Hard day at the Hards

[Vindicator]

Left Mooloolaba on a solo run at 4.30 friday morning with an easy run out to the hards. Took a little detour and stopped off at the blinker to try for some livies but they wouldn't play the game. Had enough after 30 mins so took off and reached one of my spots at around 7.00. Did a few drifts with only a couple of fish hitting the deck so I thought I might drop the anchor and berley up.
The anchor caught on easily but when it did it nearly threw me down to the back of the boat. The current was absolutely ripping through. I chopped up some pillies and when up to the front and threw them as far forward as I could not being able to believe the current. I put a 10 ball sinker on with a whole pilly and started sending that down while putting a second 8oz dropper on my other line.
The pilly was almost out of the 300m of line that I had spooled on before it reached the bottom and got hit by a parrot which then I had to pull all the way in against the current. I thought I had a bloody snodger on but it turned out that it was only cause I was pulling him against the current. Suffice to say that line didn't go out again. Got a good hit on the way down on the dropper and was fighting him for a few minutes before he decided he'd had enough playing with me and went for a run and bit me off.
Pulled anchor and drifted the rest of the day pulling up average fish here and there. Decided to head for the hills around 2.00 with an easy run home sitting on about 27 knots. Was hard going all day finding fish, nothing really wanted to play the game. Got a couple of maori cod but bothended up being 1 cm too short. Also caught one bird when it dived down to grab my floater. Ended up with 5 squire and 4 parrot. Size was nothing to write home about so no photos but it was good to be back out there after such a long spell. Was bloody hot out there though, was good when the breeze started. Got home and started unhooking the boat when it started p!$$ing down. I thought, just in time.

Cheers
Kezza

[-spiro-]

Kezza how far up the hards where you? I bet your gad you made it in before the storm hit. I can tell you it wasn't pretty. One day we will have to catch up,

[hookinin]

Hey Kezza, thanks for the report. We were originally heading to the hards in a mates boat until they found someone had smashed the screen again when they arrived to where it is stored. So a late decision to get my boat out from under the cobwebs and dust and do a run to the banks instead. Sounds like in hind sight it may have been the best option. As spiro said oneday we'll have to catch up.
Cheers Gaven

[jtpython]

Everything was slow everywhere by the sounds of it Kezza and your spot on about the heat am going to have to look at installing an A/C in my boat
JT

[dayoo]

Kezza,

What a difference a day makes. We were out there on Thursday going straight down with 8 ball sinker. Current started to run about 4pm.

Cheers
Barry

[skipalong]

have heard they have been a little slow out there but still a good feed

cheers justin

[Vindicator]

Chris, was about 40 nm from Mooloolaba at the furthest mark. I was thinking of you when I was unhooking the boat at home here. I was almost going to call you and let you know what was coming but would have got saturated just getting up into the boat. How did you end up? What time did you get in, I went around to the boat ramp that morning about 10.00 and it was bloody packed. I left my bloody glasses on the side of the boat when I was tying down and they fell off. Called in to see if anyone handed them in but no such luck, so I had to go back to the optomotrist to order a new pair. Yes we'll have to organise something in the near future for a group to go out. There'd probably be a few that would be up for it.

JT, I wouldn't have minded a helicopter sitting over the top of me at one stage.

Barry, I've never seen anything like it. I pulled up to say gday to a bloke I knew at the southern end of the hards who was anchored up and you could see the boat was hardly even pulling against the rope.

Justin, Couldn't even see much on the sounder, just had to drop it and hope. Fortunately there was a couple of things down there.

Cheers
Kezza

[hookinin]

With that much current everything would be hugging the bottom and hard up behind anything the could find i'd imagine.

[reel scream]

Good to see you finally got out mate. Bit a feed is good.

How was the shoulder the next day? All ok?

Cheers Scott

[Vindicator]

Yeah Scotty, shoulder was all good no bad reactions from it. Just not ready to go back skiing again, need to get some fishing time in. Nearly forgot how to do it! Thanks

Cheers
Kezza