# Malabar, Versa Pitch. Now you see it, now you don't.



## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

(No fish in this report)

*Versa Pitch - You don't know what you have until it's gone....*

The title can be read in 2 ways. 
The first relates to time, or the lack of it. ie I've been stealing fleeting moments to install the sounder in the kayak, 5 weeks later and yesterday was another mad rush against time to try and solder electrics and rig up the battery. 
Alas, a 5 year old birthday party and other domestic duties meant todays foray with Keza was again, without my new sounder, but at least I had my Garmin GPS now loaded with Garmin's free Open Street Maps so the coastline looked correct and I had some previous marks loaded.

Keza & I pre-arranged a 5am meet at Malabar with big talk about smashing kings, bonito, reds and maybe some squid out front. 
I bought along his still in the wrapper Versa Pitch light jigging rod which he gleefully added to the days arsenal of rods decorating his very schmick Barracuda Ultralight. It was breezy and pretty crisp so we didn't make a huge rush for the water. I had a niggling cold and am a bit tired as our 2 year old boy inherited our night clubbing genes so raves most nights around 12-2am, ie a full night sleep hasn't happened in our home for ages.

For some reason Kerry asked me if I used rod leashes, (no I don't) but it seemed a rather odd question for 5.30am & a topic that would soon enough haunt me.

I had 3 rods&#8230;a light rod for squid, softplastics allrounder & my newly arrived, imported Versa Pitch rod, matched to a Stradic 5000. Finally, after a fair bit of effort, quite some expense and a few dramas with the shipping from Singapore, all the elements were together thismorning on the kayak for me to give this light jigging some serious attention.

I hit the water first just around dawn, as Keza was delayed investigating some issue that only a perfectionist like him would ever notice. ;-) 
Towing a Rapala CD7 on the heaviest rod, aka the Versa Pitch, I could feel the nice action as the tip vibrated along in perfect tune, it was odds-on that that lure would be getting smashed in the early light, so I backed the drag off half a turn and kept paddling towards Yellow Rock at the northern point of the bay. I'd hardly gone another 50 meters and I heard the rod move & vibrate in the pvc rod tube extender behind me.

Turning to grab it and do battle with the expected feisty king, instead I saw the rod being pulled out of the tube and javelin itself through the air and into the water some 10 meters behind the kayak&#8230;.

WTF?? The rod, THE ROD, in a split second, was goneski&#8230;. :shock: :shock:

I couldn't go in after it, I looked at the rocks and cliffs around me, and then I hit the GPS sounder to mark my spot, probably about 20 meters past where my heart & $600 plus investment splashed down and was last seen travelling.

So back in the car park, where the rod leash tethering conversation took place, I rang Kerry to tell him the news. He answered his phone by saying 'you're telling me to hurry up and you got a good fish?'.
"Guess what, I just lost the Versa Pitch, a fish hit it, it wasn't in the rod holder properly, and now it's gone&#8230;" 
As a mate, Kez is a trooper and was genuinely gutted for me. I was too a bit, probably a bit stunned, embarrassed and well out of pocket. So much for light jigging today, or ever for that matter.

So the rest of the morning was marginally better than the start, no fish, no squid, a westerly that was a nuisance, and a few bad braid tangles resulting in about 40m of lost line...I just couldn't get into my stride.

Kerry stayed close to the cliffs where he usually gets a qty of decent tailor but they weren't around either.
A tinny with spearo's or divers buzzed past but I was intent on fishing near a pro's drop line which ofcourse resulted in me losing a 60g Shout lumo stripe jig. I should have stayed in bed.

So well and truly over it I rang Kez to announce my retirement from the days events and I was off to see if daylight would help locate the rod I stupidly donated to Davy Jones' locker. 

Speaking some sense into my over tired, clouded head Kerry suggested I speak to the guys in the tinny and see if they could possibly help me out.
So I paddled over to this family of 4 Kiwi's, (3 generations) who were collecting sea anemone. 
The guys were close to done and all too happy to take a look back inside the bay for me. I headed off back to the mark and they arrived soon after. I explained the approx whereabouts of the rod, it still could be a needle in a haystack.

Hero diver donned his full dive kit, weight belt, cylinder etc while I chatted to the matriarch in the tinny who fed me raw anemone roe. 3 minutes later up surfaced my new best mate with my new favourite rod, and reel, and lure still attached. (from 11 meters of water, near a massive stingray).

From hero to zero to 'bloody hell how lucky am I!!!!'

The guys earnt $50 for their efforts, they were absolute legends and all smiles. Considering the value of losing it + the same value again for replacing it I think that's the best pineapple I've ever spent.
Now I'll send the reel off for a service, and invest in rod leashes for my gear, pick myself up and get on with it!

For the record, I reenacted the force of the line, tested the angle of dangle, and am sure it was my own user error. I've hooked up so many fish out of those rod holders nothing has changed. Maybe the split grip was sitting on the top of the pvc pipe and allowed the error, but that is slim as the Versa Pitch has a decent length handle. More likely in turning around quickly I may have knocked the rod out with my elbow on the back stroke. :?

All I know is I've learned a big lesson, use rod leashes to tether quality gear & if you go fishing on 3 hours sleep expect to be off your game. 
Fishing with a mate helps, & if they make random conversation like "tether your rods", it might be worth listening to them!

Cheers David


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Wow, that's a lucky break instead of a heartbreak. 
I lost a few rods over a few years before I started leashing. The last one resulted in a dive off the yak in 5 metres of water to try to find it. Luckily I did get it back, and when I opened up the reel that spent a few hours at the bottom of botany bay, it barely had a drop of water in it.


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

My intestines spilled for you too Dave, especially as it was definitely MrX's Warriewood Beast migrating south wot struck, and had you leashed up you would have caught the bastard and ended his reign of terror.
Sigh. 
Lucky you were surrounded by Keza and his kiwi comrades (Kkk?) and we could all put our intestines back where they belong with that magical happy ending!
Looking forward to take 2 dude.


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

The fish was gone?
Last time I did the same thing was at Exmouth and when I found the rod an hour or so later using a mask and snorkle, the fish was still attatched.
My reel was a cheapie and just went in the bin though.


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Great story - and fantastic you got it back.  Reminds me of this story - unbelievable but I was there - worth a read. viewtopic.php?f=17&t=41610&hilit=drag#p431231


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

Dave you are one lucky man. Well sort of. Get your reel into a bucket of fresh water ASAP and give it a nice long soak for a few hours. Take the spool, handle, maintenance port and bearing cap of before you put it in. Once it has soaked grab the real foot and flick out as much water as you can. Finally give it a good shot of Inox into the bearings and maintenance port. This will at least stop any corrosion before the reel is stripped. Otherwise by the time Shimano service it there will be corrosion damage. Just ask Keza. Give me a call.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

It makes better reading than an experience Dave.
There was nothing I could say that was going to make that one feel any better, maybe I should have drawn on my inner parent and told you off for not leashing 
Bad luck on dropping it but lots of good luck came together to retrieve it.

But what a crap days fishing that was. I must have had the Barracuda for over a year now and that was the first absolute doughnut, not even a bait fish. 
If I was a better fisherman I would know what to blame it on but with the lack of that knowledge I'm going to blame it on the moon, bastard.

Here you are on the water, I noticed you kept away from me but even from this distance I could hear your sobs reflecting off the cliffs


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## SkybluCraig (Sep 28, 2010)

Hard luck and good luck - hopefully the reel survives the experience.

I had a morning on the harbour with a mate out from Balmoral at reasonably social hours and most of the way from balmoral round the corner of middle head, past the cave was pretty desolate on the sounder. A brief smattering of bait in front of the head but nothing that would eat a jig.

We headed over toward Dobroyd and found a likely spot to anchor and get some action going. Ended with 3 cracker bonnies and a couple of decent squire (returned). Saw a couple of kings cruising through the bait but couldn't tempt them. Good fun on the 6lb gear.

I was also planning to blame the full moon. Outside of this patch the harbour appeared totally empty. Not even an undersize tailor in the bay at Balmoral. :shock:


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

Yep still can't believe how quickly it happened, and how lucky I am to get it back.
Thanks Gary have soaked the reel in hot water, filled with Inox and sending off for a service now.

Cheers Dave


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## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

Wow Dave, that was quite a ride. Could feel your pain as it disappeared across the water. Brand new!! Still basking in the glow of trialling new bling for the first time. Ouch!! Is there a steeper slope to fall down?
Good on the divers for helping you out. Would you have gone in after it if you had an anchor and mask? I reckon I would have had a crack for that price,
I used to carry a mask and snorkel. Now I just leash everything, even leave the leashes attached whilst fighting the fish. The AI sail ropes have a habit of flicking the right hand rod out of its holster so I use bungy on it as well, to cut down on reel servicing costs after dunkings.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Amazing story Dave.


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

Too late.
All 3 bearings had it, so Shimano service cost was $70.


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## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

If it was a daiwa you could have just kep ton using it lol.

I've retreived snagged lures using a mask and snorkel but reckon you'd be pushing it to retrieve it from 10 metres unless you knew the EXACT spot it was.

A serious question, were the blokes diving for anenomies with the scuba gear? not that you'd dob them in after helping you.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Pretty sure it was sea urchins
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/com ... restricted


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