Gillers, Gummy's and More
Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:33 am
Yet another weekend has passed by and it is looking to be a good year on the fishing front if things continue as they have on our last few outings. I shouldn’t say too much though as we all know fishing can be as fickle as the weather and at this time the Australian weather has been in turmoil.
Buoyed with the success of our last trip Allan, Graham and I once more headed of to the west coast with the plan being to target the gummies and hopefully a few toothies as well. I had specifically decided to take a heavier outfit this time around and therefore my rods for this session were the Century Kompressor S matched with my Daiwa SL30SHB and 22 pound Ultima Powersteel. Also my Century TT Ultra Lite matched to the Penn Squall 12 running 12 pound Distance and finally my TTLD Super Match with the ever reliable Penn 525Mag and 15 pound Powersteel as well.
Graham was using his TTLD and Super Match as his weapons of choice, with Allan using his Kilwel Pendulum 1 as well as My Tip Tornado Lite as he wanted to be 100% sure that it would be the right fit for his fishing needs.
The drive down the west was with a bit of apprehension given all of the rain that had fallen and the notification that the Great Ocean road had a number of closures due to landslides and other flood damage. Thankfully the roads were not an issue and the rivers we crossed whilst heavily swollen with flood water posed no threat to our trip.
It was a bit of a surprise to us when we arrived as there were a number of tourist in the car park, we had expected with the bad weather preceding the weekend that we would have had the place fairly much to ourselves and maybe a few other fishermen at most.
Still the weather was brilliant with a slight southerly greeting us as well sunny conditions , I should apologise at this point as in my haste to head out I had left my camera’s sitting at home and therefore the ones in this report are kindly submitted via Allan Smeaton.
Setting up on the beach was a pleasure until we sent the first leads out and found that there was a substantial side drift to the point where even with a 7 oz grip lead the line was carried towards the outflow. This wasn’t too much of a problem for Allan as he had tagged that position but for Graham and me it meant repeated casts to keep the baits in the strike zone.
Using a variety of baits we were able to secure a number of Salmon with the largest hitting around the pound to a pound and a half which on the Ultra lite was a bit of fun. I should mention that the bigger fish was taken on a saltwater fly that I had as a dropper from my baited trace line.
Once we had secured the fresh bait it was a matter of setting up the bigger rods and sending out baits to see what the crabs were like. Similar to the prior weekend they were out in force and made short work of our offerings. This time round however, I had made sure that we had brought some sacrificial bait for this time and kept the more desirable Salmon for when the grabs slowed their activity. This occurs once the bigger predators enter the scene. To plan after the change the crabs disappeared / slowed right down which signalled the period that we were hoping for , Salmon fillets were set up on 6/0 to 9/0 circle rigs and set out in anticipation of getting a gummy or bigger.
It was also good to see a few other ASF members in Allan Davies and Ken also made the road trip and they too had a bit of fun with Salmon coming on where they set up as the night progressed .
Allan was the first to open the account
on the target species getting stuck into a small gummy which in the rough water put up a good fight and with the aid of a few crossed lines won its freedom right in the shore break. Allan fishing the prime spot was also bitten of which made me happy as I was fishing with a 90 pound bite trace and a 9/0 circle and 6/0 circle as the bait keeper.
Graham I think also had a bit off as he was next to Allan and I was fishing further up the gutter with the bigger baits. I still managed to grab a small Gummy which was sent home to grow a bit more.
(Getting ready to send it back to grow up)
Allan proceeded to get the lions share of the action and his next run was a screamer with the Kilwel loading up and the reel letting out a howl as what latter proved to be a Gummy of around 7~8 KG made a good account of itself in the heavy surf and resisted his attempts to get it from behind the shore break for a while. A very nice fish indeed, which just inspired Graham and I more to get the baits into the strike zone.
( A good fish , doesn’t look that big along side Allan - I should have held it for him )
As the night progressed and people departed, I decided that moving to the left of Allan and casting out into the rip would be a better option.
This proved to be what I needed as I was shortly after rewarded with the pleasure of seeing the Kompressor buckle over to the run from a good shark.
The fight was not what I had hoped for , that being a big run and rapid direction changes which would have signal it for a School Shark or Bronzy,. It was just that dogged resistance that meant either a ray or a 9 Giller. At the initial stage I had thought it was going to be the later but as my luck seems to be improving I was rewarded with the sight of a good sized Giller in the beam of my head torch and with the assistance of Graham getting a little wet we were able to secure it with the gaff and drag it up to safe ground.
( Being short means your catch looks even bigger and more impressive for some of the tourist)
As you can see it the picture it was about 60 plus pound and nearly as long as me, and before people start saying that isn’t that tall it is for this little black duck.
( My giller along side the Century Kompressor S that took it )
Graham also got into the action but unlike me he had the pleasure of fighting a very big skate
which eventuall was a bit of fun for this old soul trying to drag it up out of the shore break and having the guys laugh at me. Still it was a top night, we all had a ball with multiple hits, bite offs and fortunately a few good ones that made the trip down well worth it.
Once again thanks to Allan for providing the picture
I wonder if my good lady would mind me forgetting our anniversary next Sunday to allow me to fish again
.
Buoyed with the success of our last trip Allan, Graham and I once more headed of to the west coast with the plan being to target the gummies and hopefully a few toothies as well. I had specifically decided to take a heavier outfit this time around and therefore my rods for this session were the Century Kompressor S matched with my Daiwa SL30SHB and 22 pound Ultima Powersteel. Also my Century TT Ultra Lite matched to the Penn Squall 12 running 12 pound Distance and finally my TTLD Super Match with the ever reliable Penn 525Mag and 15 pound Powersteel as well.
Graham was using his TTLD and Super Match as his weapons of choice, with Allan using his Kilwel Pendulum 1 as well as My Tip Tornado Lite as he wanted to be 100% sure that it would be the right fit for his fishing needs.
The drive down the west was with a bit of apprehension given all of the rain that had fallen and the notification that the Great Ocean road had a number of closures due to landslides and other flood damage. Thankfully the roads were not an issue and the rivers we crossed whilst heavily swollen with flood water posed no threat to our trip.
It was a bit of a surprise to us when we arrived as there were a number of tourist in the car park, we had expected with the bad weather preceding the weekend that we would have had the place fairly much to ourselves and maybe a few other fishermen at most.
Still the weather was brilliant with a slight southerly greeting us as well sunny conditions , I should apologise at this point as in my haste to head out I had left my camera’s sitting at home and therefore the ones in this report are kindly submitted via Allan Smeaton.
Setting up on the beach was a pleasure until we sent the first leads out and found that there was a substantial side drift to the point where even with a 7 oz grip lead the line was carried towards the outflow. This wasn’t too much of a problem for Allan as he had tagged that position but for Graham and me it meant repeated casts to keep the baits in the strike zone.
Using a variety of baits we were able to secure a number of Salmon with the largest hitting around the pound to a pound and a half which on the Ultra lite was a bit of fun. I should mention that the bigger fish was taken on a saltwater fly that I had as a dropper from my baited trace line.
Once we had secured the fresh bait it was a matter of setting up the bigger rods and sending out baits to see what the crabs were like. Similar to the prior weekend they were out in force and made short work of our offerings. This time round however, I had made sure that we had brought some sacrificial bait for this time and kept the more desirable Salmon for when the grabs slowed their activity. This occurs once the bigger predators enter the scene. To plan after the change the crabs disappeared / slowed right down which signalled the period that we were hoping for , Salmon fillets were set up on 6/0 to 9/0 circle rigs and set out in anticipation of getting a gummy or bigger.
It was also good to see a few other ASF members in Allan Davies and Ken also made the road trip and they too had a bit of fun with Salmon coming on where they set up as the night progressed .
Allan was the first to open the account
on the target species getting stuck into a small gummy which in the rough water put up a good fight and with the aid of a few crossed lines won its freedom right in the shore break. Allan fishing the prime spot was also bitten of which made me happy as I was fishing with a 90 pound bite trace and a 9/0 circle and 6/0 circle as the bait keeper. Graham I think also had a bit off as he was next to Allan and I was fishing further up the gutter with the bigger baits. I still managed to grab a small Gummy which was sent home to grow a bit more.
(Getting ready to send it back to grow up)
Allan proceeded to get the lions share of the action and his next run was a screamer with the Kilwel loading up and the reel letting out a howl as what latter proved to be a Gummy of around 7~8 KG made a good account of itself in the heavy surf and resisted his attempts to get it from behind the shore break for a while. A very nice fish indeed, which just inspired Graham and I more to get the baits into the strike zone.
( A good fish , doesn’t look that big along side Allan - I should have held it for him )
As the night progressed and people departed, I decided that moving to the left of Allan and casting out into the rip would be a better option.
This proved to be what I needed as I was shortly after rewarded with the pleasure of seeing the Kompressor buckle over to the run from a good shark.
The fight was not what I had hoped for , that being a big run and rapid direction changes which would have signal it for a School Shark or Bronzy,. It was just that dogged resistance that meant either a ray or a 9 Giller. At the initial stage I had thought it was going to be the later but as my luck seems to be improving I was rewarded with the sight of a good sized Giller in the beam of my head torch and with the assistance of Graham getting a little wet we were able to secure it with the gaff and drag it up to safe ground.
( Being short means your catch looks even bigger and more impressive for some of the tourist)
As you can see it the picture it was about 60 plus pound and nearly as long as me, and before people start saying that isn’t that tall it is for this little black duck.
( My giller along side the Century Kompressor S that took it )
Graham also got into the action but unlike me he had the pleasure of fighting a very big skate
which eventuall was a bit of fun for this old soul trying to drag it up out of the shore break and having the guys laugh at me. Still it was a top night, we all had a ball with multiple hits, bite offs and fortunately a few good ones that made the trip down well worth it. Once again thanks to Allan for providing the picture
I wonder if my good lady would mind me forgetting our anniversary next Sunday to allow me to fish again
.
Re: Gillers, Gummy's and More
Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:38 pm
me in australia for the year and beach fishing never came into me head lol.i guess i was afraid of the crocs lol.well done lads
Re: Gillers, Gummy's and More
Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:55 am
Brian ,
Fortunately there are no crocks down here in Victoria , just snakes and spiders are what you have to contend with. I was bitten recently by a spider whilst fishing around the bay and the area that I was in had a lot of long grass , I wasn't wearing my waders.
Fortunately there are no crocks down here in Victoria , just snakes and spiders are what you have to contend with. I was bitten recently by a spider whilst fishing around the bay and the area that I was in had a lot of long grass , I wasn't wearing my waders.