# SA: 24/3 Adelaide metro. A turn for the better



## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Haven't been on the little boat all month and reports of local snapper here, along with the churned up water, got me fired up for an expedition. I planned to troll off the end of the Glenelg jetty with the sounder running, and anchor at the best looking spot come sundown.

Well, the water wasn't quite done being churned up. Mercifully the first aborted launch didn't flip me and with a fellow kayaker (who'd done a U turn shortly after launching before me) steadying my ride for the mount I crashed through the little shore break and was on my way, scupper holes gurgling out the remnants of the wave that knocked my fishfinder over on its ram mount. I'm in love with how waterproof that fishfinder is.










It was a lumpy ride to glenelg, and a little bit hairy with a few waves caught and my nose pitched uncomfortably low. After a fruitless troll, I decided to stick a squid head on a circle hook and do some kind of controlled drift with the paddle (didn't feel comfortable anchoring in all that chop and swell). No luck there, though I did see some promising dips and dots on the finder. I think I'll find a way to mount my GPS in view so I can berley a spot while drifting across it.

As the sun lowered I decided to troll off home. The BOM had promised receding wind and waves but right then it felt a little late. Just as I was headed off, my new minnow got hit by a foot long rugger which rounded out what I was thinking would just be an exercise trip. Further cementing my plan to head home, my lure got hooked by both trebles onto my shark shield, just barely in reach of my hands without tipping the kayak. Funny, I was just thinking lately about doing away with trebles. I got it off on the water eventually, preferring not to scrape the shark shield if I grounded on landing (the lure was preventing me lifting it back through the scupper hole). If you have to touch a switched on shark shield, by the way, don't put your leg in the water. :shock:

Just as I was approaching the landing spot, I saw an interesting dip and blip on the sounder, and I suddenly noticed the drop in the wind and waves the BOM had promised. I figured I had a good size bag of squid heads + flaps to burn and thrice frozen whitebait for burley, so I anchored and set the 8/0 circle hook rig again.










Well, I'm glad I did. The sound of a buzzing reel in the dark is intoxicating  Three ruggers, 42, 43 and 51 cm, my first metro snapper catch


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2012)

Nice work.
How far offshore were you?


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Hard to say in the dark


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Well done on going out on Saturday Squidley - you're braver than me - and well rewarded after quite an adventure ! No problems landing ? That shore break can be a bit treacherous.


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## Rockster (Sep 7, 2007)

Squidley said:


> (the lure was preventing me lifting it back through the scupper hole). If you have to touch a switched on shark shield, by the way, don't put your leg in the water.


Ahh the joys of trebles and dangly things hanging from the yak. Know what you mean Squidley, its always bit of a dilemma when you cant pull the shield back through the scupper. Few times have pulled it out through the scupper a bit to turn it off and with enough water in the bottom it certainly gets your attention ...... perhaps I am just a slow learner. 

Nice work on the haul!! Checked out the conditions that morning and they didn't look any better than that so I stayed home. Persistence obviously payed off.
Cheers
Bob


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

solatree said:


> Well done on going out on Saturday Squidley - you're braver than me - and well rewarded after quite an adventure ! No problems landing ? That shore break can be a bit treacherous.


Nah, it calmed right down, and by the time I landed I think the tide had receded to make the break a slow and shallow one. Overall I think the following morning would've been a more sensible option. If you found yourself out there that day, would you prefer to be in an Outback or a Revolution 11? I'm kicking tires at Binks at the moment


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## Zilch (Oct 10, 2011)

Well done !

Mate yet another great read /trip report, keep them coming.

Steve


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## RobC (Jun 13, 2010)

Well done. Nice catch. I guess you wouldn't have been bothered by all the stink boats in the dark in those lumpy conditions and being so far offshore like. They might get you next time though, so take a decent light so we can all see ya ;-)


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## YakCult (Nov 4, 2008)

Well done -
You worked pretty hard - but very rewarding!


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2012)

.


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Someone at Southwest Rocks with a hammerhead right? Yeah, that was interesting to hear. On the other hand it was pretty convincing seeing the Shark Shield boss swimming out of a cage in Pt Lincoln with GWs present and bait in the water. I guess I'm putting a bit of faith in our consumer protection regulations, the Navy's endorsement and maybe there being something different about a hammerhead's electrical sense. Another way of looking at it: if you were going to scam people with a fake product, wouldn't you pick something a bit lower profile than a shark repellent device for use in Australia?


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## paulsod (Dec 28, 2008)

Glad it all came together in the end.
As for the Sharkshieid. I believe they work. I have to or I be shatting myself every time I go out. :lol:


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Squidley said:


> If you found yourself out there that day, would you prefer to be in an Outback or a Revolution 11? I'm kicking tires at Binks at the moment


Actually - I can think of no better hobie than my 6 yo Sport in those conditions ! I was out in similar conditions last year - too rough to anchor and the snapper were about - but it was not dark ! - viewtopic.php?f=17&t=45964
IMHO, the Sport is seriously under rated. OldDood pedals an Outback and it also handles the conditions well - but does not seem to surf as well as my Sport - but perhaps there are other factors at play there. ;-) If I was to get any other Hobie, I think it might be a Revo 11 - because, like my Sport, it is light and easy to handle, but is probably quicker through the water - I expect it handles the rough stuff pretty well too - its bigger brother, the Revo 13 has accounted for plenty of offshore work - just check out Grant Ashwell's trip reports. memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1633


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## OldDood (Nov 6, 2008)

Well done on the snapper Squidley but where are my keepers?  
OK,tomorrow night there will be pinkies in my Yak. 8) 


solatree said:


> OldDood pedals an Outback and it also handles the conditions well - but does not seem to surf as well as my Sport - but perhaps there are other factors at play there.


I think my new 2012 outback rudder arrangement is a bit better in the surf than the old one. It tends to lift straight up when you hit the sand instead of twisting sideways. I have not given it a real good try yet though.
By the way my outback surfs in every bit as well as your sport Andy :? Only difference is that when you come in you can look up at the stars when I come in I can look up at the fishes. :lol: 
Regards,
Mark


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2012)

.


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Grant Ashwell is a straight gangster  I was showing that pic of him with the marlin on his lap to anyone in my vicinity for a while. Thanks for the info, I'm fairly sure I'll be peddling something before the year is out. Good luck tomorrow Mark, I'm envious you're headed out.


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## OldDood (Nov 6, 2008)

Squidley said:


> Good luck tomorrow Mark, I'm envious you're headed out.


Thanks Squidley,
Your best wishes must have helped. There were 4 of us lined up out there Tuesday night and we all got some keepers.
Regards,
Mark


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## Zilch (Oct 10, 2011)

OldDood said:


> There were *4 of us lined up *out there Tuesday night and we all got some keepers.


Was nice to catch up with again Mark and to meet Rob C and Murphysegg (Jason).
If anyone wants a snapper cleaned in no time flat, Rob is now the man ;-) :lol: 
A couple of photos from the night's fish.
Click on photo if you wish to enlarge.

View attachment 2




















Steve


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Wonderful result, everyone gets fish . Looks like it was a nice evening too. Maybe it'll still be stirred up on Sunday morning and I'll go then.


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## youngbrad (Mar 20, 2012)

nice effort indeed. couple nice pan sized ruggers.

might be a rather stupid question but its an honest one.. Are them reef systems you can see (roughly 300m off the jetty) the glenelg tire reef, or is that somewhere completely different.


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## OldDood (Nov 6, 2008)

youngbrad said:


> nice effort indeed. couple nice pan sized ruggers.
> 
> might be a rather stupid question but its an honest one.. Are them reef systems you can see (roughly 300m off the jetty) the glenelg tire reef, or is that somewhere completely different.


300 m directly west of the jetty are some large concrete blocks, strangely enough they are called the blocks. Clever name really. :lol: 
There are reefs south of the jetty though.


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

youngbrad said:


> Are them reef systems you can see (roughly 300m off the jetty) the glenelg tire reef,


The Glenelg tyre reef is about 5 kms off shore - so you are not seeing that Brad.


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## youngbrad (Mar 20, 2012)

Thanks for the answer guys, do people kayak to the blocks often?? I'd think the structure may entice some nice fish!

Approx 5 km...WHAT!!!!! Are you serious! Do people kayak that? Wow that truly is ballsy


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## OldDood (Nov 6, 2008)

youngbrad said:


> Thanks for the answer guys, do people kayak to the blocks often?? I'd think the structure may entice some nice fish!
> 
> Approx 5 km...WHAT!!!!! Are you serious! Do people kayak that? Wow that truly is ballsy


I do not know of anybody that has gone to the tyre reef in a yak and I wouldn't recommend it personally!

As for the blocks that are only 2 or 300m west of the jetty, many of us experienced yakkers have been there on a regular basis.
Note the *experienced* - Kayaking can be dangerous if you are not adequately prepared, please do not venture out too far on your own if you are a newbie!
There are plenty of guys on the forum that will show you the ropes and accompany you if you are new to yakking.
Just ask for a partner in the SA trips section of this forum until you gain some experience.


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Speaking of I think I'll head out Sunday morning if anyone's interested: viewtopic.php?f=45&t=54005
I'm curious about where I trolled up that little snapper.


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## OldDood (Nov 6, 2008)

Good idea Squidley, grab them while they are around.
I went out tonight and got 4 more keepers.


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)




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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

Nice, looks to be 50 or more. Today I got one on an HB (undersize), one on a circle hook bait line (undersize), and one on a nuke that was juuust sort of but not on 38 so it went back, so I guess nuke wins 

Did you find your pilchards?


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## GlenelgKiller (Mar 13, 2012)

Good to meet yourself and Drewboy today Squidley. Just polished off a very tasty flattie! Hope to catch you guys out on the water again soon!


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

You too GK. How'd you go about getting those flatties today? There's nothing I like more than a delicious lizard.


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## GlenelgKiller (Mar 13, 2012)

Just drifting over broken ground looking for KGW actually. I was working reasonably close in which got a bit hairy with that decent swell rolling through!


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Squidley said:


> Nice, looks to be 50 or more ?


Was 49cm , but I thought it was around 60cm as I was bringing it in - it put up a great scrap. Maybe its the Nuc Chooks :lol:










Squidley said:


> Did you find your pilchards?


I lost two plastic boxes of pilchards when launching into the dark and got swamped by one of the waves that were rolling in - The plastic boxes "floated" off the back of the kayak but I did not notice until I got out a bit where upon there was cursing in the dark  . Luckily I also had three garfish for the bait rod plus my Nuc Chooks  
Amazingly, Rockster found one box and gave it back to me when we caught up on the water a couple of hours later (thanks Bob) - and a beach fisherman had found the other box up on the beach at the launch site and gave it back me when I came back in.  
Lesson - when launching through waves - don't put anything that floats in the back of the Kayak unless its secured ! ;-)


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## Rockster (Sep 7, 2007)

What is there to say Solatree, success even without bait!!!! thank god for the Nuc Chooks hey? ;-) Figured they were your but by the time I got my butt into gear you were long gone. Also a big thanks Andy for the Masterclass in rigging pillies    It was good to meet you Squidley Sunday morning although I may note recongnise you again unless it is dark and you are wearing a headlamp :lol: My outing wasn't memorable where nothing seemed to go right, left some rigs at home, tangles everwhere, dropped by favourite squid jag overboard etc. Highlight though was a single KGW, didn't measure as long as I thought (38+cm) but nice and fat at 380g, so all was not lost.
Hoping for better results later in the week.
Happy Easter to all.
Bob


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