Perils of fishing Monduran alone Part 2

[Steve B]

Here it its finally guys!!! Firstly big thanks to Eric, Deb and Sky from Egrell Rodz for sharing a great long weekend.

I went out with Eric on the sunday and had a ball, until the electric broke! Got a 90 odd cm fish and we missed a fair few more. I had the privilage to have a cast with the new 6ft Egrell prototype spin rod. It is another truely beautiful rod to cast. It definatley has been designed to perfection for casting all types of lures for impoundment barra. Eric was a bit kind to me, not mentioning the fact I lost the dust cap of Deb's Certate hypercast reel whilst changing the handle over to right hand wind!!!! Very embarassing, it fell down under the deck and is firmly lodged out of reach under the fuel tank!!!

Forward to Tues, I was granted a late leave pass to fish with Eric, Deb and Sky. I went in my own boat. For this story remember this...My electric motor has come back from repairs and now steers in the opposite direction to what it should!!! I discovered this is big pain in the a$se when you go to manouver left....and the boat goes right!!!

I spent the morning searching for warm water up B arm (15knot SW wind) without much luck. cast everywhere, no action. Decided to head up the Kolan to an area Eric and I had some success in on the Sunday. Good temps, bit of bait. GREAT...about 10 casts in the now favorite silver boney is inhaled. Drag peels out at about 200km per hour.........I havent tightened my drag before I started fishing!!!!! 40 mtrs of line later, 32 trees knitted, me steering in the opposite direction......guess the rest...Goooone. About this time I was going to unbolt the electric and drop it overboard!!! Picked my self up, picked up the Egrell 6-6 with an untried gold/green boney, rubbed a bit of 'sfactor' on and kept casting. ran into a few more trees and abused the motor....again. moved towards a point and my lure disappeared into a swirl that looked like spa bath!! A big half body leap and I realised I had hooked a horse. It charged around the nearest tree and headed deep....I headed in the opposite direction and wedged the boat between 3 trees. I free spooled the line as I could here the braid sawing into the side of this dead tree. Eventually I started the outboard trying to reverse backwards...I can hear sounds out the back as the fish was jumping that sounded like a fridge falling into tha water. I missed most of the jumps trying to get out. Once clear I managed to follow the nitlon trail to catch up to the fish. Once I got the line off the last tree, the fish swam into open water.......silly girl. This was the first time I felt confident I was on top of this battle. The fish came to the side of the boat and I S#%t myself. I lipgriped the girl and sat there for a bit.....How am I going to get this in....I am sorry to say...the best I could do is skull drag as best I could over the side. I quickly admired it then mad a phone call "DEB come and take some photos....I think its a 130cm" Quickly I slid it onto the truth mat.....121cm..WHAT...surely its bigger....It looked bigger than the 125cm I got the other week. This fish is one of the FATTEST I'd seen in my life. Took a couple of quick pics then struggled to lift her and put her back in the water with the lip grips attached....waiting for the calvery to arrive......Every time she kicked my heart stopped...If I lose this fish I will be p%#sed off.

Eric and Co arrive and we net her again....still kicking nicely. Eric jumped over to my boat and literally helped me pick up and hold the fish for the photos. Now I was really struggling to hold her....a couple of pics resting on my lap then back into the water....she swam off without a problem....I hope she is OK. I was exausted..and shaking...we all just sat there for ages soaking up the moment.

This was the most enjoyable barra moment in my life to date. No question about it. Everything about it went wrong...then so right. Thats fishing to me.

Here are the pics. Photos on brag mats are hard to imagine size. but check out the size of the lip grips in the back ground and the boney bream in the mouth. They are a 5-6inch lure!!!

cheers Steve

As another final add-on. FOXIE the great man. Now I have been hanging a bit on him lately about his lack of fish!!....today he got a good fish on a NEW lure that he has...Its a pretty sweet looking lure too. I will let him explain more........So WELL DONE FOXIE!!!! The monkey has been shed!!!

I am going to invest in a tripod for my video camera....after seeing that DVD at the M&G i reckon that looked awesome!! Foxie did it today fishing alone and his footage came up good. I wished I had of done it on Tuesday!!!

[Dick Pasfield]

Sounds like a fridge, looks like one. Career opportunity for chiropractors setting up business next to impoundments
very nice fish and well earned

[eotbmg]

Steve
Mate congrats AGAIN, as i said in Erics post lucky he got the camera fixed!!!!
Mate that fish is a frigging barrel, only fish i have seen to rivel big Brians monster on his avatar. Great story, loved the tale you told. Got me excited and shaking, just like i was in the boat with you. SO its the silver bony not the gold, or is it the green?????
Great work, the mojo's back, you deserve all the accolades you get for perseverance..
Cheers
Ben

[rc@hinze]

Great fish Steve and you did real well to catch up with her and not lose her. Certainly a fat fish. I had heard that the baitfish have increased since the rain and some of these fish must be really pigging out of them. - cheers Richard

[NAGG]

Steve ...... That is a cracker ( I think it ate the fridge)
What a read! ....... I can visualise it now
....... I'm not sure if that last photo is a smile or grimace ( probably both!)
Yep .... that Mojo has returned for sure

Chris

PS ..... I would have turned the foot control around 180 Deg for the day

[DEANO68]

good work steve...massive fish. think you might have to start pumping iron at the gym if your gonna keep catching them big girls...

[Obi _ Wan]

Absolutely fantastic Steve, well done, That's one hell of a big Mumma!

Mate if those fish in Mondy get much bigger they will soon start grabbing outboard props.

Also an outstanding effort one up, would have been a tough chore even without the back to front antics of your electric, hope you give them a mouthful, Quality Assurance??????? what bloody quality assurance?

Well done Steve, thanks for the report.

John.

[flairj]

Damn......... I should have been there to help you. I can't believe I had to turn you down on tuesday.

That is a serious pig mate. Congrats, even more so with the single handed capture.

Josh

[Steve B]

Thanks Everyone.

Chris yeah, 75% grimace 25% smile!!! i never thought about turning the pedal around!! its a cable steer, not sure how that would go...probably OK

Josh, next time, anytime. It was late notice. I had sick kids and a cranky wife......still have...i just feel better

Richard, to tell the truth, I dont see much bait on the surface as before the rain. but the sounder is showing good shows in deeper areas of the bays that produce. All fish have been caught in about 4ft water...whether we are getting a reaction out of the fish sunbaking, or they are hunting in their comfort zone only is anyones guess. I spose the bait like the warmer, shallow stuff too!

John, I cant really complain about the service. Salties (tackleworld) in Bundaberg were excellent, sent it away on the day and BLA turned it around back to me in about a week.......thats good timeframe for anything up here let me tell you!!!!...it was just a simple mistake, that will be easilly fixed. If it took a month, then 'd be unhappy.

thanks again everyone...hope they keep firing thru the winter!!

Steve

[Roo]

Thats fish is a pig.....or it just ate a pig! unbelieve-a-bubble. Who needs a home Gym You can do weights and fish. Shame you lost your favourite Stiffy lucky you got another one, although if it stays green and gold, i'd have a doctor check it out.

Cheers Roo.

p.s. i don't have a stiffy, but I've got a Horn in my boat.

[Little grey men]

p.s. i don't have a stiffy, but I've got a Horn in my boat.

I've got a Stiffy minnow

[tiges]

OK Steve, where's the air compressor in your boat. Surely you've stuck the airgun up that fishes clacker and pumped it up . Nah seriously, great effort mate once again under some duress. Sounds like a recurring theme here, with equipment malfunction, and up against it on your own. Congrats.

[Barraboss]

Steve,

That's one fat fish!!! No wonder you thought you cracked the big one (130)

Be careful, too many people might find out about how good the lures are, and start catching more of the same, leaving none for you

Great report as usual, and great build up on anticipation as well It was a bit like fishing, knowing the report (the hit) would come, but just not knowing exactly when....

Cheers
Matt

[Awoonga]

Steve....The King of Monduran.....Never seen a fish as fat as that ...never...Just wait untill those other " type "of Barra grow up... gee there going to be fat...

[black_sheep]

Steve - I got nothin! That fish is a Jenny Craig candidate. Think it's nickname was kelvinator

Someone needs to re-think the design of those truth mats to include a tape around the middle so that girth can be recorded as well. As Ben said, those proportions match Brians and David Powells fish!

Bet your stiffy turned into a chubby . 2 PB's in a month - awesome stiff mate, I mean stuff.

I've booked a cabin for the 7-9/06 so hopefully be able to catch up this time.