I decided to scoot out for a late arvo fish after work today. Low tide was going to be around 4pm and I arrived about then and unloaded the yak. As I was setting up a gentleman old enough to be my father turned up, grabbed his yabby pump and bucket and started toward the beach. As he passed he as asked “Gonna get amongst em?” I said “Yep hoping for a flatty or two, what you after?” He says “Anything, I have a problem mate. Always have, fishings in my blood” . We got talking and it turns out he has all the latest gear, uses plastics, chases bass. He would have had to have been late 70’s. Great chat. We were like a couple of little kids comparing gear, spots in the passage and recent catches. I left him to paddle into a stiff easterly to get across to my spot and couldn’t help but think that was gonna be me in 30 odd years.
As I arrived at my spot I sent the sleeper rig out the back of the yak with a gulp curl tail grub in camo on a 1/16th oz jighead. As I drifted along casting ahead of me and bouncing my other set up with the tide back towards the yak I started to get pushed off my preferred drift line so I wound in my line and put it in the holder, turned and grabbed the sleeper rod and low and behold there is weight and a reasonable bit of weight too. I wound it in and it really had no idea it was hooked. I got it close to the yak and saw a nice flatty probably in the mid 50’s. I went for the net shot and he didn’t like that at all. Off he buzzed under the net and under the yak. The rod was pulled down onto the net and the line rubbed on the net and piiing. L that was the end of that…..
I continued to explore in my usual spot and picked up another 45cm flatty that went back. So to did a couple of under sized. The sun went down, it turned cool, I rugged up and settled into my first night session in my honey hole. Things were pretty quiet for about and hour and a half. Then the tide stared to get some run in it and the moon rose and began to shine off the water. I had a feeling things were going to get interesting.
I was fishing in about 30cms of water drifting over the weed beds and yabby banks. I had a 3inch curl tail gulp grub on. I cast it out up current and began a slow retrieve. It wasn’t long until I felt a solid tap characteristic of a flatty inhaling the placcy. I gave it the usual 3 seconds and raised my rod tip slowly but firmly. No need to strike hard in the shallows. Yep, some good weight was on the other end. I always slow things right down in the shallows. I knew my drag was set right and I had a fresh FG leader knot tied so felt confident about landing this fish on 6lb braid and 8lb leader. The fish tracked side ways and towards me, I knew it was a good fish by the weight despite the fact she had not bunged on a turn yet. That’s ok, the big one’s don’t go off usually until they see the net or yak and that’s exactly what happened. She came towards the yak, saw the net and off she went. I really had to use “soft hands” to use a footy term. I not only let the rod tip absorb the shock but also really relaxed my grip and wrist to allow for added shock absorption. After a few screaming runs and a short time where she got the irrates and sat on the bottom I had her yakside. Scooped her up with the first net shot and lifted her fat ass into the yak J
My previous best flatty was 85cms and I knew this was going to push that mark. My issue was the 85cm one was caught in my tinny and I could put her on the brag mat. This one was in the yak and no brag mat. I have a measuring devive that goes to 65cm. So I did the best I could with that and called it for 87cms. (conservatively) However given I have no pic of her on a mat I suppose I cant claim it as my undisputable PB
Couple of crappy pics in low light and some even worse video that I will try and do something with and back in she went to get even bigger. Very happy with myself catching a big mumma in the dark on placcys in the yak.
I fished about for another hour and a half for a couple more small flattys and a fould hooked 32cm bream that I thought was a good flatty again. I headed in at 8:30pm feeling good about the world.
Pics are not great but its all I got. I will look to get the vid up some time soon
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Still_Dreamin
