# Anything Kev Can Do.....



## paulo (Nov 1, 2007)

With downtime in between contracts and April being the best month of the year up this way, I hired a small unit close to the launch site for the week this week. Hoit (Grant) from Melbourne has long wanted a longtail tuna off his yak and after some fancy footwork at home and work, arrived at Brisbane airport Saturday afternoon.

All setup, we hit the beach at 5am Sunday morning, greeted all the local boys and launched into a 5k southeaster. It took us a few hours to get to our planned mark, those pesky fish kept holding us up. Grant with his pb spotty and me with a 70cm schoolie I managed to swim for 5mins and release.

As we neared the mark we spotted birds working and made a beeline for the activity. positioned upwind from the boil we shot a few casts onto the mark and cranked the handles.... nothing. :shock: :shock: The fish always take this size slug. They jump all over one even remotely close to the mark.... For the next two hours we chased the boils but they were flighty and sounded even before we got into casting range. Very strange.

Finally a boil stayed alive long enough for me to get multiple casts and sure enough I finally hooked up to a scorching run... followed by a lot of line given up by the fish. bugga!... damn those Scottish fish!! After a 15 min battled I released him successfully without any claret flowing and feeling a little frustrated, we headed in. At least we had dinner in the bag.








With light winds predicted on Monday, we left the sails behind and went polynesian style. Well they all got it wrong. After the low at 8am, the wind whipped up to 13knots and made chasing what few boils there were almost impossible without the sail. Not to be beaten, we put our rusty sounder skills to use, switched to plastics and proceed to hunt for snapper. None to be found but I did manage a couple of nice 50cm grassies that went very well with salad for dinner on Monday night.









With light westerlies predicted all Tuesday morning we again left the sails behind and launched into a mirror just as first light broke. We hadnt even left the bay before the birds started to work. Then I saw a shard of bait fly out of the water and it dawned on me that its not only the longtails that have gotten bigger since I landed a couple 10 days ago. These looked like hardiheads and not the whitebait we had found in the gut of last week's fish.

Match the Hatch. We both tied on Halco laser pro 120s out the back and chased down a boil, slug firing rods at the ready. Close in we spotted a good boil and decided to make the 300m trek, in the hope it would still be firing when we got within casting range.

Our luck held and Grants first cast was met with a hookup, a splash and a sizzling run. Seconds after, I was in range and just about to let it rip, when the trolling rod behind me went off with a scream. I dropped the 20lb stick on the tramp and reached for the one going off. It was only a short run and then letting me wind it almost to the boat, I called it for another mac tuna and almost put the rod in the holder to fire a slug at the longtails that were now free jumping over the nose of the kayak. Almost that is until I saw the familiar golden streak of a longtail and set about giving it some stick. I called it for smaller than last weeks fish bit still took me 40 minutes on 50lb on a Saltiga Hiramasa jigstick. :shock: When I got it in I could see why. This model was much thicker than a week ago. They put on condition with amazing speed at this time of year.









Grant got smoked at the boat. We pedalled the 2kms back to the hookup zone but couldnt see much activity. Another 10 minutes of nothing and the wind well up over 10k now had us thinking it was all over for the day. Right about then my trolling rod fired up again and after two blistering runs, another good longtail managed to spit the hooks and win his freedom.
The tide changed, the wind dropped and then the place really fired up. Multiple boils, longtails jumping all round us and with dinner in the bag, I decided to try and catch my first longtal on a popper. On went a Halco Rooster 105 in Qantas and I hit the pedals for 20 odd metres to bring me into the zone. I fired in a number of casts without success and resisted the urge to pick up the slug casting rod. Next cast landed a metre in front of a big splash, two turns and the rod buckled and the drag on the little certate began to sing. After some blistering runs I started gaining line and it had me thinking mac tuna.But when it popped up on the surface, I was surpised to see a big old GT. :shock:  . (Ill have to lift a still off the video) Hooks out, I released him and made a beeline for Grant, whom I could see with rod buckled and heading for the horizon. 








After a torrid tussle he dragged his first longtail across his lap onto the tramp and let out a holler.  
















Bled and in the bag, we pedalled back to the zone and minutes later Grants trolling rod fired up. I watched the battle to the end that resulted in another longtail release. Now it was time to get that longy on a popper. About 20 casts in, the water exploded and I'm on the end of a very angry big longtail on my little 20lb outfit. I battled it for 15 minutes and just as I thought I was getting the upper hand it flicked its head and spat the popper back at me.

Exhausted we decided to head in. A diamond day if ever I saw one.

Now Ive long admired Kev's (Sunshiner) fish catching ability. As we all know, whether it be a meal, a uni assignment or a fish photo, presentation is everything.. Kevs ability to present his fish in a most appealing light is second to none.... Until today.
As though it were meant to be two young ladies asked if they could pose for a photo with a fish each. We were only two happy to oblige.








It isnt only the longtails that are a touch bigger down this end of the beautiful Sunshine Coast. ;-) 








Stay tuned.... another four days of p0rn to come.


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

Awesome report Paulo, great angle with that last shot, love it ;-)

Marty


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

Nice pair!!!!
Oh and the fish are OK too. Well done boys.


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## FishinDan (Jul 3, 2006)

Awesome job boys! Looks like you're having a blast on the coast!


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

Funny stuff guys love the pics.


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## pwr62 (Feb 10, 2008)

Great report and pictures guys. See you at the tavern tomorrow night.

Paul


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## paulsod (Dec 28, 2008)

Jeez I hope you do better next time! :twisted: :twisted: 
Congrats to you both, lucky S.O.B's. :mrgreen: 
I ended up doing 12.5klms last Sunday for zilch. I did get dumped in the surf though, that was fun. :shock: 
Video in the making.
Cheer
Paul


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## bitisbitis (Jan 30, 2011)

Excellent report and nice catch!!


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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

Breathtaking report,

With photos that leave an old chap panting and drooling....not sure why, I don't like fish.....make of it what you will :twisted:

Cheers and well done. Andybear


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## Drewboy (Mar 18, 2008)

A "diamond" day indeed Paul. 
Option city with your various lure tactics would have been such an added challenge well rewarded.
Brilliant mate.


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## imnotoriginal (Jan 13, 2008)

Can you bring them to the meet and greet tonight? :lol: 
Nice work boys, sounds like an awesome day to be on the water!
Joel


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## gonetroppo (Jan 29, 2011)

Wow those are huge and are in very fine shape I must say, well done ;-)


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

I'd love to make a comment here but ....... I'm not going to say a word :shock:


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

Nice fish and fishing guys and a special congrats to Grant who flew up from wintry Melbourne. Paul you should possibly go for a career change in selecting the best week, weather-wise, in months.

Oh, and what is it they say about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery? Nice models, guys. I'm going to have to lift my game.

Kev


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## hoit (Aug 29, 2005)

sunshiner said:


> Nice fish and fishing guys and a special congrats to Grant who flew up from wintry Melbourne. Paul you should possibly go for a career change in selecting the best week, weather-wise, in months.
> 
> Oh, and what is it they say about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery? Nice models, guys. I'm going to have to lift my game.
> 
> Kev


Cheers Kev.

Paulo made me an offer I couldn't refuse. A loan of a boat, perfect weather and tuna on the bite. I landed five longtails for the week with memories to last a lifetime. As we were packing up on Saturday he lent some gear to Alex who promptly returned to shore 2 hours later with his first longtail. Paulo is a true gentleman who goes out of his way to help others to get out on the water and into some serious fish.


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## Redfish (Apr 25, 2007)

Awesome work guys. Grant, you've got back just in time for that long, cold melbourne winter. No bikinis for you for 6 months!


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## Rod L (Aug 29, 2005)

:mrgreen: 
Fantastic job Paulo & Grant! Envious down here in Melbourne.


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## eagle4031 (Jan 29, 2010)

great report - made me feel young again 
have a great time guys


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## joejoe (Sep 28, 2008)

Glad to see that you had a good week of fishing .
It was nice to meet you both.


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