A couple of pics taken while relaxing at Bluefish and a map showing where the fish were picked up and identifying locations.
North Head 7/10
sbd, mangox and I launched a bit after the planned 5:30 from Little Manly and headed around to North Head. I was trolling a CD7 Redhead and a small red/brown Hydro Squirt. Round Cannae Pt and sticking to the shore as much as I could when Steve yells to me you're on. Hang on, you're on both lines. Clearly not the monsters that I was after but I pulled in two long-finned pike. One was accidentally released while trying to open the livewell, the other went in.
Rounded Quarantine Head and it was like a car park, with all the boats swoffing or flicking at salmon. Pulled in the trolling lines and threw a blue searock at a couple of schools for nothing. Decided to swap over to a plastic so put on a 4" berkley minnow grub, in glass minnow colour (almost colourless - had found them on a remainder bin a few months ago and thought they might be good for salmon). Meanwhile the salmon disappeared.
Headed around North Head and up to Bluefish, stopping only untangle my lines from Dave's, twice! No action so at Bluefish decided to put the pike down. It wasn't showing a lot of life and I had forgotten to bring any sinkers so I put it down with the paravane (which sinks readily) and soaked it for a while. No hits. Dave said he wanted to go looking for salmon around North Head.
I planned to troll the pike slowly, keeping close to the shore. Was about halfway back to North Head when I saw salmon in the wash off the rocks. In the words of Paul Keating, I then "threw the switch to vaudeville"!
Paddled in a bit closer, grabbed the rod with the sp and cast into the fish. Instant hit and I start slugging it out with a fish that was no shrinking violet. This was all going well and I was making line and losing line when I became aware that I had a problem. I was getting close to the rocks - a combination of the pull of the fish and the incoming swell.
Decided to stow the rod and paddle away from the rocks to continue the fight. Here I made a big mistake. I have two flushmount holders behind the seat - each had a rod, one with the paravane and pike on the same side as I was fighting the salmon. Grabbed that rod, shoved it in the storage rod holder in the crate, put the rod with the salmon in the flushmount and started to paddle away. Next thing the rod with the pike gets dragged by the paravane into the drink taking the crate, net, tackle bag and fish measurer. Fortunately it was leashed and most things were floating. pulled the rod, crate and tacklebag back into the yak but everything just gets pulled over again. I grab for the rod and bag again and I'm in the drink, losing one of my crocs. Salmon is still on!
At this point I had to quickly get what I could and paddle out of danger. Somehow managed that (can't remember details). Paddled around and picked up my sun block (fell out of tackle bag) and croc. Lost were the net, fish measure and the salmon (with lure)
Reorganised myself, rerigged and tried again but it was a bit hairy and I couldn't see any more fish. Paddled around North Head and headed for home. Run into Dave and Steve on the way in. Did put the CD7 back out for a little while after I came close to a large fish mooching just under the surface, but I think I was beaten to it by a guy on a charter. Saw someone else hooked up to a solid fish off Quarantine Head. The NE wind was coming up solidly by then so I called it a day.
My lessons from today are:
* Look for salmon in the wash off the rocks if the schools aren't busting up
* I was right about the glass minnow coloured minnow grub
* There is a right time and a wrong time to organise rods on the yak. When you're fighting a fish is the wrong time. I should have stowed the rod I wasn't using, leaving the trolling rod and the rod ready for salmon in the flushmounts. The drift into the rocks would then have been only a minor issue. I think next time I try this I will take only two rods
* Need to secure my crate better
Rounded Quarantine Head and it was like a car park, with all the boats swoffing or flicking at salmon. Pulled in the trolling lines and threw a blue searock at a couple of schools for nothing. Decided to swap over to a plastic so put on a 4" berkley minnow grub, in glass minnow colour (almost colourless - had found them on a remainder bin a few months ago and thought they might be good for salmon). Meanwhile the salmon disappeared.
Headed around North Head and up to Bluefish, stopping only untangle my lines from Dave's, twice! No action so at Bluefish decided to put the pike down. It wasn't showing a lot of life and I had forgotten to bring any sinkers so I put it down with the paravane (which sinks readily) and soaked it for a while. No hits. Dave said he wanted to go looking for salmon around North Head.
I planned to troll the pike slowly, keeping close to the shore. Was about halfway back to North Head when I saw salmon in the wash off the rocks. In the words of Paul Keating, I then "threw the switch to vaudeville"!
Paddled in a bit closer, grabbed the rod with the sp and cast into the fish. Instant hit and I start slugging it out with a fish that was no shrinking violet. This was all going well and I was making line and losing line when I became aware that I had a problem. I was getting close to the rocks - a combination of the pull of the fish and the incoming swell.
Decided to stow the rod and paddle away from the rocks to continue the fight. Here I made a big mistake. I have two flushmount holders behind the seat - each had a rod, one with the paravane and pike on the same side as I was fighting the salmon. Grabbed that rod, shoved it in the storage rod holder in the crate, put the rod with the salmon in the flushmount and started to paddle away. Next thing the rod with the pike gets dragged by the paravane into the drink taking the crate, net, tackle bag and fish measurer. Fortunately it was leashed and most things were floating. pulled the rod, crate and tacklebag back into the yak but everything just gets pulled over again. I grab for the rod and bag again and I'm in the drink, losing one of my crocs. Salmon is still on!
At this point I had to quickly get what I could and paddle out of danger. Somehow managed that (can't remember details). Paddled around and picked up my sun block (fell out of tackle bag) and croc. Lost were the net, fish measure and the salmon (with lure)
Reorganised myself, rerigged and tried again but it was a bit hairy and I couldn't see any more fish. Paddled around North Head and headed for home. Run into Dave and Steve on the way in. Did put the CD7 back out for a little while after I came close to a large fish mooching just under the surface, but I think I was beaten to it by a guy on a charter. Saw someone else hooked up to a solid fish off Quarantine Head. The NE wind was coming up solidly by then so I called it a day.
My lessons from today are:
* Look for salmon in the wash off the rocks if the schools aren't busting up
* I was right about the glass minnow coloured minnow grub
* There is a right time and a wrong time to organise rods on the yak. When you're fighting a fish is the wrong time. I should have stowed the rod I wasn't using, leaving the trolling rod and the rod ready for salmon in the flushmounts. The drift into the rocks would then have been only a minor issue. I think next time I try this I will take only two rods
* Need to secure my crate better
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
top day again out there...
This being my second trip out there, I thought it would be easier for me.
it was, sort of :
1) I did take sea sickness pills this time. They worked great. Felt nothing.
2) Had more of a plan this time. 2 or 3 lures to troll, a couple of jigging lures and some sps to flick. Last time I just took pretty much everything and could not access them on the water.
3) Frozen squid as back up.
As Dave said, we paddled out and as soon as we hit the corner... :shock:
massive waves started rolling in. As a newbie, I still find this very unsettling.
To me it was a 2m swell with a steep slope...
Dropped the squid lure on the downrigger to about 60ft.
As we reached the salmon school and all the boats, I started flicking a white and pink Sguidgy.
![]()
Nothing....
Stuck around for a while watching everybody else land salmon and many kingies. One guy had very heavy tackle and still had a massive bend in his rod. After 20 min he got done on the reef !! :? and swore for another 20 min
Saw the guys heading around to Blue Fish and started paddling towards them. At this stage my sp had sunk to the bottom around 90 ft or so.
As I paddled behind them, my rod goes off !! Big bend on light gear and the fish started to surface..
After a couple of good runs, I landed a nice Salmon about 50cm. Got the camera out a noticed it wouldn't turn on :shock: Sh!t !! flat batteries !!
I thought I could get a couple from my sounder and tried to reach the forward hatch. A big no-no. I didn't fall in, but almost. :?
Released the salmon and kept trolling river2sea squid lures.
Had a couple of hits on them and 2 nice runs but no hook ups.
I noticed both lures lost the rubbery hood and tentacles quite easily.
The were ripped off. The come with a couple of spare hoods, but still.....for $13...
Dropped some dead squid on the downrigger and got busted off twice !!
They are pre-rigged twin hook rigs with 35lb leader !!!
After my squid were finished, I flicked a few more sps around and landed 2 small flatties. Ha, it was a bit of a shock to see them surface as I didn't expect to catch them around the marker in 60 ft of water...
Saw the guys head back and decided to join them..
Nice day on the water...even in big swells...
Cheers
This being my second trip out there, I thought it would be easier for me.
it was, sort of :
1) I did take sea sickness pills this time. They worked great. Felt nothing.
2) Had more of a plan this time. 2 or 3 lures to troll, a couple of jigging lures and some sps to flick. Last time I just took pretty much everything and could not access them on the water.
3) Frozen squid as back up.
As Dave said, we paddled out and as soon as we hit the corner... :shock:
massive waves started rolling in. As a newbie, I still find this very unsettling.
To me it was a 2m swell with a steep slope...
Dropped the squid lure on the downrigger to about 60ft.
As we reached the salmon school and all the boats, I started flicking a white and pink Sguidgy.
Nothing....
Stuck around for a while watching everybody else land salmon and many kingies. One guy had very heavy tackle and still had a massive bend in his rod. After 20 min he got done on the reef !! :? and swore for another 20 min
Saw the guys heading around to Blue Fish and started paddling towards them. At this stage my sp had sunk to the bottom around 90 ft or so.
As I paddled behind them, my rod goes off !!
Big bend on light gear and the fish started to surface..After a couple of good runs, I landed a nice Salmon about 50cm. Got the camera out a noticed it wouldn't turn on :shock: Sh!t !! flat batteries !!
I thought I could get a couple from my sounder and tried to reach the forward hatch. A big no-no. I didn't fall in, but almost. :?
Released the salmon and kept trolling river2sea squid lures.
Had a couple of hits on them and 2 nice runs but no hook ups.
I noticed both lures lost the rubbery hood and tentacles quite easily.
The were ripped off. The come with a couple of spare hoods, but still.....for $13...
Dropped some dead squid on the downrigger and got busted off twice !!
They are pre-rigged twin hook rigs with 35lb leader !!!
After my squid were finished, I flicked a few more sps around and landed 2 small flatties. Ha, it was a bit of a shock to see them surface as I didn't expect to catch them around the marker in 60 ft of water...
Saw the guys head back and decided to join them..
Nice day on the water...even in big swells...
Cheers
Attachments
i actually saw 2 guys next to me catch big rays...
now that i think about it.....may have been
now that i think about it.....may have been
Thunderbird2, you are the sort of fella I like to go fishing with. Since I am somewhat challenged as to catching fish, I would probably look good doing the rounds with you . Except you are smarter than me as you take money to buy some food to turn up at home with. Good thinking.
. Except you are smarter than me as you take money to buy some food to turn up at home with. Good thinking.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
