Went for a fish this morning, started off okay with 20 or so tailor and bigeye trevs on poppers and plastics in the broadwater, nothing huge but fun nonetheless.
Moved into the seaway at around 4am to see if could get a tarpon or two. Standard search pattern, cast out let it sink wind it back. Did that for an hour or so with only a few half hearted hits to show for it. Then on one cast halfway back to the boat, I feel a thud and set the hook. Nothing but dead weight, hmmm maybe stuck on a rock, jiggle it a bit, still stuck, then I give it a damn good reef to try and bust off.... at that instant whatever it was figures out he's hooked and takes off like a rocket parallel to the rock wall heading out to sea. I've never seen a spool lose line so fast, and within about 15 seconds I was starting the engine trying to chase him. Once clear of the seaway the fish started to arc north around the front of the wall while I'm still about 50m inside the seaway trying to steer the boat and holding the rod up high to try and clear the rocks at the end. By this time the fish had over 100m of braid out and was still peeling line off the reel without slowing. Then the inevitable happened, the line touched a bit of rock and it was all over leaving me with only half the line I started with. Never stood a chance really, too big too fast for 6lb braid. Fun though and the highlight of the day. Its fish like that that keep me coming back to the seaway.
By this time the sun was just about to come up so I spent some time deadsticking 3" gulp minnows around the dropoff and pulled a nice GT around 55cm and lost a couple of others.
Unfortunately at around 6am my motor began having problems, coughing and stalling so I had to go back to the ramp and call it quits early at 6.30am. Dirty fuel and gummed up spark plugs was the problem and a big thanks to the guys at Marine Tune at Burleigh for having a look at the motor straight away and fixing the problem.
Dont you just hate it when you get a big fish but dont get to see what it is. You are forever left wondering. I’d put money on bigger than average Kingy. But you would know Craig, you would have a better than most chance of picking it. Always good to read stuff on this site. I always forget my password so sorry i dont say Gday more often. Say gday to Wade for me. Lately I have been getting big big Mac tuna only. Still no nice snapper for me but. Havent got any more Spanish which is a shame because I was just starting to get real good at them. I have been hitting the seaway most trips with next to nothing to show for it…except for a couple of ok tailor.
Cheers Stu – Best of fishing to you fellas.
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Hi Craig . What do you think you hooked? Do you use 6lb braid on Tarpon? I fished on Tuesday MORNING from 4am to 8am. caught nothing. Iused plastics and minnows .Then i did a run uo to the Nerang and fished under the pontoons and caught and released 15 bream to 38cm in 1/2 an hour then the bite ended on the start of the run out.I used a camo 3in Squiggy Fish Plastic and a 1/16 ounce jig head. So the day turned out ok. I saw Sammon working near Seaworld on the way home. But the then they shut down and didn’t return.So i called it a day,and left for home.. Regards Rob T