# Dave Irvine Memorial Snapper Classic



## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=53778

What a weekend!

The weather leading up to it was ludicrous - east coast low, torrential rain, 40 knot plus southerlies, 6m plus seas. What hope for us kayaks in an offshore stinkboat comp?

The seas had dropped to a "gentle" 3 meters by Friday, so it was game on - if launch was feasible.

Arrived at Coffs at 3pm, and wandered down to the beach to stretch the legs after a long drive, and suss out a feasible launch in daylight before sorting out where to sleep. Found KFDU Butts and Estuary Girl rigged up for a pre-fish with Dellboy, so what the hell, logistics can wait. Went for a fish.

How's this for an offshore launch pad in a big sea:










Caught up with 20 odd yakkers for a laugh at the briefing on Friday night - representing the entire eastern seaboard from Sunshine Coast down to the Gong.
Hooked up with fellow AKFF comp veteran Physhopath, to form team XOPATH. (Team "Snap-One-Off" was taken).

Shotgun launch soon after dawn Saturday, after a briefing from local yakfishing legends Yaqdoq and Thommo.



















Team Xopath smashed the rock cods on the inshore reefs for several hours before throwing in the towel, tired and wet, early in the afternoon. Clearly, Coffs is a crap place to hold a snapper comp.

On return, find that Butts has landed a 74cm snap, Bunsen and Stevie were on the board, the local yakboys had picked up some fish further south, and a boat has one over a meter. Hmmm&#8230;.we're just crap fishermen.

Sunday morning we gave it another crack, this time out a bit wider. Not a great start - wind was up - and Danny hooked an 85kg brute, but wrong species for the comp. He didn't catch'n'release, and decided to take his catch back with him (after he finished fishing for snapper).

Yaqdoq sent me to a reef 2k's out. Sounder lit up for the first time, and I hooked up to a heavy headshaker 2nd drift. Leader parted from the braid on the second run. These Coffs fish are bigger than the Sydney models, and 12lb mightn't cut it.

Was more careful on the next one, and got him in the net.










Not so successful with the photos though. Looked like 78cm when stretched out on the mat with two hands, but couldn't keep the wriggling bastard straight on my lap with camera in one hand for the glory pic. This was the best I could do:










Congrats to Dale, Dellboy and Butts for podium bags in the yak category. And thanks to Worleybird, Paul, Thommo, Dell and all the local guys for the warm welcome, and sharing the knowledge. And everyonr for giving it a go on those conditions. I'll be back!


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

Good on you for giving it a crack Tom! Very nice snap too, yakkers are definitely at a disadvantage trying to take photos of big snapper in a catch and release comp.

Seems like the conditions are always crap for this particular comp at this time of year up there. Hopefully better weather next year mate.

Marty


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## DrJed (Sep 13, 2007)

Well done mate - some cracking fish there by the looks.
Good to see the yaks represented well this year. Hope to make it to next years.

Cheers
Steve


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

> "yakkers are definitely at a disadvantage trying to take photos of big snapper in a catch and release comp"


Yeah Marty - I think I was disqualified :lol:


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## Stevie (Jan 16, 2011)

Top weekend, good to get away for a few beers and a paddle even though the fish didn't come out to play too much. A few Pannnies on the Saturday is all we could manage. Bunsun and I tried our luck out of the harbour on the Sunday into a very messy ocean, pulling up Pike and Rock Cod :twisted:

Mr X had a nice fish, pity about the picture mate. Thanks for sharing a few beers and some fishing wisdom over dinner, I had a nice little hangover for the drive home :lol:


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## paulthetaffy (Jan 27, 2010)

Nice work Tom, looks like it was a lot of fun! Now get back to longy so you can share your snapper catching skills with us!!


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## HardPlastic (Jul 2, 2007)

Nice to meet you on the Sunday Tom and spewing you were disqualified mate. I saw you walk up the steps when Starlo was about to announce the kayak winners and I thought you'd be called but obviously that photo didnt cut it. Might have to devise some sort of tablet thingo we can all use for next time.

Did better than us though. All we could manage were rock cods with some Sargeant Majors, a wobbegong and a shovel nose thrown in the mix.

I'll take the opportunity now to thank Yaqdoq and Thommo for looking after us so well on the Saturday with the briefing, radioing in for everybody and even giving us a push at the launch, missing out on an early launch and fish themselves because of it. Top blokes.

See you next year Tom.

Greg


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

How exhausted do the organizers want 80cm+ snapper to be in order to lie still for a mug shot on a kayaker's lap?

You got jipped Tom.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Nice Snapp Mr X. Yep be very tough to hold a fish like that for a pic.

Looks like it was an OK weekend. I'll hopefully make it down that way one day for the comp.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Well done guys for braving the weekend, the conditions looked like they were going to be dreadful.
Tom, I think I would have given that snapper a second bump on the head to help him lie still.
You was robbed mate


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Nice Snapper Tom,  Just a tad Jealous ! ;-) 
Looked like a nice beach to launch too considering weather. Next year I'll be there for sure



Marty75 said:


> How exhausted do the organizers want 80cm+ snapper to be in order to lie still for a mug shot on a kayaker's lap?
> 
> You got jipped Tom.


I'll second that !


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Awesome weekend, cheers to all the yakkers we met, fished with and drank beers with. Conditions on Sunday were marginally better than Mondays campsite pack up in the drenching rain, and the drive back to Sydney? Well, let's say that wasn't fun at all!


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

That's definitely a snapper of note Tom and if they haven't got a prize for Knobliest Lapdancer for kayakers they should.

What bait or lure did the damage?


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

> What bait or lure did the damage?


Word on the street is 5" gulps are dynamite on Coffs Rockcod!

Jim, trolling lures is apparently the way to go, shame it wasnt allowed in the rulebook.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Terrific snap Tom, and what a crock that they disqualified you based on that photo. I greatly admire your good spirits considering the circumstances!


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## Physhopath (Jun 21, 2007)

It was a great w/end with plenty of beers, laughs & stories told. 
Imagine what a great time we would have if the weather played nice.

Was good to see more kayakers this year, I could only manage a handful of red rock cod over the two days.

The launch








The Kayak Winners,












MrX said:


> Sunday morning we gave it another crack, this time out a bit wider. Not a great start - wind was up - and Danny hooked an 85kg brute, but wrong species for the comp. He didn't catch'n'release, and decided to take his catch back with him (after he finished fishing for snapper).


Sunday morning didn't work out to well for me, felt something weird on my leg, looked down bloody hell there's a jig head in me leg, gave it a little tug but it was in past the barb. So I cut away my tights had a quick look & decided at first to leave it there & continue fishing, but as I kept peddling it was swinging around a bit so I pushed it through, squashed the barb & ripped it back out.








Didn't really enjoy my morning after that so I headed in closer for some more casts, then decided to head back in for a hot cup of milo.


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

> "You got jipped Tom.
> 
> You was robbed mate"


Nah, had a ball, and the boys on the podium managed excellent photos (Dell on the AI tramp, and Butts in the back of the outback).

The committee was pretty clear about the rules, and their decision would be final: http://deep.deepseafishingclub.com.au/files/2012/05/DIMSC-Rules.pdf

Bushy pointed out at the briefing that the committee had been doing it for years, so they had seen it all before. I'd bet this was the first time any competitor tried to enter a fish perched on his lap. :lol:

This is only the second time yaks have been allowed in the comp, and I figure we still have a few things to work on to compete. Next time, I'll be better prepared. (DIY will include a few brag mat stabilisers - with obligatory pool noodle, cable ties, & PVC).



> "What bait or lure did the damage?"


Cast and retrieve lures only Jim, and I hooked both mine on the light gear that I use on the little reds we find up here - 12lb, 2-4kg rod, 2500, 5cm plastic, ¼ jighead, 3/0. (Paid the price on the first one)



> "and the drive back to Sydney? Well, let's say that wasn't fun at all!"


Yep, Bunsen/Stevie, my head hurt too, we figured out what the "F" stands for in the "F3".

Danny, that photo made me cry.


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

Nice work Tom, shame about the photo. We'll slay 'em next year.

Danny, have you thought about using blunt hooks? Ouch!


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Great fish Tom ! Well done. I'd love to get a 70+ snap - and nice piercing Danny - ouch !


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## worleybird (Aug 31, 2008)

It was great to see so many yaks there, especially with such dodgy weather in the lead up. A great weekend even if I did fish for 14 hours to get zero fish. A bit of wild weather but congrats to everyone for making the trip and getting out in marginal conditions. Congrats to the place getters and also to Tom for catching a fish that should have got him in there somewhere if the fish had of not been so camera shy.

We were talking about the photo issue at work today and we thought it would be a good idea for the yakkers to think about a cheap and easy solution to making up a brag mat board of some kind that guys could make for a sturdy snapper photo surface.

All in all can't wait till next year.

Stephen


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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

Coffs is a beautiful spot where warm north meets cold south in the weather...wish it was closer ....top fishing!


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## Stevie (Jan 16, 2011)

I didnt get any decent footage over the weekend, but here a little from around Muttonbird on Sunday. Rough! 
You might notice Bunsen further in near the island when the camera comes around.


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