# NSW - 10.2.13 - Things that go bump in the night



## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Lately I've been doing it tough fishing wise. I cant seem to catch squid in any of my usual places, and pelagic action has been largely absent. I go over things in my head again and again, trying to work out what's been different. Call it a mojo slump I guess. I needed an answer. Then it appeared. Now, you may laugh, but I am a very superstitious fisherman, and I have some lucky talismans that seem to accompany most of my best fishing days. One of them had been missing in action, but it turned up during the week. A black bandanna that had been hiding in my son's dress up drawer. Things were looking up. A window of calm even appeared on Seabreeze around sunrise on Sunday morning. I packed my gear.

I got up at 4am, the wind was blowing pretty hard from the northeast. Not a good sign.
I got to the launch in Port Hacking and set up, pushing out into the darkness and wind. I knew it was going to be ugly out the front but I wasnt going to die wondering.

The next worrying sign was waves over the Deeban Spit in Gunnamatta Bay. It takes a fair bit of swell to even register in the bay, so I prepared myself for a nasty wet morning out there. If it got too rotten, at least the wind and swell would assist me back into the Port.

Sure enough, it was sloppy and really quite hairy. I was feeling quite ill at ease.
I sounded out some bait, and stopped to try to collect some, and then a heavy dark line right under me appeared on the screen, which would be fine, except it came up and gave me a big bump from underneath.

Shark. In the dark. Fark.
Needless to say, I decided to move on rather abruptly. There would be bait elsewhere!

At this point I was ready to turn and go home. But I kept faith, and kept my head. The sun took forever to come up, and when it did, the wind dropped to nothing. Just like that. My talisman was working already.

It was like a switch was flicked, and the the boils started. Here, there, moving fast. Casting a small metal produced a hookup and a zinging reel. The pulsating tail beats said "tuna". Mack tuna to be precise.

From this point, it was mayhem. Frigates, bonito. One after another. I caught a nice Bonito on my homemade rod and a homemade lure, which is a very satisfying feeling, but I needed a king fix. So I moved on and found the yakkas.









Frigate Mackerel, vibrators of the sea!









Well, you've all seen a bonito before.

I had a feeling that the kings might be in close, so I came into 20 feet of water, and bang. 
The fish took off towards the breaking waves, and the cave underneath them. I had 2 choices, let him run and most likely smoke me in the cave, or jam the spool and get towed into the impact zone. Impact zone it is then!

I brought him up with extreme prejudice and got his head in the net. Then I paddled backwards as fast as I could to get out of the danger zone. That's the good thing about a paddle yak vs hobie.









72cm and well fed.

Over the next half hour I managed another 2 kings, although smaller and leaner, so they were let go for another day.



















I had to make it home in time to get to a kids party, so I was off the water by 8.

Back at the ramp, while cleaning up my fish, I noticed another hook still in the king's jaw, a 7/0 with what looked like about 100lb leader snelled onto it. This fish had obviously dusted someone else in the last week or so. Someone else's misfortune was my luck on the day.









Bunsen's jewellery removal service

The fishing looks like it has just turned a corner in Sydney.

Kung Hei Fat Choy to everyone!


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Brilliant Bunsen!

trev


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Sensational report and not a way I would have wanted it to start but definitely a happy ending!


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## Nbh00d (Feb 12, 2012)

Kung Hei Fat Choy Bunsen and what a fantastic report I have just read. A big thumb up for been persistent and the result speak for itself. BTW what depth did you get the kingies from? Were they caught on yakkas?


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## eagle4031 (Jan 29, 2010)

great report --- that bump would ahve worried me though


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

A nice turn around in your day mate, well done.


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

DEFINITELY a trip worth reporting. Congrats on the King fab day.


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Nbh00d said:


> Kung Hei Fat Choy Bunsen and what a fantastic report I have just read. A big thumb up for been persistent and the result speak for itself. BTW what depth did you get the kingies from? Were they caught on yakkas?


Mate, the kings were in very close - around 20 feet of water, in the real tiger country. The other fish were all over the place.

I persist with my patch because I know when it's good, it really turns it on. It should be firing for a while now, even if it was a bit of a late start.
Now if only I can get back my squid mojo!


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

Awesome bunsen, great to see it fall back in place for you.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

That is a great report, what good mix of fish.
A session like that could almost restore my smile.


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## RekFix (Dec 30, 2011)

Great report mate.

The bump would've sent me home in hurry..fo shizzle!


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Great report.
"Shark, in the dark. fark" - gold!
(I'd have shit)
Tuna and kings from the 'yak - before breakfast - awesome stuff!


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Nice one Bunsen - great to see you're getting amongst them down south. The long skinny king you threw back looks like it's been "Gatesy stretched".



> "That's the good thing about a paddle yak vs hobie."


Another one is the shark attraction effect. If you had fins, you would have been cuddled for sure.


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## badmotorfinger (Mar 15, 2010)

Fark. You deserved the kings.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Cool report. I'd take any one of those right now, 'cause that would mean the water was warm.
54F [that!].


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## mrwalker (Feb 23, 2009)

Extra points for perseverance and a just reward, great report, thanks, Dave.


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

Great report - what a great mix of fish. Out of curiosity what weight metals did the bunnies and mac tuna take?


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

What a report Bunsen. Nudges, lap dancing vibrator fish AND a happy ending.
Were you putting Lynx on your rigs?


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

5 g twistys, 7g marias and a homemade sashcord jig did the best on the day Paul. Gary, its the magic bandanna I tells ya.


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## Salty Dog (Sep 18, 2005)

Nice one Bunsen. Mind you, if you get bumped by sharks on good days, I am giving you a wide berth on bad days! :lol:


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Hey I remember that jig you made, glad to hear it performed. What a report; highs, lows, bumps, vibes and lots of good fish!


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Come on, show us you jig


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## camel (Oct 4, 2005)

Great report and nice fish, Bunsen.

Copping a bump in that gloomy morning light would really freak me out. Can't say I'd have the nerve to stay out. Well done.

Ant


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Sounds like an awesome sesh. All except for the curious shark though. I think if I got bumped by a shark in the dark I would have ran over the water back to land.


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

I reckon I probably covered about 100m in 20 seconds, that's for sure! 
What are you going to do though? It was just a friendly bump, not a hard hit. I reckon the footage of Karnage in the water at longy after being knocked in shows what cool in a bad situation really is. I think I'd be crying like a baby if that was me.


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## Darwin (Jul 25, 2008)

Why don't you bump her back mate! To be honest should we do something or do nothing in this situation? I may pull out my water proof phone and record last message to my love. I may say "If I can survive, I will love you more!". Perhaps, it is time to confess to god! If I can come out un-scratched, I will go to buy a lotto ticket etc. It seems you done nothing but kept on fishing, so your effort paid off! I will join you again next time. Hopefully, the shark will pick on your shorter kayak rather than my 4.2 revo! lol

Darwin


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Great report and glad to it was just a friendly bump. Still to see a shark close up from the yak.
As for the paddle vs peddle, with peddles you could have turned the rudder and towed the fish out instead.
Rob


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

If that's what it takes to catch a King then I'll stick to redfin.

Great report but.


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