deep drop last Sunday
After watching the weather for a few days in the lead up looked like sunday was going to be good, only to get a late change as a few boys have already talked about and unfortunatly Seabreeze was right. Still keen on a fish and a promise to take my daughter and her boyfreind out for there 1st attempt at a deep drop we left East freo boat ramp at a gentlemens hour of 8.30 am we managed to shoot out 60kms around 22knots. To my surprize there was still 4 boats out there working within a few Ks. Set up a test drift then baits over the side with good fish on the screen i was hoping for beginers luck for the kids.
Baits hit the bottom daughters boyfreind winds up the slack and bang hes hooked the bottom !!!!!! drove upwind to try remove the snag only to find no snag just double header of XL fish small electric reel couldny really handle the load. I put on gloves and started to hand line it up to help them out bit of stuffing around for half hour or so and fish poped up 50m away. double header 1st drop now that is beginers luck on the bottom hook i estimated was an 15 to 18kg Harpuka (not weighed or measured) and the top hook was a another Harpuka a new boat record at just over 1500mm and 46kg. high fives all round !!!
Did another drift missed the spot no fish, did a 3rd drift daughters turn for another double header of harpuka not quiet as big put still very solid fish.
Slow ride home Kids grinning from ear to ear happy Dad/skipper back at the ramp 2.30pm.
Never had to fillet a fish on the floor before too heavy to lift the bugger.
ps// Was a last minute decision to go which proved to be a good one. Sorry photos not as good as we hoped. I normally make up all my own rigs but had one in the box left over from recent trip to exmouth that i hadnt used. Was a basic of the shelf rig from oceanside tackle so thankyou to Ryan and the boys your hand made rigs stood up to the test.
Will try post a few more photos from phone asap regards Humpback
Rick
Posts: 1113
Date Joined: 22/12/06
Brag
That is a fish to brag about mate
We fished wide and deep Sunday also, some good shows on the sounder, but we failed to tempt them !
PGFC Member
craigb
Posts: 57
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Markie
Posts: 2152
Date Joined: 06/08/10
daymmmm. Well done guys. wish
daymmmm. Well done guys. wish that happened with us!!
Madmerv
Posts: 672
Date Joined: 24/01/15
Top Catch
All good for the newbies. Might have them hooked now.
Sometimes when the water is quiet, you can hear the fish laughing at you !
Sam_Wood
Posts: 175
Date Joined: 15/09/15
"Life is Hard, it is even harder if you are stupid,"
Alan James
Posts: 2224
Date Joined: 30/06/09
That hapuka
has a very Bass Grouper look about it, but who cares, top fish and well done.
resurgence
Posts: 578
Date Joined: 23/04/14
Well done
Sounds like we might have been fishing the same area. We had good showings on the sounder, got a solid hookup but had a unusual bustoff only 100m from the surface. Lost fish, rig and about 400m of braid.
Didn't see another fish all day.
Humpback
Posts: 103
Date Joined: 15/01/15
hapuka
Hey Alan yes the big one bit hard to tell i had to look quiet a few times myself will try post a few other photos that shows the upper colour a bit better plus the big underhook bottom jaw.
Alan James
Posts: 2224
Date Joined: 30/06/09
The proportions
don't look right to me for a puka. Bass grouper are short, squat and deep while the puka are longer and slender by comparison. The bottom jaw of the bass grouper is also longer than the upper jaw but not as prominent as the puka. Either way nice catch.