# Putting in the Hard Yards



## Billybob (Aug 29, 2005)

Went out in Laguna Bay yesterday morning. Trolled for three hours but it was as quiet as the grave.

Gave it another shot this morning. Had planned to make it a short one and was ready to head for home after two hours without a touch.

Felt a bit guilty about taking an early mark so decided to head back west out into the bay and give it another hour.

On the return trip the rod went down slowly as if I'd snagged the reef, which I thought I had, until I realised that I was at least 1km west of any structure.

Grabbed the rod and loaded up which immediately resulted in some serious line peel.

This fish went down five minutes later and refused to come anywhere near the yak for the next 10 minutes and eventually just hung deep right under me.

In the end I backed off on the drag and let it take about thirty more metres of line. I then tightened the drag, put the rod in the rear rod holder and paddled against the fish.

After about ten minutes I tried the pump and wind again. Got it close enough to see some colour but couldn't decide whether I had a bronzie or a cobia before it took off again.

Went through the 'paddle it back up' thing again for another ten minutes by which time I was getting close to Tea Tree Bay.

Stopped and tried to pump it up to the surface which resulted in the fish ramming the bottom of the yak and then disappearing in a spray of whitewater.

By this time I decided it was a small bronze whaler so I locked up the drag and headed for the sand of Tea Tree Bay.

Chose a likely spot south of the beach where there were no surfers (didn't want to freak them out by dragging a shark through their midst) and caught a small wave in with the fish about 30 metres behind me.

Beached the yak, grabbed the rod out of the rod holder and played the fish through the surf line only to find that I had landed a 15kg cobia. Still can't believe how much power this fish had. He must have been feeding well as he was really full of beans.

Anyway, it was good timing as we've got heaps of relly's here this week so it'll be a big fish barbeque tomorrow night.


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## couta1 (Sep 10, 2005)

there strong fish...thats what i noticed about cobia...the drag ticks of slowly as if you have snagged the reef??...thats when you realize you have something over 20kg on the end...strange enough though i find they mouth the bait first...i have lost many by going for the rod to quick and grabbing it out the holder.I find they love a whole trolled tailor

VERY GOOD FISH BILL


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

couta1 said:


> VERY GOOD FISH BILL


yup......


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## zipper (Feb 27, 2008)

god billybob i am green with jelous rage :twisted: 
you are a complete fishing minx, must have put in many hard hours before you started picking all the big fish up.
how long have you been yak fishing for?


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## fisherdan (Apr 17, 2007)

Sensational Bill!

Lucky you didn't cut it off when you thought it was a Bronzie!


zipper said:


> you are a complete fishing minx,


Is that a complement?? :lol: :lol:

Bill you minx..


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## Scouse (Aug 1, 2007)

Wow Billybob,

Thats whats fishings all about, congrats :mrgreen:

Ian


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## Redro (Sep 5, 2005)

Great shorts Bill!! Not a bad fish either.


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## Billybob (Aug 29, 2005)

zipper said:


> how long have you been yak fishing for?


About eight years offshore.



Redro said:


> Great shorts Bill!! Not a bad fish either.


G'day Nick. Must be comforting to know that there's at least one other person in the world with your fashion sense.


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## PoddyMullet (Aug 29, 2005)

Great read and fish there BB!


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## yakfly (Jun 8, 2006)

great effort Bill
I thought "Loud clothes day" was next week though


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

Spectacular, Bill. I loved the "going ashore and landing the fish through the small surf at Tea-tree" bit. Three of us were out at Sunshine Reef yesterday morning, launching from Sunshine Beach, and can confirm it was pretty quiet -- brought home only two sweetlip among us, although there was an encounter with probable macs -- one of the guys had two jigs bitten off on consecutive casts -- one on the surface. No sign of surface action however.

Looks like today's the last good day for a little while.


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## yakfly (Jun 8, 2006)

Sunshiner Looks like today's the last good day for a little while.mate,not wrong!just checked out the radar,theres some bad weather out to sea and to the west at the moment
fish will be biting their heads off before the change I reckon


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

On ya Billybob!
I love the old 'felt a bit guilty about taking an early mark so decided to head back west out into the bay and give it another hour' and then a ripper cobia!
Persistence pays off!!


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

Another top catch Bill, you're effort today is a lot worthier than my stoopid bronchitis. ;-) 
Keep up the good work.


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## jimmy34 (Apr 20, 2007)

awesome catch, haven't seen many of those in tassie recently.....
i would love to be able to wear boardies in the kayak, but it is gore-tex and beanies here already!!
great fish. enjoy a few beers with cobe steaks round the barby with family and friends.


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## Ironbar (Apr 7, 2008)

Excellent fish Bill and great trip report.


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## efc (Sep 19, 2006)

bait or lure trolling.
Stonka fish mate


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## Fishpod (Oct 11, 2006)

Great fish Bill !!
A big angry "fish" ramming the bottom of the yak is my worst nightmare, do you think he was seriously having a go at you? Geez you must treasure those spaniard specials,   . Glad to see an awesome result, thanks for the report and the pics.


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

Six hours of trolling shows the commitment that's required to get 'lucky'. It's amazing how fast six hours goes when reading a trip report from the lounge chair at home. Great fish yet again BillyBob.


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## JD (Jul 2, 2006)

Hey Bill can't you just catch a bream or flathead now and then! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## FishinRod (Mar 2, 2007)

Bill probably only catches them when he wants some fresh bait - :twisted: :twisted:


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## DrJed (Sep 13, 2007)

Great fish bud

I was out on the bay at Mooloolaba on Sunday and ran into a local yakfisherman, Iva, who already knew about it and was spreading the word. I actually told him I thought it would have been you. Nice one

Steve


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