeling to be connected to such a powerful fish. Thanks for reading 14 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Nice fish pity your mate lost his im hopin to go in two wknds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodsy1 Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Nice fish Gundi4, how good do they pull. It’s amazing how they just come on like a switch has been flicked and did you keep casting after you got your fish. Shame about the first one Woodsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Superb write up mate and congrats on the cracking snapper. You have me wondering with the weight. My PB of 71 I thought was about 5kg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Great stuff! Well done! I’ve been champing at the bit to get out there, especially after the big blow but I’ve had to rest up after my hernia op. 🤬 Back to work next week after 6 weeks off but I reckon I might be able to manage a trip in there somewhere. Can’t wait! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Well done mate! That’s a fantastic report and a great fish too! The only thing that I would say, never touch your drag during the fight. Always use a tight/firm drag and this sets the tone for the battle, so just play it out! Broughton? That looks like Broughton in the background? Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundi4 Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 53 minutes ago, Woodsy1 said: Nice fish Gundi4, how good do they pull. It’s amazing how they just come on like a switch has been flicked and did you keep casting after you got your fish. Shame about the first one Woodsy 53 minutes ago, Woodsy1 said: Nice fish Gundi4, how good do they pull. It’s amazing how they just come on like a switch has been flicked and did you keep casting after you got your fish. Shame about the first one Woodsy Cheers woodsy. They certainly do go hard. Yeah kept casting and got a 50cm fish next cast on the same plastic and then nothing after that so we called it a day 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundi4 Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 48 minutes ago, Welster said: Superb write up mate and congrats on the cracking snapper. You have me wondering with the weight. My PB of 71 I thought was about 5kg. Yeah not sure weight wise. A good friend of mine got a 81cm at 7.1 cleaned. So there a big disparity in similar size fish obviously. Mine didn’t seem like a skinny fish but I’m no expert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundi4 Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 7 minutes ago, Scratchie said: Well done mate! That’s a fantastic report and a great fish too! The only thing that I would say, never touch your drag during the fight. Always use a tight/firm drag and this sets the tone for the battle, so just play it out! Broughton? That looks like Broughton in the background? Cheers scratchie!!! Thanks mate. I’ve heard of never tightening the drag during the fight but got told that the closer the fish is to the boat and out of harms way (structure) to back the drag off to avoid sudden bust offs with not much line out? Do you set yours and just leave it? Broughton is just in frame on the right hand side of photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 2 minutes ago, gundi4 said: Thanks mate. I’ve heard of never tightening the drag during the fight but got told that the closer the fish is to the boat and out of harms way (structure) to back the drag off to avoid sudden bust offs with not much line out? Do you set yours and just leave it? Broughton is just in frame on the right hand side of photo Oh ok, I’ve got the spot now! 👍 Yes mate, I never touch the drag! I don’t see any advantage of adjusting it the closer it gets to the boat. If anything, you give the fish a second chance by releasing pressure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Great report and photos. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Great job ... felt like I was there reading that ...white knuckles on the keyboard. Awesome fish congrats. Cheers Zoran 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Master Fishing Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Absolutely trophy snapper, good work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundi4 Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 1 hour ago, Scratchie said: Oh ok, I’ve got the spot now! 👍 Yes mate, I never touch the drag! I don’t see any advantage of adjusting it the closer it gets to the boat. If anything, you give the fish a second chance by releasing pressure. Fair call. Thanks for the feedback 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 Weights can vary due to shape n condition i had a 93cm 7.79 cleaned but have had 96 a half kilo lighter have also had 90cm that was 8.3 cleaned biggest is 103 12.2 whole but had a 98 11.9 some carry lots of thickness back to tail some dont im not sure if the old questions of travellers vs resident or shallow vs deep has any bearing on it 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundi4 Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 4 hours ago, rickmarlin62 said: Weights can vary due to shape n condition i had a 93cm 7.79 cleaned but have had 96 a half kilo lighter have also had 90cm that was 8.3 cleaned biggest is 103 12.2 whole but had a 98 11.9 some carry lots of thickness back to tail some dont im not sure if the old questions of travellers vs resident or shallow vs deep has any bearing on it Yeah there’s clearly a wide range of conditions they come in. Not that it matters too much to me anyway but very interesting to see the differences. Now to get an upgrade and put myself in the Fishraider record books haha!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAZ Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Top fish mate. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 8 hours ago, gundi4 said: Yeah there’s clearly a wide range of conditions they come in. Not that it matters too much to me anyway but very interesting to see the differences. Now to get an upgrade and put myself in the Fishraider record books haha!! Cmon gundi4 I will be watching for your submission Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downsouth Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Nice job gundi. Been a fan for ages . Hope they give you another pair of training pants after the blood and guts on them after that trip.😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundi4 Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 17 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said: Cmon gundi4 I will be watching for your submission Haha could be a while. Don’t hold your breath! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundi4 Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 1 hour ago, downsouth said: Nice job gundi. Been a fan for ages . Hope they give you another pair of training pants after the blood and guts on them after that trip.😁 Haha cheers mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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