Reply With Quoteanother during the fight
Got out early to find glassy conditions just out the front. #After trolling a dead slimey for five minutes I was hooked up. #It played doggo for a while but when he saw the boat he was off. #A few minutes later we could see a beaut spaniard with the Aussie jig hangin out of his gob. #Then he did something unfair. #Swam up, left a bit, right a bit and straight round the prop,.... Twink,gone. #So was my last aussie jig, so no more dead trolling could be done with what we had on board. #We trolled hard bodies for a while but not a sniff.
The conditions were good enough and although we had heard the livies were scarce we headed out to the bait grounds. #We found a tiny patch on the sounder and got half a dozen yakkas in the tank. #This was about to make a dramatic difference.
This time it took seconds to hook up. #But to what we'll never know, twink. #A few seconds after that bust up I was on solid. #A decent amberjack came over the side shortly afterwards closely followed by several big tigersharks.
We lost the rest of the yakkas in the next few minutes to big things but were awe struck at one stange when we looked over the side to see schools of AJ's and spaniards slowly following the tigersharks circling below us in 6 metres of crystal clear water. #Apparently behind them is safer than in front, go figure! #There was even a manta ray down there at the same time.
Teri hadn't hooked landed anything so we said bugger it and hit the bait grounds again, filled up and came back. #This time it took about ten seconds and Teri was on big time. #It didn't take me long to work out it was one of those tigers. #At the ten minute mark I told her and told her we could cut it off if she wanted but she wasn't havin a bar of that. #The below pics were taken at about the 30 minute into the fight and we had been dragged north of the creek and we slowly making our way to pancake creek.
Coz of all the coral spawn we had a hard time seeing him and agreed we would cut him off when we did and had maybe got a happy snap. #Every time we came out of the spawn he'd turn around and go back under. #At about 45 minutes we dropped it but what we saw was a surprise. #An amberjack came to the surface with BIG teeth marks in it. #The big boy had just been cruising around with it in its mouth and spat it when we finally got him near the boat. #Then he came up to find out where his brekky had gone. #My boat is a 3.9 and the tiger shark had a metre on us at least. #I would bet he was about 4.5m even taking water magnification into account. #He did slow circles under us for a few minutes and although we took a few snaps none of them came out due to the coral spawn.
I would be interested if anybody could tell me how much a 4.5 meter tiger shark would weigh approximately. #Would I be in the ball park range if I said 300kg? #Either way Teri has stacked on a bit of weight lately and is up to a staggering 39kg so I reckon she done good. #Today her arms are a bit sore to say the least.
On the way back in we stopped off to watch a dolphin that had just given birth to a really white pup. #Leaving the creek mouth as we were going in. For the rest of the day we took turns saying, 'that was an amazing day'.
another during the fight
the end result
a close up of why no swimming was done despite the great conditions.
one I prepared earlier
sounds like an an enjoyable day on the water.
Don't ya just love the glass out conditions!!
Mooks,
Great report and pics.
Medical authorities warn that Tiger shark fishing in a 3.9m boat is a health hazard.
The adrenalin must have been at full throttle going through your veins mate thats for sure.
Cheers,
Rich
I would like to see condition like that on one of my trips north. What a day
cheers
blaze
WOW!!
Great report and photos!! Time to buy a bigger boat.
Cheers Kim.
Well Mark,looks like Terri kicked your ass again!!!
Congratulations Terri......
Cheers
Paul
yer haha great report mate great pics
cheers dave
Hey Brissyguy,
Funny you should mention the adrenalin because I was surprised at how calm we both were about it considering any minute this thing could have destroyed the boat in a few seconds if he really wanted the AJ back. I did have a plan to chuck his brekky back over the side if he started getting a bit too close considering the size of the boat and how little freeboard we have. Mate he could have had my fish and all our bait as well if he was gunna get nasty about it.
I dunno whether you will be able to make him out in this pic. His tail is in the upper right corner and his fat body is disappearing under the boat in the lower left with the white flash of a remora swimming beside him in the lower middle of the shot.
And Paul as for Teri kicking my arse I agree. When I do some basic maths of the ratio of fish to angler I reckon the same fish for me to catch would have to weigh about 1000kg! What a cack. I'm glad it let go, it would have been a bugger gaffing it and getting it in the boat!
Mark
Nice one Mooks and Terri!!!
There has been some great action out the front lately, the boys on the rocks have been getting some great fish hooked up, but nearly everything is getting smashed by tigers and whalers!!
Seems the local sharks are getting conditioned to the fact that if they follow the boats around, they get a free feed. (DO NOT FALL IN)
Those fish by the way are actually bludger trevally. Very, very similar to Amberjack in appearance.
Well done Terri, I hope your arms recover quickly so you can get back into them when the wind drops.
Regards.....Tony
Top report Mooks and full marks to Teri for sticking it out. Pity about the spawn spoiling a good photo opportunity.
Cheers
Paul
Ranger 188VX - "Sweet Chariot"
Well I'll be. Stinking bludger trevally hey? How embarrassing getting a fish ID wrong. What's even more embarrassing is we attempted to eat them. Bloody disgusting. Meat was as red and stinky as a mac tuna.
Are they any good as bait at least? How about the crab pot?
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