SA - Rugged at Wallaroo ....and again

[solatree]

Last minute decision to head to Wallaroo yesterday after weather looked pretty good, despite very slow tides. Last time I was there I got a nice flathead plus one legal snapper amongst a heap of underszed ones. So I thought perhaps, with luck, I could repeat the catch.

Left Adelaide at 6.45am and launched just before 9am. Plan was to fish the morning - have a break and some food, and if conditions were still ok, fish the afternoon. Smooth at launch with hardly a breath of air. No interest from the flathead so it was off the rugger spot. I'd got fish on both lures (SPs) and bait last time but no interest on the lures. Plenty of interest on the bait but it seemed it was mainly small stuff until a stonger take and spirited fight yielded this little fella.

First up

A little while later, saw some movement in the water - a pigeon imitating a sea gull. He was pretty wet and sorry and I popped him on the bow to dry out.

New crewman

He kept me company for the next 90 mins. Got quite a few more 34-36cm ruggers before at last a keeper at 39cm - plus a fiesty little salmon which I also kept for the smoker. Wind had picked up a bit and conditions were getting sloppy so it was back to shore for lunch and to give the crew some shore rest.

Back on shore

Back again after lunch (minus the crew !) and the wind had dropped off and fish seemed more interested. A half squid head got a smoking run and bust off on structure. Ended up with 5 more legals up to 46cm. It had been a long time since I'd last got snapper and I'd forgotten how hard these fish can pull. Felt very satisfied after a heap of fun and and some decent eating fish to take home.

Wallaroo ruggers

[fisher]

Excellent work Andy - was there much activity on the sounder?

[solatree]

I'm rubbish at reading my sounder Jeff - except for the depth - so once I figured out what depth I was fishing, I turned it off ! Even if it was on, I would not have ben able to tell you about the activity But there were plenty of fish about - lots of small stuff that picked my pillies to pieces - even managed a trumpeter that had deep thoated the end of my 5/0 circle hook trying eat a bit of squid - quite a feat - kept him for bait and turned him into a 45cm snapper

[kanganoe]

Thats a nice arrangement of pink bits there Andrew.Tastefull .

[RobC]

Nice day out Andy. I have developed a bream chasing habit recently and have also forgotten what it is like to catch snapper. I am the same with my sounder...I swear that it is always in demo mode (apart from the depth) as fish shapes float by occasionally, whether they are coming in from/going out to the N, S, E or W I don't know. I didn't expect much for $99 though. Well done for the rescue of the pigeon mate, had a laugh over that. Must have been entertaining to have had some more refined and mature company than you are used to

[Drewboy]

A fair bit of tactical technique involved in pursuing snapper that close to the pylons of a jetty.
It was obviously applied and paid off.... Nice stuff Andy.
Love the bird.... a bit grey for a seagull though.

[Rockster]

even managed a trumpeter that had deep thoated the end of my 5/0 circle hook trying eat a bit of squid - quite a feat - kept him for bait and turned him into a 45cm snapper

That is a great trick some Magicians would be proud of. Do you have any others I could learn? eg turning gents into Gar, pipis into KGW etc etc etc

That is a smashing feed of snapper you got, well worth the trip too. Just as well though, not sure one pigeon is enough to make a pie with!

Cheers
Bob

[Squidley]

I think you're single-handedly responsible for a few hundred of the signups to this forum, Solatree, what a great result. I'm going to fish that jetty at some stage; what's the go with restrictions/clerance and such?

[Murphysegg]

Well done Andy. Good to see you were rewarded for your efforts.

[solatree]

Drewboy and I decided to try for a repeat performance yesterday - slow tides again in the middle of the day.
And it was a repeat performance !

But no pigeon this time

..and one more snap - best at 45cm

[Zilch]

Andy the Wallaroo Snapper Whisperer

A lot more skill involved here, than catching fish (mulloway / bream) from a sterile man made impoundment like West lakes, I am in awe.

Well done Andy and Drew and thanks for sharing !

A fair bit of tactical technique involved in pursuing snapper that close to the pylons of a jetty.
It was obviously applied and paid off.... Nice stuff Andy.

And Drew

PS. I see you also had your magical S.P. container in your right hand cup holder, nothing changes

Steve

[Drewboy]

Watching Andy's technique yesterday underlines just why he's won the AKFF fishing comp 2 years in a row.
It was like a LeMans start, and at first seemed unnecessarily urgent.
However, after watching his method and seeing the fruit of his efforts, I could see the reasoning.
I'd been using 6o circle octopus hooks and apart from 2 good sized sambos, I wasn't in the race.
The style of hook and its weight was all it took to get me back in the action though.
And after several hours of persevering, Andy kindly helped me out with one of his rigs.
Within minutes, I was onto a keeper, and it was in the kayak.
Then whilst being distracted by some guys on the jetty asking questions about the kayaks, it was just enough time for my eyes to be taken off the ball.
Suddenly I was on again and it was as big a snapper as I've ever caught(it felt 75cm++). Peddling solidly, I took the fish out to clearer water, far enough away from the jetty, I thought.
Then I changed my rod to the other side to better manage the fish and during that time it must have realized it could turn its head.
The delightful sound that we long for as the drag screams, came next, however, it is a little concerning when jetty pylons are only 25 feet away.
All it took was 3 seconds and I was smoked.
Lesson.... when you are on, go like the clappers, until you are well clear to deal with what may turn out to be a bigger fish than at first thought.
Many thanks for the tips Andy.

[suehobieadventure]

Good work guys. Oh well Drew at least you got the adrenaline rush fro the one that got away!

[OldDood]

Well done you two guys another excellent catch,
Its funny that when I got my Kayak a fews year back it seemed like catching a snapper was a pipe dream.
It now almost seems the norm.
We might have to raise our sights a bit, 1 metre plus Mully, Kingfish and Bluefin Tuna maybe?
Not sure where to start on the Kingys and Tuna but Zilch and Samboman have been leading the way on the Mullies.
Kayaks Rule OK.
Regards,
Mark.

[feelfree09]

how heavy was the line you were using? i got smoked there half a dozen times on 10lb braid and 14lb leader. i was flicking sp's halfway under the jetty tho so kinda expected it.