# QLD-11/4/2010 Coochin Creek/Roys Rd with the boy



## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Kayak Fishing is child's play.

The day started early with the alarm sounding at 4am Sunday morning, with the obligatory heavy handed nudge and a grunt of disgust from the wife, I was up and dressed in a flash. I always find it so much easier to get up early for fishing rather than work for some strange reason&#8230;then it was time to wake my fishing partner for the day, my youngest son, 8 year old Ethan. I leaned over him and gave him a light nudge and said "come on mate it's time for fishing". He sat bolt upright in bed and scrambled for some clothes. If I had said school, he would have rolled over and complained how tired he was.

After a quick cup of coffee and a bite to eat, we set off on the drive to the bait shop at Carseldine to pick up some bloodworms at 4.45am whilst I went through my mental checklist of the items I had packed the previous night. With bait, ice drinks and snacks on board it was time to hit the highway called 'Bruce' for a 45 minute drive up to Roys Road and Coochin Creek.








Conversation in the car was of a playful nature with an 8 year old boy who loves his fishing and now loves the freedom his own kayak has given him whilst out fishing. This was going to be his day, just Dad and 'the boy' out doing boy things and enjoying every minute of not having to compete for attention with his two older brothers, doing something that he loved.

We arrived in the half light at the old sand ramp to be greeted with a set of boulders which stops the boaties and sends them down to the newly constructed concrete ramp a couple of hundred metres away. This was not going to concern us though, as the gap between the blocks was just wide enough to fit a kayak through, so it was simply a matter of dropping them off the roof of the car and carting them down to the water, which no more than ten metres away. 








Ethan just couldn't wait and had landed his first keeper of the day with a fat whiting on his first cast well before the yaks were ready to launch. The plan for the day was for Ethan to fish with the bloodworms for the bread and butter species of whiting and bream whilst I did exactly the same but with lures instead. Later in the day as the tide started to drain the flats we would fish plastics for flatties together.

Once we had launched our craft, it was only a short paddle to our first destination where Ethan continued his great start by outfishing me with baits continuously all morning. Things were starting to get ugly as I had only landed one bream from dozens of half hearted strikes on the surface lures and the boy was starting to rub it in. By 9am any surface action in the clear shallow water and windless conditions had all but died off and I switched to the much more productive live worms with Ethan.
























Whilst I regularly practice catch and release fishing with my kids, the simple fact of the matter is that they just love eating fresh fish, and there are not many better eating specimens than fresh whiting. So today I had a small esky with a simple ice slurry to ensure the premium eating qualities of these tasty little fish. As each fish had its fate decided by way of the Ceasar method (thumbs up or thumbs down) the fish destined to be invited for dinner were despatched quickly by breaking the neck and then dropped straight into an icy bath. 
















At days end nearly eight hours after arrival and not one complaint or request to go home we had a total of 10 fat whiting to 36cm and a lone bream to feed our family of five that evening.
























The trip home down the highway was remarkably quiet except for the other passenger in the car snoring all the way home. The sleep at least gave the boy enough energy to help rinse down and pack up our gear when we got home later that day. We never did get to chase those flatties&#8230;.

Cheers all,

Kev


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## wombatx8 (Feb 26, 2009)

A great report. It is always good to read about kids enjoying their fishing and kayaking


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

What a great trip report. Makes me realise I should be spending more time fishing with my boys.


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## TheFishinMusician (Feb 5, 2007)

.


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## fishinnut (Oct 4, 2009)

Wow that bought back some memories, although my dad would take my brother and I out in the tinny. Great catch and report.


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## Alby (Aug 21, 2006)

Nice whiting kev, and a lovely spot. That's where I caught my PB whiting too. Have you seen the new boatramp a bit futher on at the end of the road? I hadn't been down there for a while and was surprised when I went there a couple of weeks ago and saw th rocks across the old spot. I bet that guy who lives opposite is pleased! LOL
Cheers
Alby


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## tomca (Dec 1, 2007)

nice going Kev. Still having trouble catching a bream :lol: By next week the boy will be giving you lessons


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## Greaper (Jun 4, 2008)

Awesome report Kev & sounds like an equally awesome day was had....love to see the kids having fun


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Looks like a cracker of a day there Kev! Those are some good fat whiting. I'll definately have to head out that way with you next time.


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## Safa (Aug 4, 2006)

Great to see the kids out there instead of in the Malls "
They will buy you a "Best Dad in The World" T shirt and hell they should ...............
Awesome mate 
Safa


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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

A cracker of a day indeed!

Loved your report and piccies. I bet your young fella will remember that trip for years to come.

Cheers Andybear


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Thanks for your kind words fellas.

I love taking my kids fishing and it was something that I really missed when I first got the yak. As much as I love fishing from my kayak, it just seemed bit selfish at times, so I got a 2nd yak in the form of a basic nemo and my 3 boys take turns in coming out with me. We also take it to the beach for a surf from time to time for a bit of extra fun. Even the wife has been out and had paddle, she wouldn't take a fishing rod though. :?



tomca said:


> nice going Kev. Still having trouble catching a bream :lol: By next week the boy will be giving you lessons


,

I have been giving the bream a good old bashing in the canals at scarby, I was actually trying for whiting on the poppers but couldn't stay connected to any of the strikes that I raised. If you listen to Ethan he already believes that he is giving me lessons :lol:

Kev


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