The ONE That Got Away

I guess this recent outing warrants the right to brand this blog as "the one that really got away". JM signalled for a night expedition on Brooker which was its 1st since I've never done it before. Chen couldn't join as he had to do a quiz. I wasn't 100% keen as it was gonna be a bloody cold night when the weather was soon going to be turned bad. But, nonetheless, the fishing bug bites me hard and so I gave the heads up. Our plan of attack was for jewfish which JM was bloody keen for it. So the night came and I picked up JM before hooking up brooker. The batteries were charged full the night and day before and so off we went at around 11pm.

Got to Tunks park and launched without a single trailer in sight. Guessed we're the only fishing nutcases gutsy enough to do this shit. Apparently it wasn't as cold as we would've imagined but still we had 4-5 layers of clothing and JM supplied heat packs to warm our hands. As usual, went to our squid ground and did the same ol'. It was pretty quiet and I didn't score a single bite for a considerable amount of time before JM was 1st in on the scoreboard with a cuttlefish. Not long later, he got another cuttle while I was missing hookups. We spent roughly around an hour there till almost the last point, JM got a good size squid, the ultimate fresh bait for jewing. But alas, he casted back to the same spot he got his squid and snagged his jig. Seeing that the bait was sufficient, we motored a little bit of distance to our nearby 'probable' jewfish spot that we've been eyeing on during the last trip out.

Without a depth sounder, we roughly gauged the depth we're fishing by the way our anchor rope goes. Meters by meters it just took off and we were worried if the available rope was enough at this spot. Luckily the anchor finally reached and would be 15-20m by estimate. Sweet, we knew we were at the right spot. Rigged up my Jarvis combo while JM was already ready with his blackhole. Put on 4oz sinkers as it was the only one to bring down our baits at this ridiculous jewfish-depth! And the waiting game begins. We just chilled out and talk cock for the night and time actually passes really quickly. The usual pickers came into action when the tide was moving. Caught smallish snappers at those depth which was really unbelievable. Soon, JM was onto something but without any run at all. After a hefty distance to bring it up, it was a bloody EEL!

I had no bloody clue what this eel specie was but looked like the ones you can brew chinese soup with! haha.. Anyway, JM took his 2-hook rig back and released this slimey bugger. JM put on another new piece squid and the waiting game continues. The moment of excitement came when at one point while we were restlessly chilling in Brooker, the Daiwa Freams went zzzzz in a speed burst. JM immediately reacted and all I could remember was to bring up my line. I felt he had engaged the bugger and immediately called for a jew due to the run.

JM: ARGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......!!!!!!!!
Ron: What?! Gone?!
JM: I striked and it felt like a snag or something but definitely heavy!
Ron: I saw your rod bent and u were like fighting the bugger already leh! But.. but.. how come? Wah lao eh!!!
JM: 2 hooks somemore leh! Don't say liao lah... (JM 'kek sim' and wind in his line)
Ron: eh.. I got something leh.. (remember I was winding in my line.. and still reeling..)

KNNBCCB!!! I was trying to bring in line and give space to JM to fight his probable jew when this fugly SOB (puffer fish) steal my precious squid bait!

That was it, long story short, JM's blackhole run was the only highlight of the night session. We were running short of the squid bait and since it was almost coming to dawn, we went to do our usual squidding again for the morning session. Didn't score anything due to the super low tide and so off we went to spot JM.

Reached spot JM pretty early and there wasn't much light yet. Burley hardout to wake the fishes up. By then, I was damn knackered! Even rigging up baits I was yawning non-stop. To think about it now, I could feel sleepy..zz.. Anyway, dropped the remaining cuttlefish bait and waited. The chilly yet eerily morning wasn't making me feel excited. The tide was low and the usual pickers came to demolish our cuttle baits. Time for cubing and the low unmoving tide wasn't helping much. JM was then onto another nice legal snapper that just made it to 30cm. TAPAO! Although this spot could help us get the odd legal snapper, but still, one in each trip isn't worth it! By then, the sun was slowly creeping up. ET was cubed and placed resting on the hull edge when suddenly the irritating clicker goes into mode. Picked up the rod immediately and reeled. At 1st the reeling was easy, and I called for a bream. JM resumed his usual business. All I knew was that I was damn tired, and was just reeling in the easy line. However, when the tension came, the spool spinned on afterburners! JM asked me whether I was sure it's a bream. Ok, not bream. The line then goes in circle and Bonito was in the mind. As I was half asleep still, the drag wasn't tightened properly. This bugger ran to the otherside and did the death-roll. That farker tangled my blackhole and the same thing repeated itself, a bloody mess that coils up to ET's tip. JM had to do the same thing by handlining in the bonito and net it. I was pissed beyond piss and couldn't think of much worse fishing scenarios to untangle braided lines again!

Well, let's not whinge and make a fishing outing such an unenjoyable one. Continued cubing for really little results and at one point, I could fell asleep. JM pulled the plug and we headed home.

Kept this 2 fish and will let our cook, Joe to see if he can do up some dish for us. The crazy wild sydney's weather is making us DULL men for sure.. sianz..

Ronald