After seeing a 20kg Jew fish pulled out here yesterday I had an inappropriate level of unrealistic expectations...and for a while there thought I pulled it off.All up it was a very successful trip. The plan did come together (read mostly): I got bait, the rig & gear were right, conditions were as predicted and I got a whopper. So why aren't I over the moon? I got a whopper catfish, this thing was huge, over the metre mark and admittedly put up a good fight, but it's only a catfish.
So here is how the day played out: alarm went off at 4.30am…bugger that…get up around 5.10 with everything ready to go…mostly. Hit the ramp and set up quick going with the single ama today, then it was off for bait. Usually I throw an 8' cast net but recently went to a 6' for casting off the yak; I throw 8' much better. After 4 casts at the boat ramp pre launch I had 8 herring but really wanted a couple of mullet as well.
So launching the AI I set the net up on the tramp and headed over to a sand bank that is always a hot mullet spot but the current and shallows saw me miss the mark. Trying a few trial casts I found el mucho practice may be necessary to get style that works better then what I got…nix. Heading out on a fast flowing tide made for easy going and I was able to maintain a good speed.
It started cool and calm and was a pleasant day all round even the head wind back in was more refreshing then a hindrance. Using the currents to their full potential I made for my new favourite fishing spot assisted by a slight tail wind. I didn't spend time casting at the usual spots and just trolled a large soft plastic as I wanted to make the change of tide.
Keeping the bait in a bucket I refreshed the water a couple of times as I trolled my way through the channels. I approached my destination and brought in the trolling rig then loaded up a lip hooked herring and sent it down for a slow troll. Using quite a heavy ball stinker running down to a swivel then 60lb leader and 4/0 game hook I was able to maintain fairly close contact with the bottom.
With 5m+ tides today and the location I was fishing can make for uncomfortable times when current and wind hit head on. This played true at times but nothing the AI and ama can't handle, a vanilla yak would have been uncomfortable in the conditions. Once I got into position I sent down the bait then employed one of two tactics. Tactic 1: keep the sinker just off the floor and slowly troll/drift the live bait around. Tactic 2: anchor the sinker and try and keep position around it.
Tactic 1 is much easier in wind and current and it required strategy at times trying to maintain Tactic 2. Tactic 2 of trying to stay in the one place kept me busier than Tactic 1 of slowly drifting around. It was Tactic 1 in use when the I got the strike and boy do I love the sound of the Charter Special going off it's head…ZZZZZZZZ…just love it, loud and dramatic.
What followed was about ½ hour of to and fro, I knew I had a big fish and visions of BIG JEWY were flashing through my head and as the fight wore on the visions got stronger. I fought on a lighter drag then I could have used but didn't want a green fish that size next to the yak. So by keeping the yak in motion I was able to slow the fish down some what but it wanted to hold deep. It was only near the end that I got my first flash of the fish and realised then it was no Jew fish but couldn't make what it actually was. I then started to apply more drag to get it back for a better look and after a minute or two up it came, and there was 1m catfish then down it went again.
Knowing that it was a catfish I used the last of the fight to get it back up and then cut it off allowing it to slowly swim off. Re baiting I set up again slowly moving over area for no more action. Another catty was caught by a bloke in a tinny fishing the same hole that was close to the same size. Seeing it was near to the top of the tide I chucked the big plastic out the back and made my way back home.
Overall it was a good day and I enjoyed the experience and that coupled with the fact there is a camping ground about 200m from this spot will make for an ideal night session. The live baiting was more fun then expected and it was good to be kept busy rather then sitting there staring at the rod. I found keeping the rod wedged between my lower back and the seat worked real well making for quick easy adjustments when needed. Keeping the bait worked better then expected but in did only have a few plus the constant slushing would have kept the water nice and oxygenated.
I'll be back to this place again and again I feel.
