# NSW Longy 6.3.13 Paulb and Rex



## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

The crap weather has been really getting me down so with the first weather window in 2 weeks appearing in the forecasts a longy mission was on. Despite various naysayers complaining of the poo slicks Paulb and I met up on the water at the first marks before first light. I hadn't had a touch when Paul reached me so we hooned off to browner pastures and started looking for snapper. The current was screaming so a lot of time was spent trying to hold station. There was no real wind initially so a drogue would've been useless. I found no love apart from ooglies at the second marks and was swept off to the southern edge of the wall before I could blink while releasing a big baker. From there I decided to troll a hardbody and a 5 inch minnow into the current northeastish and managed a PB bonito on the plastic which went 49cm. I told Paul about it on the VHF and he just grunted back that he was onto a good fish. Anyway by the time I'd unhooked, spiked, bled and bedded the bonnie on my techni-ice I was halfway to Wollongong again and I could just see Paul way out North. I radio'd him asking if he'd had any more love up there and he grunted back he was still on the same fish :shock: . I started trolling back towards him and found a patch of splashes into which I cast the 5 inch minnow. Sure enough I hooked up and this fish started coming quite easily to the yak on my 30lb outfit which I'd cranked up to full 7kg drag to shorten the fight and the subsequent flight south. Well the honeymoon was soon over when the bonnie decided to morph into a hoodlum and head for the stones below, peeling line off the locked up reel like it was a greased roller bearing. I did manage to stop the first run near the bottom in 11m and gain 3 or 4m before the beast decided playtime was over and headed back to the stones, comprehensively pantsing me. I called Paul again and told him I'd just hooked up to a big king and been humiliated as usual and he replied he'd hooked up to a big king and NOT been pantsed. We let out a couple of hollers and hoots and headed towards each other just as it started pissing down, hence the water drop on my camera lens sorry Paul. We went looking for the kings again but suddenly the north easter started howling and the gale together with the current convinced us to reel everything in and head for home. I think I managed 0.000001knots for about half an hour before the wind started to abate and allowed me to crawl towards the northern face of the reef where there was some respite from the screaming current. Off the water late for work but a happy man and stoked to have been there for another meter king subdued by Paulb Rex.
Longy at the crack








My PB bonito








Paulb's REX


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Good stuff guys. Wish I was there.


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Well done on the bonnie battle with the wind and current, Jim.

I'm onto Paul. He takes the same old frozen metre fish out with him each time, grunts on the radio, then pulls it out of his fish bag when it's thawed. You can tell from the photos - it's the same hood, over and over again.


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

Fun times boys. I hate being reefed. Grrrr.


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

WOW. Put that man down for a XOS bragmat Trev.
Nice work Paul, on 20 I hear. With the water so fresh I'm surprised there was so much action. Well rewarded for putting in the effort.


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Fantastic fish. Jim, nothing wrong with the Bonnie either. It's my second favourite eating fish.


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## paulthetaffy (Jan 27, 2010)

He's gone and done it again! Congrats Paul, you. are. the. man. Taken on a slug-go?


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## Salty Dog (Sep 18, 2005)

Nice fish guys, especially that kingy.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Nice effort guys and a great fish Paul.

ps. you're a bastard.


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

Go Paul the kingie whisperer!


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## SLB (Jul 8, 2010)

great effort on the king, cant wait to we have a break in the weather here! big jelly bean right now


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

avayak said:


> WOW. Put that man down for a XOS bragmat Trev.


Is that an order Paul?  With fish like that, hopefully for a few months yet, there should be a heap of orders from the Sydney area.


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

Per Jim's description, I was targeting snapper with a little squid strip on 20lb leader and main line. Had already caught one snapper, lost another, so was confident this might be another one.

The confidence lasted about 0.5 seconds after hookup with the first 10 minutes being quite intense as I tried to lead the fish away to deeper water - no sounder, so just guessing. Drag was only 2 maybe 3kg max.

At one stage had over 120m of line out and wouldn't of lasted any more long runs, so I circled back over the fish to regain all my line and continued 'leading' it along again. Nice and slow, a little faster than walking pace, just doing my best not to upset the fish. Tried singing to the fish to keep it calm (or was that to keep myself calm????) as it was really tempting to try and lever the fish in, when in fact it was just pacing at the same speed of the kayak.

Took just over 30 minutes till I'd had enough ( & so had the fish) - I could tell as the runs were getting a lot shorter and less determined.

Tried the net - wouldnt't fit in, so brought the fish to the side of the kayak, stuck my thumb in its jaw and hoisted it on board.


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

Well done - bloody amazing - nice tactics !


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## paulthetaffy (Jan 27, 2010)

Even more impressive on snapper gear Paul. What did she measure?


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

paulthetaffy said:


> Even more impressive on snapper gear Paul. What did she measure?





> 101 cm king & nice and fat


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## paulthetaffy (Jan 27, 2010)

Cheers Kerry I missed that!


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

Congrats Paul, great tactics and huge effort on light gear.

Cheers Dave


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