Sunshine Reef trip 4-7-11

[Just_chips]

I recently had one of those increasingly rare days where work, family and other committments allowed me a breif window of opportunity to get out for a fish and as luck would have the weather was bloody bewdiful too!!!!

I made the trek up to Noosa from the northside of brissie and left home at a bit after 4 to be launching from the main beach middle rock groyne at about 5.30am after setting up and chatting with another regular noosa yakker. The plan for today was to head out to Sunshine reef which is a good 6klm paddle around Noosa Headland from our launch point which takes the best part of an hours steady paddle. On arrival at the reef there were already 2 yakkers and a further 2 following behind us confirmed from the chatter over our radios.

I fish plastics almost exclusively nowadays but others who were already out there were having success with baits, but with a couple of fish falling to plastics I still felt in with a chance. It seemed that the Grass emporor were on the chew, although I had my heart set on snapper a couple of grassies would be more than welcome.

Now I don't usually set up and fish close to others as I like a bit of space and I'm sure others do also but I could not get a touch only 50m away from the rest of the group and they were encouraging me to get over there and get into the action, so what was I to do? In the end it makes what is quite often a solitary experience in a kayak that little bit more social and we were all enjoying the conditions and each others company and a few fish would be a bonus.

I fished minnow style plastics and blades for nil result and when one of the others pulled a nice grassy and reported it regurgitating baby octopus I searched through my plastics and found a lone 3inch gulp shrimp in banana prawn colour and sent this down for an instant hookup resulting in a nice 51cm grassy. Next drift with the same plastic and I was one again, this fish went 47cm and it was apparent the fish wanted a different profile to the standard minnow pattern. The gulp was now looking a bit worse for wear but I managed to dress it up and send it back again for a third time only to get smacked again, unfortunately this fish pulled the hook and stripped the plastic which was the only one I had.

I fished on for while longer, now back to my minnow styles placcies in many different sizes and colours but could not raise a scale.

The paddle home took longer than my trip out without that bit of a high of expectation to drive me and knowing I was probably unable to get much fishing time in over the next few weeks.

The count down is now on for my family Fraser trip in September where I take the yak and I hope for some good weather to get offshore up around orchid beach again for some of the spectacular fishing that I experienced up there last year.

Grassies 4-7-11.JPG
Kev

[Gigantor]

On ya, Kev. Well done. Nice pair of fish.

Cheers, Pete

[StevenM]

Nice Grassies Kev