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Tugger Rock Master Blaster - 28 May 2011

kreel

By kreel
in Saltwater

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kreel Newbie

kreel

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I got the call during a particularly heavy meeting at work - I was about to tell someone to shove... it was intense. Then the call: "Hi bloke its Tugg mate, you up for a trip out tomorrow". Short-story-long, I completely forgot about the meeting - I was too busy grinning and thinking about what gear I needed for the am.

Arrived 4:30 am at Tugger's to meet Allan (Tuggs mate and as it happened one of his son's teachers), Brock (Tugg's son and did I mention Allan's student!) and of course the man himself. Everything tossed into the boat and off to the ramp and onto the water at around 5am expecting relativley good conditions and lots of fish.

Tugg Rock was giving hints of how the day would progress but we were too excited and eager to fish.

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Mother Nature was playing dirty and tried to lull us into a false sense of security.

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Since my last trip out and the tears I shed over the number of unstoppables we lost I was armed for bear, my Spinfisher was loaded with 50lb mono and I was pumped and also a little worried that I might get a fish or two but the heavy line might scare most of the fish away. No such thing as it happened I had the first 3 fish in the chully bun before anyone else contributed.

My first, eager to see what was going on but too small to get a swim in the ice slurry.

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As it turned out Brock's plan to keep his Dad too busy to fish by getting him running around prepping paternoster rigs, cutting up bait and generally doing dogs-body work was paying off. It was Brock to land the next fish and the one after that so it was 5 or 6 fish to the oldest (me) and the youngest (Brock) before the other 2 joined the program.

Father and son, 2 seasoned old salts, one passing the secrets to the other.

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Allan was fishing on the starboard with me and having a tough morning. I noticed the looks he was giving Brock as he boated another fish. Brock slow down mate - this guy writes report cards!

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All morning we had little to no current passing through and with that the fish were very slow to get on board. As the morning progressed the wind stiffened from the reported 10 - 15 knots up to 20 - 25 knots and the sea began to show us who's boss. It was about this time that Tugger Rock decided to get aggressive with us - one moment it was close like we like it and then it lunged and was CLOSE like we DON'T LIKE IT.

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A bit of scurrying around the boat, line in, anchor up, pants checked for stains and we were on our way to a less volatile spot. In the process the skipper's seat (which was only hanging on by its own good-graces) decided to give way and it was standing room only for the boss, which was kinda nice 'cos we now had that much more room to be tossed around in. The sea was really showing us her dark side and while we were keen to fish we were being tossed all over the shop.

New position and new sides, Brock was sent over to my side and allan went over to the losing side. Allan had been standing behind me all morning and it was only now that I saw that Tugg and Allan had dressed from the same wardrobe - how embarrassment!

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With a change of side, a change of fortune - Allan had been mumbling about no fish, report cards, damned fishing, bloody new rod all sorts of things when a huge grin explodes on his face the same time a nice fish pulls line off his reel. A short fight later and in come a very nice Spangled Emporer. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the Tugger family rate them just above canned fish. On the other hand I am quite partial to a fillet or two of spangly.

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The fish started coming a little more regularly as we got closer to the change in the tide, I pulled in a nice Moses Perch...

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... While Tugg got the fish of the day a very respectable 68 cm Snapper - BTW has anyone else noticed how much Tugg looks like the 'Master Blaster' when he's holding a fish?

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I followed him with my own 60 cm Snapp

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We had a great day and I was pleased that even with the washing machine weather and me halving my usual sea-sick pill intake - no one was sick! Maybe I can get out without any pills yehaa!

We had some more memorable moments - my run-in with a kamikaze sea-gull, some unstoppables coming on the boil as the bait was vansihing. Note to self: when I'm on to a huge fish don't boast that he won't get away becasue "I've got 50lb mono on - he's mine". Because you hex yourself - the moment I said that was the moment the bastard bit me off. Note 2 to self: bring dynamite next time.

It was time to say good bye to the rock.

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Off we go and it was about now I noticed that Tugg was wearing the shirt he got from the place he stayed in Sydney for Mardi Gras - apparently "its fun to stay at the Y..M..U..A"

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The catch ready for freckle ID

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And laid out for the papparazzi.

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We were all groaning by the time we got in from the battering, mutterings of "my back", "my knees", I'm too old for this" and some of the other guys had a few words too. But the truth was that while it was tough out there we were all back with grins on our faces and as I write this last line I'm planning my next fishing trip in my mind.

Thanks Tugg, another good one. Good to meet you Allan and Brock - I think you'll get a good report.

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ellicat Grand Master

ellicat

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Looked like you were on the port side to me :whistle:

Is that bait I see on the brag mat ? :ohmy:

Sounds like you had a real blast while you were happily jammin' fish into the slurry. That tuskie - Isn't she lovely, isn't she wonderful.

When tugger rang you at work I bet you were hoping he wasn't just calling to say he loved you.

:P

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tugger Enthusiast

tugger

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Wow the weather report from the BOM was way off it started off nice but it got a bit ruff. The fish got better though as the day went on just getting bigger and more aggresive on the bite. With Alan breaking in the new rod and reel with a good spangeled and snapper just over 50cm each. Baden got a snapper over 60cm as did I and he also got a pb moses perch while my son got a snapper in the high 40's and some good moses perch. We used the islands to give us a smooth ride home except for the stretch through the rainbow channel where we just couldn't avoid the ruff stuff but a big charter boat came by so we got in his wake there.

Here's some of the days catch

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kreel Newbie

kreel

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Looked like you were on the port side to me :whistle:

Is that bait I see on the brag mat ? :ohmy:

Sounds like you had a real blast while you were happily jammin' fish into the slurry. That tuskie - Isn't she lovely, isn't she wonderful.

When tugger rang you at work I bet you were hoping he wasn't just calling to say he loved you.

:P

When a get a few in me I can't tell my Port from my Sherry.

Yes thats normally bait but we were getting plenty of them and I decided to keep one - tBox and I like them

I think you're right on that, it didn't run too far like a shark might and a cod would break me off on the rubble, it was a pretty clean bight and no abrasion up the line.

I'm thinking of adding a wire trace next time - I gotta get one.

I don't know mate... did you see the haul we got - I think you got second prize. ;):P:PB)

Wash you mouth out, not only do we not take either of those items, but we don't speak of them on the report for fear it will jinx our next trip.

We had a livie out most of the morning for no show what-so-ever. Later in the day, when it turned to a deadie - Tugg put some weight on it and sent it down deep to have it break off on reef. It was a little disappointing - we usually get a nice pelagic or 2 on livies.

Thanks everyone for the kind words and "likes".

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