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For weeks I had been planning my escape, but as the days drew close to Saturday 9th September, my workmates all had excuses why they couldn't go for a fun day at the beach. Blast, only been at the new job 2 months and already they are getting to know me. But I needed some time off.
Travis Heaps to the rescue. We met at Fishing Creek, north of Yeppoon, at 8 am. It was 2 hrs before a huge high tide, 4 metres difference between high and low.
I parked on what looked like a high point which the previous tide covered but I didn't reckon this tide would. No one else parked on the sand, not even Travis Heaps. I was a bit unsure about leaving my car there, but I knew the rubber door seals were in good nick and would keep most of the water out if the worst came to the worst.
The water was swift and murky, the sky beautiful blue. A light breeze added a little life to the water and blew cold drops onto our arms.
Travis trolled a nice looking minnow and then chucked a soft plastic around. I dragged my faithful old blue Nilsmaster and scored a flathead. When I got home and measured it properly, it went 52 cm. But at the time I thought it was only 49 and joked with Travis that I have a device at home that lengthens them a few cms. He will never believe me now that it was longer than 49 cm.
After an hour or so and catching nothing, I paddled back to my car to see how the tide was going and to put my flathead on ice. I was accurate about the tide but with my car on a little sand island, I was glad the water came no higher.
Travis had some good follows with a popper, including a large queenfish. But no takers. I got nothing more and tried prawns. Nothing. Travis' brother turned up with his Hobie and got a solid hit on a trolled worm, but no hookup.
Nearly time to go and I found a patch of flathead lying along a bank that had a strip of calmer water several meters wide before the strong tidal current. I spooked some then I tried casting ahead in the less-than 1 metre deep of water, but no hits. Decided to go, chucked away my old prawn, watched it sink to the bottom then vanish. When I moved, a large flathead burst away from that very spot.
It was a beaut day of paddling even if the fish were not cooperating. Great to catch up with Travis and meet his brother. And my kayak feels loved again so life is good. Hopefully it won't be 2 months before I get out again.
Travis Heaps to the rescue. We met at Fishing Creek, north of Yeppoon, at 8 am. It was 2 hrs before a huge high tide, 4 metres difference between high and low.
I parked on what looked like a high point which the previous tide covered but I didn't reckon this tide would. No one else parked on the sand, not even Travis Heaps. I was a bit unsure about leaving my car there, but I knew the rubber door seals were in good nick and would keep most of the water out if the worst came to the worst.
The water was swift and murky, the sky beautiful blue. A light breeze added a little life to the water and blew cold drops onto our arms.
Travis trolled a nice looking minnow and then chucked a soft plastic around. I dragged my faithful old blue Nilsmaster and scored a flathead. When I got home and measured it properly, it went 52 cm. But at the time I thought it was only 49 and joked with Travis that I have a device at home that lengthens them a few cms. He will never believe me now that it was longer than 49 cm.
After an hour or so and catching nothing, I paddled back to my car to see how the tide was going and to put my flathead on ice. I was accurate about the tide but with my car on a little sand island, I was glad the water came no higher.
Travis had some good follows with a popper, including a large queenfish. But no takers. I got nothing more and tried prawns. Nothing. Travis' brother turned up with his Hobie and got a solid hit on a trolled worm, but no hookup.
Nearly time to go and I found a patch of flathead lying along a bank that had a strip of calmer water several meters wide before the strong tidal current. I spooked some then I tried casting ahead in the less-than 1 metre deep of water, but no hits. Decided to go, chucked away my old prawn, watched it sink to the bottom then vanish. When I moved, a large flathead burst away from that very spot.
It was a beaut day of paddling even if the fish were not cooperating. Great to catch up with Travis and meet his brother. And my kayak feels loved again so life is good. Hopefully it won't be 2 months before I get out again.
