SA - Just one day !

[solatree]

We had a good snapper run off the SA Metro coast this year - but come May and colder weather, things slowed down.....well actually the snapper disappeared. So had some pretty quiet fishing for a couple of weeks. Some rain, wind and stormy weather last week and perhaps with the water stirred up, there might be a chance. Initially it looked like the first opportunity to fish would be Sunday, but a check of BOM friday night showed a "weather window" on saturday morning with wind easing at around 8am - and I quickly made plans.
Early Saturday and there were plenty of swell and waves at my usual launch spots, so I headed down the coast a bit and there the waves and shore break looked a little less tricky. Still got a bit wet heading out. Anchored up a my choosen spot and dispatched a half pilly on one rod - and a piece of squid on a smaller hook for some KGW on the other along with some berley - chopped up pillies and tuna soaked chook pellets.
No time for the KGW to bite - the pilly was grabbed by a 42cm rugger and we were away.
The squid was grabbed by my only undersized snapper for the session - so I upped the hook size to 5/0 and popped on a garfish head.

Was rewarded by a nice 55cm+ fish.

Got 8 keepers all up - three went back to make up my bag of 5.

Best at 58cm and 56cm

The bag on the mat

Pleased with that success - a follow up trip was in order for sunday morning - joined by OldDood, Drewboy, Zilch and Baldy2004. But despite 5 times the amount of bait and berley - the score was just snook and small salmon. The window had closed. Saturday, it seems, was just one day !

[Wrassemagnet]

Very nice! Do the miles, get the smiles.

[Bertros]

Jeez Andrew. You pull off some amazing catches with alarming regularity. I'm in total awe, but the results are clearly a testament of you putting in the time where you can. Well done yet again!

[solatree]

Thanks Matt - but I'm a pretty ordinary fisherman (check out my May comp entry ! ) - I have learnt heaps from this site and from folks like OldDood and Drew, Kelvin and others who I have met through AKFF or who generously post trip reports and info. Fishing with mates, you learn from each other and read of others success on AKff posts and pick the patterns. My snapper catches have been good this year - but it took 4 years of kayak fishing to get my first !

[Bertros]

Thanks Matt - but I'm a pretty ordinary fisherman (check out my May comp entry ! ) - I have learnt heaps from this site and from folks like OldDood and Drew, Kelvin and others who I have met through AKFF or who generously post trip reports and info. Fishing with mates, you learn from each other and read of others success on AKff posts and pick the patterns. My snapper catches have been good this year - but it took 4 years of kayak fishing to get my first !

Yup.. Three years in a row will just be a coincidence.

I know what you mean though... People and reports here have honed things considerably, but it's still time on the water that brings the results and that's where you're excelling. Either that, or the benchmark for snook and other SA species is set way too low.

[Geoffw]

Great catch and it would seem the weather was on your side sending you down the coast a bit from your intended spot. Must have been pretty rewarding to get the hits so quickly.

[Zilch]

Well done Andy !
I am still in awe of your consistency.

OldDood, Drewboy and you are definetly the SA masters of this yak Snapper business , 3 totally different blokes that click and compliment each others attributes.

Pleased with that success - a follow up trip was in order for sunday morning - joined by OldDood, Drewboy, Zilch and Baldy2004.

I think Baldy2004 would agree, we were the work experience kids today ,who were fortunate enough to see how hard you guys work. We both might have to sneak back to West Lakes and the Port with our tail's between our legs.

PS. Thanks Drew for shouting the coffee , my shout next time.

Steve

[GlenelgKiller]

It has certainly been a lean May! I started yak fishing at the beginning of March and for the first couple of months i was hitting nice snapper thinking "how easy is this"!

I think the water has been too clear in close this month. I was thinking that after the blow it would be improved fishing this weekend but couldnt get out. Looks like i missed out!

[baldy2004]

They are some awesome snapper Solatree!! Nice work!!

I worked out today there is a lot of skill required and a bit of luck to launching and retrieving the yak from the beach!! As a result I got drenched!

I'm with you Zilch, definitely feel like I stepped out of my comfort zone today and would prefer fishing in the Port/lake, somewhere I know I won't feel seasick or get wet, although I can see metro gulf fishing can clearly have it's advantages as shown above!

It was good to catch up with you guys again. Unlucky about the fishing today, but that's just how it goes sometimes, you've gotta be in it to win it!

An honourable mention goes out to Zilch for answering his phone and getting help for me, Solatree for buying me a coffee and resolving an issue that held me up for 1 hour!! Thanks heaps, I owe ya's!!

[paulsod]

Very nice bag of Snapper/Squire Andrew. Funny how you can bag out one day and bugger all the next. That's fishing for you.
Cheers
Paul

[OldDood]

Good work on Saturday morning, Andy. Usually the evening is by far the best.
5-10knots offshore Tuesday night.
High tide at 9:00pm though.
Could I be up for a cold work night

[Zed]

...joined by OldDood, Drewboy, Zilch and Baldy2004. But despite 5 times the amount of bait and berley - the score was just snook and small salmon.

Well there you go. Where I'm at, Zilch means donut. :lol:

[Zilch]

Well there you go. Where I'm at, Zilch means donut.

Also in Oz

Steve

[Float]

Nice work mate some nice fish there, you seem to have this snapper caper sussed.

[kanganoe]

Good fishing Andrew.You seem to be workimg them out .