Tribe Trip Report - Wahoo Action - That Kayak Fisho !

Fishing Report 14/4/2020

I arrived at my usual launch spot at 7^th Ave in the darkness around 5am, the weather looks good, I mean really good!! Light winds and basically no swell.

The plan was to head out wide to chase Hoo with the man, the myth, the legend “the Carnster”.

I launched at about 5:30am after there is enough light to ensure I don’t make an ass out of myself and get cleaned up on the way out, despite the lack of swell.

2 rods are taken out of the hatch and rigged up with a big slimy on the left and pillie on the right, now off to find the Carnster.

I make my out to the reef and paddle out past the wave buoy without a touch, I find Chris and after the usual  banter between us both, he tells me he is doing 1 more quick lap around the buoy and will catch up to me as we make our way out wide to search for the monsters of the deep.

The long paddle starts as we head out into the wild blue yonder, 10mins goes by as we are paddling side by side having a chin wag and then BOOMSHAKALAKA!! It’s go time!! The pillie gets hit and it’s panic stations immediately as I try and get my other rod in to avoid tangles!

There is one thing I’m absolutely outstanding at, and that’s getting tangles, I have a degree in tangleology with major in rudder-wrappingology!

The drag screams and fish heads back towards land, I have coach Carney in my ear giving me tips and shouting encouraging slogans at me! “Go Blakey”, “you the man”, “you’re amazing” “ I wish I was like you” “ You’re such a better fisherman than me” okay maybe he didn’t say any of that BUT he was definitely thinking it! haha

After the first run it all goes a little bit quiet and I immediately make the call that’s it just a spotty on steroids (what a joker) and I start to gain line back with ease, this doesn’t last long, several more blistering runs occur and the 5500 Spinfisher V sings and plays the most beautiful tune!!

The fish then decides to dig its heels in and stays deep, making a few nice runs along the way, coach Carney pays me a few more visits attempting to comfort me and ensuring that I take my time as well as telling me that  “this is your moment” & “don’t stuff it” haha thanks mate!

At this point I’m hoping I’m locked into battle with the fish that many dream about catching, being a glorious Wahoo, but I’m still not 100% convinced and I start to hope it’s not a big long tail that I’m attached to, as I have been there before.

Then all of a sudden the fish turns and makes a beeline back towards me at an insane rate! I wind as fast as a one-armed brick-layer in Baghdad to try and keep the line tight, it’s then at this point when I believe that I have hooked a bucket list fish, a HOO!!

The back and forth lasts for an hr until I finally get to see some colour and I get to see what caused my arms to burn and my back to ache for the past 60mins! And what I saw what breathtaking! I could see a long silver bullet like fish, its A HOO! And its BUIIIIG!!!

My heart is racing and my nerves are on edge, hoping that something doesn’t happen resulting in me losing the fish of a lifetime at the side of the boat.

Another 15mins pass and I start getting the fish closer and closer to the boat. As it starts to circle, the fish swims into my other line that is just sitting in the water and gets caught into the rig!

I panic and know that if that fish decided to run one last time with that hook now around the main line that this could all be over in a flash! I quickly grab the gaff as the fish moves towards the boat and I manage to get an average gaff shot into it!

Now is the tricky part, trying to get this monster fish from the side of the boat into the hatch without capsizing. I notice the original gaff shot didn’t go in very deep and I can see that it’s going to pull though the fishes flesh which it does and I manage to tail grab it and attempt to lock the gaff in again! 5 very ordinary shots later I was lucky not to have the gaff end up in my leg with all the frantic attempts to sink it in lol. I eventually manage to get a grip of this monster and get it onto my lap and then into the hatch!

I quickly get on the radio and go absolutely berserk with a few expletives letting everyone on the radio (and the Gold Coast for that matter), know what had just happened, being that I had just landed a Hoo and it was a monster!

The hour paddle back in felt like a breeze knowing what was safely stored in the hatch, the rod went off again in the shallow part of the reef and I managed to add a 74cm doggie to the mornings work.

The monster went 1.63m and 23.9kgs!

I definitely have Hoo Fever now! Happy days!

Cheers

Blake