Arrawarra Mackerel

Had a awesome four days last week at Arrawarra chasing Mackerel.

Conditions were amazing except for 1 day with several good sized mackeral caught and heaps of livies around (yellowtail and slimies)

Thanks to Wayne on the green stealth for the tips.

Another Good Size King

This time to Paul coming in at 0.95m

It has to be the best season in years for Big Kingies at Long Reef

Another Big Fish for Steve's Bar and Grill

Comes in at 0.98m

Not counting legals and rats that makes it 2 metres, 2 ninety kings and 1 86cm snapper this season alone

Great Fishing

Grasshopper this is getting embarrassing all these trophy fish

Exhibit C Species: Stonker  Pagrus Auratus

Caught: Long Reef on Live Bait

Weight: 8kg (record Sydney Kayak Fishing Snapper??)

Length: 86cm

Age: Approximately 20-40 years old (DPI NSW growth chart)

Anyway congrats on your 3rd trophy fish this year you are da man (2 metre kings and the snapper). Kicked everyones butt this year.  It was well deserved you put alot of time in sourcing live baits at all ungodly hours of the morning.

Just pity the old lady couldn't get you to open your eyes for the photo (nice background though)

The door opens and "GreenHorn" steps in.

Welcome aboard Steve.....you have kicked some serious arse in a short length of time!

Well done mate......great effort. 

1.020m Yellow Tail kingfish. 

0.950m YellowTail kingfish. 

1.120m YellowTail kingfish. 

Quality fish mate and a great achievement from a fishing ski. 

That Fish

Big Hoodlum

Finally beat my Kingfish PB of 117cm on a livey.

This beast came in at 119cm

The fight lasted 10 minutes and at 1 point almost flipped the ski.

No gaff too ... faark

Thanks to the mothership for the pickup..

There back.

Henry and Paul get stuck into some brutes. 

Henry.....0.980m

Paul........1.140m

Love the new ski Paul. 

Mark heads North.

Arrawarra Spotty. 

Day 1.....Got nothing.Steep learning curve. 

Day 2.....Two runs.....no fish.

Day 3.....Dropped big Spanish at the ski, then lost my mackerel virginity with a spottie. 

North Coast Mac Tuna.

Paul removing the hooks for a release. 

Henry scores a Blue Fin.

Add one off " Thunnus maccoyii" to the species caught list. 

Measured 1.250m and caught on a pilchard. 

It took a two hour fight to get this one in the hatch. 

Great effort mate. 

Weekend away with the boys.

Just got back from a magic weekend away with my brother,Henry and Dave B. 

Managed a Spanish at 1.090m and a Spottie at 0.820mm. 

Caught both on live bait. 

Awesome company. Some great fishing and good waves. 

Henry bangs a solid red.

6.2kg and 820mm in length. 

Awesome effort from a ground that is known as Long Reef on Sydney's northern beaches. 

Caught on 10lb braid knotted to a 15lb leader. 

Raising the bar to 1.2m +!

Henry has done it again with a fourth kingfish caught over 1m.

The latest measuring 1.220m and weighing in close to 15kg. 

Down rigged live yellowtail from the side of his Stealth 495 did the damage. 

Well done mate. You hit the water with the right attitude and armed yourself with the appropriate gear to land a fish of that size. 

Lessons in Squid by Egi Master Mr Tokoshima (Paul)

Last few days of squid fishing have been superb on the Northern Beaches with more than 40 large squid caught in 3 sessions of fishing.

Led by the Egi Master Mr Yamashita Welsh 24 squid were caught in 1 single sessions casting around the wharf and beaches of Mackerel Beach, the Basin and Scotland Island.

Despite getting my ass kicked on Thursday losing by 4 squid 14/10 i have had a blast. Yesterday was even better when i picked up 12 with a few way over a kilo.

All caught on a range of colours and sizes. Pink seem to be the best

Henry bangs a 1.010m BRUTE !

Finally some footage showing the effort required to land a 1.0m plus kingfish via a downrigger  from a ski. The link below shows what I regard as "Pure Kayak fishing" .....just pump and wind,angling the fish from structure! 

  https://www.dropbox.com/s/zid0v0ykej1jd7j/101cm%20king%2027122013%202.mp4  

The month of December started a tad rough for Henry.Big seas closing out the basin sent Henry on a mission to find a "safe" entry spot back into Brownwater .....Please let me introduce the break known as "Son Of Dragon".End result.....Son Of Dragon "1"......Stealth Evolution495 "0". 

                                                                                                                                                       

He does it again....A brute measuring  1.010m. This is the third fish for Henry over 1.0m. Downrigged yellowtail did the damage. Top effort mate......you have raised the bar for all of us!                                   

Dave joins the 0.900m club with a 91cm brute!

0.910m .

Caught on down rigged live yellowtail.

                                     

Congratulations Dave for making it into the 90cm plus club!

It takes a heap of work,bust offs and time on the water to land a fish of that size from a ski. 

In true kayak fishing spirit......you stood your ground .....turned the fish,then angled the beast from structure. 

North Coast Snapper

Just got back from two weeks camping at Arrawarra with the family.Scored the pick of the camp spots!

Took the BFS away with the decision made to target snapper on plastics and hardbody lures.

Managed to sneak out for a few sessions between howling N/E gales.

Managed two of the target species....largest was 62 to the fork.

Henry and Dave took off up to Woolgoolga and both managed a couple of good fish. 

Henry's snapper went 5.4kg.

  

Gopro After more than a year in the Ocean

As hard as it is to believe  my Gopro camera was lost in January 2012. The camera and SD card were handed  at the local fishing shop

It was the day I got flipped in big swell.

It was found in about 3 metres of water about 50m off the beach and about 400m from where I lost it. Even weirder it was found in an area where the swell breaks?

Apparently the pole mount was wedged under a big rock.

Whilst the camera housing looks a little worse for wear the SD card and the camera are in perfect working order. It was completely dry inside

The photo and video is from the camera the day I lost it.

I now have 3 gopros happy days :)

Humble pie for breakfast and a nice King for Dinner

It was a day of surprises last Sunday

Of most significance

1. Phil ditched his mojo encrusted signature octagonal and circle design singlet for a nice watermelon/pink number. Donations will be gladly accepted for pink ribbon day with that outfit

2. I got absolutely smoked for speed on my new fibreglass 575 v Phil's carbon 550. It was daylight between the 2 skis with Phil pulling away within 5 metres (we tested it twice and it no way could be the weight difference). Not too much of a surprise given the rocker differences between the 2 craft . We eluded to this point a couple of weeks ago. There is just too much nose out of the water.  Cost was banana bread and coffee

3 Phil scored a double hook up on kingfish on a single rig. The rats were as thick as it gets especially if you had squid. I end up with a few rats and a 78cm job. Phil scored a million rats on primo northern beaches squid

An entry in the 90cm band

 It would have to rate as the best season yet for big Kingy fishing off Sydney .

So far between the 3 of us we scored countless legal fish with Saturday no exception.

I scored a 92cm job on Saturday and Phil hooked a PB tuna out wide.

Apologise for the crappy photo but the gopro fogged up and i lost some good footage.

Pants did real well paddling out to the fads on his carbon 550 with a PB tuna. Rigor mortis had set in good and proper by the time he brought it onshore.


Well done Phil