# Clovelly 041107



## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I was at the carpark at 0450, minus most of the useful part of my brain (25yr reunion + beer, with a chaser of 2 hours sleep). Timax, JT, Keza & DaveyG arrived at gentlemans hours (0510), and so it was that we launched into early light. Smallish swell and light winds early. Rock monster junior was home, and nearly ate JT (who cleverly picked the set, but recovered masterfully). The rest of us picked the gap and out we went.

The ominous sky delivered sporadic rain, but spirits undampened (in damp clammy bodies) we threw everything at 'em. A pretty slow start, but I finally got a hookup on plastic for a low 60's rat. Left out the plastic and got busy with the jig, and after the obligatory sb, got a good hit (on my very fancy new 120g Cultiva jig) for a better fish that I estimated as legal, but came up as 70cm (dinner). I had this fish at my feet when the drifting plastic got smashed, and the drag started spinning on the Certate. Landed him, measured at just under 65 so sent back, then I dealt with the first one. I had to retie the leader on the jig rod (nasty twisty knot just belown the leader), and cunningly contrived to send said Cultiva jig on a one way trip down while doing so (still some neurons short of Mensa candidacy).

Keza and I continued for while after the others left, looking for fish on the sounder and dropping jigs to them. I got two more on the jigs (1 kept @ 65cm,) and had several other takes without hookup. The sounder is undoubtedly an asset when doing this.

We came off the water at about 1045, having negotiated a phalanx of dive students. No casualties. Lovely day, though quite windy by the time we landed. I landed 5 kings, 2 plastic, 3 jigged, kept 2.


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Nice result, especially given the ordinary conditions. Go team Clovelly


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

Dedication, that's what I like to see. Well done, Dave -- you deserve your fish.


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## Sanman (Jan 1, 2007)

That's very impressive, well done. 
You've got the kingies well sussed.

Sanman


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## tugboat (Nov 15, 2006)

Good to see you guys got out amongst them this morning. Yesterday morning was a no go zone with the amount of wind about.
Will have to see how the weather and sea reports are for the week... might try sneak in a mid week pre work fish


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## simond11 (Aug 29, 2005)

Hi guys
Great to hear the kingies are stil out there. Got up this morning with all the intentions of joining you, but after a 2am bout of throwing up everything I had eaten during the day, i decided to giveit a miss. Food poisoning me thinks! But, I did get to the top of Cliffbrook Parade with my binoculars and scoured the horizon to suddenly see 5 kayaks bobbing out there, with black clouds rolling in. Good to see you guys made it. The weather forecast was so totally wrong, including good 'ole SeaBreeze. 
Hopefully this weather will stay with us for the rest of the week. Hoping for a session in the next few days, but with a very early start.
How was the re-entry, seeing the swell was coming from the East?
Cheers

Simon
Prowler 15


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## Flump (Apr 17, 2006)

Sorry for the no show guys, got in at 1am and just couldn't get out of bed at 4am  .

Sounds like another good session despite the thunder and rain last night  .

Go the Clovelly Kingie bashers


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

It was a bit slow out there to start and i was at a bit of a loss with what to try.
I had my new and only jig with me (saltiga sardine) so i thought i would give this jigging thing a go.
Straight into a sgt baker and i was thinking hay these things do work. Unfortunately i got it snagged on the bottom  , so i had to break my braid.
SBD loaned me another jig but the only king i got was on my gulp and he didn't make the 65 mark.
Got another 2 sgt bakers as well.


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## MangoX (Feb 18, 2006)

Well done guys once again

great report and pics  
Glad to hear Rock Monster Jr didnt claim anyones craft....

SBD's also becoming a Kingie magnet !! Always pays off to put the hours in and claim the zone 

top stuff


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

fair dinkum I'm starting to think that I'm cursed....

last week - there were no no fish and as soon as i left the boys start hauling them in. today the same - didn't look like catching anything (except a cold) and then I leave and then SBD starts pulling more fish.

good to get out there anyhow. tim (timax) was first to hook up to a small king (i'll post pics tomorrow) and then the action went quite for a couple of hours. the most frustrating thing was watching the couple of pro fishermen in their tinnys doing laps around me pulling fish after fish while i sat there doing my teabag impression..

got a jig bitten off (jackets) and caught a sgt baker and a pike but no kings for me today.

JT hooked up but got reefed and all the other guys scored fish.

anyway,,,a nice day for a paddle!


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Great report guys, good to hear the Kings still being caught.

DaveyG - I totally understand what you mean with the curse, i had a run of about 20 trips that i got nothing, hardly any hits and no fish. hope you score a HUGE Kingie soon to make up for it.  8)


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## fisherdan (Apr 17, 2007)

Looks like fun guys! when is the BBQ?!!


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

heres the picture of tim with the first fish of the day.

on another note - my sounder is currently in for repairs and as such i didnt have the benefit of my 'underwater eyes'.. what a difference - i had no idea what was underneath me or where the schools were. meanwhile sbd was locating the fish and dropping his jigs on their heads using his sounder.

I'll get 'em next time!


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

Fed 6 people royally last night, with some cooked leftovers for kedgeree tonight. General approval for the 40 second sear on the white hot teppan plate (butter, lemon, salt, pepper, dusting of warm spice), but for mine the sashimi plate that preceded the main deal was the pick, utterly delectable.

JT, tell us about the reefing, or is it still too painful?


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

Ahh the pain lingers SBD....oh what could have been :?

Very marginal weather with wind and rain but it wasn't actually too bad out there. I must admit my hands were water logged and all wrinkled like when you was a kid and spent too much time in the bath and I was getting cold by 8:00.

I also cursed myself for forgetting the plastic bag that my transponder sits in. No real boils up to speak of or birds so I, like DaveyG was flying completely blind (note too self...pack that plastic bag!) Might as well have had a paper bag over my head...would have been drier too!

The launch was somewhat hairy with me choosing to go just as 3 big waves rolled. 3 over the bow with me waist deep in water. Too late to turn back now! I got out abount 8 to 10 meters from the "ramp" to find there was a rock submereged by only an inch infront of me. That launch point at Gordons is NOT a ramp...I don't care what anyone says :shock:

I was working 7 Inch Jerk shads in Lime Tiger and Blue/white as well as a 6 Inch Swimming bug in Nuk Chook. This became very frustrating as the jackets were everywhere. I went through a 4 pack in literally 7 minutes. I must have gone through 9 7 Inch soft plastics 

Bought in a very battered and tatty jerk shad that the jackets had again mauled. I tossed it over the side again so they could strip it which would save me pulling it off. This is the plastic which was taken in a very aggressive fashion with the Sol screaming out as the line peeled off and the rod doubled over. Fight was no more than 20 seconds before I was reefed. 19lb leader came up cut. In hindsight I reckon I screwed it up by not turning the fish before I should have. I was faffing about with the other hand trying to wind my unweighted mojo in so it didn't tangle as the beast came up. Pah!!!! :?

Kingy 1, JT 0

Still nice to be out there with Kerry, Dave, Dave and Tim. Next time I will also take a jig as the jackets were really limiting the options with plastics. Funnily enough they never touched the unweighted Mojo. Go figure.

My hat is off to you Tim launching and landing at Gordons in a glass SIK. Ballsy stuff!

JT


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

Well done for getting out there. I was awake listening to the downpour in the small hours and using some minor lurgy as an excuse not to go out. 
Its great to know that the rain hasn't really put the kingies off - but it does sound like they're a little deeper these days. I'm glad leather jackets don't like human flesh (at least not whilst its moving) as that would make launching and any general contact with the ocean very very interesting 

Now what technique are the pro's using - are they travelling that much faster than a kayak, or is it something we can learn and copy (if tethering another kingie is illegal, what about some sort of attractor or jig ?).

SBD - five kingies again !!!!!


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

paulb said:


> Well done for getting out there. I was awake listening to the downpour in the small hours and using some minor lurgy as an excuse not to go out.
> Its great to know that the rain hasn't really put the kingies off - but it does sound like they're a little deeper these days. I'm glad leather jackets don't like human flesh (at least not whilst its moving) as that would make launching and any general contact with the ocean very very interesting
> 
> Now what technique are the pro's using - are they travelling that much faster than a kayak, or is it something we can learn and copy (if tethering another kingie is illegal, what about some sort of attractor or jig ?).
> ...


What about one of those flashers that spear divers use? The pros were pretty much sitting in a single spot Paul. All using hand lines from what I could see. DaveyG reckons they were using Cuttlefish fillets (DaveyG?) Whatever they were doing it was working alright.

JT


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

paulb said:


> Now what technique are the pro's using - are they travelling that much faster than a kayak, or is it something we can learn and copy


The guys we saw were fishing with weighted hand lines and bait (I asked one, he said anything white eg peeled occy tentacles, squid). They strip in their bait, wrapping the line around their arms. They must have hands like leather because they don't wear gloves. The guy I spoke to had caught several fish, but no keepers. Looks easy enough, but it's probably like chess - easy to learn, hard to master. I might take a bit of bait next time I go, but I prefer the artificials. Bugger the handline though.


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

they were motoring slowly in arcs behind the island. they have a weighted line that obviously sinks down and they seemed to have 2 or 3 hooks per line (but i may have been mistaken). bait seemed to be squid/occy tentacles - something firm that will hang on the hook and also resembles a scurrying baitfish (or a soft plastic mojo).

they were working the lines with a swift pull every 15 seconds or so while trolling. i thought i also saw one of the guys burleying/cubing as they went along - dropping little bits of bait every 30 seconds or so.

I saw one boat pull in about 10 fish and only saw a couple kept.

as mentioned, I was trying to muscle in on their action but couldn't raise any interest...apart from the leatherjackets.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

you guys with the peddles could do it, one line in each hand while peddling along swinging your hands back and forth while listening to your favourite tune on the ipod.
"yakarobics"  
After i saw these guys doing the handline thing, i went and bought some squid and put it down in strips, even tried pulling it like they were. Not even the leathers touched it :shock: 
I think the noise from the motor also brings the kings around, at least that's what i have been told when fishing from a sink boat.
Has anyone tried the plastics with the flashing light in them? i have seen them on ebay, they may work as it seems to me that the trick with kings is to piss them off.

as for the sounder, i have never had one and never thought i would want one UNTIL I USED A JIG, there would be a definite advantage to knowing what is under you when jigging.
Do they show you when you are about to snag your jig on the bottom


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## timax (Oct 16, 2007)

My hat is off to you Tim launching and landing at Gordons in a glass SIK. Ballsy stuff!

Launching was the easy bit. Getting back in took 2 attempts . I stood watching the wave roll in and after the last big wave of a set I just dropped the Kayak on the water dumped my bum and paddled straight out to avoid that rock that sits just to the left. Coming in I rushed it a little as I wast trying to get home to get the family ready for nippers. I was swept off course to the left enough for me to hit rocks if I continued so I just back paddled as fast as possible to be clear of the next wave and sat and waited for a lull , then paddled like hell.
I only caught the 1 fish after seeing a boil on the surface. With that slight westerly that was blowing I found I had drifted quite a way out and so I paddled over closer to the Island and straight past the fish feeding near the surface. I think the guy standing in the boat has an advantage being higher he goes to where he can see fish and almost teases them to strike and just keeps an eye on where they are. The 1 I got wasn't alone. My tactics next time will be to paddle around until I see them and then reach for the rod.
Stunning morning to be out there , nice and smooth , great clouds , loved it!
Learnt a new rule though....... If you don't have a sheath for your knife then don't carry one. I sliced my finger quite deeply when I went to grab my rod and hit the blade at the same time. Needed some electrical tape and a length of thin bungee to reduce the blood flow. Pinkies bleed alot! Your lucky this pic is so out of focus.


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## tugboat (Nov 15, 2006)

I thought that was gelcoat off the kayak.... 8)


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

timax said:


> My hat is off to you Tim launching and landing at Gordons in a glass SIK. Ballsy stuff!
> 
> Launching was the easy bit. Getting back in took 2 attempts . I stood watching the wave roll in and after the last big wave of a set I just dropped the Kayak on the water dumped my bum and paddled straight out to avoid that rock that sits just to the left. Coming in I rushed it a little as I wast trying to get home to get the family ready for nippers. I was swept off course to the left enough for me to hit rocks if I continued so I just back paddled as fast as possible to be clear of the next wave and sat and waited for a lull , then paddled like hell.
> I only caught the 1 fish after seeing a boil on the surface. With that slight westerly that was blowing I found I had drifted quite a way out and so I paddled over closer to the Island and straight past the fish feeding near the surface. I think the guy standing in the boat has an advantage being higher he goes to where he can see fish and almost teases them to strike and just keeps an eye on where they are. The 1 I got wasn't alone. My tactics next time will be to paddle around until I see them and then reach for the rod.
> ...


There is certainly something in this. I was sitting out there doing my thing and then I would hear a splash or see a swirl. I would look to my left or right to see the concentric circles unfold. Individual Kingines I thought. The added height would make a difference. The pros must be doing something we aren't if infact they are pulling in more fish (although let's face it...the Google Bot on this sight has probably pulled up more Kings that me in the last 2 weeks).

It's all an evolution folks and we just keep going until the best possible formula is known.

By the way Tim...the self healing stuff is very John Rambo 8)

JT


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

i thought you could stand up in a hobie and peddle at the same time, unicycle style.


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

timax said:


> Needed some electrical tape and a length of thin bungee to reduce the blood flow.


Gatesy'll be able to use that when a shark takes his feet. He'll have to paddle home though.

Nice photo Tim. I think we need an injury page in the wiki.


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

OK - I'll give $50 to the first person who pulls it off. (Video evidence needed)

Stand up in a hobie and peddle unicycle style and have
one line in each hand whilst swinging your hands back and
forth jigging for fish ( listening to your favourite tune on the ipod is optional)

"yakarobics" more like "yakcrobatics" - Give you something else to do at Budgewoi this weekend!


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## tugboat (Nov 15, 2006)

Could be done on a Hobie Adventure Island


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

> If you don't have a sheath for your knife then don't carry one.


If you need a sheath they are easily made...length of PVC conduit having an inside diam the handle will fit in, heat the pipe at one end for the blade length then crush PVC from both sides, and finally cut the overall length so only and inch of handle protrudes then knives don't fall out of scabbard from being top heavy, and you can store it in a rod holder as is.

Reckon the Gordons launch is the toughest on the forum going by reports fellers, great effort


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