A Mortlake session teaching a friend ending in distraught

[Fobbie]

This afternoon I went out today to Mortlake along the bay to teach my newbie mate how to fish with soft plastics to take a break from Uni work. He's only just recently gotten into fishing and was interested in learning how to fish with lures.

Conditions were good with the sun just setting around 1 hour after high tide. On my first two casts out, I hooked onto three decent flatties using bloodworm and midnight oil, all approximately around the 40cm mark, whilst teaching my mate different retrieval techniques and how to work soft plastics. I sat back for 20 mins whilst watching him cast out and working the plastic back, giving him tips and helping him slow down his retrieve, inducing a few bites however none hooked up as he missed the strike timing. But that's all part of fishing, I remember when I first started using lures and missing my strikes, so I kept encouraging him to keep trying.

 

I went back to fishing myself in search of some decent fish after donuting my last session around Iron Cove recently. That's when I struck something big, then came a huge run with my drag screaming and line peeling. The headshakes were violent with a huge weight behind them, that's when I caught a glimpse of it, a flatty at approximately 60cm. However, here was the start of my major issue that plagued this session, I had no way of landing the fish as I didn't bring a net with me. On 6lb leader, there was no way I could winch this massive fish up the side of the bank without snapping off. Hence, I tried walking the fish to a rocky area 20 meters down on the right to get a chance to get as close to the water as possible to land this fish. I got within 2 meters of being able to climb down to grab the lizard when POP, the hook had pulled from its mouth. I was distraught losing this fish which would be close to my PB of 71cm and even more so as I realised my gopro wasn't even filming this ordeal🥹. But hey that's fishing. 

After walking back to the same spot, I re-scented my plastic and casted the same zone again. On the third cast, again, I struck into something big again, this time it felt even heavier. It's runs and headshakes were even more violent than the previous flatty I just dropped. This time I was not making the same mistake again of waiting too long to start walking it over to the rocks on the side. I was very tempted to slide myself down the bank with my mate holding the rod however I decided against this whilst walking as I would have no way back up with the fish in hand. When I pulled it to the edge of the bank, I was able to see this lizard I had hooked onto, by our approximation, easily a 70+ cm flatty, both longer and fatter than the previous one I just dropped. This time I made it down to the rocks and was within touching distance of the flatty. I wrapped the leader with my right hand was about to reach for the fish to pull it up with my left hand when it threw one final headshake which snapped my leader and off she swam. Two times today and this time losing my PB flatty 😭. 

The leader snap moment on camera, it's mouth dwarfing my slim swimz plastic. 

At least to end off the session I caught two legal that put up fun solid fights and one small bream. After we then called it a day, however this did not make up for the fact I lost those two fish. What a session and an interesting way to teach my mate the importance of having a landing net 😂. 

 

 

[md5]

Nice session! I live very close but somehow never tried fishing in that spot. I had seen decent jewfish caught there at night.

[Yowie]

Not good about the flatties, a bit of distance to pull it up.

In regards to the last flattie, the mouth is open, you are wearing gloves, stick your fingers in it's mouth, grab the bottom lip, and pull it up. You may have the jaws clamp down on your fingers, you are wearing gloves, just a small bite if anything.

As for the fingers in the mouth, do not try it with tailor, spanish mackerel or other toothy critters.

A couple of bream for variety.

[lhan]

Exactly what I've experienced from my last session - 60-70cm flatty lost due to no net and leader snapped off while the final landing. Within the same session I also hooked either a king or huge Jew that SMOKED my 3000 fuego and finally pulled hook. As you said, that's fishing, all these facts make us addicted to it.

[linewetter]

Some quality fish you got! Shame about the flatties, never a good feeling losing a fish like that 🥲 especially when they’re big. Also quite a nice rod you got there

[big Neil]

An exciting report Fobbie with some good fish landed. Great to get out on the water with mates, especially if they are mad keen and you can teach them a thing or two. Shame about the lost fish but totally your own fault as you need a good landing net to improve your chance of landing the good fish. You don't need anyone telling you that, I suppose.

Good luck with your future fishing adventures with your friend, hope they manage to get onto some fish too.

Cheers, bn