Coalfish bonanza

People:Myself

Duration:few hours with 25mins excellent fishing!

Tide:slack

Weather: misty and fair bit of chop when the tide turned

Bait: frozen mackeral

Rigs: feathers and hokai's with a few soft plastics

Results: small ling, cukoo wrasse, few decent pollock and the motherload of Coalfish

Report:
Out on paddies day with my father and his friend to give my boat a little winter shakedown. Fishing was terrible in the harbour but we got excited with a small ling and pollock on the santos. Just at slack tide the weather was building and we headed for a well know rock for pollock
However we never made it there and the weather turned bad. couldnt see the harbour for the mist and swell and wind had picked up well beyond comfortable. I was about to head back when we decided to try one last drift before the mark. Started off ok with one or two pollock including the only decent sized one on worm and leadhead then we hit the shoal....

The mate was on feathers for the whole day and he started catching decent coalfish to 4lbs every drop within about 1min. after he caught about 10 my dad had enough of the hokkai's and switched to feathers. He started catching immediately. As we got closer to the mark it was crazy.... no sooner had the feathers hit the water that they were catching 2/3 on a line. I had to abandon my rod altogether. They'd them in, i'd unhook and they'd drop back, at which time the other was taking another rod 2/3 full in sized 4lb+... I was working flat out unhooking and a good bit before the mark I actually told them to stop... Best line was about 15lbs worth of 4 coalfish fighting like mad. Depth was only pretty shallow too!

Amazing fishing for those 20mins and just a really odd days fishing with nothing for the day, bar one crazy session...

It was so hectic.... I didnt even think to take a photo gutted

I dont normally post

Nice bit of action!
The area you speak of tends to get crowded with coalies between now and May. They are not usually that caliber of size though. That size fish would put up a mighty scrap on light gear and a little pirk...

Nice start to the year. Had an experience a bit similar last season off the cliffs up here, the coalies were coming aboard like mackeral so much that after 15 mins we motored off elsewhere for a rest. But that was in 100ft of water.

BTW never found pan fried coalfish very tempting, but when I made up a batter and deep fried them in the chipper they tasted great. Brings out a totally different flavour.

Even better with a beer batter.I use cider and it gives a much better taste
mickser

Yeah, I use the beer all right, but didnt think of cider. Sounds good, must try it, thanks.

Coalies in breadcrumbs hard to beat