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Thread: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

  1. #1

    Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    Ok, I will try to keep it short.. It is a one that got away story but always good to speculate
    and I just find it curious.

    Someone might be able to add a comment..

    A few weeks ago I headed out to Brunswick Heads Wall (North side).
    I had a 15kg Daiwa sensor surf 12 ft rod and a slightly under gunned but however commendable 4000 Daiwa Excellor running 30lb braid and a 20lb fc leader.

    This might make more sense to those that know the area.

    So there was some brown fresh running out of the river on the outgoing so I perched myself on the end of the wall and cast straight out into the channel.

    Had a large slab of pike threaded down to a 6/0 hook.

    Threw out and a boat ran over my rigg.... hmm (was a rubber one with an engine, came quite close to the rocks on entry, not straight down the middle channel like most do).

    Rigged up again and after about 20 mins something nudged the line and then started to swim off, set the hook, and was on to a large fish.

    I started to reel and found the fish was quite hefty and was giving me some grief, taking some drag and line (about 150 meters) fighting, while I had realised by the weight on the rod that this was quite a large fish.

    Then all of a sudden the drag stopped and I was able to pull the fish towards me.
    In fact the fish was actually swimming straight back towards me and was nowhere near beaten at all (as I had misjudged), when it got within 30 meters of the ledge it would not come over and then it took off North across to the rocky outcrop on the North side of the wall over on the beach.

    It was at this time I realised this was one shifty bloody fish and also had immense power so I could not pull it up on 30lb and a 15kg rod.

    It took off and ended up about 150 meters away over near the rocks.

    After I while it appeared to puff out, but more fool me as the fish was swimming towards me again and this time I was half way down the wall.

    The fish swam straight between the bommies and went straight back out the front with such power I could not get back up the front of the wall again before it had run around the rocks at the front of the wall and taken clean off, snagging me and cutting me off.

    Just wondering, I felt no head-shakes, but the way this thing was I would not call it as a ray, and it seemed to follow the rocks and deeper channels.

    I estimate it would have been 30kg+, and was dam ornery and bloody outsmarted me twice.. (thats not so hard I hear you say.. but),

    Guy said there was a large shovel in the area, so I said to myself it was the big shovel.

    Ok but in saying that these are the things that don't sit right with me:

    *I have caught biggish shovels and they seem to give up pretty quick, not so smart and the ones I have caught pretty well don't run for cover.

    * I would have like to think large Jewfish, but no head shakes, but the drag was winching out at times as if the fish was thrashing its tail.

    *It seemed to like the rocks and knew dam well where it was going.

    *If a Jew or a Shovel it was huge as I have caught 100cm estuary jew ond shovels on 12lb rods and was nothing like this.

    *Fish did not run like a ray, runs where not huge, more cunning than anything.


    So I was wondering Shovel, large Cod, Large Jew (No head-shakes)...

    Just has me thinking as it doesn't add up to be a shovel or ray..

    Any opinions

    Cheers

    Dan

  2. #2

    Re: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    First description lead me to Shovel or Ray.

    Could the fish have been foul hooked ? in the tail for instance ?

    That's the one thing I hate about fishing, the big one you don't even get to see.

    I would simply call it a huge Red Emporer and leave it at that, no one can prove otherwise

    good luck sorting it


    cheers LP
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  3. #3

    Re: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    My first thought had it as a shovel nose.
    I used to fish those walls years ago quite often and have caught some monster shovel noses from there.
    For me they used to be unidentified unstoppables too but after a serious beef up of tackle I landed a few of them.I was hoping they were monster jew.
    Most of them had the same characteristics as you described.....reading your post actually bought a lot of memories back thanks.

  4. #4

    Re: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    Shovel or ray I reckon...had em do similar before and get you thinkin and then...bam...u see it wonder what got into it...
    Vegetarian - Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot that can't hunt, fish or ride.

  5. #5

    Re: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    I have had a decent Jew bahave in a similar fashion, but generally the lack of head shankes had me thinking shovel. I know you mention you've caught shovels a-plenty, but there are different types (I'm sure you know this). You may have been onto the ultimate fighting type with a much more developed and beefy upper caudal fin. They fight like Dan Henderson on a bad day, and are noticeably different to the other types that fight far less (some not at all). From memory, I don't think they're as common that far south, so it may have been a straggler. Truth is you'll never know, which sucks big time. I feel ya pain, oh I do! Had that happen too many times.

    Cuzza

  6. #6

    Re: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    What cuzza and others said,one type of big shovellies go hard as hell, having you wondering what the hell you have hooked. They go for alot longer and harder than a jew but with no arm rattling headshakes. Ben

  7. #7

    Re: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    Yes thanks guys

    I was just wondering about the "no head shakes", definitely no ''arm rattling'' shakes.

    Must have been the big shovel the guy told me about.



    Cheers

    Dan

  8. #8

    Re: Just wondering about a fish I hooked a few weeks ago (one that got away).

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucky_Phill View Post
    First description lead me to Shovel or Ray.

    Could the fish have been foul hooked ? in the tail for instance ?

    That's the one thing I hate about fishing, the big one you don't even get to see.

    I would simply call it a huge Red Emporer and leave it at that, no one can prove otherwise

    good luck sorting it


    cheers LP
    Nope wasn't foul hooked, I seen it nudge the line and felt weight then set the hook pretty quick.
    With the 6/0 rig I was using I had threaded the line a couple of times through the pike "chunk", then pinned the hook through the lower half ,leaving the hook gape well exposed at the bottom of the bait.

    Can't say for sure but the fish pretty well "woofed" the bait quick so I tend to think I had it hooked up ok.

    lol@ Red Emperor, well the one that got away is the one we go for next time out
    Cheers

    Dan

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