Posts
With the recent weather conditions, getting out for a session in the kayak has been difficult with strong winds and a big swell which has left me to do some more landbased fishing, this time for Drummer (rock blackfish). Finding a spot that had some shelter from the wind and swell was tricky, but after searching local maps and google earth i decided to try a new rock platform that i have never fished before at Maloneys beach in Batemans Bay.
I searched the area looking for the better spots and came accross a nice deep section in between some thick weeds and reef. I started a burley trail of bread peices and bread crumbs, once i could see some fish moving around chasing the burley i sent out my unweighted #6 hook with a ball of bread firmly pressed onto the hook and watched it slowly sink down into the deep section and within the first 30 seconds i hooked up to a reasonable fish but pulled the hook after only a short fight.
Keeping a good burley trail going kept the fish active and hookups were common, on most casts the bait was getting hit and a few decent Drummer came up to join me on the rocks for a quick photo before release. After a few more smaller fish, a good Drummer of 41cm and approximately 2kg came up after a good solid fight and a few nervous moments trying to get me into the weeds and rocks. After that fish, things went suddenly quiet with hardly a touch for 5 or more minutes until i felt a light tug on the line, i lifted the rod tip slowly to se if there was any weight on it and as soon as the fish felt some tension on the line it was on!!!
Using 15lb braid and 15lb flurocarbon leader i was able to put quite a bit of drag onto the Daiwa Tierra reel which i estimate was about 6kg of drag pressure but that was not nearly enough to stop this beast of a Drummer, i didnt even get a chance to turn the handle once, he had dusted me in no time under a rock ledge and despite everything i tried including opening the bail arm for a few minutes to see if he would swim out himself i could not get this fish out of the rocks and eventually snapped the line.
My time was pretty much up by that stage so it was time to pack up and start the long walk back to the car. A very promising spot that i will be visiting again soon to try and beat that Drum!!
