1. Rocky Creek
2. Claustral
3. To Be Decided

Resolution No. 2

I will catch the following game fish in 2006

1. Bonito
2. Mulloway
3. Yellowtail Kingfish
4. Tuna
5. Brown Trout

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Goal Species No 2 - Yellowtail Kingfish
The Land Based Game Addiction - Darryl hooked up to a shark as the sun rises    Kingfish  www.julianrocks.net   Kingfish www.amon.net.au Kingfish www.amon.net.au Kingfish www.amon.net.au	LBG Sunrise The Current Goal - Just one of Darryl's many LBG Yellowtail Kingfish captures Darryl traces Richard's 5 Kg Kingfish Richard is ecstatic with his 5 Kg LBG Kingie

Kingfish Trips For March 2006
              

April 2006    May 2006


Friday 31st March - I am in Kiama for work, and head to the blowhole afterwards.  Once again there are large schools of baitfish all around the area.  It's not as frenetic as last time, as there are only four or five schools visible at any one time.  They are still getting smashed from below though, with no clue to the identity of the predators.  I am suspecting kings are the culprits after a few conversations with Darryl and John and the guys at Fisherman's Warehouse.

I spent four hours high speed spinning with 85gm Raiders, poppers, and unbranded chromed slugs.  I had a throw with a squid jig.  I just couldn't catch a bait.  Typical.  I wrongly assumed I could spin up a slimy mackerel.  It's my own fault - I should have taken some pillies and bread to berley up some yakkas and other bait fish as I would have done back at my home ledge.  I did manage to hook one slimy but the bugger dropped off mid-air as I was landing it.  Bugger. . .

Next time, I'll be a bit more professional about it and come properly prepared.        
 

Sunday 25th March - I am watching the dawn rise over my favourite rock platform again.  I have been on the move since 4.30am this morning, and I have the entire place to myself.  The seas were up and it was very difficult to fish safely and effectively this morning.  I managed to get a few yellowtail for bait, and only snag one bait up as I launch it back into the ocean.  But nothing wanted to grab my offerings.  I can finally hang around here all day if I want, and there's no action.  Typical. 

The tide is quite high, and there have been a couple of cyclones in Queensland, which may explain the waves.  Interestingly, it's actually quite chilly this morning.  I was shivering in my usual T-shirt & shorts before dawn this morning.  Autumn is here at last. 

 
Sea temp for
Saturday 25th March 2006.
Image from CSIRO 

Friday 24th March - Leigh emails me with the news.  He's identified his rat king from yesterday - he's made a mistake.   

I'm certain it was an Amberjack and in fact this was the first thing that came into my head as I pushed it back into the water. The eye stripe is the thing.  The upward curve of the stripe is characteristic and was what initially got me thinking. Then I convinced myself that it couldn't be an Amberjack as they are uncommon in our more southerly parts. Then again if Cobia et al are about it would perhaps suggest some warm currents pushing south at present.

Thursday 23rd March - It's a carbon copy of yesterday - rainy heavily overcast and a bit unpleasant.  Nothing puts me off though - I'm on a mission this morning.  I have a very good feeling that today is going to be the day !  I was crackling with excitement, up out of bed at 4.30am and on the rock ledge by 5.10am.  I feeeeel good dah-nah na-na-na-nah. . . .

The yellowtail aren't co-operating when I first start bait fishing - the moon is about half full and it's quite bright, even though it's too dark to see well without the head torch.  Leigh joins me as I start fishing for yellowtail for bait after driving all the way from Rosehill in Sydney.  Unbelievably, I can see silver flashes in the berley trail, and it isn't long before I bring my first bait in - a small weird lantern fish type beastie, with and upturned mouth and BIG eyes.  It's all reddish, and puts up a decent struggle on the 4lb Fireline.  It's staying for bait.  Next up is an oversized "butterfish" type fish, a big silver sided bait, shaped a bit like a batfish.  I really should look up what they are called.  We get them in the lake in small sizes, and this one is just about big enough to fillet!  That's what the silvery flashes were I'd reckon.  It's still very dark and things are looking a bit iffy, but then suddenly the yakkas start to co-operate.  Beauty.  We get three or four in quick succession.  Out they go under balloons.  Leigh has been dreading this moment.  He was laughing that if he gets a king before me he's worried I'll throw him into the drink - as I've done all the legwork with discovering this spot and the system to catch kings.  I just laugh - in actual fact I will be absolutely thrilled for him if he catches one before me. 

It almost happened.  Leigh had set his rod in the holder and gone back to catching yakkas.  I was in the final process of pinning my livebait with an 8/0 before casting it out.  Leigh's lightly set drag let out a couple of long screams.  He didn't hear them - I yelled at the top of my lungs and away he went - he was on with his first ever kingfish hookup.  The fight was a carbon copy of my fight yesterday.  Just as the fish should be about to come into view, he is snagged up.  DAMN. 

About ten minutes later, it's my turn.  I have snagged up my yakka and had to re-rig for my first two baits.  It's just so not my day.  In desperation I put the "lantern fish" out on my line while I'm trying to catch more yakkas.  Leigh's at the rods, and yells out that I'm on! 

I sprint over and find myself connected to the biggest fish of my life.  WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This thing is BIG.  I am fishing my "heavy gear" - 10 KG, and this fish feels that size or maybe larger.  The fight goes to plan - I give it heaps and it looks like things are going to go my way - but then, just as I am about get colour on the fish, it gets it's head down and takes 20 or 30 metres of line in an unstoppable run.  The inevitable happens, and I can feel the line grating as it runs across the rocks. 

I open my bail arm and just let the pressure right off.  I stood there for 20 minutes.  The whole time I can feel the fish pulsing away and it takes a few metres and I gain a few metres.  In the end I am getting very short of time - I have to get my backside to work soon, so I decide it's a lost cause and break the fish off.  I left Leigh with it and packed up disappointed.  I make him promise to call me when he finishes, as there is no-one else around when I leave and I want to be sure he has safely finished fishing and on his way home.

 
Leigh's 5lb (cleaned) Bonito

I am sitting on a Farr 7500 trailer yacht discussing the merits of the design with a potential client when Leigh walks in.  He had told me he was heading straight back to Sydney after fishing, and I so know that the bugger must have done OK - otherwise he would have just rung me.

The so-and-so has beaten me to it.  The little mongrel has managed to land a 40cm "rat" yellowtail king, and just to rub salt into the wounds, a just-a-keeper silver bream and a HUGE bonito.  I am extremely happy for him.  Strangely enough, his last yakka died unmolested and as they had gone off the bite by this time, he cut it up as strip bait.  Because he's a silver-tail, Leigh has a second spool for his Shimano TSS4 threadline, filled with 6 Kg mono.  He caught all the fish on this lighter gear.  The rat king put up an excellent fight, and was a bit strangely marked, and the Bonito apparently took a genuine ten minutes to subdue.  Leigh is justifiably over the moon.  Hmmm.   

Afternoon Session - I cannot stand the thought that Leigh has caught BOTH a king and a bonito and I haven't.  I must be going to catch the mother of all kingfish because I have been paying my dues while Leigh (whom I hope finds my secret blog) has done it easy !  Mongrel Mongrel Mongrel.

Dad and I go back to my favourite rock fishing spot for an afternoon session.  I am using whole squid and get a strike, which strangely misses completely.  That's it.  No yellow tail will co-operate to become bait.  Nothing wants to eat pilchard pieces to become my dinner.  Nothing.  Dad has never been to the area before and is amazed at it's beauty.  I am packing my gear up with the aid of my head torch in the dark when I realise that I have watched the sun rise, and night fall from exactly the same spot today.  What an amazing place.  I am living my dreams with my eyes wide open. 


Sea temp for
Thursday 23rd March 2006.
Image from CSIRO       

Wednesday 22nd March It's overcast, and drizzling constantly, but I am down on the rocks chasing my dream fish again - yellowtail kings.  I land a yellowtail for bait on my third try - you bloody ripper - I'm starting to get the hang of catching the buggers.  Out goes the yakka wearing a 5/0 Black Magic and my secret weapon - 35 lb fluorocarbon leader.  I've been using 60 lb Black Magic leader, but having missed out on a king last time when a salmon grabbed my yakka, I decided I'd need an edge.  The word has well and truly got out that the kings are on at my location, so it's receiving a fair bit of pressure at the moment.  The lighter approach with fluorocarbon should hopefully see me finally get my first king.

WRONG - I hooked my first bait too deeply, and it died pretty quickly.  It's very much a learning experience.  The float and balloon gave a few exciting moments when I thought that I was about to hook up, but whatever the predator was, it looked but didn't bite.  My second yakka went out a bit more lightly pinned, and promptly swam straight out and away from the platform, and right along the edge of the foam and cloudy water that drifts out from this spot.  What a great little bait!

The bait swam out a bit too far, and I decided to pull it back close and let it drift back out again.  The bloody balloon popped off as I was winding the bait back in, but the bait didn't really pull the bobby cork under much so it wasn't a problem.  I stopped the bait right where I wanted it, and just stood there, rod in hand and enjoyed my surroundings.  Thirty seconds later, the bobby cork plunged down as violently as a drummer hitting a luderick float - I was on!  This was no salmon - I had the drag set very firmly, and the fish took about twenty feet or so of line before charging straight back to the platform at my feet - gotta be a king fish !  At last!  After a brutal, two minute brawl, I had the fish right at my feet, the bobby cork was in the air, the double was nearing the rod tip, and I was about to swing my first ever king up onto the platform when it got it's head down one last time and ran straight into the edge of the platform.  Before I could open the bail arm and give him slack, the bugger rubbed me off on the barnacles.  Gone!  Surprisingly I was not in the least upset and didn't even swear.  I was actually ecstatic!  I finally managed to hook a GENUINE kingfish.  I'll know better for next time.  The 35 lb leader was cut as cleanly as if I had used my braid scissors.  There was absolutely no chance it could stand up to that sort of punishment.  60 lb probably couldn't.  I'll have to be quicker with the bail arm next time I have a king in the wash. 

 
Sergeant Baker caught on an 85 gm Knight
improved with a bright pink plastic squid.

I was actually out of time, and figured that there were definitely kings in the area so I should at least have a few quick casts with a lure.  On went an 85 gm Improved Knight - after my experience with the pink plastic squid lures on the striped tuna, I figured that it may improve my chances with a metal lure - after all, every man and his dog throws raiders around here, and so I reckon the local kings have seen plenty of them before.  Why not experiment with the squid and see if it makes the difference. 

Well, I had to walk back from the edge for a large wave, and let my lure sink a bit longer than normal.  I thought I'd snagged a bit of weed at first, but weed doesn't kick, so I knew I'd hooked something.  What a surprise when I found a sergeant baker solidly hooked in the mouth on the lure.  I pulled the hooks out as carefully as I could and returned it to the water. 

On the way home I stopped off for some heavier leader and more hooks.  I know where I'll be tomorrow morning as the sun comes up. . .


Sea temp for
Tuesday 21st March 2006.
Image from CSIRO

Saturday 18th March I am in Kiama, NSW south coast for work, and decide to visit the Kiama Blowhole at 2pm for a quick exploratory look about.  This is a famous LBG platform with a rep for producing fish to the calibre of black marlin.  I had left all of my fishing gear at home as I was sure that there would be no chance at all of finding time to fish.  Big Mistake.  There were ACRES of baitfish being continually smashed up against the whole of the blowhole headland.  It must have been the day of the year - the water was that amazing Harpic Blue, and there were fish going berserk all around the place. . .


Sea temp for NSW South Coast
Saturday 18th March 2006.
Image from CSIRO

The weather was heavily overcast, the water ruffled by a metre of swell and light 5-6 knot breezes.  There were people fishing everywhere with balloons and seriously shiny golden overheads mounted on expensive rods, and leaders that would nicely fill my whipper-snipper.  The strange thing was that nobody caught a thing while I was wandering.  There were baitfish being slaughtered all around the place, but I could not see what the predators were.  No huge silver flashes, no backs exposed or excited tuna leaping out of the water in hot pursuit - just showers of terrified bait leaping through the surface with unseen predators hot on their tails.  How frustrating ! 

I rang the boys back home in Newcastle to make 'em jealous.  Darryl just said "where's Kiama?", while my main fishing mentor Neil just laughed and said to watch the whole show very carefully and learn.  Neil said that these conditions were often the hardest to fish as the sheer volume of food on the hoof made it very hard for a slimy or yakka to stand out among the massive crowd.  He has found that a maimed or heavily disabled bait was often the only way to succeed unless you were lucky enough to drop your bait fair on a predators head.

At the end of the day, I can only speculate that the predators were sharks, and possibly kings, but really who knows.  One of the blokes on the platform reckoned marlin - he was a local, and apparently there has been a bit of a drought in Marlin down here over the last four years.  I'll have a yarn to the local tackle shop when I'm down there again in a fortnight or so's time.          

Wednesday 15th March The alarm on my Nokia startled me from a bloody deep sleep at 4.30am this morning.  I wasn't even dreaming.  I was already packed, so just threw my gear in the car and away.  I was at the car park within twenty minutes, and just knew I was going to be the first on the platform - I broke all the spiders webs on the track.  Isn't it great to be able to do this - I am living in the 5th Largest city in Australia, and am able to get to a top king spot within twenty minutes, AND have the whole damn place to myself.

I threw a few handfuls of bread soaked with a dash of tuna oil into the yakka corner to do it's magic, and sat back to watch the sea for a while.  I was using pilchard pieces for bait, and getting the "tap tap tap" I was waiting for, but getting very frustrated because I just was not hooking up a yellowtail.  The whole system revolves around catching the buggers.

I was joined by Darryl at about 6 am.  In the dark he rigged up, and in no time was showing me how it's done with the yellowtail.  Instead of waiting for a rapid fire bite like tailor or bream, as soon as you get a touch you strike.  In moments he had a yakka, and with a flourish, it was pinned by an 8/0 and drifted out under a float and balloon combination just as the sun was coming up.  Perfect.   

In the mean time an old mate of mine, Leigh arrived, looking exhausted.  Unfortunately, he couldn't find the car park in the dark, then missed the track down to the platform and had spent an hour finding the way.  It takes ten minutes to walk to the platform.  Not fun if you've just driven up from Sydney in the wee small hours to get there.  He rigged up and started trying to secure some yakkas. 

A yell from Darryl - he's on again !  He has got these Kings well and truly wired.  This fish runs straight under the platform at his feet.  He sits there for 3 or 4 minutes, reel in free spool waiting, hoping that the fish will swim free again.  Unbelievably it does, and Darryl lands a small 5 or 6 lb king, and grins for the camera.  Experience really shows doesn't it? 
 

Darryl's King

Sea temps for Tuesday & Wednesday 14 -15 th March 2006. Image from CSIRO

After watching Darryl catch his yakkas, I figure out how to pin these elusive yellowtail - nibble, nibble - gentle strike - success!  I lost the first fish, but make no mistake with the second.  You bloody beauty! 

Out it goes wearing a single Daichi 8/0.  Forget the bait catching now - I am short of time and I am here only to catch a Kingfish.  I hold my rod and watch the float & balloon.  After about ten minutes, my float starts to zoom about and the balloon almost leaves a roosters tail - but no hook up.  I decide to check my bait - oh hey - I'm ON!  About three or four minutes later I have about 5 lb of Australian Salmon leaping around the base of the platform.  I use the waves to wash it up.  Fantastic.  These fish fight really hard all the way and never give up.  Kind of like a King I think, and proof that my system should hold up to a good sized king, when I am so lucky. 

I made myself late for work again, not getting away until 8.30am.  Just as well the boss likes me! 

UPDATE - Leigh drops in to see me at work, on his way home about 1pm.  He could not catch a yakka no matter how hard he tried - and Leigh is a better fisherman than me so I don't feel too bad about my earlier failure to catch bait.  So he resorted to pelting 40 & 80 gm raiders in desperation.  Not surprisingly, he didn't get a touch.  Darryl though demonstrated his local knowledge and landed three more kings, including one a pilchard that was harassing his empty bait jig.  Apparently one king was a bit on the small side - oh about 6lb instead of the usual 10+lb fish we have been getting, (chuckle) and was grabbed by a monster king or similar massive predator while Darryl was fighting it.  The hooks missed as of course, they were deep inside the mouth of the 'rat' king.  The unseen predator could have pretty well been anything, but almost certainly not a shark as the little king was scaled, not missing large chunks.  That would have been an interesting hook up.  Darryl apparently fed the king straight back out wearing a pair of 8/0's in it's back, but nothing further happened.

Whimsy - Yellowtail King fish are colloquially known as "Rats" for the legal and above sized fish, and "Hoodlums" for the 20 lb and above bruisers.  I reckon that "Juvenile Offender" might be a better name for the bigger than a rat, smaller than a hoodlum sized fish.       
 

Saturday 11th March I fished the stones again from 5am - 8am before work.  I decided to try a fresh whole squid under balloons while trying to catch my yakkas off the rocks.  As soon as the squid hit the water, I was on!  I thought that I must have snagged the platform - it was still pretty dark at the time.  As I checked my rig, I found about a pound of red rock cod attached.  Damn!  It was an achievement for such a small fish to fit two Black Magic 9/0's in it's mouth I thought.  I know they are highly regarded as eating fish - apparently they are indistinguishable from lobster - but it wasn't what I was after, so released it unharmed.

A few minutes later, I rebaited, and lobbed another whole squid bait under a torpedo float and small balloon carefully about 15 feet from the platform.  It's an art with my heavy gear.  The bait wafts down to it's working depth, the float sits up straight and starts to drift seawards.  Just what the doctor ordered.  Bang.  Straight into the platform and snagged.  Damn!  I have no idea what it was for sure, but odds are it was my first kingfish hook-up.

There is another fisherman here for the same thing, but he's loaded for bear.  Murph has lugged in four complete LBG outfits, a bait catching outfit, and two spin sticks - an overhead and a threadline, a three metre gaff, and a couple of buckets.  He's even keener than I am, and augers well for achieving my goal - the locals MUST get some serious fish at this spot.  I tell Murph about my goals and he says "yeah, you'll get all that here except a brown trout of course, but Tomaree's really going off at the moment. . . "

Two minutes after my bust-off, I hear Murph yelling that he's on, get the gaff QUICKLY.  Yet again I am the bridesmaid, gaffing Murph's 7KG king.  They are getting bigger as the week winds to an end.  As a thank you for gaffing his fish, Murph takes pity on me and gives me a yakka for livebait.  Wahoooo !  I'll get one now for sure.  You wouldn't read about it.  Neither of us got another touch.  I made myself late for work, staying until 8am, but it was worth the chance . . .

Stay tuned for next week's adventure.

PS - The water was as blue off the rocks this morning as it was on our trip to the shelf a few weeks back.  The warm current must be right up against the coast right now.  An interesting note is that every Kingie I have seen landed to date has had a completely empty stomach.
 

Week One - Fished the rocks before work on the 7th, 8th & 9th March.  I have watched the sun rise over the horizon most of this week before work in the attempt to catch my first ever yellowtail kingfish.  The blokes alongside me have been catching kings to 5 KG while I haven't even been able to catch a live bait yet.  As soon as I  manage to catch a live bait off the rock platform, I'm sure I will realise this goal.  In the mean time I hope you like Darryl and Richard's fish.  


Sea temps for
Friday 10th March 2006. 
Image from CSIRO