# NSW Sth Coast 16th July: It was winter



## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

The frost on my windscreen told me so. It has been far too many weeks since I've done a proper trip away with the kayak, so I relished all the 'normal' things that I otherwise wouldn't pay much attention to. The smell of wood burning fires was strong and comforting as I passed through Bungendore, and my breakfast pie and coffee at Braidwood bakery were steaming and magnificent.

The target was snapper offshore. Seabreeze told me to expect about 2 metres of swell and a light breeze. It was spot on. The swell however was a bit unusual in the way it was forming curling waves close to shore, and the normally safe passage out to deeper water was a bit iffy. I managed to get out without incident, and fished for over an hour without a sniff from anything except an unlucky but welcome squid who was hooked on a plastic right on the tip of the candle. I cleaned him immediately, stowed the hood in the cooler and saved the tentacles - I haven't used bait offshore for ages, but when times are tough it can make the difference.










I phoned my reliable local info source Nostradamus (Craig450) to tell him I was struggling. Nostradamus450 prophesied a tide change " about now", and then went on to foretell of a one hour bite window when the fish would surely "go off". And so it came to pass. He also predicted that I would encounter a gypsy woman who would try and steal my kayak - that one didn't happen but two out of three aint bad. ;-)

I'd barely stowed the phone in the dry bag when the rod I'd rigged with a squid tentacle on a jighead showed signs of life, and in came a small but legal snapper. Things were looking up when I dropped what felt like a better snapper the next cast.










John316, who I'd seen launch a little earlier, paddled over and we exchanged theories on snapper this season - it has been a bit of strange one and the normally reliable plastics have not been producing with the same regularity as normal.

I repositioned myself about where I thought I'd picked up the last fish, threw out a plastic and set about rigging another squid tentacle on the other rod. I don't think the plastic even hit the bottom, the reel started screaming and it felt like a monster. After 3 or 4 minutes I knew it must be getting close, but the colour I was seeing down below didn't look quite right&#8230;&#8230;sure enough it was a fighting blue morwong/GregL. They would pull a snapper backwards in a tug of war. He went 48cm and was stowed in the cooler bag.










Over the next hour or so I managed a couple more barely legal snapper, and one good one on a 5" jerk shad which went 50cm on the nose.










The journey back in through the 'safe' channel was seriously dodgy and I almost came unstuck a few times as the swells picked up the back of the yak and slewed it sideways almost onto the rocks. This was quite amusing to some of the young grommets standing nearby. To say it was a relief to stand on dry land is an understatement.

It has been far too long between trip reports, thanks for reading.


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

glad you got some for your persistence Squidder. I only got some of the undesirables but would probably have joined you in the take home stakes but infortunately I succumbed to being unwell.. I was crook on Friday and should have had more sense than to venture out but the call of Depot rings loud and clear but at least I had the sense to get out while I could. I go there chasing the snapper but I think your right about the Mowies... great fish at the catch and at the table

cheers

John


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Good to see you yesterday John and sorry to hear you were crook and headed in early - but glad you weren't there to see my almost-catastrophe coming back in! 8)


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

Nice work Jase.

It seems everyone but me can catch mowies down there, jealous much.

Might send you a pm with a plastic to try. Its been working a treat up this neck of the woods ;-)


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Those are some serious lips.
Was the foretold gypsy well endowed? Might have looked harder if that was the case. Very cool to have a direct line to Nostradamus.

Good mix. Would like to see the launch channel in 2m swells.


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## robsea (Apr 7, 2010)

Well done Jase! After the return journey with those waves at your back I bet those fish will taste soooo gooood!

cheers

rob


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## pescado (May 17, 2007)

Nicely done jase, loved the pie description..."steaming and magnificent"


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

So that's what I'm doing wrong. Squid tentacles!

But I can't catch squid either 

Brilliant work as always Jase. A damn fine read too.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

QlpoOTFBWSZTWUh19L8AABpfgAAQUAeQCgSQEpo/7//gMACmCKntNMqb1T1A3pBDJo08oPUMAMmmgyGCGmI0YGqemk2mkYU02o0AAHqLTAdmlH0vzLxkFM6scJrNCtct5LqonFT0khsD3OldIICVZBybJMCFMfsH9DZAobRAvd0g2znrCO6tbLN4+uaSoz5mSCMGRUG9cw0iDCK9zPLnCuPvQ4LXAW0tfDAWnj2+yaVpjW1AJZUelyOOZmDbdGrHk6j8lNfwKOwohf4u5IpwoSCQ6+l+


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Good read, nice fish and a great reminder of the value of the old squid tenticle on the jig head trick ! Cheers Jason.


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

RedPhoenix said:


> Zed said:
> 
> 
> > Would like to see the launch channel in 2m swells.
> ...


the two kids on the boogie boards were having a ball = barrelling in towards the rocks and just pulling into the end of the channel as the waves peted out...

John


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

Zed said:


> Good mix. Would like to see the launch channel in 2m swells.


will have to make the trip after work with the camera to see if the forcast 6+ metre swells turn up... think I'll leave the yellow beast at home...

Tried to copy and paste an image from sea breeze but it wouldn't make the journey but 6+ metres and 35 40kt winds.. mmmm

cheers

John


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

Zed said:


> Good mix. Would like to see the launch channel in 2m swells.


here you go zed...









have put a couple of other pics in the main forum...

cheers

John


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

The bommie out the back would be nuts in that swell


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## nicktoozoff (Sep 19, 2008)

indiedog said:


> Do you think Nostradamus can help me out with some snapper in SEQ? :shock:


He has more of a chance of putting you onto fish in SEQ than bream in Tuross :lol: :lol: !


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Thats not funny Nick, its actually quite mean and if hurting my feelings was your intention then you are successful


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## nicktoozoff (Sep 19, 2008)

C'mon Craig, dont be a hater, you know I love ya mate.


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