The ones that got away..

[WestOzDesertFisher]

Their was an article about this in the latest Western Angler magazine and i found it to be a very interesting read. I thought it might be fun to involve members of Ausfish in telling their stories of "the ones that got away..". I can remember countless times trying to lift a big mackerel or tuna into the boat, due to not having a gaff only for the leader to snap or for the hooks to pull, times when that fish of a lifetime is only metres from the gaff only to be sharked right in front of you.. I really hope this 1 gets off the ground and members will happily share their stories.

Cmon guys ;D

[WestOzDesertFisher]

For those interested in reading the article from Western Angler(great read)..
http://www.westernangler.com.au/default.asp?action=article&ID=320

[WestOzDesertFisher]

Here goes me..

It was a late arvo sesh at one of my favourite rock walls along the Quobba coast that was my most memorable and a memory which will stay in my mind forever. I had been throwing smallish lures from the rocks for about an hour or so with a couple of sightings and a bust off. I was beginning to have doubts about the spot as I lazily clipped on a Halco Crazy Deep for a bit of a laugh. 1st cast threw it out, retrieved. Not a bad action I thought to myself as I hurled it out again. Within seconds of it hitting the water, I had done about half a turn on the handle when I saw this MASSIVE spaniard leap out of the water, at least 30kg of big fat fish!, at least 4ft in the air and land, mouth wide open on my lure! I nearly fell over at the sight of it. “Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz” I was hooked up big time as this monster headed for the horizon at a million tail beats a second, non stop with increasing drag until I got down to the last few wraps on my spool when I had to lock up. As soon as I did this, “ping” goes the line, “f…n hell”. I began the retrieve of just about my entire spool of 15kg mono, still coming to terms with what had just happened. Returned the next day to land my biggest ever tailor @ around 90cm ;D


Something I will never ever forget
Who’s next..

[slyman]

About 6 weeks ago I was out with my brother and his mate Dave. We were doing drifts along a deep ledge (deep for Moreton Bay that is), thats known to be home to some rather large and tenacious occupants. It was big that we wanted and it was big that I found, what ever it was. I was using 30lb tufline doubled to a 60lb fluoro leader, palomar to 5/8th 7/0 nitro and a 7inch limetiger jerkshad, jigging it across the bottom.

I'd cast out into nearly 20 meters of water and let it hit the bottom, jigging merrily away when all of a sudden I was belted big time, and it took off real quick even under a cranked down drag on my caldia kix 4000. We chased it down and I began to get some back, but this thing just kept its head down and just wanted keep going. Tug of war, I'd get some back, it would take it back just wanting to go down.

By now I'm standing on the bow of the boat with the butt of the rod jammed into my navel, and the tip almost pointing straight down with the fish somewhere underneath us. This tug of war went on for around 10 minutes when the fish decided to go again, this time the braid buried into itself on the reel and managed to cut itself. The last thing I remember is watching my line disappear beneath the water. Yep I swore really loud, everything was holding up nicely I'd thought until then.

This event has been played over in my mind nearly every day since and I'm chomping at the bit to go back for another crack.

[WestOzDesertFisher]

Nice one slyman, it is what keeps us going back eh?

[Donny Boy]

Fishing the Whitsundays with a hand line on a Charter Boat........ 1980.

Sitting up on the bow, drifting over the reef, when zzzzzzzzzz goes the line on the reel, & as i grab at it , it cuts right thru the glove I'm wearing & into the right hand.

As I'm cursing & swearing, I hear " Snap "...........& I look round to see the skipper standing 2 foot away with a bloody great knife in his hand.

" WTF ??? ....You cut the bloody line ???" >:(>:(

Skip just looks at me & says " Shark ! "

" O yeh ?............... & what makes you think it was a bloody Shark ??"

And with a steely gaze from an old fisherman came the answer...

" It was a Shark......& you ain't bringing a Shark that big, on this boat...OK??

Bearing in mind that we'd allready caught a 6 & an 8 footer..........................:o

28 years on, it still sh*ts me...........I gotta get a life & move on...........:'(

[WestOzDesertFisher]

haha WTF?? another great story

[Dirtysanchez]

Went fishing with my late father in law a few years back, spur of the moment thing.. using an old rod he gave me and yabs he had pumped. Whiting were the target from the shore.

About 4th cast the line was HEAVY, and I slowly reeled it in thinking it was probable weed. It wasn't, it was a bloody huge sand flathead. I shart momentarily, then thought it was in the bag, but as I lifted the rod tip of the Jurassic park combo I was loaned, the anti reverse mechanism on the reel failed, the fish gracefully slid back into the water, looked at me and opened his / her mouth, and the hook popped out.

It has truly jinxed me, I have not caught a flatty since :(

[therapy]

After a slow days inside the bay, me and a mate ended up at Curtain artificial where we anchored and burleyed with not much result besides a school of gar that sat in the burley trail. My mate tied a fly hook on to a hand line and caught one which was then sent back down on my penn o/head. 20 minutes later as we were having some lunch and discussing going home the gar got smashed. Knowing there is alot of structure around there I locked up the drag and dug in. The locked drag didn't stop this thing entirely and it was a tug of war for about 25 minutes. It even turned us around on the anchor so we were facing opposite to all the other boats there. I eventually got it to within what I thought was nearly the end of the bout and then PING!!!!!!!. I fall over backwards from the release of pressure and fatigue and swear alot.. My MATE laughs alot... Biggest regret is never even seeing what it was. I think kingy(black or yellow) my mate reckons stingray.haha.... If only I had got to see it....
Cheers.......Terry..........