I managed to get away again last night, but that will be the last for a week or two - have to get some brownie points back up!
Launched the boat around 5pm, and went arse up on the ramp - luckily my phone and wallet didn't get too wet.
Ran into Andrew (the Gecko) at the ramp as he was preparing for his own Jack mission. After a quick chat we headed off to our spots. (keen to hear how he went)
I got some bait and this time was pretty lucky in securing some good mullet around 4-5" as well as herring and biddies.
Chucked plastics till dark for zippo - again.
Just on dark I anchored up, and deployed baits. I just caught the last of the incoming tide before it stopped all together. I got a few bites in the first hour or so, a couple were just pickers, but one was a Jack that took chunks out of my bait - a whole dead herring. Unfortunately missed the bite.
Once the tide picked up the bites dropped off, to virtually no action at all. I moved up sinker sizes and tried several spots in the same area over the next few hours with no results at all. I had a fair idea that things would pickup at low tide but that was around 1am. After a quick call home, I decided to stick it out, about 12.30am I started to get some action, but the tide still had a bit of run in it.
I was fishing three rods again - sorry Andrew can't help myself, especially when it's so slow. Rod 1 was a barra baitcaster, now spooled with 50lb braid, I used 55lb schneider leader on it and rigged a live mullet on snooded 3/0 Black Magic Octupus style hooks (small sinker running to the nose). Rod 2. Barra baitcaster 30lb braid , 40lb leader, 3/0 Mustad baitholder hook - I fished either mullet fillets or whole dead herring on this all night. Rod 3 - Spin rod 10lb braid, 40lb leader, 1/0 mustad bait holder hook - bait was biddy or herring fillets.
Rod 1 got a bizzare sort of bite and before I got any weight on it, it went slack. Wound it in to find it had been biten or cut off above the double????
As the tide slowed further, I got a decent bite on rod 2, but missed it. I was still re-rigging rod 1, and rebaiting rod 2 when rod 3 - in the holder, goes off!
I managed to survive the initial run, and after a short fight I net a nice 42cm Jack. Yes! The leader had a couple of scuffs, but held up well. I quickly take a pic, check the bait and put it back out. Then set rod 2 as well. Two minutes later as I'm still retying rod 1. Rod 3 goes off again - this time a 38cm Jack. This was about 1am.
It goes a bit quiet, and the tide slacked right of to nothing so I reposition into my incoming tide spot. About 2am, rod 3 gets smacked again and I pick up a nice 41cm Jack. two minutes later rod 2 gets a bite that I miss.
Between 2 and 2.30am I get a few more bites that I miss. One bite was the only serious encounter I had all night. Rod 2 was up against the gunwhale and my foot was on the butt. The rod slammed down hard and about a metre of line was stripped off a 3Kg plus drag! By the time I reached down to grab it the line went slack. I thought I must have been busted off again, but I wound it in to find the hooks simply didn't hook up! I didn't think to check the hook point, but it must have been dodgy from a previous snagging. I lost that hook on a snag shortly after.
By 3am the tide is running too hard again so I packed up to go home. Only problem is my battery is now flat - I suppose it has been running the lights and livewell for about 10 hours now. and it did the same thing on Sarturday night with very little engine running time.
Anyway I stuffed around changing batteries, from my electric and finally end up back at the ramp by 3.30am - home by 4.30am. Yep it turned out to be another mission!
In the end all fish caught on Rod 3 the lightest outfit and smallest hook and bait. the live mullet rod only got one suss bite all night. Rod 2 had a few bites, but mullet fillets weren't at all popular.
Caught two vermin eels as well.
Apart from the one hit that stripped line, I didn't really encounter any of the animals from previous trips. Could have been because I moved up to 40lb & 55lb leaders? Maybe they just didn't come through?
Anyway, hopefully I'll get another shot or two at them before the end of the season. Its been an interesting few trips so far and I'm learning more about tides, spots, leaders, knots, drag setting, baits and hooks, and I think improving each time. I'll be studying the tides a little closer now and picking the better ones so I dont have to stay out all night.
It's very encouraging to see that it is fishing just as well as it did 10 years ago when I used to fish the same areas regularly.
Pic is of the first Jack - I didn't bother taking pics of the other two
Cheers,
Matt
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....So I dont reckon leader size puts them off to much personally.
Originally Posted by pursuit001
