A Surprise on a windy day

Once again the weatherman got it wrong, but I was up early and it was set to be a nice day minus the wind.

After just sorting all my tackle out at home and getting it organised it took minutes to launch the kayak. Some gear in the centre hatch and a small tackle bag in the back of the seat I was set for the day. I left the echo sounder at home as I know the bay really well. I had planned to trawl lures round to the next bay, Port Mulgrave and back. Then head out to do a bit of cod fishing with the pirking gear on the rougher ground.

I headed out and dropped the lure behind the boat and headed around the bay towards Port Mulgrave on the way round there I stopped off in a few good looking areas casting the lure about in hope of a Bass but had no luck doing so. Back off trolling and the rod doubled round hard, the tip slamming round, braid pouring off the reel signalling one angry fish on the end, grabbing the rod quick and the fight was a good one but the fish caught like nothing I have had before, once I had the fish under control I managed to flick the gopro on catching the end of the fight. As the fish neared the kayak I could see it was not a Pollock or a Bass, first thought was sea trout but as it neared the kayak I reconised the fish as a Salmon, I got a bit too excited and was already planning a picture with it and tried to hurry it onto the kayak and that’s when it happened, the hook pulled the lure was in my shoulder and the fish was well gone. Gutted but with a big smile on my face, what a fight.

After a good bit of trawling fighting the strong winds I opted to move to the Cod grounds and drift fish for a bit. Putting out the drouge down went the old pirk and Hokia set up, the wind was horrendous but when I hooked my first fish quickly it was soon forgotten, only a small codling but a welcome visitor. The next drift resulted in a larger fish, from the off I could feel it was a better fish pulling the rod down hard stripping line from the reel as it tried to reach the bottom again in a bud for freedom, turning it before it could do so and got it under control and a nice cod was making it’s was into the kayak, taken on the bottom Hokia which was well in. I never put the fish onto the scales but it was a beauty, a fine example of a Cod.

The wind was a real pain paddling back to the start of the drift took a lot of effort and the day was passing by quickly I had to call it a day after one more drift of coarse, no more cod but I did manage to catch a small Mackerel which wrapped my day up nicely.

Thanks for reading, Mike