Cold, windy and ... mulloway!
Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 10:01 pm
I went out for a couple of hours this afternoon, after some dismal sessions over the last few weeks at various locations. I was getting so dispirited I only took one surf rod tonight and my old trusty bream rod. I put out a large bait and then flicked out a tiny piece of bait for bream, mullet or whatever. An hour into the session, there were a few tiny taps on the bream rod. A few more taps and then the rod started to curve! Within seconds, I realised this was no bream - the little 8ft bream rod buckled over and I started losing metres of line off the totally under equipped reel. Within 30 seconds I had lost all the line and was down to the backing. I vainly tried to lock up the drag and gain some line, but the fish kept going - within another 10 seconds the line severed (presumably against a nearby pylon). Holding the loose line of the bream rod in one hand, I stared back at my large mulloway rod, which remained completely untouched, of course.
Over the next hour, I failed to register any more bites, so finally I down sized the bait on the large rod, in a "match the hatch' sort of logic. Within 15 minutes, I noticed a slow tap on the line. I mucked around with the fish for about 5 minutes, letting out line and then waiting for the next bite. Eventually, there was a slightly constant pressure, so I struck - as I did, the surf rod bent down toward the water and the drag started screaming! The fish headed out wide and straight for structure - having lost many this way before, I tightened the drag considerably and held on. I managed to turn the fish three or four times during the fight - at one point narrowly avoiding a pylon and almost breaking my rod in the process. After a few minutes and some dodgy missed attempts with the net, I had my fish - an 80cm mulloway. I spent a few minutes reviving the fish in the water, and eventually it gave a solid kick and was off into the depths.
A great night after so many recent fishless sessions!
Over the next hour, I failed to register any more bites, so finally I down sized the bait on the large rod, in a "match the hatch' sort of logic. Within 15 minutes, I noticed a slow tap on the line. I mucked around with the fish for about 5 minutes, letting out line and then waiting for the next bite. Eventually, there was a slightly constant pressure, so I struck - as I did, the surf rod bent down toward the water and the drag started screaming! The fish headed out wide and straight for structure - having lost many this way before, I tightened the drag considerably and held on. I managed to turn the fish three or four times during the fight - at one point narrowly avoiding a pylon and almost breaking my rod in the process. After a few minutes and some dodgy missed attempts with the net, I had my fish - an 80cm mulloway. I spent a few minutes reviving the fish in the water, and eventually it gave a solid kick and was off into the depths.
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cheers davo