A morning I wont forget

Finally the hours have paid off!!

So Ive had my boat for about 5 months now, I installed a new sounder/transducer and wasn't overly impressed with the returns I was getting. I've been spending a lot of time in the sound testing the minor transducer adjustments until I found the sweet spot.

Below is a picture of a wreck in the sound which i was quite impressed with - compared to my original readings (not the D9).

Feeling more confident with the sounder readings I was itching to get out to the FFB to sound some ground and hopefully land my first sized Pink in the boat. I had only been out to the FFB once in my boat prior to this trip so I had no marks.

I left the ramp at 6.30am and set out to the FFB, marked a few fish on the sounder and set up a drift over them. The first drift resulted in an undersized pink and a wrasse, unfortunately the drift was fairly quick so I thought a change of plan was needed. I decided to drop the anchor on one of the marks and drift some baits down until the current slowed.

I started a small burley trail in hope of some larger Pinks following it up. It didn’t take long before I had my first run, straight away I knew this wasn’t a Snapper - with no head shakes, long quick runs and the fish rising up in the water column. As I got the fish closer to the boat it started to do a circle pattern and I knew what it was, up comes a nice Tuna.

I reset the baits with hope that I might still be able to land my first size Pink, unfortunately it wasn’t to be. The Salmon had caught scent of the burley trail and were as hungry as always. I landed 4-5 Salmon with about 10 fish following the hooked fish to the surface.

By this time the conditions had improved so I thought I’d take advantage of it. I pulled the anchor and set out to search for some more ground.

It didn't take me long to find some promising looking shows on the sounder, I marked the spot and set up the drift. The scroll back function on the sounder really helped me pin point this.

I had a rod rigged with a bait and a PE2 set up rigged with a jig, I had the intension of dropping the bait to the bottom and then having a jig. The fish on the other hand had different ideas. As soon as my bait hit the bottom and I engaged the leaver drag I had a decent hit, I set the hooks and immediately felt some very solid weight. Line began to scream off the reel without any big head shakes, I increased my drag and tried to turn the fish. Every time I thought that I was winning the battle it would take long lunges back to the bottom leaving me counting the markings of my braid. At this stage I wasn’t too sure on what it was, I started to think it was a sambo but wasn’t convinced about the call.

After what felt like eternity and backing down on the fish 4 times I was ecstatic when my new PB Dhu at 91cm came to the side of the boat!!

It wasn’t the Snapper that I set out for in the morning but it’s the best bycatch I could imagine and was still a first on the boat.

Image Upload: 

hunterdive's picture

Posts: 363

Date Joined: 24/02/09

 yewwww!!  Nice work! What

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:21

 yewwww!!  Nice work!

 

What model sounder is that?  You are getting some really good pictures 

Bing's picture

Posts: 150

Date Joined: 13/02/11

Sounder

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:25

Thanks Hunterdiver, its a Simrad NSS9 evo 2 with a Totalscan transducer. Took me a while to get it reading well but Im happy with it now.

Posts: 8026

Date Joined: 07/05/12

Brilliant write up and well

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:24

Brilliant write up and well done on a cracking fish.

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Officially off the Pies bandwagon

Bing's picture

Posts: 150

Date Joined: 13/02/11

Thanks mate

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:29

I was so happy when I got it up. Didnt re drift the spot, went straight in for a well needed beer

Stevo81's picture

Posts: 1278

Date Joined: 16/04/12

 Gotta be happy with that

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:25

 Gotta be happy with that mate. What tranny you running?

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                                   ••••••••  Electrical Contractor NOR  ••••••••

Bing's picture

Posts: 150

Date Joined: 13/02/11

Transducer

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:27

Totalscan transducer mate, only have a 4.5m trailcraft so works well for me as i wont be fishing that deep.

Posts: 23

Date Joined: 01/01/70

gotta be very happy with that

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:35

 thats a solid dhu banga

Chinbald's picture

Posts: 315

Date Joined: 21/02/09

Thats what its all about

Wed, 2017-04-05 19:44

 The reason we all go fishing, Solid local Dhu, pure joy.

z00m's picture

Posts: 1086

Date Joined: 10/05/14

Well done

Wed, 2017-04-05 20:04

 Hard work and an effort to unlock the sounder potential paid off in spades!

kirky79's picture

Posts: 1351

Date Joined: 13/01/12

Awesome by catch

Wed, 2017-04-05 20:09

I bet you were hooting and hollering when that beauty popped up. Great feeling when you boat a great fish solo eh, can't wait to get back in and show someone. 

Well done

Bing's picture

Posts: 150

Date Joined: 13/02/11

Sure was

Wed, 2017-04-05 20:17

There was definitely some hooting and hollering, probably a few colourful words too haha. The wife got a phone call from a very excited husband

dw72's picture

Posts: 139

Date Joined: 19/02/15

cool story

Wed, 2017-04-05 20:15

 wanted to know what it was by the end as well!

nice fish

Browndog's picture

Posts: 580

Date Joined: 10/04/12

Great Effort

Wed, 2017-04-05 20:34

Great solo effort & great report.

Sounder images look great, you have inspired me to spend a bit more time trying to fine tune mine, but every time I get on the water (not often enough!) I just want to fish.

Thanks for sharing.

BD.

Hutch's picture

Posts: 2221

Date Joined: 21/04/13

 Awesome! Very nice Dhu and a

Wed, 2017-04-05 21:16

 Awesome! Very nice Dhu and a productive morning out by the looks 

rigpig's picture

Posts: 507

Date Joined: 21/11/12

great report

Wed, 2017-04-05 21:26

 great write up and excellent catch. good on you mate for putting the time in and getting the results.

Rick's picture

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Date Joined: 22/12/06

Nice fish

Wed, 2017-04-05 22:54

Good fish mate Well done

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PGFC Member

 

Tradewind's picture

Posts: 756

Date Joined: 18/09/12

Outstanding Story, well done!

Thu, 2017-04-06 08:01

Outstanding Story, well done!

Posts: 4

Date Joined: 12/01/17

Kudos!

Thu, 2017-04-06 08:08

Nice catch!

Uluabuster's picture

Posts: 722

Date Joined: 12/12/10

 Nice write up! Congrates on

Thu, 2017-04-06 08:29

 Nice write up! Congrates on the PB dhu & tuna. Should have posted some pics of the salmon you caught.

 May I know what outfits were you running for both the spin & overhead ? Looks the goods.

Cheers

Uluabuster

Bing's picture

Posts: 150

Date Joined: 13/02/11

Salmon

Thu, 2017-04-06 10:04

Thanks mate. I've got a pic of the salmon, just need to resize it. Will add it to the post tonight.

The overhead is a PE1.5 - PE3 OMJ-6BL Icon Hustler with a Daiwa Saltist LD20H.
My spin is a PE2 Eupro Shogun with a Daiwa Certate 3000.

GGs's picture

Posts: 330

Date Joined: 06/09/14

Solid fish

Thu, 2017-04-06 08:30

Great fish mate. Good write up as well - i was getting excited just reading it!

Willlo's picture

Posts: 1490

Date Joined: 07/10/11

 Yeh top write up and a great

Thu, 2017-04-06 09:05

 Yeh top write up and a great fish well done . 

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 Call Sign - BZ785

Haynes Hunter Prowler CC

 

Brock O's picture

Posts: 3160

Date Joined: 11/01/08

Great report....congrats on

Thu, 2017-04-06 10:58

Great report....congrats on the set up and PB, great photos too well done.

Posts: 1317

Date Joined: 05/05/06

Good work, gotta love the

Thu, 2017-04-06 10:58

Good work, gotta love the instant hook up when you drop a bait or lure down! well done. Healthy looking dhuie!

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Bend over

hezzy's picture

Posts: 1519

Date Joined: 27/11/09

nice write up and a great

Thu, 2017-04-06 10:59

nice write up and a great result for your efforts

great day out on the water even if you had no one to share it with

hezzy

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OFW 11

evil flourishes when good men do nothing

 

TF in DZ's picture

Posts: 48

Date Joined: 06/01/17

Ripper Fish

Thu, 2017-04-06 11:44

Great Idea the way you tuned the sounder as well. 

rob90's picture

Posts: 1522

Date Joined: 06/02/13

 Wow! Top read and great

Thu, 2017-04-06 12:06

 Wow! Top read and great pics, wont be forgetting that day in a hurry.

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 Hi my name is rob............. and I'm a........... fishaholic

beau's picture

Posts: 4104

Date Joined: 24/01/10

Noice Glen, don't see many

Thu, 2017-04-06 14:13

Noice Glen, don't see many that size on the bank. I got one day after yours that would fit in your big boys mouth haha

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Bing's picture

Posts: 150

Date Joined: 13/02/11

Thanks Beau

Thu, 2017-04-06 15:20

I've done plenty of miles in friends boats over the years and never really had much success with big dhus, seem to find them 600mm to 700mm.
To get that one in close was unreal and the fight in the shallow stuff was intense.

*Big Females* mouth ;p

Colt_Striker's picture

Posts: 624

Date Joined: 26/07/09

 Top stuff mate, congrats

Thu, 2017-04-06 14:27

 Top stuff mate, congrats

Guardy's picture

Posts: 381

Date Joined: 09/08/12

Well done

Thu, 2017-04-06 15:45

 Great write up and even better photos. One happy fisherman.

Krusty's picture

Posts: 714

Date Joined: 27/11/15

Patience always pays off in

Thu, 2017-04-06 19:26

Patience always pays off in the end, great report and congrats on the pb....well done 

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My fishing spots are so secret........... even the fish don't know where they are !!

Posts: 6265

Date Joined: 26/04/14

 great stuff 

Thu, 2017-04-06 19:27

 great stuff 

Diggedy's picture

Posts: 67

Date Joined: 08/01/17

 Top catch mate well done on

Thu, 2017-04-06 19:49

 Top catch mate well done on the hard work paying off.

unhurry's picture

Posts: 236

Date Joined: 23/10/12

loved

Fri, 2017-04-07 12:41

loved reading your report;  inspires me to wet the hull again! 

Rob b's picture

Posts: 211

Date Joined: 04/02/13

 That's why we do it, for

Mon, 2017-04-10 17:37

 That's why we do it, for days like that. Awesome fish well done.