King And Jew

[keenist]

After all the solid reports going around we bit the bullet and decided to head out in search of some kingies!

Hit the water at approx 3 am and jetted over to our secret night kingy spot and proceeded to throw around some poppers while soaking floating garries and squid. It didn't take long until a floating gar was hit and we had a sub-teenage model in the boat. Fish was well under legal so back it went. Managed a three more fish before sun up but all were in the 50-60cm range, not great, but at least nature is doing her thing and still spirited fights on lighter tackle.

The Sun was about to rise, it was livey searching time so we tried all the usual spots in the bay with the intention of slow trawling them around yellow rock for an xos hoodlum. The thing was that the wind was picking up and it began to rain. In an open boat, sitting in squally conditions is far from desirable. As is so often the case with fishing, the proverbial spanner was thrown into the works so we decided to go to plan C (unplanned plan that is) and head up the river and out of the wind to try for a jew.

Found ourselves at a favourite spot drifting squid into the hot zone at the last of the making tide. 5 minutes later my mate had a 7 or so kg, 80cm+ mulloway slapping around the boat. Fat and healthy specimen it was. Had only then realised that I forgot the digi at home and the SLR was out of film, so I managed to film a segment on video. It's digi so I will try to source a still from it to post when I get the chance. We were pretty chuffed, so much so that we hardly realised that the weather conditions were looking up and our offshore serenade would have been achievable if we had chosen to stick it out at the mouth.

The following 2 or so hours saw us bodge countless runs including one very solid fish that won its freedom via a failed trace. That fish was much better than average, and could have been a graduate fish of more than 10kg. I am still unsure whether it bit through the 40 lb trace (would mean big Jew, no?) or if I had a nick in it that caused the mishap? To say I was dirty would be a severe understatement - Apologies to any water front residents who were awoken by my kicking and shouting absurdities.

Anyway, all in all a good morning. Kingies and Jew, the big 2. Hope other Raiders got into the action. I can't wait to get out and into it again!!

[OneLastCast]

Congrats on scoring the big 2 in one day !

I have GOTS to get me a daily double this summer....

[bung]

a jew wouldn't bite through 40lb so unless it was a nick in the trace (which may be possible if the previous fish ran towards the pylons) it was probably a bitey of some sort.

anyway...nice fish.

[Spanker]

Good post mate. Is finding a 'good' spot a matter of hit and miss or do you use the sounder to look for holes and drop offs?

[sluggo]

Despite the rain, wind and very messy condition outside, the reports of kings were too tempting so out we went... it wasn't long before we had our first double hook up, then our second shortly after biggest went 59, and even with some gentle massage we were unable to stretch out another cm

back inside the bay for a flatty spin, in short, spun for 2 hours for one flatty at 62cm.

not a bad morning, although frustrating as the kingy tally is now at 10 and still looking for a legal fish.....