Posts
Ever had your arms pulled off by a Sergeant Baker?
Went Snapper fishing in the usual spot (Search is your friend) recently in between cold and flu symptoms and found the going pretty tough. Met a mate already down there who had a couple of small ones and a 50cm model who indicated an unknown kayaker on the horizon had a decent model. Hopes were high for some great fishing but alas no matter what people tell you it was pretty quiet on the fishing front (Unless catching Wrasse is your thing, then it was extraordinary).
5" Jerk Shads on 1/8th or 1/4 jigheads were needed due to the offshore conditions and speed of the drift (# 3 hooks, various brands) just to keep it in the strike zone. Maritime in a giant vessel came for a look, checking our lifejackets before moving onwards. The Snapper were there but perhaps there really is that window of opportunity, tidal change, that brings them on the chew. With a couple of drifts left before my lungs started singing to a different beat I was hit on the drop quite viscously.
With a double drogue deployed and furious headshakes the kayak began to be pulled backward, a very awkward feeling when your fighting a fish from over your right shoulder with multiple drift saving devices attached. After about 3 minutes I finally turned the fish... ...Only for it to swim towards me and create some slack. I thought I had dropped it so began cursing the lost opportunity when the line became tight again. Two minutes later the fish was below the kayak and while the water was crystal clear it was holding deep enough for only a red haze to be visible. My arms were aching and the TDA 3 medium light outfit began hurting more than my forearm. Finally it came up top, but it definitely wasn't a species I was expecting.
The biggest Sergeant Baker I had ever seen showered me with angry surface froth as I dipped the net. I was slightly bemused at what had just happened so relaxed, stared and took it all in. Had I lost a good Snapper after the turn and this 2 x 4 munching beast jumped on the line or was it the culprit the whole time. I had caught one early in the day that displayed some Squire like tendencies but that fight was nothing compared with subduing its larger brethren (Or in this case, monster Mother). Showing Jason the fish he identified it as female and mentioned they can often go berserk with all the personality of the target fish.
Looking closely I could see why, big tail wrist, long shaped body and powerful tail. Wait a minute, here is me talking up a Sergeant Baker for Christ sake, but in all seriousness if I had a top five spirited fights from a kayak (From fish I have managed to land only) this would be right up there. I went to get a photo but my camera had died so Google did the tabling for me.
Apparently they can grown up to 70cm in length and 3kg in weight (Very close approximation) and fight like buggery. Jason and I returned back to Canberra without anything in the bag and I figured I had strained my shoulder paddling, was only till I picked up the rods to pack them away did I realise the strain was from a fight. Couple of rounds with a Baker should be a cakewalk really but the fish was so well hooked in the side of the mouth I can safely say it stood back, waited and picked me off.
Looking forward to my return, might have to warm up on the beach a little longer.
