Sea Cur

My mate and I decided to head out last Sunday 12th July. We headed out from Swansea and got to Norah Canyons at about 12.00. The water was not the best colour and a temperature of about 17.8 to 17.9 degrees. We put out a spread of 5 lures and continued SE to the 1,000m mark and then to where the temperature started to approach the magical 18.3 degrees temperature and then increasing. After about 15 minutes I thought I saw a good splash off to port, After about 30 minutes we suddenly saw a school of YFTs busting up and smashing bait fish no more than 50 to 100 m to starboard. As we passed them there was that fabulous scream of a big reel loosing drag. The shotgun had gone off. My mate called me to keep the pace on which I did but after about 15 to 39 seconds and no other hits I eased back and cleared the other 4 lines and got ready to gaff and land the fish. About 20 or more minutes we had a good sized YFT along side, gaffed and bled and a few cool blocks on it. After a bit we stopped trolling and cubed. My turn to see the freespool line take off on my line. 1/2 hour another YFT on the deck. Left them still smashing bait all around us. A great day out.t

The weather looked OK for a trip to Browns Mountain last weekend so my mate and I headed out to bottom bash with out deep drop rigs. After no outside fishing as a result of surgery for colon cancer last year and still on chemotherapy I was keen to see if I could cope with the ride out in an under 6 m centre console. The ride wasn't too flash but my mate (he's 35 and I'm 76) set up a camp seat at the stern so I didn't have to stand all the way out. The 1.5 m swell on the way out wasn't too bad until the camp seat disintegrated with. We got there in just over an hour and a half and used out old marks o start our drifts. There was a strong current running to the west (hence the swell with the wind from the west (went east later in the day) running against it. My mate pulled up a reasonable cod and I brought up two medium to smaller gem fish. The next two or three drifts were zeros and were a bit bumpy and quite fast. We then moved to set a drift across some other marks we have and the cod were there. I pulled up two cod with the bigger of the two at 15.6 kgs. I was sure it was over 20 kgs but the scales don't lie. A great day out and lots of fillets for our family and my happy neighbours. My mate was using an Alvey winch plus his big reel but I used my fabulous electric reel. How good is that invention. We were showing 450 m on the sounder but my electric display showed 560 which was as a result of the drift speed and line angle. Glad I wasn't winding up by hand from that depth. Check out my mate winding hard, a mid sized cod just pulled up and bled and back home for the obligatory photo. Hard to hold slippery fish.

Great to see the hairies are in at last. My mate and I went out few times last season and NOTHING although in past years we've normally done well. Went out again about a week ago and neither we nor anyone else had much success. Decided to go deep so went to Browns and pulled up three good sized blue eyed cod up to 15.6 kgs plus gemmies but hairies are so much better to eat. You've inspired us to have another session as soon as the wind eases a bit. Thanks for the report and encouragement. I need it at the moment as I'm having chemo and it knocks me about a bit at times. My mate with whom I've been fishing with weekly for probably over 15 years is a great help - less than half my 76 years but with fishing age is no barrier to friendships.

Thanks blokes (I have a problem with guys) you've given me a lot to think about and work on. Will definitely head out early on Monday and see what I can turn up. The plan is to use bought bait first off to get the early morning light and then see if I can find some squid later for future use plus as a destination reference point and confidence booster in what for me is a new area. I've mostly done best with kingies more towards summer and especially when the salmon start to turn up. will stick with chasing snapper on Monday unless others feel this is a waste of time