# Wed 05Nov14 Redcliffe Not a turtle!



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Hit the water @ 0430, nudging the day to begin so I could see.

Despite my best efforts, the large snapper weren't coming to the party as planned, so I had to be satisfied with youngsters of the same breed&#8230; four of them came to hand, and by then I'd given up on my favoured area and just drifted where the light breeze took me.

It took me into an area where I'd never drifted before, trolled successfully, but never drifted due to it being so close to a reef that most breezes blow me towards, not along-side like today.

Quite unexpectedly, the over-head outfit bent over double and up came a 44cm snapper&#8230; duly photographed, measured, then slipped back to double in length for me to catch in future trips. :lol: 
View attachment 3

Hardly had I checked the terminal gear then re-cast when off it went again for his little brother @ 41cm. 
View attachment 2

Same steps with him, and then his baby brother got into the act and really spoiled my legal snapper party that I was beginning to enjoy. 

Right then, I hear my name called, and find that Gary (Sweed) had arrived.

We chatted then moved out of that area and fished where we sometimes do OK.

That's when the rot set in!

Surrounded by turtles, I was dismayed when the line on the over-head outfit seemed to twitch as if one of them mongrel things had swum into my line&#8230; a silent prayer to the Fishing Gods did nothing to help, 'cos the line began peeling off at a steady pace, and true to my first thoughts, I was into one once again.

At this time, I must tell new AKFF'ers that I have been known to hook up with these bloody things reasonably often, and have been quite cruelly called TC (Turtle Catcher) at times! My worst effort was two at the same time&#8230; unlucky, I reckon&#8230; there were four other AKFF'ers nearby at that time, but they took no part in the catch! As a matter of fact, they thought it was hilarious&#8230; I guess it all depends on your perspective.

What did Gary do? He (smilingly, or was it laughingly?) told me to send him a post-card and buggered off home, while I just had to make sure that it was indeed a turtle, by hanging in there until it came up for air.

Finally it did just that, and when I got close enough, I snipped the line then re-rigged, then trolled back to where the action had begun&#8230; not because I needed more turtle action, but because that was where we sometimes catch nice snapper.

I fish the drift with two outfits&#8230; the over-head one is a much softer action than that of the thread-line outfit, and is really too soft to really give grunt to large fish, but inevitably, the fish go for the one that gives them the most chance of out-lasting their adversary in the kayak above.

I had just resumed drifting, when the same line moved off slowly again&#8230; extremely strong just like the last time, but this time with the occasional burst of sheer speed.

Now, lots of my friends (?) will attest that I've always told them to hang in there and sight the thing&#8230; it might not be a turtle&#8230; if you snip the line without sighting it, you might just cut off the biggest trophy fish into which you've ever had the luck to jam a hook.

After an interminable time of give and take and lots of grunt and heave on my part, the leader (two double arms' length of 30lb fleurocarbon) came into view.

When I first got colour, my thoughts were, "Not a turtle, must be a really big fish! Beauty! What kind of fish would pull like this?

Uh! Oh! 
View attachment 1

Bugger! Shark!"

I don't know what type it was, but I jagged it in the pectoral fin as you can see in one photo&#8230; probably why it didn't bite off, eh? And why it took so long to tame it.

It was about 9 to 10 inches across the head and between 5 and 6 feet long.

I snipped it off at the lure so now it wears a 3inch flat-tail Zman softy in electric chicken colour on its left or right pectoral fin&#8230; depending which way you're looking at it, of course.

On the drift back to home, an undersized snapper came up like a rocket on, of course, the brute stick, wouldn't you know.

The total for the day&#8230; 6 undersized snapper from 23to 33cm, 2 legal 43 & 41cm, one big bugger turtle and the above shark!

9 hours on the water! I didn't have much petrol left in the tank after that!

Cheers all...

Jimbo


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## bruus (Aug 27, 2010)

Nice work TC :lol: better than a day catching grinners hey.


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Hi Daniel...

Good to see you're still in the land of the living.

Are you wetting a line or getting the Stealth wet at all?

Think of you occasionally... usually when I hook up to at turtle or big ray! :lol:

Cheers mate... Jimbo


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

So a little variety TC. A five to six foot shark! :lol:

You just reminded me that I am not going snorkelling for that last Koolie I lost to the reef.

Bluudy heck your arms must have been sore after that double battle.....and good to know you can still catch turtles! :lol:


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## squidlips (Nov 24, 2008)

Well I would certainly be competitive for your TC title Jim - in fact, turtles is just about all I have caught a on SPs! 

Haven't caught any for the last 3 months tho.... Actually, I haven't been out in that long! :lol:


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

squidlips said:


> Well I would certainly be competitive for your TC title Jim - in fact, turtles is just about all I have caught a on SPs!
> 
> Haven't caught any for the last 3 months tho.... Actually, I haven't been out in that long! :lol:


Before you take the title, squidlips, you have to better/worse two on at once! ;-)

Jimbo


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