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QLD: An adventure in action, at last

16K views 58 replies 46 participants last post by  kayakone 
#1 ·
Twelve long weeks ago kayaking was stopped due minor operations. Last week was my first taste of fishing, though a tad naughty... http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php ... 27s+orders

I can paddle now, cause I'm better. So I took the Hobie Adventure to Scarby to meet the Beekeeper.

Adventure is Mirage Drive (pedals), but I wanted to paddle (Plan A), which they do, a whole lot better than an Outback without a rudder.... :shock: However, when you are out of it you for a while you forget things, such as forward rod angles, which simply do not work when paddling. Plan B - move the trolling rods to the back. This still didn't work because of the forward rods, so Plan C was to peddle.

Not much to report other than no strikes from trolling HBs for over an hour and a half. Nevertheless, it was great to be out on the water again, when finally a rear reel rang the dinner bell. One legal tailor. Bother, I forgot the fishbag and ice, so it's back to the beach via the shallow water to get the tailor on ice. I was trolling (yes trolling this on the 5000 Saltist), as it has been quite productive on a number of species.



Having the Adventure was a bonus as it is fitted with a sounder, showing me several bits of reef I didn't know about. Hoping for a flatty or another tailor in here (40 metres from the rocks, 2.8 metres of water).

The Saltist went ballistic as line ripped off sideways towards Flag Reef. Suddenly a direction change to the east, drag tightened and it looks like a trip to Moreton Island is on the cards, as the Adventure and Fatso get towed along at 4 kph/hr, line still stripping. "Pedal, pedal! Run it down and get some line back." I managed a call to Beekeeper "going to Moreton Island ", but he had his hands full on a speedster too. Second line in and still heading for the island. I found the steering of the adventure excellent for changing the yak's direction immediately after the fish changed. Dorsals sighted ... doesn't look like a shark.

At one stage I cut across a corner too far and had slack line for two seconds, allowing me to test the amount of drag, which was so much I could barely pull any off. Thinking about it later that alone could have been fatal, and I was lucky to regain contact without any sudden shock loads. A major direction change for the next ten minutes had me being towed south, during which time Beekeeper announced he'd dropped his fish and was on his way (from 2 kms away). Still peddling fast there was a bang, as the peddles went to the left and could not be moved. I must have clipped the release with my foot allowing one side to pop up and jam both locking release levers.

This was not good as another direction change to the east and the pattern started to change, diving under the yak more than towing. Damn the pedals ... I couldn't release them to get the flippers out of the way. Beekeeper arrived to see almost fatal entangling on the fins as the fish went under repeatedly then around. Eventually, 38 minutes into the fight, we could see a long silver shape circling 4 metres down. Now 3 m, now 2 and a floater, rather a vertical float, and so worn out that a hand into the gills brought no shakes or shudders. The spectators 'oooohed and aaahed', and Jimbo said something like, "Yours is bigger than mine."







Thanks to Jimbo for the majority of the photos, and for coming to help.

trev
 
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#5 ·
indiedog said:
Stop it Trev, or people, including you, will actually think you can fish!

Well done however and a cracking way to get back on the horse.
X2.

I was about to report this trip,report. Haven't you read the acceptable use policy? You can't post something to offend others! Ban him I say! ;-)
 
#6 ·
Nice tuna, Trev... did you get to weigh it at all?

I can distinctly recall you calling it for a turtle, early in the piece, 'cos just after you hooked up, I hooked a turtle in a fin, and was marvelling in the fact that we'd both tangled with turtles at the same time... mine finally disengaged, and then my over-head outfit gave a couple of tentative bumps, I picked it up and leaned on it, then it went beserk! Line tore off like it was going out of fashion... that's when you called again... I glanced at my reel, and I had almost no line left... I was already following the fish, so I tightened the drag and thought I was gaining speed when the fish and I parted company... checking the line after winding all that line in, I found that the leader had parted at the grinner knot... maybe the fish got a tooth on the knot, I'll never know.

All I do know is that this was the fastest fish I've ever had on a line... the line just melted off the reel in no time flat!

Back to your fish, Trev... that's one lovely longtail... welcome back!

Jimbo
 
#13 ·
Well done Trevor! Brings back memories :). Those little paddletail plastics sure works a treat. Had the same thing happening to my mirage drive recently, one of the clips released and it popped out on one side. Brute force required to get the other clip released and get the drive back again. Lucky you did not loose the fish

Cheers

Tonie
 
#18 ·
tonieventer said:
Well done Trevor! Brings back memories :). Those little paddletail plastics sure works a treat. Had the same thing happening to my mirage drive recently, one of the clips released and it popped out on one side. Brute force required to get the other clip released and get the drive back again. Lucky you did not loose the fish

Cheers

Tonie
So, Tonie, did you hammer the locked side's lever, or just apply steady but strong pressure?

Very lucky indeed to not lose the fish. There is no question the line was over the fins several times under extreme pressure. The feeling of helpless inevitability (twang) certainly added an unwanted element to the excitement of the fight.

@
badmotorfinger said:
Fn awesome. Would have tested the wounds. Onya Trev
And the knots. I put a lot of hurt on it with the yak sideways, as the drag was near maximum (claimed to be up to 15 kg). The kayak being towed and the 6-10 kg Ugly Stik did all the work, and my arms. I am quite sore this morning.

Wrassemagnet said:
Well Trev I'm gobsmacked. That's a monster tuna! However I'm afraid it pales in comparison to your spectacular pink rashie :D Was Jim wearing the matching tutu? :lol:
Pink is the new black Jim (actually it is for safety). Jim in a tutu? I'd like to see that.
I will weigh it, after I get it out of the 1m long esky into which it would not fit.

trev
 
#21 ·
Beekeeper said:
Nice tuna, Trev... did you get to weigh it at all?

Back to your fish, Trev... that's one lovely longtail... welcome back!

Jimbo
118 cm and 14.4 kg Jimbo (that's 31.6 lbs on the old scale). No wonder I had trouble holding it up.

Barrabundy said:
indiedog said:
Stop it Trev, or people, including you, will actually think you can fish!

Well done however and a cracking way to get back on the horse.
X2.

:lol: Did I show you these ones BB?

Image uploading. Refresh page to view


:lol:

Image uploading. Refresh page to view


trev
 
#23 ·
You b#stard, you are single handedly clearing out all the fish.
I might have to see if Tony Burke can do something about you Trev.

Nice fish mate, I hope you didn't over stretch your healing areas. I dare you to send the pic to your surgeon :)
 
#26 ·
keza said:
You b#stard, you are single handedly clearing out all the fish.
I might have to see if Tony Burke can do something about you Trev.

Nice fish mate, I hope you didn't over stretch your healing areas. I dare you to send the pic to your surgeon :)
Not all Kerry. My consultative doctor in Sydney approved the exercise, until I landed a big fish. :D

trev
 
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