The Ultimate Disappointment

[SydneyIsSkyBlue]

Hi Raiders, 

It's been a while since I've been on here but it's good to see the community is as strong and vibrant as ever!

Having been a busy few months with work, it's been a while between fishing sessions but I finally got the chance last week to head out to the beaches around Botany Bay to pump some nippers and chase a few whiting/flathead. In the midst of not being able to get out and go fishing, I've spent countless hours after work watching fishing videos on Youtube and trying to hone my skills and knowledge for when I could get back out there as well as trying to work my way through the recipes in the "Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook" that I received last Christmas. My aim is to try and make as many of the dishes as I can from that book with the fish that I catch.

Anyway, during this time, I have been hanging to make the Kingfish recipe in the book as well as finally landing one of those guys land-based (I've never hooked up to one). Having spoken to a mate, he told me to head out with a fishing guide later this year which will hopefully give us a fair chance. But alas, I digress. Here I am casually fishing off the beaches at Dolls Point: small pinkies, some whiting, a sting ray and flathead make up a mixed bag in the first hour. As it started slowing down, I moved down the beach to some of the deeper water on the incoming tide. On goes the next nipper and off I cast... I wait... and then the rod buckles and I strike. Immediately, I knew this was something different and the line starts peeling off my reel. It sounds awfully familiar to those numerous videos I've watched over the last few months about targeting kingfish. As the fight goes on, I start thinking to myself I must have hooked up on another big sting ray as there wasn't much fight, it was just dragging me around the place. The line is going left, I pause and reel and then it goes right and takes more line. This is a serious fish, but on a size 2 long shank hook? It can't be. 

A couple of minutes later in the haste of my excitement and curiosity, I get the fish to about 2-3m to the edge of the beach and low and behold, its a kingfish (I estimate it would have been around 70-75cm). My anxiety levels go up, I can't lose this, I've tried and toiled for some time and here is my moment. As I'm about to land the fish... a sudden twang and then laxity in the line. The leader snaps and there goes my hook and the fish. It's been almost a week now, and I keep replaying the moment and what I could have done differently in that situation. 

Anyway, here's hoping I quash this burning desire to tick kingfish off my list and recipe book in the next few weeks!

SSIB

Edited December 2, 2020 by SydneyIsSkyBlue

[zmk1962]

Oh mate... I feel for you. I think we have all been there at some time .... the bent rod and screaming reel ... then that dreaded limp line leaving a long burning memory of what could have been ....

Anyway .... that's why its called fishin' not catchin'  ...

I have found that the only way to get over it is to go out and cast that line in again.

Cheers Zoran

[Rebel]

Welcome back.

Great report.

[dirvin21]

The "if only" haunts us all

[JamoDamo]

Man I feel your pain, similar thing happened to me while fishing lures for bread and butter species and hooked up to and lost a 80cm plus flathead right at the bloody bank like literally right there for the taking right at my feet. I wanted to cry I was so upset...

Edited December 2, 2020 by JamoDamo

[wchh]

I share your feeling definitely! This is a familiar feeling to all our fisho. We all had a moment of losing a fish for various reasons and most of time we don’t even get to see what took our bait and hook. that “the one that got away” moment was the thing keeps us going back😁

Not  sure what I could have done trying to land that king. King is known for hard fighting. I fish a lot off the beach and learnt the trick to use the wave. But off a spot like Doll’s Point, It is going to be hard as there is not much of waves for most of times. Heavy gears might be the only answer?

anyway, that was fishing, sometimes we win, sometimes fish does. Let us just not give up trying!

 

[damos]

Great writing and report, felt like I was there and brought back memories of losing some good fish over the years. Just think, theres always next time. 😊

[DaveBM]

Such pain. What a bummer.

What would have been my PB snapper lunged out of my hands and the boat as I posed for a photo.

At least I know what never to do again. Pics can wait!

[the skipper]

17 hours ago, SydneyIsSkyBlue said:

Hi Raiders, 

It's been a while since I've been on here but it's good to see the community is as strong and vibrant as ever!

Having been a busy few months with work, it's been a while between fishing sessions but I finally got the chance last week to head out to the beaches around Botany Bay to pump some nippers and chase a few whiting/flathead. In the midst of not being able to get out and go fishing, I've spent countless hours after work watching fishing videos on Youtube and trying to hone my skills and knowledge for when I could get back out there as well as trying to work my way through the recipes in the "Australian Fish & Seafood Cookbook" that I received last Christmas. My aim is to try and make as many of the dishes as I can from that book with the fish that I catch.

Anyway, during this time, I have been hanging to make the Kingfish recipe in the book as well as finally landing one of those guys land-based (I've never hooked up to one). Having spoken to a mate, he told me to head out with a fishing guide later this year which will hopefully give us a fair chance. But alas, I digress. Here I am casually fishing off the beaches at Dolls Point: small pinkies, some whiting, a sting ray and flathead make up a mixed bag in the first hour. As it started slowing down, I moved down the beach to some of the deeper water on the incoming tide. On goes the next nipper and off I cast... I wait... and then the rod buckles and I strike. Immediately, I knew this was something different and the line starts peeling off my reel. It sounds awfully familiar to those numerous videos I've watched over the last few months about targeting kingfish. As the fight goes on, I start thinking to myself I must have hooked up on another big sting ray as there wasn't much fight, it was just dragging me around the place. The line is going left, I pause and reel and then it goes right and takes more line. This is a serious fish, but on a size 2 long shank hook? It can't be. 

A couple of minutes later in the haste on my excitement and curiosity, I get the fish to about 2-3m to the edge of the beach and low and behold, its a kingfish (I estimate it would have been around 70-75cm). My anxiety levels go up, I can't lose this, I've tried and toiled for some time and here is my moment. As I'm about to land the fish... a sudden twang and then laxity in the line. The leader snaps and there goes my hook and the fish. It's been almost a week now, and I keep replaying the moment and what I could have done differently in that situation. 

Anyway, here's hoping I quash this burning desire to tick kingfish off my list and recipe book in the next few weeks!

SSIB

Mate , what you experienced is till pretty special although devastating at the same time as a fisho there is nothing worse to see it but not land it. If there is one thing my dear old Dad taught me is that is that when you fish you hope, you dream and if you are lucky enough you will one day land that fish of your lifetime and don't get caught up in competing with someone else just be happy with what you can catch.

Personally, I am hunting that kingie as well as I have caught plenty of juveniles that go hard enough so for me it is about that hoodlum that will one day be unlucky enough to take my bait and I am hoping I will be ready for the fight I can tell you it won't be for lack of trying.

Cheers mate and keep on casting it will happen for you.

Regards

The Skipper 

[SydneyIsSkyBlue]

Thanks fellas!

I hope to bring you a story with a different ending one day :)

I was in even more shock when I saw it knowing that is was hanging of a relatively small size 2 long shank hook!

[anthman]

Tough luck mate! What rig were you using?

[Triple G]

I feel the pain and it must sting even more after each post/reply you read,

think of it as a quick unofficial easy release for the fish with a future landing destined to arrive soon.

 

Good luck

[SydneyIsSkyBlue]

1 hour ago, anthman said:

Tough luck mate! What rig were you using?

Hi mate,

It was a very basic sliding sinker rig. 

8lb Diawa J-braid with a small ball sinker sliding above a swivel. 20lb flurocarbon leader down to a size 2 long shank hook.

[FishyMcFishFace]

You will just get closer and closer and eventually you will get there, it took me 364 days with some help. Good luck with the next hookup!

 

[Keflapod]

This is the dilemma,

You can target bread'n'butter and risk hooking something worthwhile or target bigger fish and risk getting bored. If the kingie bug needs to be fixed, I can suggest catching a small live red spot whiting that would be common there. It has no size limit (I believe). Use it as live bait and target big flatties, jewies and of course kingies.

Losing a good kingie is like losing LeFondre, DeJong and O'neill...

[SydneyIsSkyBlue]

17 hours ago, Keflapod said:

This is the dilemma,

You can target bread'n'butter and risk hooking something worthwhile or target bigger fish and risk getting bored. If the kingie bug needs to be fixed, I can suggest catching a small live red spot whiting that would be common there. It has no size limit (I believe). Use it as live bait and target big flatties, jewies and of course kingies.

Losing a good kingie is like losing LeFondre, DeJong and O'neill...

First of all @Keflapod - that is a brilliant analogy, I love it!  suspect you may be a fan yourself?

I actually caught one of them the other day and threw it back for obvious reasons... If only I'd known.

I've actually never used live fish as bait (only nippers), but have obviously seen people using yakkas through the nose for kingies. Is it a similar concept with any baitfish? Pardon the ignorance but when fishing like that from the beach, is it simply a case of opening the bail and letting the fish swim out into the deeper water? (I assume you're not casting haha)

[mitchie18092]

i know the feeling all too well of losing a fish at the final hurdle... hurts eh?

in terms of recipe ideas / cook books - can't go past this one from Josh Niland (head chef at St Peter, if you know, you know...)

 

https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-whole-fish-cookbook-josh-niland/book/9781743795538.html?source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAiA_Kz-BRAJEiwAhJNY7yBOuqbf1RypZPs1fEJ0f3vephi7Ly8AWl_Mbim0-JMbWKCS5RnA8hoCJLMQAvD_BwE

[61 crusher]

Great report & sorry to hear of your heartache, but the fact that you got to see it will keep your expectations going in the hope of success in your future fishing escapades which you will know doubt succeed at, so close yet not a winner yet 🤞🤞

[Keflapod]

2 hours ago, SydneyIsSkyBlue said:

First of all @Keflapod - that is a brilliant analogy, I love it!  suspect you may be a fan yourself?

I actually caught one of them the other day and threw it back for obvious reasons... If only I'd known.

I've actually never used live fish as bait (only nippers), but have obviously seen people using yakkas through the nose for kingies. Is it a similar concept with any baitfish? Pardon the ignorance but when fishing like that from the beach, is it simply a case of opening the bail and letting the fish swim out into the deeper water? (I assume you're not casting haha)

Yep - a mad fan I am (sounds like Dr Seuss).

As for the livies, I would cast the bait some way out (gently) and walk the shore as the tide moves the bait (if the tide moves the bait depending on how far up the shore of the georges you are fishing). The idea is you use a float that has a weight in it - styrofoam cone thing - unsure of the correct name. It provides the casting weight. Use a 1m trace or so and a float stopper on the line set at the right depth. The float stopper is a little rubber ball and can be wound onto the reel if required. Set the depth so the livie is near the bottom but not on it. Trace should be heavier of course - say 6kg fluorocarbon. Sinker should be very small - just enough to pull the line through the float until the stopper hits the float.

The only issue is to bring more than 1 livie in case a bait is lost. Then poddy mullet may be a better idea but give the little local red spot whiting a go until you get the logistics sorted and see if you are liking it.

If you are going to wade into the water to cast a line, can I suggest wearing gum boots - there are a lot of sting rays, etc in the water there. I have been catching a lot of them lately so be careful.

Ivanovic for starting striker I reckon - give the youth a go.

[SydneyIsSkyBlue]

On 12/6/2020 at 1:40 PM, Keflapod said:

Yep - a mad fan I am (sounds like Dr Seuss).

As for the livies, I would cast the bait some way out (gently) and walk the shore as the tide moves the bait (if the tide moves the bait depending on how far up the shore of the georges you are fishing). The idea is you use a float that has a weight in it - styrofoam cone thing - unsure of the correct name. It provides the casting weight. Use a 1m trace or so and a float stopper on the line set at the right depth. The float stopper is a little rubber ball and can be wound onto the reel if required. Set the depth so the livie is near the bottom but not on it. Trace should be heavier of course - say 6kg fluorocarbon. Sinker should be very small - just enough to pull the line through the float until the stopper hits the float.

The only issue is to bring more than 1 livie in case a bait is lost. Then poddy mullet may be a better idea but give the little local red spot whiting a go until you get the logistics sorted and see if you are liking it.

If you are going to wade into the water to cast a line, can I suggest wearing gum boots - there are a lot of sting rays, etc in the water there. I have been catching a lot of them lately so be careful.

Ivanovic for starting striker I reckon - give the youth a go.

Love it mate! 

Might see you around fishing on the bay or at the stadium

PS: Thanks for the advice!