Dorado
24-01-2010, 07:09 PM
Headed out to the Coomera River yesterday with my neighbour Keith hoping to blood my new Shimano CT400B casting reel. After launching my rig we proceeded to the usual spots to get as much live bait as we needed for the day and settled down in spot-x hoping for a Jack or two to come our way. I had just cast a live winter whiting and taking up the slack when I noticed a couple of small taps on the rod. Wasn't sure if this was the livie swiming around or what so I pick the rod up again and leaned back to see if anything was there other than crabs picking at the bait. All of a sudden the rod takes a dive downwards and line starts screaming from my reel. This didn't feel like any bullie or ray and the darn thing went nutz. After 3 or 4 blistering runs I manage to ware the brute down and retrieve some line and get him back to the boat. But he's not done with me yet...at this stage I still cant make out what it is as it's still out of sight but it's happily swimming all around the boat at its leisure! After another few heart stopping runs I finally get him to the side of the boat again and to my amazement a nice Trevally..my first ever..is netted safely. I was stoked to have caught my first ever trevor and didn't he go hard on the 3.6kg line!! A great start to the day. He was quickly bled and despatched to the ice box and I was a happy chappy :)
Then, as I am putting on another livie Keith's rod goes off with a bang and a school of baitfish about 30 meters away jump for their lives! Keith leans into the rod to find the fish has spat the bait. All of a sudden and to our total amazement a sea egle comes out of nowhere and dives headlong into the same spot where Keith lost his fish. A few seconds pass and up pops the eagle trying to fly away with Keith's fish but the fish is too big for the bird despite it's strenuos efforts to make away with it. After it realises it cant fly off with it it then swims aprrox. 20 meters to the mangrove shorline with the fish still in it's talons!! It get's to the bank and we're just so blown away by the birds skill to get itself and its prize safely out of the water. Eagle 1...Keith...Nil! ;D It's trying to enjoy it's prize meal on the bank but the fish is jumping around madly still trying to escape. At this stage we decided to pull the pick and try another spot. As Keith goes forward to pull the pick the eagle get's startled and flys away leaving the fish behind as it's too heavy for it to fly away with. We motor over to the shore to find the biggest striped butterfish I have ever seen trying it's best to get back into the water. Too late, Keith is onto it in a flash and wins his fish back!!! It went about 40cm and it too found it's way into the icebox!
We move to check on the crab post we had deployed earlier and find crabs galore but mostly small bucks and jennies. We release these and rebait the pots and put them out again and make our way a bit upstream to hopefully nail a Jack. After anchoring close to a large snag I toss out a livie and hang on...hoping. As usual the crabs are playing merry-hell with our baits again and one takes my line back under the boat where it drops it. I'm about to wind it in again when the rod is almost wrenched from my hands!! I locked up the drag and got stuck in. After a furious tussle a bullie of almost 3 feet pops up beside the boat. My first bullie caught in this system and another great workout on this superb reel! I cut the line and send him back on his way again.
I then rebaited with a nice big poddie mullet and throw out. I lean into the icebox to grab a drink when my rod goes off yet again! After another incredible battle a massive ray pops up beside the boat..snip snip..cya!
And then that was that as we didnt get a touch for the rest of the day but we'd had a great day and for once got a feed of fish. On the way back to the ramp we collect the pots and find a nice large buck waiting for us :)
All in all a great day on the water and a fun filled one at that with mother nature at it's best! Very happy with my new shimano reel and looking forward to using it again asap 8-)
Picks to follow...
Then, as I am putting on another livie Keith's rod goes off with a bang and a school of baitfish about 30 meters away jump for their lives! Keith leans into the rod to find the fish has spat the bait. All of a sudden and to our total amazement a sea egle comes out of nowhere and dives headlong into the same spot where Keith lost his fish. A few seconds pass and up pops the eagle trying to fly away with Keith's fish but the fish is too big for the bird despite it's strenuos efforts to make away with it. After it realises it cant fly off with it it then swims aprrox. 20 meters to the mangrove shorline with the fish still in it's talons!! It get's to the bank and we're just so blown away by the birds skill to get itself and its prize safely out of the water. Eagle 1...Keith...Nil! ;D It's trying to enjoy it's prize meal on the bank but the fish is jumping around madly still trying to escape. At this stage we decided to pull the pick and try another spot. As Keith goes forward to pull the pick the eagle get's startled and flys away leaving the fish behind as it's too heavy for it to fly away with. We motor over to the shore to find the biggest striped butterfish I have ever seen trying it's best to get back into the water. Too late, Keith is onto it in a flash and wins his fish back!!! It went about 40cm and it too found it's way into the icebox!
We move to check on the crab post we had deployed earlier and find crabs galore but mostly small bucks and jennies. We release these and rebait the pots and put them out again and make our way a bit upstream to hopefully nail a Jack. After anchoring close to a large snag I toss out a livie and hang on...hoping. As usual the crabs are playing merry-hell with our baits again and one takes my line back under the boat where it drops it. I'm about to wind it in again when the rod is almost wrenched from my hands!! I locked up the drag and got stuck in. After a furious tussle a bullie of almost 3 feet pops up beside the boat. My first bullie caught in this system and another great workout on this superb reel! I cut the line and send him back on his way again.
I then rebaited with a nice big poddie mullet and throw out. I lean into the icebox to grab a drink when my rod goes off yet again! After another incredible battle a massive ray pops up beside the boat..snip snip..cya!
And then that was that as we didnt get a touch for the rest of the day but we'd had a great day and for once got a feed of fish. On the way back to the ramp we collect the pots and find a nice large buck waiting for us :)
All in all a great day on the water and a fun filled one at that with mother nature at it's best! Very happy with my new shimano reel and looking forward to using it again asap 8-)
Picks to follow...