Virgin Knobby GC 15-07

[Burley_Boy]

Forced to work to midnight but I was determined not to let that interfere with a morning fish so 5:30am finds me on the way out the GC seaway. Fairly flat but with a dark horizon I detour over a few marks on the 24's to find a show of fish.
Toss the pick in and my new anchoring technique puts me right where I expected but I wasn't expecting the wind against current factor
However the current is light so I decide to burley up and fish.
The wind and rain come on and off and I boat a couple of desperation Sweep. By the time Brett (Brejen) gets on the radio to ask how I'm going I've just boated a 2inch stripey....woohoooo
Must have been the encouragement I needed as I soon boat a few undersize and then some just legal Squire.
The TSS4 starts peeling line off as I fish the second rod so I lean over and flip the bail arm over, the rod buckles over so i grab it and a few minutes later I boat my first Snapper. Well it qualifies as a Snapper in my book anyway, one hell of a bump and around 4kg.
Magnificient creature and I actually felt bad about killing him but him and his mates and a few potatoes have just fed 6 adults and 9 children 8)

Back by the ramp at 9am and ready to go back to work.
Floating pillies did the trick for me today.
cheers BB

[Burley_Boy]

8am had me locked onto a chap that I couldn't boat. The slow pull behaved like a ray and I finally stuck the rod in the holder with the drag on hard, after 15mins the hooks pulled.

[Brejen]

B/B Top shelf mate. What a way to lose the cherry. Mate heard you logging off and was going to give you a call but where travelling ourselves and by the time we stopped, you would prob been at home. Wish i had've now. Excellent bloke. Catch up soon...
Brett

P.S you still grinning .....

[skippa]

Geez,

Tough weather conditions too, all while I'm at work

[Burley_Boy]

I looked at him come to the surface... said .. oh sheit what do now..... gaff net,.... ummm , well and truly mouth hooked so I grabbed the leader and lifted him in. Gees I'd been sore if the knot let go then.
I let out a yipeeekiyaye and trid to call you mate but duhhhh knocked the radio to ch98 in the meantime!
Had a great night and yes still pretty happy. Would have been cool with 8kg but hey it works for me.

[Sportfish_5]

BB - Well done there. Always good to get a PB fish. Now you raised the bar for the next PB snapper [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

Cheers

Greg

[chanquetas]

Thats one hell of a bump on its head....must have happened as it hit the gunnel at high speed on its way into the boat?

[OandaFX]

Fantastic fish.
Always nice to get a big red one. Something special about that colour.

[Burley_Boy]

Thanks guys, I'm particularly pleased that it proves that quality fish are about in close in areas that many people otherwise refer to as "fished out". Usually the excuse given when no fish boated.

I'd prefer to say "fish educated areas" as I think the fishies in these heavily targeted areas have become very educated. Meaning that my skill level has to increase to get a feed of quality fish. Bait presentation must be the key in these areas and I know that my rigs are working a lot better now.

[flattymattyb]

HI BB,

Congats mate thats one hell of a knobbie and hats off to you for staying calm enough to actually get a piccie of the rod loaded up, I would have been falling over myself to grab it . First of many hey see ya out there soon.

Cheers
Matty

[gawby]

Good onya BB. The one i caught with brejen was was first like that and it feels goood. Top shelf fishing BB do it again.
Graeme

[nigelr]

##### knobbie mate. Glad to hear it fed the crew, hope youse had a great night! Won't be the last red you catch......
Cheers and thanks for post.

[Burley_Boy]

Thanks guys, and matty leave your hat on.. no I wasn't that nutty as the snapper was pulled off the bottom in a hurry and came straight up.

The rod bending over was an earlier incident where I was about to reel the line in and rebait but it then felt like I'd hooked the anchor.....until it started to moove off. It was on the TSS4 with 20lb mono and I didn't dare to bump the drag up any harder. Never managed to turn it off the bottom and it may have been a ray. I left the rod with plenty of pressure on it in the rod holder and started rebaiting my floater and thats when I took the pic. The hook finally pulled after I worked the rod a bit more, would have been loaded up for 10-15 mins.

[bidkev]

Nice going BB. It's a pity you lost the ray

cheers

kev

[Fishinmishin]

Well done BB,
Would of made a tasty meal for the family and a nice snapper in anyone's books.
Cheers, Jay