# Qld Scarby 31 Oct 12… Love double hook-ups, eh? BUT!?



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Qld Scarby 31 Oct 12&#8230; Love double hook-ups, eh? BUT!?

Launched at Scarborough again today, time 0445&#8230; about an hour after low tide ie making tide (this could be good)&#8230; moon full or one day after (even better, methinks)&#8230; sun about to come up(ooooohh!)&#8230; moon about to set and wrassemagnet's sweet-spot in a few hours&#8230; could this be a day to remember??

You betcha, Baby! Definitely I will remember this day!

I trolled East for a while, then headed North, picked up a just-legal snapper on the way, kept going, then turned around and trolled past the point where I got the snapper again, and got hammered by something large that gave me a short lesson on 'how not to land fish'&#8230; bricked me in amongst some rough reefy stuff, leaving me with a slack main-line and the need to completely re-rig, with another Koolie as well&#8230; bugger!

I did that run a few times, (coming across John, {nanga 59} had a quick chat), then headed off for a Jewie run that took me to the other side of the Beacon reef and back then attempted a drift. However, the drift was negligible due to tide and very light breeze working against each other and holding me on the same spot, and then John turned up beside me (them Hobie pedal kayaks are so quiet, he startled me when he spoke&#8230; didn't have a clue he was there). Turtles were every-where, and quite a few jelly-fish as well.

We both fished, and pretty soon I was into something big on the overhead outfit&#8230; I couldn't sight it, but in my heart, I knew it was a bloody great turtle&#8230; I expressed my disdain in no uncertain terms (they're OK, but when I hook them, they shit me) and had to lift my other rod out of the way&#8230; but it was cleared, so that was OK, but I couldn't take the time to wind it in&#8230; bad blue!

I really worked hard to make some impression on the big sod, but it took me off to the South West, zipping line off the solid drag&#8230; then the other line registered a snag&#8230; bugger!

Then it cleared&#8230; good! But not for long, snagged again! Bloody hell, I'm busy enough with this mongrel turtle!

Then the snagged one began taking line, much more than if only snagged! Hell! I might have a decent fish on!

That thought didn't last long&#8230; another turtle came to the surface, and it had my second line attached! Bugger! Bugger!

What to do??? Both of them taking line, then both stopping, the only saving grace was that they were going in opposite directions&#8230; the lines wouldn't tangle like that. This went on for some time, with me working mainly on the first one, and occasionally giving the other one a thump, but that only stirred it up and off it would go again!

I was busier than the proverbial one armed paper-hanger with the crabs! :lol:

Around then, John stopped pissing himself laughing and offered to take a rod off me, so I could work on just one&#8230; Good move, John, so we worked our ways towards each other till we were side by side, and I gratefully handed my thread-line outfit over to him, then went to work on the first one.

Both turtles were way too big to even attempt to de-hook them, so it was a matter of getting them up close enough to cut the line as close to the big beasts as possible. For those who have never hooked turtles, they really don't like being close to kayaks, and every time you get them close, they take off again&#8230; and again&#8230; and again&#8230; and if you do ever get close enough, they want to bite you with that bloody great beak! I finally sliced the line to the first one, just short of the leader, (wouldn't let me any closer than that) then moseyed over to John and he handed the second one back&#8230; just then, Gary (sweed) came into view, joining into the mirth emanating from John&#8230; :lol: :lol:

After another to and fro battle, I finally got shut of the second one, then realised that I of course had two complete re-rigs to perform. John then decided that he would leave Turtle Haven, and headed off towards Moreton/Stradbroke to find some finny-fish instead of big round ones with flippers, big heads and nasty beaks.

The second outfit finished up with only a very short leader, as I ran out of leader material&#8230; Damn!

Gary and I drifted the area which, after a while, finally succumbed to a nice quiet Easterly breeze, giving a reasonable drift. I had the good fortune to register bag-out on snapper, but not so for my two fishing companions/opponents/enemies&#8230; John arrived back, fishless from his faraway foray, and had to leave as commitments allowed him no more time on the water. Just before he left, I hooked something very large, but after it gave me quite a torrid time, somehow we parted company&#8230; I still had my Zman lure, which I was quite happy about&#8230; that would have made 4 lures I was down if that had been taken.

Gary also attempted to leave, but I persuaded him to tarry for one last drift, and he registered his first bite of the morning, but what he thought was a small snapper, turned out to be something reasonably worthwhile, however&#8230; it snipped his line after tearing off when sighting his yak&#8230; we came to the conclusion that it probably was a mackerel of sorts.

This convinced him that a couple more drifts could be worthwhile, but nothing eventuated, so we both left, heading for home. I trolled past the spot where I got smashed in the early morning, but nothing doing there.

Have I created some questionable kind of a standard? Double hook-up on turtles?

Tight lines all, but not on turtles! ;-)

Jimbo


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

:lol: :lol: Couldn't happen to a nicer guy! :lol: :lol:

The only improvement would have been if John and Gary had hooked decent fish while you were re-rigging. :shock:

trev


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Sounds like you were keeping pace with a carapace, but a nice day for it Jimbo.


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## krisvander (Aug 3, 2011)

So that was 3 koolies?? Expensive day turtle watching.

-Kris


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## bruus (Aug 27, 2010)

Yep i'd definately prefer to leave the turtles to you and let me have time to catch fish infront of you even if that's a dilusional thought


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

I'll have to add that to the notes, "sweet spot good for turtles, bad for koolies" 

Some feedback on the Zman plastics Jimbo: one 3 inch paddle tail caught me 3 snapper and 5 trevally over 2 sessions this week and still looks brand new. The water's been clear down here so I've been using the mud colour one rather than the elechick.


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

I neglected to inform you that at times, I've collected donuts for the day, and either John and or Gary have bagged out on snapper... but Monday was my day... the Fishing Gods were smiling on me (after giving me a hard time on the turtles).

Isn't it strange that when one person is having a hard time, others seem to find humour in the situation. Only well after the incident, the hard-time Joe can begin to see the mirth.



bruus said:


> Yep i'd definately prefer to leave the turtles to you and let me have time to catch fish infront of you even if that's a dilusional thought


That's weird, Daniel, I was thinking the same thing, myself. I also thought at the time that John could at least have hooked one of my pet turtles, but nooooo... he let me have both of them!



krisvander said:


> So that was 3 koolies?? Expensive day turtle watching.-Kris


Not quite, Kris... one koolie and two soft plastics ie one zman paddle-tail and one snap-back... not near as bad as 3 koolies!



Dodge said:


> Sounds like you were keeping pace with a carapace, but a nice day for it Jimbo.


'Twas a lovely day on the water, Richo... love your "keeping pace with a carapace" :lol:



kayakone said:


> :lol: :lol: Couldn't happen to a nicer guy! :lol: :lol:
> 
> The only improvement would have been if John and Gary had hooked decent fish while you were re-rigging. :shock: trev


Trev... they were too busy holding their guts laughing to fish! 



Wrassemagnet said:


> I'll have to add that to the notes, "sweet spot good for turtles, bad for koolies"
> 
> Some feedback on the Zman plastics Jimbo: one 3 inch paddle tail caught me 3 snapper and 5 trevally over 2 sessions this week and still looks brand new. The water's been clear down here so I've been using the mud colour one rather than the elechick.


Love them tough Zmans and snap-backs, Jim... they outlast other softies by heaps... sometimes they last me for weeks before being taken home by a fish for his trophy wall.  or too tattered (by some toothy critter) to use effectively... by that I mean that the hook can't be placed correctly for the softie to move properly. I've even super-glued them so the hook could be placed correctly, and it works! Could you imagine one of the other breed of softies lasting for at least 8 fish?? nice catch, Jim.

The Blue Glimmer colour in the 3 inch snap-back paddle-tail range used to attract heaps of big fish, but they kept swallowing them whole and nipping the leader. After I beefed up the leader a bit, I began to land them... but it was a good fish-taker, too.

I caught three legal snapper in your sweet-spot time, Jim, and got monstered by another one... hmmnnn?? 

Thanks for the comments, fellers...

Jimbo


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## Nanga59 (Jul 28, 2009)

G'day Jimbo (AKA Beekeeper, Turtleman)

I was only too happy to be there to assist Jimbo, although I did manage to sit back and watch, bemused, for a while. It really was very entertaining. 
A few choice words, much to-ing and fro-ing with bent rods, some more special occassion words thrown in for good measure, turtles coming up gasping for air
and being persued by a none too happy chap in a kayak trying to retrieve what rightfully belonged to him.

I'm still grinning about the whole thing.

John


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Turtle is supposed to be pretty yummy.
Friends of ours lived up in the TSI for a few years with young kids.
Kids were visiting Grandma and it was the 6YO's birthday so Grandma asked what she wanted for dinner.
The answer "Turtle!!!! please Grandma".
Grandma was horrified.


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

It certainly was not a win/win situation, eh? more likely a lose/lose one!

It will be remembered for a long long time.

You definitely did sit back and watch, bemused, for quite a while... but I'm glad you offered to help... did you notice how quickly I took up your offer?

I didn't want to give you a chance to renege on it.

When I came over to take my rod back, I noticed you didn't attempt to keep on working the turtle... just handed it over rather quickly.

Cheers mate...

Jimbo


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Junglefisher said:


> Turtle is supposed to be pretty yummy.
> Friends of ours lived up in the TSI for a few years with young kids.
> Kids were visiting Grandma and it was the 6YO's birthday so Grandma asked what she wanted for dinner.
> The answer "Turtle!!!! please Grandma".
> Grandma was horrified.


Craig... I can't imagine eating anything that is quite at home eating jelly-fish of all varieties, poisonous or otherwise... but then again, at times, snapper are full to the gills with the blue jellies common to these waters... don't know if they eat other varieties, tho'.

One thing I've observed with the snapper, tho', is that their fighting qualities they're famous for, seem to fall away to zip when they're full of jellies.

Us poor old grandies are put on the spot by lots of grand-kids, but we love 'em!

Good fishin' Craig

Jimbo


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## sweed (Oct 1, 2011)

Holy snappin turtles Jimbo,I don't think even King Carnster has managed a double hookup on 100 pound turtles!!
Just as well Trev wasn't there he'd fallen out of his boat laughing cause I nearly did.
C ya next week for rnd 2 champ!!


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

sweed said:


> Holy snappin turtles Jimbo,I don't think even King Carnster has managed a double hookup on 100 pound turtles!!
> Just as well Trev wasn't there he'd fallen out of his boat laughing cause I nearly did.
> C ya next week for rnd 2 champ!!


Watch out KC... I'm takin' over... (in the turtle stakes(?) anyway)...

See you next week, Rissoles... your turn with the flippy big round things...

Jimbo


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

While we are on Koolie lure losses, I lost a bronze 118mm Koolie Minnow LL to the Osbourne Point rocks on Thursday (dives to 40 ', and worth _*squillions*_ retail).

I know I shouldn't have been using this there, except on a very short leash, but I lost concentration clearing weed from the 20' diver on the other trolling rod.

Small reward for return to rightful owner.

That's me...trev


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

I'd only just swapped the Gamakatsu singles on the koolie with Decoys... they look marginally thicker than the Gama's... caught one snapper, then woofter! gone!

However, I did notice that the koolie slowly sank when I just rested in on the surface, and was interested regards if it would stuff up the action enough, so as not to be attractive to fish... one legal snapper released and then this big sod hangs it on his trophy wall... complete with nice shiny new singles!

_I can just imagine the big feller explaining to his young student fish... "Unlike the Gamakatsu singles on this one over here... these new silvery ones on the Koolie are Decoys... keep away from both unless you can take them home with you."_

The first one within three minutes of it hitting the water, and within ten minutes, a very large fish!

No troubles with the action, eh?

Jimbo


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