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| The Gables, Hervey Bay | | Print | |
| Thursday, 13 September 2007 | ||||||||||||||||
Revenge is mine! Is it a Mulloway, is it a Teraglin... no, it's a thumping great big Grunter
If it weren't for a couple of obligations that I had to attend to in the morning, I probably would have gone fishing with AKFF member Hairy Mick, who had planned an early trip in search of Bass and or Barramundi. With the afternoon free, however, I trundled on down to coffee rocks at The Gables, where I planned to paddle around to Eli creek. Big Flathead are there I was told and after last nights meal I was keen for more. I used a local map to plan this trip instead of the obligatory google map, and soon found out the destination was further than I'd thought. I was well on the way though, but right when I neared the mud flats and was thinking about switching from hard body lures to soft plastics, my trolling rod was stuck really hard. But as I'd experienced in the past few days, whatever fish grabbed the lure swallowed it head first and severed the line in the process. There wasn't even a centremetre of line peeled off - it just struck, and then it was over.
Even though the fish was too big for my Environet I hoisted it on deck using it (head first) anyway. With life still left in it, the net was unable to contain it, so after a couple of anxious moments I subdued it with my legs (note to self - now is a good time to get that gaff you've been meaning to pick up). Secured with lip grippers I was able to get it stored under the front hatch before long. With the prize safely tucked away I turned around and headed back to shore, continuing to troll the same lure.  65cm worth of dinner (for three) Two more fish fell foul to it, including a Pike (kept for a Mackeral intended troll bait) as well as another Wirefence cod. Of most interest on the return journey was the many sea turtle sightings, one of which (the largest of the bunch) surfaced only a couple of meters from the yak. This really was a sight to behold and for the first tme I can remember, the experience left my jaw wide ajar. I was too slow with the camera unfortunately, but I saw so many of them that I'm confident of getting a good shot soon. I ate particularly well tonight, as did a couple of friends who somehow managed to find their way to Hervey Bay in the past few days. Like me they were on a coastal tour (no kayak or rods though) but upon seeing this place they decided to stay for good. Music to my ears that, providing a place to stay on return trips, of which there will be many.
    
14-09-2007 07:52 Nice fish Josh, it's amazing how different (better) the fishing gets the further North you go, especially compared to Vicco! Queenslanders seem very blasé about the fishing up there. A bad days fishing to them seems like the best day ever for us poor mexicans and everytime a queenslander tells me that the fishing is shithouse at the moment, I seem to come up trumps.... I guess it's just the "warm water enthusiasm" us Victorians sem to exude that catches us the fish!  14-09-2007 08:04 Congrats on the grunter! With fish like that I guess Hervey Bay is on the favorite list. 14-09-2007 09:34 Roo, so true. As I launched the kayak yesterday a nice old bloke told me there was nothing about. One guy at a tackle shop told me he was out of stock of lots of stuff because, quote: 'winter fishing here is shithouse.' Winter? Shithouse? Hrmm... Darrin, most definitely. If it ain't the fish, it's the turtles, or dugongs, or dolphins, or whales. Hervey Bay has got it going on! 14-09-2007 09:37 Nice one Nice 5th, Is this your biggest fish from the yak? -Cal 14-09-2007 11:25 Nice one Certainly does look like a jewfish... how was it on the plate? Congratulations by the way. 14-09-2007 12:42 Nice one Cal, it isn't the longest or the heaviest (it was only 3.5kg surprisingly) but it may well have caused the widest smile - especially when I'd convinced myself it was a Jew. Garfish, it went down a treat. The two other guys I fed with it claimed it to be the tastiest fish they'd ever eaten. Then again, they aren't fishermen and the only things they had to compare it to were fish from markets, butchers and fish and chip shops. They started talking about going out and buying both kayaks and rods after they finished up the meal though. 2 more converts to the tally :-) 14-09-2007 15:42 re Hi Ho Silver!! What a great catch Josh, well done. I've never tasted one, what do they compare to on the plate? Again congrats! 14-09-2007 16:57 re 'winter fishing here is shithouse.' LOL mate up here in the north 21deg is cold. I dont think I would be able to survive winter again in vic if I ever went back. "QLD a great place to be" 14-09-2007 19:59 re Poddy, I'd say it tastes a lot like Mulloway actually, if not a cross between that and bream maybe. I just did the 'ol powder in flour and fry trick. It went down a treat. Darrin, I hear ya mate. I'm starting to wonder if I can go back to live. I'm also thinking very seriously about coming back to Hervey Bay to live when I complete this trip, whenever that may be. Only registered users can write comments. Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6 |
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