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Doobsy

By Doobsy
in Saltwater

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Doobsy Newbie

Doobsy

Posted
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You know the feeling...

You have other commitments, life gets in the way and you just can't get away to get out on the water.

It was three weeks between sessions. I couldn't get out of previous engagements to attend the SOO comp and my skipper and best mate of over 20 years rubbed it in with his success for the QLD crew.

I was therefore nervous with anticipation that we decided to hit the 'pin last weekend. Three weeks prior, we had a great session drifting the flats with tailor, bream and duskies landed for a fisherman's basket of giant proportions. i had lost a heavy lizard on that trip due to a pulled terminal knot and I wasn't prepared to let that happen ever again.

The week passed slowly, with dreams of perfect weather and gear rigged just right to pull in some line-class beasts. The announcement that flatties were the Fish of the Month for August only intensified my desire.

"What time tomorrow?" I texted Sweresy on Friday morn. "5am eternal" was the reply.

I hit the sack at 9:45pm for at least 6 and a half hours sleep. 'Twas not to be... I was up at 2am, unable to fall back into a slumber to gain precious energy after a week of work. I wrestled with the sandman for two hours, jumped up, had a shower and was on the road.

I arrived at Sweresy's at 5:03 and he was rigged up and ready to go as always. Loaded the gear, hit the M1 and after a coffee and 45 mins, we were at Rudy Maars ready to go.

We hit the water and it was cold but we knew it'd be a good day.

We first hit the little sand-flat on the way out to the 'pin that we had an awesome time a few weeks prior, popping for some choppers. Nothing but a few little squire... So we ventured further out to the 'pin.

It was pretty quiet as we landed at the top of the tide. Nothing was happening except for a couple of small bream for the skipper and a squid that took a liking to my li'l pillie flickbait. I was still on nothing and we went further out to the mouth.

Nothing much was happening near the mouth so we started to slowly drift back under a bit of electric power.

Then we started getting smashed.

Tailor for sure. Leaders were snipped like there were aqua-ninjas surgically slicing away underwater. We thought for sure that we would get a few if our light leaders would hold up against the onslaught.

We each were surgically let down a couple of times with clinical leader cuts before the skipper had one that wasn't letting go. I started the video on the iPhone to capture what was going to be some nice footage. A solid fight of around 5 minutes and wondering if it was a giant tailor or even a jew led to an amazing realisation that we had a hairtail boatside. That'd explain the lost lures and precision-cut leaders... Once in the boat, it was a precursor to an almighty morning. Fortunately we had the Canon to take pix but the video is gone. More on that later but a here's shot of the 6 foot beast...

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We drifted around for a bit more with not much luck and flicking SP's off the bottom for some more action and I was on to something serious. Again the video was pulled out and a serious fight was on. I wasn't sure what it was for the first couple of minutes until it took a few runs, a few half-hearted head-shakes and a real need to get back to the bottom....

Oh yeah, it was lizard time.

I hoped that it would come up with the atomic ripperz I lost a few weeks ago still stuck in its' head but most of all. I just wanted to land it.

Land it I did! A PB @ 74.5cm's

As it got into the boat, the skip reminded me that people fish their whole lives and not land something that long. I was stoked and with my heart still racing, managed to take a few pix before letting her go to breed some more.

4878564465_96447c6872_z.jpg

On the mat...

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And released...

4878564569_2fa2df5f22_z.jpg

A few more flicks in some familiar places and we were getting nowhere fast until the skip decided to head for a small pocket of stillness that he thought might provide some action.

We hit a still pocket whilst drifting and Sweresy decides to launch some poppers. Two retrieves and there's tailor everywhere. I throw an SP amongst the carnage and pick up a solid specimen instantly. One more for the esky!

As soon as they come on, they're off and after a few more minutes of empty casts, we decide to drift back along the flats to target some flatties.

Heading for home along the passage we're casting to the shore and getting a few hits but not hooking anything.

Then the day turns into one of those days that you will remember for the rest of your life...

Whilst gently drifting along the passage, some awesome loser on a 30 foot cruiser and 200hp jets past us at over 20 knots about 20 metres away. We look up to see that he's decided to slow down and realise it's WAY too late as the wake has hit us...

One up, one down, the skipper on the front casting deck loses his balance, steps back and as the second wake hits us, he falls back and takes me out....

A quick suck in and we're both in the drink...

Sweresy pulls his phone out of his pocket and asks, "Is your phone in your pocket?"

I reply, "Yep..."

Video gone and we can't get back into the boat... awesome.

We swim the boat the 25 metres to shore and assess the damage... 2 x iPhones, my rod and reel and my pumas...

Back in the boat and we're off home for a warm shower and no more chance of some table-sized bream or flatties for dinner.

We saw the idiot who swamped us and had a word but a public forum is not the place to vent anger against a nuff-nuff who doesn't know the laws of the waterways.

We get back to the ramp, hook up the boat and head back home with a fishing tale for the ages. We'll dine out on this and the split-seconds that led to us both in the drink on an awesome day that will have us both in stitches for years to come.

The positives are that the phones were insured, even though we lost some awesome video. I lost my rod n' reel but it's my birthday next month and I wanted to upgrade so I have even more of an excuse for the wife, we're alive, I got a PB and a possible FOTM and the skip landed a hairtail at the 'pin...

It was a great day.

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stinkyibis Newbie

stinkyibis

Posted
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Let me be the first to say thankyou for an excellent report, I really enjoy reading reports like this. That other fish is very impressive I've never seen one of them in that area. I took my very special mentally impaired friend who loves fishing but never catches anything to the pin last week, he landed his pb flatty of 71cm on 4lb fireline, 4lb fluoro and thats all he ever talks about anymore. The croc action at the pin this winter has been really awesome, great to see you getting stuck in to some and congrats on your new pb.

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crazywalrus Enthusiast

crazywalrus

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Great report there Doobsy, I really enjoyed it. Some people are so rude. I would have reported those guys to the water police and asked them to pay for the lost gear. Those guys are real W---------s done there. That is one great looking Flatty there and gratz on the PB and goo luck with the FOTM. Did Sweersy keep the Hairtail they are some great chewing eaten fresh.

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kriso Newbie

kriso

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mate i woulda had more then words for that ass hole! pretty sure when stuff like that happens you can actualy claim it as a marine accident and claim any damage on old mates insurance bit fuzzy on how it works but i remember i was told something along those lines .

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sweresy Newbie

sweresy

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still laughing....... ive also been randomly laughing aloud to myself when walking down the street, at home, at work and in the shower.

Friends and family think ive finally cracked, its been happening alot this week whenever i recall our faces after surfacing from the 'forced' iced water bath, classic.

btw the hairtail was grade A gear. grats Doobsy on another PB !!!

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Scope Newbie

Scope

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Great report mate, made for some entertaining reading - I got a couple of paragraphs into it and was thinking "this is really good, I'm gonna give it my vote for report of the month" -

Then I realised your best mate is Sweresy :P

haha :laugh: seriously though, congrats to both of you - will vote it in when the official thread is put up

Jono

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dassa Newbie

dassa

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Good report Doobsy and congrates on the PB that is a beauitful fish and that hairtail is one ugly sob.Sorry to here about the phones and gear getting lost,what is it with some people getting in to big boats turn into complete assholes and only care about one thing them selves

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