# SA 19/7 Unexpected Catch



## Smacca (Sep 17, 2013)

Hi all,

Looks like there were a few people that had some success this weekend so figured I'd share my trip too.

I've been itching to get out on the Hobie revolution 13 that I recently bought second hand and spent some time rigging. Packed the car ready to go on Friday night and set the alarm for an early start, unfortunately I set the alarm for weeknights instead of weekends and slept till 6:45am. Not a great start! Rather disappointed I decided that I was probably going to be too late for the snapper I was so keen to chase and grabbed a bag of cockles from the freezer, leaving the pilchards I'd bought for the occasion.

Managed to get onto the water at my local with no trouble, the water was glass although pretty dirty after all the weather we have had. I floated out to a spot I'd had some success on before, threw out the anchor baited a whiting rig (size 6 hooks) and settled in to wait. Glancing around I noticed another 4 or 5 kayaks and to my dismay witnessed one, then another pull in what looked like good sized snapper!

Swearing to myself that I would return the following day with the pilchards still in my freezer I turned my attention to playing with the settings on the Lowrance HDI 4x that I'd recently acquired, quietly hoping I could salvage the day with a couple of whiting. Suddenly the rod jumped to life in my hand as line peeled from the reel, I knew instantly that I was onto a snapper and prayed I could hang onto it long enough to get it into a net.

After a good fight on light gear I managed to get the fish close enough to get a net around it and into the yak. I didn't need to measure it to know it was well past legal, so stuck it in the front hatch well and truly pleased. I got the rig back in the water, half hoping I could fluke it again but thinking I'd be happy if I could just get a couple of whiting to top things off.

15 minutes later, my rod bucked and line shot off again. Snapper number 2 came into the kayak and it wasn't too much smaller than the first. After 2 very decent fish, my hooks were looking a little worse for wear, so I changed to a new rig and back went the bait. Another 15 minutes later and the line got slammed for a third time, a short fight later and in came the third. This time it had swallowed the hook, so I had to cut it off.

Things seemed to quieten down after that, so I decided to change to a different spot to try again for whiting with no success. I headed in around 10am happy with my haul and pleased to have met a couple of other kayakers out on the water.

Photos of the new yak and fish; interesting that I put a tape on the biggest which went to 64cm, but the brag mat showed it went a little bigger


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Good to meet you out on the water Sean - and well done on such a good catch of large red whiting ! ;-) 
PS nice boat too.


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## Smacca (Sep 17, 2013)

Cheers Solatree,

Thanks for giving me a hand, hopefully catch you out there again soon!


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Good work getting 60+ snapper in on your whiting gear  
Revo looks good in blue


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## Rockster (Sep 7, 2007)

First thoughts Smacca is that is a very nice colour yak and nicely decorated with a fish tail sticking out of the hatch  
Great report, talk about making the most of a bad situation, imagine what you could have done with pillies. Good effort on whiting gear, just a shame you didn't find any to top off the day.
Cheers
Bob


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## Geoffw (Jan 23, 2011)

What a great story! You must have been stoked. And three good sized fish. Reminds me a bit of my first yak snapper caught at Tumby bay whilst looking for whiting. Pinned a nipper on a long shank hook and as it was drifting down got slamed. Nice looking yak too with the tale sticking out the hatch. Well done.


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

What a sensational way to christen a new yak. Well done


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## Zilch (Oct 10, 2011)

Nice !

Steve


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## rossi (Sep 20, 2013)

Well done. Saturday was hot by all the reports not so for Sunday.


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Them flanno brag matts sure do look prurty - but I thunk the salty water might make em shrunk a little. Good thung y'all carries rolln pins Ta straighten em out - the flanno mats that's what I'm talkn about baby.


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## redmist (May 6, 2012)

good work Smacca.

What whiting set up are using? They would have given you a bit of curry on that gear


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## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

A great tale/tail Smacca. 
Not only a long fish, but also a tall fish... Would have put up a good fight.


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## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

A great tale/tail Smacca. 
Not only a long fish, but also a tall fish... No doubt heavy too. Would have put up a good fight.


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## Smacca (Sep 17, 2013)

Thanks for the comments guys, very happy with the catch and pretty happy with the new setup although still some fine tuning to be done (really, when would it stop though? ).

@Lazybugger, it surprised me a bit at first but I guess they stretch a bit when laid out properly on a nice flat surface 

@redmist, bit of a hybrid running rig, hook above and below a bean sinker. Top hook seemed to be preferred but I wouldn't want to try catching too many reds on long shanked hooks meant for whiting!

@Drewboy, it was the best bit of fishing I've had in a while. Love the light gear too, makes things pretty interesting.


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## Yaktion83 (Jul 21, 2014)

Hi Smacca,
Great way to break in the hobie, Nothing better than 60cm + Snapper on light gear.

You fishing mainly metro?

Might bump into you on the water one day, will keep an eye out for the Blue Beast!

Tight lines )


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## Stealthfisha (Jul 21, 2009)

well done!
I have not been on here much lately or fishing in weeks....better pick my game up....great catch!


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