A challenge originally put forward by my girlfriend’s brother and his mates recently turned into the second round of an informal fishing competition on Sydney’s Botany Bay.
Those boys love their tinnies and their stink bait while my mates and I stick to our ‘yaks and lures.
In Round 1 it was a whitewash, I pulled a 67cm “smoking” salmon from the Port Hacking River to annihilate their numerous baby snapper. I didn’t think they would challenge again, but they did and they chose the venue as BB.
For the ‘yakkers we had a group of six, all members of Kayak Fishing Down Under, or KFDU as its affectionately known (www.kfdu.com.au). Fishing World is a proud sponsor of our site.
We set off from Kyeemagh Avenue beach launch at 7am and worked our way up Runway 1, working the large basin on the right hand side and flicking hard bodies and blades as close to the structure as we could. The fishing was quiet, but being mid September it wasn’t that surprising.
We trolled towards Runway 2 and came across a large boil – tailor on the chomp! Fergo managed to pull two out, take a couple of quick snaps and get them back in the water – the ‘yaks were on the board!
We worked our way round Runway 2 and mixed it with the local bonito fishing brigade that anchor and berley up on the southern channel. We saw them get a few but the spot certainly wasn’t firing.
Trevs on the bite..
We continued round to a spot I like to call the green circle, for those who don’t know it, it’s just past spot X, take a left at spot y and you’re there! Myself, Saltydude and Fergo were working the same patch of water and after Fergo pulled out a 40cm trevally we thought we’d hang around. Within a few casts our mate Fergo sung out, he was on, and I mean ON! He was now being towed away from the group – a 95kg man in a Prowler being towed! We wondered what it could be, shark, stingray? Who knew, whatever it was it was big and strong.
Hookup!
He was towed some 50 metres before the big thing got caught on some rope attached to a buoy. We all surrounded him, cameras out like a horde of paparazzi at a celebrity wedding. And up came the bride, all 88cm of her, given away by the mulloway family! It was a sensational new PB for Fergo and a horse of a girl from a ‘yak. We snapped a few shots and she was released to make someone else’s day.
Time for the lie detector..
We called it and headed back to the beach beaming. The tinnies could only manage a score of throwbacks and an octopus. The ‘yaks had taken out the day in a big way – again!
Oooh baby!
