Five Kg

[Wolly Bugger]

Today launched at the Patto, not many car/trailers in the carpark and head towards one of the marks that I had been given. Sounding along the way I pass over some likely looking targets before the GPS mark. So I drop the pick and bait up, but the bait is still frozen it hadn't had time to thaw.

A quick dunk in the bay and it is soft enough to put the hooks in, manage to get all 4 rods in without an interruption. The first rod on the starboard side goes off, but I miss it, then the second rod on the port side, just keeps peeling line off. I pick up the rod and it feels heavy, but no tail shakes so I think to myself a ray. I managed to gain some line only to loose it again, this pattern is repeated a few times, and I managed to get it closer to the boat, what ever it was it was staying deep and still no tail shakes.

Eventually I start winning gaining more and more line, and it is still deep, Inch by inch it comes closer to the boat, and eventually there is some silver colour before it dives to the bottom again, gradually I inch it closer to the surface, and it is big red, so big it won't fit in the piddly little net that I have been using, trying not to loose the fish, I gingerly get the gaff, rod in one hand and trying to remove the cover of the gaff point.

Eventually manage to remove the gaff point cover and now to gaff the fish, decisions decisions, never gaffed a fish before, do aim for the body or try for the mouth, big red then takes another run and slowly inch by inch I ease him into gaff range, I decided to go for the mouth, but had to get the right angle to get the point inside the mouth, big red runs again, and the line wraps around the gaff, but I manage to free the line before it breaks.

Finally get the gaff into the mouth and a quick lift and big red lands into the boat, but there is now time to admire the handy work with rods going off left right and centre, most I miss, but end up with another 3 pinkies on board. When I quietens down I measure the pinkies and decide to let 2 of them go and keep the third.

This spot quietens down so I up pick and move, finding a few more marks but nothing seemed to be interested in biting, tried drifting only to wind up with some big tangles so I gave that idea away.

The water was almost as smooth as glass this morning, bait was the humble pilchard, 4/0 double hook rigs.

I go exploring further towards Ricketts point only for the wind to pick up and I don't have the clears on the starboard side, gingerly I make my way to Mordi, the plan was to tie up until the wind dies down, but I cant get under the bridge, so I anchor, put the clears on the starboard side and head back to the Patto, It wasn't a pleasant trip, but slow and steady I made it.

The Big Red weighed in a 5 kilos exactly.

[samjas1316]

Nice one Wooly. What a nice problem to have with rods going off left right and centre.

[Lightningx]

Nice red mate. Well done :thumbsup:

[chris srsc]

no pics? did it really happen...bwhahahaha nice work man, i was out all day yesterday but no runs until they were hooked, dropped heaps

[Hydroman]

very nice....what time did you go out?

[ducky]

Good work on the Reds. Out of interest you had a couple of fish slapping around on the deck while you retrieved other fish then released them?

[purple5ive]

well done mate, finally.
now those bent props and failed launches suddenly doesn't seem to matter anymore hahahahah

[Nude up]

Nice work it can be a problem sometimes with too many rods out and the bites are hot but its a great sound line being pulled off your reel

[Wolly Bugger]

:banana:

[Lightningx]

What a beauty! Very nice fish mate. Congrats :thumbsup: