# SA June 13 Queen's Chinese birthday



## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

The formula for a successful Queen's birthday weekend.
Ingredients:
1. A group of guys who like to fish from kayaks.
2. Forcast promise of 2 days of ok weather.
3. A spot which might produce fish.

What's left...to get out there and catch the fish that we like to catch.

With some rush plans made for a visit a place of promise.... a little known spot on York Peninsula called Chinaman Wells near Port Victoria.
Solatree, Olddood, Rodandreel, Murpheysegg and yours truly were in for some pleasant discoveries.

Upon arrival, we found some nice water with plenty of broken bottom as well as with a promising drop-off to work.
My aim was to hopefully catch some Whiting and with fingers crossed maybe a Snapper.... especially as that was the request my wife put in as I left home earlier that day.
That was the Sunday and we all found the wind to be a bit uncomfortable and very cold when we were out the back, especially for those on the drop-off.
Lots of bites out there, and a fair mix of fish to be had from Sweep, Leatherjackets, Wrasse and Drummer to Snook, Salmon trout and even small Snapper. 
But not what we were looking for really, so time to move in closer to shore out of the windy chop to have a crack at some King George Whiting.
Perfect timing...Mark and I were lucky enough to bag some nice ones... only a couple each, but real honkers.
Meanwhile Andy(Solatree) was presenting soft plastics and hard bodies a little further out and cleaning up with about a dozen Snook caught and released.

Then on the Monday we were off again to really work the drop-off.
Sadly a bit of a let down yet again. The fish shut down as we arrived, but not before Andy(Rodandreel) managed some sweep and Drummer and Jason was into some Squid..
Everybody was getting bits and pieces, but one by one we each departed in search for better prospects.
With the help of a stiff chilly sou-easter, slowly this promising location was losing its appeal.

Time to get mobile and get the circulation going again, so trolling time for me and maybe a repeat of Solatree's snapper on lure act from the day before.

The blade I was hoping to do the work with was sadly lost as it snagged a high ledge, and at about the same time I realized this was some really good underwater terrain beneath me, maybe even Snapper country.
So, time to drop anchor and to re rig with bait. Berley sent over the side along with a couple of old pilchards cubed to attract some interest and a baby octopus onto a size 8 circle hook sent out, it was time to sit back in the saddle with anticipation.
Back in metro waters over the past 12 months this was the procedure for me so many times, but for the past 4 or 5 it had only resulted in sheer disappointment.
I had a good feeling about this one though, especially as there were arches on the sounder that also gave me "Snapper hope".

Within 20 seconds those almost forgotten Snapper bites were happening again and the bait was well and truly taken.
A couple of minutes later a 54 cm Snapper was on the deck and I was beaming.
Its twin joined it shortly after and my Snapper confidence was well and truly restored.

Over the next 45 minutes I was wrestling with about 10 keepers, especially when I switched to good sized chunks of King fish and Squid.
I only managed to boat 3 more, but that was all I needed to get my new personal record of "a bag-out on Snapper" session.
Lots of excitement and exercise to finish off a wonderful weekend.

BTW thanks for your patients Andy....Sorry to keep you waiting on the beach, hoping to get away early to beat the traffic to your appointment, perhaps we could blame my wife and her request.

First one in









And the rest








This was the terrain... very promising, even with out the arches... they soon followed.

















even these Drummer feel like Snapper on the line


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## RobC (Jun 13, 2010)

Nice work Drew, I bet you were a very happy man with that lot


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## OldDood (Nov 6, 2008)

Great Effort Drew,
It was finally your turn to be the Snapper King.  
I had a great time over the weekend. 
It was a really interesting spot with a great choice of fishing option from shallow sand patches to deep water and reef.
I am sure I will be spending more time over there investigating all the options.
Thanks for organising the trip at short notice, it turned out to be well worth your efforts.
Here are a few pictures of some of my efforts .
Thanks to Jason for the tasty squid which I have already devoured with a crab chaser. :lol: 









The biggest drummer I have caught to date. That is a 5/0 circle hook hanging out of his gob!









Jason, Andy and Drew chasing the whiting in a sandy patch.








Mark


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## fisher (Aug 30, 2005)

Well done fellas. Chinamans has always been one of those spots I wanted to try since doing work around that area some 25 years ago. The tides can be a bit of a bummer in launching and retrieving for boats, but yaks would be ideal. You did much better than us just up the coast a bit (Cape Elizabeth) - Friday and Saturday there was almost nil water movement and it really shut things down. There's a lot of promising water in that area. Good report!


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

A great weekend, good company, great spot and good fishing - what more could one wish for (apart from the rat poo in Rodandreel's bed !) Thanks for organising Drew - and congratulations on that bag out of snapper - persistance and a good eye paid off.

Early on I had a ball chasing, catching and releasing Snook in around 2m of water when the wind precluded going out wide. A highlight was hooking a big bugger that turned my kayak once he (or she) spotted my kayak. It powered off with dorsel fin and tail churning the surface, pulling the hook free as the kayak turned through 120 degrees . Snook get a lot of bad press in some fishing circles but I find them good fun on light gear especially in shallow water when they can put on all sorts of salmon like jumps and tail walks. I then managed a nice 30cm Squid on the 4" gulp minnow I was using - fresh squid - perfect KGW bait.
















I joined OldDood and Drewboy for some KGW action - two good bites straight away and then it shut down but not before OldDood scored an absolute kidney slapper - no details available - I think OldDood ate it raw - and being the good chap that he is, even though he had three in the bag, he only wanted 2 for dinner and so released his surplus - it was a release wasn't it Mark ?
















To warm up, I set off for some more SP trolling in the 2-3m water. More snook followed and then a good take but the head shakes were very un-snook like. Was quite pleased to boat a nice 41cm rugger, caught on a trolled SP in 2m of clear water !








Thanks again Drew for organising us and to RodandReel for showing us the area.


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## suehobieadventure (Feb 17, 2009)

Well done guys shame I had to work, fffreezing nights up here :shock:


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## Milky (Feb 7, 2010)

Nice report guys, I had a great weekend in bed...

Drew perhaps my staying behing relieved the group of the Jonas tag. Real nice fish it musta been hectic.

Claire tells me you didnt drop off the snapper fillets as promised :twisted:

Andy I suspect the rat poo was from our last trip to Wyalla when you slept in the shed with the rats chewing your toes


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## OldDood (Nov 6, 2008)

solatree said:


> and being the good chap that he is, even though he had three in the bag, he only wanted 2 for dinner and so released his surplus - it was a release wasn't it Mark ?


Yes Andy I did release it intentionaly exactly a half an hour after I landed it ;-) 
The following picture says it all.


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## Murphysegg (Oct 21, 2010)

Top work there Drew. Pass that "Donut King" belt over to me :lol: I was beginning to think i was in "World of Leather" with all the toothy critters i was pulling up :shock: Certainly no shortage of action to be had though. I drifted over one spot whilst trolling an SP & a HB & the Hummingbird went nutz.I don't think it could possibly have displayed any more graphics :shock: . The structure below was incredible & absolutely teeming with fish, but at that point i hit a snag with the SP & then tangled the HB round my rudder so had to head in to sort myself out.

Thanks to Rod & Reel for sharing this Gem with us ;-) Certainly one to pay a few more visits. I'm already looking forward to going back  Might upgrade the Ute's Springs though :lol:


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## rodandreel (Jun 15, 2010)

Good to see every one was happy and i did like that drew caught that drummer well done


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## Samboman (Sep 6, 2010)

Good stuff guys, Some nice fish there 8) I know the place well, mate had a shack at Balgowan  i have 5kg of cockles ready for them yummy whiting 

*****


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