Good to see you get into a hot bite Jason. Well done
Ricketts Point solo mission 4/11
I had to take Squidette out to the airport this morning, so I decided to throw the yak on the roof and fish Ricketts Point on the way home. I'm glad I did 
There were no boats in close off Ricketts when I launched at about 8am - very uncommon for this time of year. I paddled out about 100m past the marine park and started casting plastics. And kept casting. And kept casting. And didn't get so much as a hit. I put a HB on and trolled for a few hundred metres, no hits. So I started casting plastics again, and started getting these little tiny taps. Reel in and the Sp has been demolished by many tiny bites. Put on another tail, cast out again, same thing happens. :x The next time I was super quick on the strike, and reeled in a 20cm leatherjacket foul hooked through the stomach - at least I know what was eating my plastics. :roll: I ran into Gary and we paddled out a bit deeper to escape the jackets.
I put on a fresh 3" GULP minnow, flicked it out, and settled down to enjoy my mars bar.....BANG, zzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ.......this feels big (although most fish feel pretty big on 4 pound braid), after a few minutes a lovely 36cm pinky came to the net. Next cast, same soft plastic........BANG, zzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....this feels bigger, after a few more minutes a 41cm fish showed itself. SWEET! I thought, that's my best fish for the season so far. Next cast, STILL the same soft plastic....BANG, zzzzZZZZZZZZZZ...gee this definately feels bigger, after lots of runs and thumping head shakes a beautifully coloured fish of 48cm came to the net. The action continued (I eventually lost that lucky soft plastic), with a final tally of 6 keepers from 36-48cm, with most in the low 40s. There were also a lot of 20-30cm throwbacks. It was pretty much a fish per cast for about an hour, until I lost the school and couldn't find it again - I wasn't too concerned as I had a good bag, and the wind was picking up. I paddled back to shore about 11am, and drove all the way home with a smile on my dial Ricketts has been uncharacteristically quiet the past few months but it finally looks like it's starting to fire. :wink:
There were no boats in close off Ricketts when I launched at about 8am - very uncommon for this time of year. I paddled out about 100m past the marine park and started casting plastics. And kept casting. And kept casting. And didn't get so much as a hit. I put a HB on and trolled for a few hundred metres, no hits. So I started casting plastics again, and started getting these little tiny taps. Reel in and the Sp has been demolished by many tiny bites. Put on another tail, cast out again, same thing happens. :x The next time I was super quick on the strike, and reeled in a 20cm leatherjacket foul hooked through the stomach - at least I know what was eating my plastics. :roll: I ran into Gary and we paddled out a bit deeper to escape the jackets.
I put on a fresh 3" GULP minnow, flicked it out, and settled down to enjoy my mars bar.....BANG, zzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ.......this feels big (although most fish feel pretty big on 4 pound braid), after a few minutes a lovely 36cm pinky came to the net. Next cast, same soft plastic........BANG, zzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....this feels bigger, after a few more minutes a 41cm fish showed itself. SWEET! I thought, that's my best fish for the season so far. Next cast, STILL the same soft plastic....BANG, zzzzZZZZZZZZZZ...gee this definately feels bigger, after lots of runs and thumping head shakes a beautifully coloured fish of 48cm came to the net. The action continued (I eventually lost that lucky soft plastic), with a final tally of 6 keepers from 36-48cm, with most in the low 40s. There were also a lot of 20-30cm throwbacks. It was pretty much a fish per cast for about an hour, until I lost the school and couldn't find it again - I wasn't too concerned as I had a good bag, and the wind was picking up. I paddled back to shore about 11am, and drove all the way home with a smile on my dial
Ricketts has been uncharacteristically quiet the past few months but it finally looks like it's starting to fire. :wink:Attachments
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Top notch Squidder!! What a hoot of a session on some cracking fish. I'm not sure what you had anticipated, but with a delayed start a sweet bag like that would probably be a very nice surprise. Do ya reckon the fish were hanging about there lately and just turned on by the conditions...or new arrivals to the reefy bits which ya promptly seduced? Catch ya tommorow for the details, no using em for squid bait though... :wink:
Thanks guys Poddy, it's odd but I reckon there was a mix of resident (very dark coloured) and new run (light coloured) fish in the mix, which I think were new arrivals to Ricketts as they were schooled up pretty tight. I followed the school which moved about 500m from south to north in the hour I was with it, then I lost track of it. I think the weather definately helped to turn the fish on (rainy squalls moving through).
I've got some better on the water pics that are on my 'film' camera, which I'll hopefully develop after tomorrow's trip :wink:
Poddy, it's odd but I reckon there was a mix of resident (very dark coloured) and new run (light coloured) fish in the mix, which I think were new arrivals to Ricketts as they were schooled up pretty tight. I followed the school which moved about 500m from south to north in the hour I was with it, then I lost track of it. I think the weather definately helped to turn the fish on (rainy squalls moving through).I've got some better on the water pics that are on my 'film' camera, which I'll hopefully develop after tomorrow's trip :wink:
hey , Jason , how good is that, i would live off the memory of a morning like that forever, love the reds, my favourite fish
Thanks fellas.
Garry - I felt a bit bad that they came on the bite just after you paddled in - I'll have to get your phone number :wink:
I can't comment on whether the GULP factor made a difference as I didn't try any regular plastics, but they certainly did the job well. I took most of the bigger fish on 3" GULP minnows in Pumkinseed, but also caught a few on 3" GULP fry in Pumpkinseed (the fry look a bit like a garden worm) :wink:
Garry - I felt a bit bad that they came on the bite just after you paddled in - I'll have to get your phone number :wink:
I can't comment on whether the GULP factor made a difference as I didn't try any regular plastics, but they certainly did the job well. I took most of the bigger fish on 3" GULP minnows in Pumkinseed, but also caught a few on 3" GULP fry in Pumpkinseed (the fry look a bit like a garden worm) :wink:
Geez Squidder I hope you left one or two for me. I'll be down on Wednesday, with a bit of luck out in the stink boat Sat n Sun.
Snapper
fishing Russ
Snapper
fishing Russ
There seems to be plenty about at the moment Russ, fish up to about 9kg being reported from PPB or Westernport according to the radio....I'm probably heading out Fri morning but don't have a spare sit on capable for PPB (otherwise I'd bring it and a spare towel along for ya). If ya need to borrow my yak on other days, give us a yell
Hi Kev, I actually didn't even take the sounder out with me Since I got a late start I didn't really anticipate it being a 'serious' session, so I was happy just to paddle around and flick a few plastics. When I found fish I marked the location of the school relative to landmarks/marine park buoys, and followed them that way :wink:
I've heard some ridiculous stories about the fishing wide off Carrum the past few days (70 fish C&R from 1-5kg in a session :shock: ). I am tempted, but I can't resist another crack at Ricketts tomorrow morning :wink: Good luck if you get out.
Since I got a late start I didn't really anticipate it being a 'serious' session, so I was happy just to paddle around and flick a few plastics. When I found fish I marked the location of the school relative to landmarks/marine park buoys, and followed them that way :wink:I've heard some ridiculous stories about the fishing wide off Carrum the past few days (70 fish C&R from 1-5kg in a session :shock: ). I am tempted, but I can't resist another crack at Ricketts tomorrow morning :wink: Good luck if you get out.
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