Post by hicki on Jan 3, 2010 23:58:16 GMT
Saturday 2nd January 2010. 12:30 pm.The portal to the garage opens, and the wintersun casts its light across the yak. Van loaded, i wheel the yak to the van where it is quickly lashed aloft. Into the van, a click of the belt, a turn of the key and off. Another sortie in search of the salty piscatories.
I arrive at the launch site to be greeted by the somewhat calm
of the ocean and relish the prospect of being afloat. So off comes the yak, on goes my gear. Lock up the van, then down to the water. Radio..check. Sounder..check. Rods..bait..tackle..check. All is well so out the yak goes, and climbing aboard I paddle into the sunlight, toward my rendezvous with my piscatorial prize.
I arrive at the mark, drop anchor, and bait up both rods. One for whiting, the other for... yes you,ve guessed it,..COD.
Before long the rod rigged for whitting rattles into action, and a good sized pouting is boated. Then another and another. Keepers me thinks, as I personally like good sized pouting for the table, when fresh of course. I feel pouting are really undervalued as an eating fish. Anyway enough of that, back to the action. Just as I re-bait my whiting rod which is catching pouting, I notice my cod rod seems to be snagged, as the wieght is not bumping the bottom as the yak rises and falls. So I withdraw the rod from the holder, and arch into the rod. It seems snagged but then a few good hard lunges, and with not a little effort, I coax whatever is attached to the other end, away from its sanctuary, and retrieve some braid. Not sure what Ive hooked into, I speculate as to what it might be. A conger. No. No voilent headshakes at midwater. A larger ray perhaps. MMM, but im fishing quite rough ground. Could it possibly be a, a,a,a, cod. The fish is on the surface before I come to a conclusion. A really good sized thornback ray of around 11 lb.
I release the ray unharmed, re-bait, and back down she goes.
Shortly after, the whiting rod starts rattling again, slightly different bite this time. I grab the rod, and on the next pull STRIKE !. Fish on. I reel in a nice whiting much to my delight. Quickly and humanely dispatched, the whiting goes into the fishbox. Again re-bait and back down.
About half hour passes now with not much happening. Then I notice the line on the cod rod seems to be being pulled away sideways, from the yak. So I take the rod from its holder, and as I do BANG ! BANG ! BANG ! the rod tip lunges right over. WOW what a Bite. I wait for the next voilent lunge of the rod. Bang ! again. wait..wait..wait BANG ! STRIKE !!! yes fish on, whoo hooo, shes taking line, tighten the lever drag, still taking line. Tighten more.Feels like a conger, but once I manage to prise it from the bottom and get it mid water the voilent lunges subside. Although its weighty, only an occaisional heavy nod. Could it be the classic cod nod.
Another thirty or so winds of the reel and the fish is hoisted to the surface. YEEEE HAAAA ! A COD !!!. A nice one as well.
I fished on for a short while, but the light was fading, it was getting really cold, and so fully satisfied, i upped killick ( anchor )
and paddled for home,savouring the days fishing as I went.
Got ashore, packed gear away, roofed the yak, and drove home. First things first, I weighed the cod....15lb 2oz. Well pleased I was.
Had some of the cod for dinner today, beautifull. I Look forward as we do, to the next trip. Tight lines everyone.
I arrive at the launch site to be greeted by the somewhat calm
of the ocean and relish the prospect of being afloat. So off comes the yak, on goes my gear. Lock up the van, then down to the water. Radio..check. Sounder..check. Rods..bait..tackle..check. All is well so out the yak goes, and climbing aboard I paddle into the sunlight, toward my rendezvous with my piscatorial prize.
I arrive at the mark, drop anchor, and bait up both rods. One for whiting, the other for... yes you,ve guessed it,..COD.
Before long the rod rigged for whitting rattles into action, and a good sized pouting is boated. Then another and another. Keepers me thinks, as I personally like good sized pouting for the table, when fresh of course. I feel pouting are really undervalued as an eating fish. Anyway enough of that, back to the action. Just as I re-bait my whiting rod which is catching pouting, I notice my cod rod seems to be snagged, as the wieght is not bumping the bottom as the yak rises and falls. So I withdraw the rod from the holder, and arch into the rod. It seems snagged but then a few good hard lunges, and with not a little effort, I coax whatever is attached to the other end, away from its sanctuary, and retrieve some braid. Not sure what Ive hooked into, I speculate as to what it might be. A conger. No. No voilent headshakes at midwater. A larger ray perhaps. MMM, but im fishing quite rough ground. Could it possibly be a, a,a,a, cod. The fish is on the surface before I come to a conclusion. A really good sized thornback ray of around 11 lb.
I release the ray unharmed, re-bait, and back down she goes.
Shortly after, the whiting rod starts rattling again, slightly different bite this time. I grab the rod, and on the next pull STRIKE !. Fish on. I reel in a nice whiting much to my delight. Quickly and humanely dispatched, the whiting goes into the fishbox. Again re-bait and back down.
About half hour passes now with not much happening. Then I notice the line on the cod rod seems to be being pulled away sideways, from the yak. So I take the rod from its holder, and as I do BANG ! BANG ! BANG ! the rod tip lunges right over. WOW what a Bite. I wait for the next voilent lunge of the rod. Bang ! again. wait..wait..wait BANG ! STRIKE !!! yes fish on, whoo hooo, shes taking line, tighten the lever drag, still taking line. Tighten more.Feels like a conger, but once I manage to prise it from the bottom and get it mid water the voilent lunges subside. Although its weighty, only an occaisional heavy nod. Could it be the classic cod nod.
Another thirty or so winds of the reel and the fish is hoisted to the surface. YEEEE HAAAA ! A COD !!!. A nice one as well.
I fished on for a short while, but the light was fading, it was getting really cold, and so fully satisfied, i upped killick ( anchor )
and paddled for home,savouring the days fishing as I went.
Got ashore, packed gear away, roofed the yak, and drove home. First things first, I weighed the cod....15lb 2oz. Well pleased I was.
Had some of the cod for dinner today, beautifull. I Look forward as we do, to the next trip. Tight lines everyone.
Well Done 
