Reply With QuoteWhat a knob on that snap! Well done on the plastic.
Cheers Scott
i,ll post the pics and rhys can you type up a report cause i have an issue with this puter of mine atm . i just typed about 500 words only to have the browser refresh on me for no friggen reason so i aint gunna type it all out again@#$*%&^.
top trip
cheers swano
What a knob on that snap! Well done on the plastic.
Cheers Scott
Yeah Scott, I'm not sure who has the uglier head, the swano or the snap, although Swano has a lump too- from when he hits himself on the forhead as he exclaims "man I should got that one!"
The synthetic bait (aka plastic or rubba) was a 7" stick bait Gulp in nuclear chicken on a 1 oz 7/0 jig head. I'm not sure what he was using yesterday but we usually use TT's.
I think the outfit he caught it on was a Penn PowerPoint with an affinity 4000 and 8lb braid with a 10 lb fluro leader in around 50 mts depth. A couple of times I'm sure he was into the backing...it let a number of cracker blistering runs off, to the point where at one point I thought it may have been a King or maybe a cobe, the thumps coming from a cobes powerful tail.
The fish had maggotts dropping off it as he brought it over the gunnell it took him that long to bring it in, but I suppose he did get it in so it was high fives all round...went 82 cms and we reckon somewhere around 6.5 - 7kgs. A pretty impressive effort really, not that I'd ever tell him that!
So now the story : We left M'ba harbour just before 4.00 am and headed for a mark we call coronation on the western ledge of the mid north banks. Our strategy for the day was to fish the shallower area for the pre dawn bite and head out to 80mts once the sun was up.
The crew was of course the ever green (control it with kwell you fool) Swano, and a mate of his, Matt (who we'd been trying to get out for a while) and another young mate of mine Brent.
We got to our mark and sounded around to work it out...set the drift and it wasn't long before Matt was in with a nice 2.5-3kg squapper. A nice fish to start the day.
As the Sun peeked over the horizon and it was a beautiful sunrise, three of us hooked into some nice table size squapper (ah la the photo), unfortunately Brent missed out.
We were just about to action the strategy and move deeper when Swano loaded up, and on the next drift I loaded up into an absolute horse the plastics were seriously out performing the smellypoofterbaitfishos - yeah O.K. I'm a part time smellypoofterbaitfisho these days...but a real convert to the dark side.
This freight train hit the gulp, a couple of characteristic head thumps, a short run and then it knew it was hooked and it took oooorrrfffff. I was using 15 kg Braid, I had 6mts 40lb black magic leader on my 460 liveliner slammer and I knew I was in trouble. The line was stripping at a great rate of knots, I cranked the drag up toward sunset (Slammers will pul 12kg if you give it to them) I was so impressed with the drag on this new reel. But this thing just kept going! I didn't even look like turning it...the inevitable pop came as it bricked me into the reef.
When I pulled the line back with half my leader that had obviously been shreaded on rock, Swano pulled the drag to see if I was pulling their leg..."you wouldn't get much more on it than that!" was his comment. Upon reflection I reckon black magic is a fairly good terminal leader, but too soft for this sort of fishing...I wonder what others think seeings I'm a recent convert to the art of plastics...maybe I'll do a search in tackle chat.
But man what exhillaration...a lot of fun while it lasted
We boated enough fish for a good feed - not a bagout, but some nice specimens. Then moved out to the 80 mts...scratched around for a couple of pearlies and not much more, then headed home around 11.30am...we stopped at Murphey's for a drop on the way in but by then the wind had kicked in so we decided to call it a day.
Thanks to the lads for a great day.
It was nice to be back into the snapper again
Cheers
Rhys
Last edited by revs57; 02-08-2007 at 09:40 AM.
Great to see a Banks report from you again Rhys..........and a beauty at that
I reckon Swano didn't have 'puter problems, he just knew you would be an easy sucker to do his report for himNice bonehead too Swano (the snap that is
)
We'll hopefully give it a crack this weekend. Interesting to see you are using the Gulp stick baits....we're using the 5" & 7" jerk shads for good results. Best colours seem to be good ole NC as well as pearl white.
Re your leaders, have you tried Penn 10X....seems to have good abrasion resistance in both the rust and sweetwater.
Cheers mate
Paul
great report men, that is one hell of a lump on that snaps head.
maybe you need to change the name of the boat to
smokin riptide rhys ?
cheers dale
Hey Rhys/Swano,
Sounds like a great trip. That bone head that swano got is good size.
Rhys what was the current like?
Regards,
Craig.
Paul I think you got it right about swano, he is a slacker when it comes to computers and reports and his bone head? well no need for qualification there mate! Yeah, gotta admit, It was nice to get out and among them. I was starting to wonder if I'd lost some form with a few lean trips lately. This trip was a good boost. Just shows that if you do what you know and keep working at it, best practice pays off. Mate, I've only been using black magic, its all I've got...its fine for terminal tackle, ties well and has some degree of abrasion resistance, works fine for paternosters and floaters in heavier gear, but certainly not tough enough for lighter gear and plastics when handling bigger fish. No I've not had a crack at the penn 10x. I will have to give something a go so I'll put that on my list.
Smokin Riptide Dale? Well we sure had the reels screaming in pain yesterday...what a lovely sound! ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZ ping!!!!!!!!!!
Craig...where we were fishing it was a very gently run north to south, would've been luck to have been 1/2 a knot.
didn't get up the north this trip..maybe next trip in a couple of weeks
Cheers
Rhys
Well done boys
that is one big knob Swanno (the fish
what Black Magic were you using Rhys? the mono supple or tough trace, or the Black Magic Tough Flourocarbon leader?
I use the 30lb mono tough trace on the Suffix 20lb braid and every time I get bricked I have lost the leader completely, Bad knots? or just kelp and rocks at high speed?
Cheers Murf
Hey Murf
Yeah I've got the mono supple...certainly not up to the mark for what we were doing yesterday.
Losing the leader...sounds like its the braid that's pinging, not the leader...how much leader are you using? And do you tie the albright with the braid on the outside or the inside? I used to tie the albright in a way that ended up with the braid on the outside, I'd put a return in the mono, wind the braid up and back and pull it up - braid on the outside of the knot.
Foxy showed me the trick of using the braid double loop, winding the mono up and back so when it pulls up, the mono on the outside of the knot protects the braid in the knot.
just a thought
Cheers
Rhys
I am using 3 to 4m of trace/leaderOriginally Posted by revs57
I have resorted to the slim beauty knot for ease of tying out in the dark and rocking boat, yes Swano I too get sick
I will wander over to the bench an practice some more of the knots that you have mentioned, I was busted off a few times early in the piece using SP's, letting SP get to the bottom, fishing in 10/16m of water, and was frustrated tying on knots. If I set up before a trip with the knot that Swano taught me I may get lucky.
Cheers Murf
Shane Boese has a knot so the leader tail is facing towards the reel for ease of casting not like the albright but I have to catch up with him so he can show me.
I will do a couple of tests with doubling up the braid in the slim beaty knot as well and try that
cheers Murf
Nice work Rhys you put the boys onto some good Knobbies! Love that knob!
Cheers,
Ben.
G'day Ben,
I really can appreciate your comment as the skipper of a boat. I figure its my responsibility to find the fish and put the boat in the best possible position to catch them, its the crews responsibility to catch the blighters, which is why crew are meant to tie good knots Swano and Matt...not ones that unravel!
And there's a story to that too!!!
Cheers
Rhys
hi rhys
the gods are looking over you nice fish
u been out a few time of late
good to see you enjoying yourself
pete
Gday Rhys,
Great report and sounds like all on board had a top trip with some nice fish boated. I'll try an catch up with you when I'm in town next.
Cheers,
Wags
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