After a fantastic overnighter in Pittwater a fortnight ago I was busting to do it all again. Especially since client and friend Steve Scott had been sending videos for our Facebook page showing wild bust ups, in the Harbour:
So, last Friday afternoon, I met up at the boat ramp with new crewman James. We launched my old tinnie and headed down Middle Harbour. Catching up with clients and friends on the water is a big bonus, in this business. Here’s Charles and his mate using their new downrigger as we headed offshore:
Getting to know James as we head east when he suddenly confesses he’s never caught a kingfish on a jig! Saddest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Straight out past South Head to the Artificial Reef. Here’s the marks for that one:
Fish were stacked and packed. We had the place to ourselves:
It didn’t take long:
Back into the ramp after a short but enjoyable session and dropped James off. it was time to find a spot for overnighting. Settled in on a spare mooring at The Spit. Connected up the underwater squid light, which worked like a dream. But I didn’t video results, because the phone battery was running low. Luckily, a couple of clients were out using theirs on the same night. Here’s Andrew’s video, squid AND stacks of fish:
and here’s Matt’s amazing report:
Lads, I cannot recommend these too highly. Yes I’m biased but they are fantastic. It saves you so much time, to be able to go to a squid spot, drop this over, connect to your battery, and have the squid swarming. There’s no guarantees but that is very often the result. Click here for more:
Next morning away early, picking up regular crewman Joel Clement. Stacks of kingfish and other pelagics along the coast at the moment. But most of the kings are under legal size. Here’s Bruce Clarke on Friday:
What we wanted was some keepers! Past experience tells us that, that when juveniles are swarming, there are only two options for finding bigger specimens. One is, using bigger baits. The other is, fishing in deeper water. So we headed up to the Long Reef wrecks. These were deliberately sunk 30 or more years ago and have turned into fish producing machines at certain times of the year. Now is that time of year:
News clipping from 1976! As we came off the plane on the first wreck I checked the sounder. Would you believe the band showing between 15 and 25 metres were pretty much all kingfish? Unusual, because normally they stack vertically. Not this time:
Down went the jigs. Joel, using our 100 gram size:
Me, using our 40 gram size:
It got pretty crazy:
What a great night and day, on the water. Good weather, good company, and some good fish on ice. With the big surprise of the trip being the deck matting, which we started offering last year. I’ve always thought its positive feature was absorbing shock, underfoot. Happy clients agree:
The boat matting is a joy. Not just because it’s easy under foot! But because at times like these, when all the usual spots are swarming with undersized kings, you want to treat them gently when releasing. They are 60-65cm now. But next this time next year, they’ll be 80cm. That’s an improvement we’ve got to protect. Click here for more:
Heading off on an adventure at the end of next week. Will post pics and videos to the Facebook page if anything interesting happens! Thanks for reading and thanks for your support
Andrew Hestelow