light jigging brigade - quick report (27/8/08)
The weather's been especially kind lately - and yesterday was no exception, when it completely glassed off. Adam and John have been killing me with their pictures up North lately, so I thought I'd take a few of the conditions here in Perth yesterday, just for all those who were stuck at work.
We set off just after noon to the 40m mark, jig rods and blingy reels all loaded and good to go. I thought I was bad, but my partner-in-crime has since eclipsed me. With a Smith AMJ, a Jigzam, a custom-rolled GUSA, Certate 3500HD, Saltiga z4500 and Morethan Branzino on board just for 'a quick duck out' he was almost showing off!
The water was alive with fish - baitfish that is. The sounder was blotted with them, but jig-eaters they were not. With the whales providing entertainment, we moved around a fair bit. There was a hit here and a hit there, but nothing yet landed. I did manage to hook somethign big early on though, and as my line cut through the water while the fish powered off, I must have been out of practice as I begun to set the hooks like a girl. After about 5 seconds there was slack line, and I was warned that I should smoke alot less dope. Bigfish no.1 droppped - but I wasn't hooked on long enough to make a confident call. I can only say that from the way it lazily powered on without speed and me not being able to lift it, this was no sambo.
Anyway, we soon moved on to find more productive ground. Leading up to the change in tide we managed to come across a new lump that rose about 5m and had good shows of fish hanging just off it. This is more like it! Anyway on about my second drop I had a big bang and I was on. I told myself, no mistakes this time, and my mate reiterated that by gently reminding me that it was a long swim home and that dope is no good. This ruffled me up a little bit. I set the hooks as hard as I could and put the pressure early on to try to turn him, getting him off the bottom and quickly gaining about 5m of my colour-coded line.
*ZZzzzzZZZzzzzz*
Power dive straight back to the bottom. This is definately a big one - I already knew what this was, and told myself, "Don't you friggin lose it." He just sat down there and I should have brought a bloody gimbal belt as I kept maximum pressure on this fish and tried once again to lift him. Meter by meter I got him off the bottom and I knew once I stopped seeing blue (which, by my coloured line meant he'd be 10m off the bottom) he was pretty much mine.
Swimming up in an vertical arc now I was slowly but steadily gaining line as I could feel him starting to give in. White line - yes! 30m to go and he was mine. Staying calm and maintaining pressure it was now all about the lift and wind.
Then, as my eyes widened with horror, this sucker must have got his head turned and as I held on and feathered the spool, he took 30m off me in one slow, deliberate power-run. *bad word bad word bad word* this fight was far from over. By now my mate was out with the camera and while he was almost ready to help me land it a few seconds ago his words now turned to "Don't you lose him! Its a bloody long swim!!"
Anyway the fish now went around the side and towards the back of the boat and in my heart I knew this wasn't going to end sweetly. There was no kidding myself too - I've had 3 fish fight like this on a jig out of Perth in my whole life, and the only time I've won so far produced a 24kg Dhuie. I could now feel the hooks slipping... slipping... Now, it was a matter of whether I maintained the same kind of pressure, knowing he already had 30m of line and was right on the bottom, or take the softly softly approach and see...
--
Oop! Before I knew it, slack line.....
--
I dropped to my knees at this point and was breathing hard. I didn't want to look up at my mate as I was sure he was about to throw me in. That was a BIGGGGG fish. I slowly reeled my rig back, leader, hooks, jig and all intact and couldn't believe it - my head-to-head ratio now fell to 1 in 3.
As a consolation prize my next drop produced a 5 kg pinkie almost as soon as I lifted it, but I easily ripped him in and he didn't take an inch of drag. Taking revenge I did the old "boga-slice" and chucked him straight into the esky. A couple more bits and pieces hit the jig including a bloody scorpion cod which my mate reckons is fair returns (he still hadn't hooked up solid yet at this point, hehe - in fact he was now using BAIT!!!).
Soon it was time to head home as we wanted to get in before 6, and last night was a restless night of haunted dreams..
(more pics to come)
Thanks for reading
Dreamweaver
Posts: 4688
Date Joined: 01/12/07
Great element of suspence
Great write up Kasey, you had me there in the agonising moments mate! It's fantastic isn't it when yo're hooked into something big - but then not to 'get colour' and view the sucker is so frustrating! The guessing and speculation and 'if only' doesn't stop for a long time!
Colin Molloy
(Colin 2 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)
Soon to be de "dreamweaver" ed!
Kasey L.
Posts: 1390
Date Joined: 02/03/06
BLOODY BIG DHUIE!
Hi Col,
There was no second-guessing this one. I knew what it was - I've hooked enough sambos (I would think) and my fair share of dhuies on jig now to tell the difference. The big b@stards have the similar sort of power, but much slower, and over a much shorter distance. Almost a 'slowly cruising' feel, and nothing you can do about it.
For you northerners, it fought like a big cod - slow but powerful, steady runs to get down and just SIT there. Except there are no cod in Perth now, are there... (I take that back - not in 40m anyway)
I'd say you'd have to be there to see it, except I have most of the fight on camera. Actually I have all 3 "Monster Dhuie" battles on camera, and its a very distinctive thing.
just waiting on pics
Dreamweaver
Posts: 4688
Date Joined: 01/12/07
Yeah Kasey!
Hey Kasey..
As you say, both can go hard, athough I do recall (so long now :( ) catching a couple of decent Dhuis that came up like dead weights - and we weren't in supa deep water either, but most have been that tell tale suck as they 'breath in' the offering and then hold on! Never had a sambo take it easy though. Also as you say - big difference in how they behave.
I'd be screeming with frustration LOL!
Colin Molloy
(Colin 2 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)
Soon to be de "dreamweaver" ed!
Colin Hay
Posts: 10407
Date Joined: 23/10/07
Love your work Kasey
A good yarn, and as Dreamwaver said, some nice suspense. The conditions certainly looked spot on.
(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)
Moderator. Proud member of the Fishwrecked "Old Farts". Make sure your subscribed to Fishwrecked Reeltime http://fishwrecked-reeltime.com/
alfred
Posts: 3097
Date Joined: 12/01/07
Top story Kasey. 1985
Top story Kasey.
1985 Boston Whaler Outrage 18 Johnson 140hp 4stroke
Neander
Posts: 520
Date Joined: 23/10/07
good reading KC Must be the
good reading KC
Must be the kama gods getting back at you for enjoying your fishing while we all had to work.
Brody
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 06/02/07
What jigs did the damage
What jigs did the damage Kasey?
GotOne Woodvale
Craig J
Posts: 103
Date Joined: 10/01/07
Good read Kasey I feel your
Good read Kasey I feel your pain.
Its normally my knots that give way thou. Happens to me too often. Its like playing your best game and still loosing the grand final.
Andy Mac
Posts: 4778
Date Joined: 03/02/06
Bad luck mate
Cheers
Cheers
Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)
Youngest member of the Fishwrecked Old Farts Club
SamC
Posts: 2013
Date Joined: 30/08/06
Salmo told me all about it,
Salmo told me all about it, bad luck Kasey!
those decoy assists look the goods aswell, perfect size for the 100-120g jigs
cheers
sam
Cheers,
Sam
Kasey L.
Posts: 1390
Date Joined: 02/03/06
Thanks for the comments
Thanks for the comments guys.
Brody,
I was using a mix of Ima RO, Ever Green Caprice and Fisherman Andaman.
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
sounds like a fun day on the
sounds like a fun day on the water Kasey, atleast something to do between GT trips anyway :)
mitch
Posts: 1285
Date Joined: 14/08/05
wicked read KC.spewing ya
wicked read KC.spewing ya didnt land the big sucker.
i believe there would be the odd big cod still in the metro area.wasnt that long ago one was caught from the north mole .i read that in the westaussie paper
next time mate youll nail him .seems you know where he lives
always in it just the depth that varies
PilbaraBrad
Posts: 3628
Date Joined: 16/05/07
good stuff
good stuff
Brody
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 06/02/07
Cool, nice assortment. Have
Cool, nice assortment.
Have been doing well lately on 70g Shout Lighten, no fish on the hooker i was using yesterday though.
GotOne Woodvale
big john
Posts: 8751
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Tough Luck
Bad luck on that Kasey, but as Andy said, you now know where he lives.
John
I head a little FURTHER NORTH each year,
Leave the cities behind, out of sight of mind,
.......
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Salmo
Posts: 913
Date Joined: 15/08/05
Dropped fish dont count
And the only reason I went to bait was I wanted to go home with at least dinner for our efforts…..
Your hook setting was noticeably soft mate….and maybe leave the chemical enhancement to the real Athletes and football players....
maybe bigger but lighter gauge hooks might penetrate easier….I have noticed a tendency of hooking Dhuies in the nostrils rather than the mouth
The dinner bell certainly worked right on cue with the bottom of the tide….short hard and fast…..
Maybe try again early next week…..
Spent last night building twin assist hooks modelled on the Decoy I showed Sam yesterday….. should do the trick
Kasey L.
Posts: 1390
Date Joined: 02/03/06
pfft... chemical enhancements
stop making fun of my need for painkillers - my leg hurts!