Howdy all,
FINALLY it looked like the northerlies decided to give us a break and ease off for a while. Was still swinging between E / NE today but much more favourable than it's been in a long time. After weeks of palm sized whiting from knee deep gutters and strong sweep I took one look from the balcony and decided the falling tide was best for grabbing a few worms and hitting the gutters for some whiting or bream. Friday arvo I got a stud bream from the surf on sandworm, and wasa keen to get into some more.
Headed down to the beach (over the road- and trackside for the GC600 ) and using an old pipi from the fridge grabbed a few worms off the beach, managed to find some more pipis as well.... Things were looking good.
Walked the shore for a few hundred metres prospecting gutters but nothing, no takers at all. Just on sunset, I lit a cigarette and flicked a bait just behind the impact zone in green water. The bait had n't been in the water for 3minutes and the tip goes down. With the tide falling I was getting used to the suck and push of the tide sweeping my worm around (I was only using 2 little bean sinkers, swivel, 6lb flouro trace, 8lb mainline, Berkley Dropshot Pro IM7) so i thought it was just the waves sucking my bait back out. But no!
Rod tip kept on going down and then I felt it. The sweet feeling of thump-thump-thump! Made all the more sweeter by the 5 or 6 donuts previous. It did n't take long for me to guage that this was n't any whiting. The first run must have had my line as close to breaking as it would go. I was only out looking for a few bream or whiting so my drag was set halfway decent. Halfway through the initial lunge I had managed to back off the drag on my little 2000 size Daiwa enough to feel comfortable that another break for the border by mr fishy would n't result in a pulled knot or broken line. Along with the obligatory look over the shoulder to check for kids & families- usually a fair amount of foul language/ cursing when knots pull...
With the tide just starting to come in, I managed to coax the big fella inch-by-inch closer to shore. A few times he took off and I began seeing the metal at the bottom of my spool but each time he'd tire just that little bit closer in and I'd managed to persuade him back, then he'd take off but each lunge was shorter and shorter. A few times I saw this MASSIVE tail sticking out the shallow water. At first I thought it was a nice greenback. Really started worrying that it was gonna chew through my 6lb leader!!
Finally after a 15-odd minute battle I got a little help from above, or below or from wherever and got just the perfect wavelet to help wash the fish into shallower water.
It was only when I managed to get a hand under it and lift it clear of the water that I saw it was n't a tailor but a salmon. I was quite chuffed as its a new species for me, and a cracker on such light gear.
Measured 64cm.
Happy days
Well done Jim, would've had the heart in the mouth for a while. Have you eaten it yet? Would be interested in how they go on the table, so many different reports. Once again nice fish.
Mike
Crestcutter, from what I can gather they're a rare-ish catch here on the Goldie. Heard a few reports of some being taken further south (Fingal, Tweed and further douth) but I going out again tonight to see if there are any more!
Micksta, it was heart-in-mouth the whole way!! Going to take it out the eskie and fillet it soon. Have n't eaten one before but will let you know how it chews tonight.
Well done Jim ,especially on light gear. For those interested, the blighters are still about on the Gold Coast. I got one( 3 kg ) about 2 weeks ago at North Burleigh just after dark. I would have thought that they would have headed back south by now but maybe all the local baitfish is too attractive. They make great fishcakes.
64cm GC surf salmon on whiting gear!!!
) and using an old pipi from the fridge grabbed a few worms off the beach, managed to find some more pipis as well.... Things were looking good.
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