Now normally I would keep this story to myself - because no-ones going to believe me anyway - but as I have a witness, I thought - what the hey! See if anyone else has experienced the same thing:
All the conditions looked good for an early morning Wello assault so oldmate GES and I headed out only to find Wello shut down tighter than a frogs butt. There weren't any bait schools and no fish on the sounder and even with 2 metres of tidal flow we were pretty much staying in the one spot. So after trying various locations made the move to the ledges off Green. There was plenty of bait there and the occasion squire showing up but most were undersize.
So before we headed in tried one more spot x - all I can say about this spot is its off Cleveland Point in 3-5 metres (somewhere). Its a fall back position which usually produces something.
After a couple of unsuccessful drifts, we could see the occasional splash and a small fin as sharks cruised the shallows. A little while later and a chopper tailor hits the placcie and then the esky - followed close behind him was a small "grey suit" so with the shark circling out the back I casted the placcie towards him and jigged it back - Wham I'm on... and after a good tussle, one of those little whalers with the black tips comes aboard. Yum!
A short while after and George lands a 41cm squire and shortly after that my rod goes off and I'm also on to a squire - only just legal at around 36ish cms but about 5 ft from the boat the grey suits are back and they take a small bite - normally I'd let small ones go - but this fella was bleeding and the sharks were cruising beneath us - so better in my tummy than theirs.
So with this action as the backdrop and after having hooked another shark on plastic and my line bitten off I resort to a small metal spinner - which I hoped would either hook another tailor or a shark.
A little while later I thought I saw the sharks again and placed the spinner just in front of one - before I even started to wind the "shark" dived for the lure and I'm on... whoohoo - shark on a metal lure and didnt he pour on the speed... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (just for you T) - then he jumped at that point GES started to say - are you sure thats a shark? Just then he jumps again This time we both chorused - QUEENIE and what a monster!!
It was around a metre long (same size as the sharks) and probably 30cms deep - so it was a solid fish a couple more jumps as it got closer to the boat enabled us to really get a good look. Finally I had it close to the boat with GES standing by with his oversized barra net ready, when it makes one final jump only 5 ft from the boat and spat the hooks.
I was speechless... except for one word which shouldnt be said in front of small children.
I have never heard of Queenies that big this far south and in 3.5 metres of murky water. I've caught them up to 50cms in the Seaway but they were livebait compared to this one. Has anyone else encountered big queenies around here?
By the way - now that I scan my memory - there were two together - because I thought the other one was a shark when it went for the hooked fish - so it wasnt just one stray fish.
Anyway - thats my story about the one that got away - If I wasnt there - I wouldnt believe it either!
All up we only just scraped a feed with 3 squire up to 41cms, a tailor and the Shark. But it was a great day to be out on the bay - came back in glassy conditions.
No photos sorry - after losing the queenie I couldnt be bothered taking photos of small squire and a shark
Cheers,
Adam
Reply With Quote
