# Making Good Use of Downtime



## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

My recent contract finished up but with promise of more work to come, I decided to take a few weeks off rather than look for new work. 
The first week was too blowy to fish offshore, so I loaded up the camping equipment and sailed over the 'The Bedrooms' on South Stradbroke Island for a few days. Tides dictated it was to be the first time Id make the trip over from Jacobs Well in the dark but with a well lit channel, plenty of light on me and a good 10 knot breeze at my back, I sailed over at good speed in no time at all. I set up camp and crashed.








The next morning, a good breeze let me plough back and forth across the channel picking up a chopper tailor on the troll each run. I kept one for breakfast and as I despatched it I looked up to see a crazy man shouting and waving at me from the beach. Sure enough it was Trev, left over from the weekend's AKFF meet at Jumpinin. I pulled in for a chat and Trev stoked the fire and I threw the tailor on the hot coals for breakfast. Trev packed up and we sailed out to the bar for a look at the deep gutter on Kalinga bank on the Southern tip of Nth Straddie. A 15 knot wind enabled us to sail about all over the front of the bar and an incoming tide meant we could stop for a breather without getting washed out into the bar itself. Id hate to be at that place on an outgoing tide. I doubt you could pedal\paddle against it. We tooled around a bit longer and sailed back to Crusoe Is out of the wind. I bid Trev farewell as he made his way back to the mainland and had some awesome flatwater sailing back to the campsite (hit 17kph on one tack), trolling up a flathead for dinner on the way there. 








It wasnt until Wednesday last week the winds eased up enough to get outside. Inspiired by longtail success from the Noosa Yakkers and Trev and Jimbo at Scarby, I knew they had to be at the usual haunts off Caloundra and tooled up accordingly. With very little white bait round at the moment I figured a larger offering would be the go and on the big 170mm squidgy Fish went. (Cant understand why they stopped making these). It didnt take long to load up. 








Thirty minutes late Mark (Bogey) pulled alongside and took a few shots for me before despatching dinner to the bag.








The weather looked good for Thursday but I couldn't make it. With the wind up on Friday I took the full AI and sailed to the mark, picking up a nice Sweetie on the way. Second cast the rod loaded up and after a short tussle a squire of 36cm came aboard. With dinner in the bag I sent him back to grow bigger. Three casts later a better hit had the line peeling off the reel. A better snapper in the high forties came aboard and was despatched to the bag. 








I picked up a further two over the next 30 mins or so. 








Happy with the mornings efforts I set sail for home and cruised to the beach in one tack at about 8kph.








Sunday looked good again so we left the sails behind. As I left the bay the little rod squealed and a good size pike was on the end. I broke out the live bait kit and bridled him up on the 20lb outfit. It took an hour but the rod finally went off with a blistering run, followed by another and a couple of violent head shakes. The next run was faster than the first but the line went slack and only the hook returned. Close inspection of the bridle showed it to be cut clean through. 
A few further trips were fishless (including yesterdays efforts to scare up a cobia) but whales danced most outings and the ever present dolphins and turtles make a donut day seem worth the effort.
I was just too shagged to drive to Noosa this morning as I had planned. Looks like my hunch was right as the NY'ers cleaned up. Instead I launched into the Pine River about 10am and caught a few bream and drifted up and down.
Back to work Tuesday.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

paulo said:


> ....A few further trips were fishless (including yesterdays efforts to scare up a cobia) but whales danced most outings and the ever present dolphins and turtles make a donut day seem worth the effort....


Isn't that the essence of kayak fishing? A fish is a bonus. Shalom. 

trev


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Paul a nice way to refresh both mind and body before taking on a new role.


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## Nativeman (Sep 6, 2005)

Great Report Paul, so jealous of the whopping fish you catch out there...and you want to go chasing whiting on poppers :lol:

Cheers


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## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

Love your formula Paul.
You just keep nailing Nervana.

BTW... Something I've been wondering for ages, who is your avatar?


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Nice report. Makes me feel like I am wasting my unemployment looking for work.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Great trip Paul, that would certainly clear the head.


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Awesome Paul, thanks to yourself and people like you i can't wait to pick up my AI next week. What a perfect couple of days fishing in what could easily be called paradise.


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## paulsod (Dec 28, 2008)

Very enjoyable unempoyment, Paul.
Your Tuna looks a decent size. Dare I guess, easily over the metre mark?
cheers
Paul


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

Living the dream, nice.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Jeeze that Trev gets around :shock:

Good work Pauly.......actually thats not work, get back to it ya bludger.


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## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

Thanks everyone. I tried to make the most of my time off but the weather wasnt always kind.
Gra, Its a kayak.... 'But not as you know it' ...and you know you want one. Just sell off some of that stereo equip you use to keep the neighbours in line and you will have the readies and the spare space. I hear theyre still in therapy from 4 days of C&W anyway.

Richo and Keza Not sure about a relaxing break. Im rooted from all the fishing over the past three weeks. I always go to hard on holidays, sleep too little, eat too little and fish too much. I lost 5kg over the break and think Ill need a sickie next Friday... the weather is looking good.

Drew, the Avatar is Edward Fox. I changed it to that after someone said I looked like him years ago. Only problem is Im starting to look older than the old guy in the photo.

Scott, happy to help with the dreams. They are more fun than they look in the photos. Three boats in one. Ive never put a first timer on one that hasnt complained of a sore jaw from grinning from ear to ear for the past hour or so.

Paul that fish went 118cm amd 18kg. He wasnt as hard to land as some of the 1m 10kg school fish we caught in May. The other interesting thing is he took the plastic straight into his stomach in one gulp, all 17cm of it. We had to cut it out during filleting. Its stomach was completely empty except for the plastic. In May all of the fish were bloated with whitebait.


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## imnotoriginal (Jan 13, 2008)

Well done again Paul, good to see some fish being landed!
Joel


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

paulo said:


> Drew, the Avatar is Edward Fox. I changed it to that after someone said I looked like him years ago. Only problem is Im starting to look older than the old guy in the photo.


Paul, when I met you at the boat show (with Trev) I just couldn't relate you to your avatar :? ... finally, you've put everything in place... thank you.

I really enjoyed your talk on kayak fishing at the boat show, was so interested and would have stayed till you had completed, but my driver for the day (we'd both been filling in on the Sunfish stand) needed to be gone, so when ya gotta go  ... and believe me, your audience were doting on your every word... lots of fishing folk still can't take in just what fish can be landed from our craft of choice... you had them eating out of your hand!

You really go all out when you've got time off... and man, don't you catch some class fish! Apparently you've got more of a handle on what makes them tick than most of us...

Go for it... waiting for more!

Jimbo


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## KingDan (Feb 25, 2011)

Nice work, you are my hero.


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## Bogey (Apr 24, 2010)

Hey Paulo
A busy couple of weeks for you with some nice fish.
Always enjoy your company out there - learn some more each time.
Cheers
Mark


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## gibsoni (Jun 22, 2009)

Nice read and NICE fish too. Hard to beat a camp at the pin I say.

In response to your comment about being at the bar on an outgoing tide...

I've regrettably done it. First trip down there for the day, looking for the rest of the crew from AKFF (last year) who were camping that way. Thought I'd stroll down to the bar since no-one was in sight. Enjoying the scenery I proceeded to turn around after a bit of a play with some waves and at full slog I did pull 3km/h but it took forever to get around the corner on the inside of South Straddie. Its times like that I greatly appreciate a GPS. Something to tell you that you are actually moving.


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