Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Flinders, Shoreham, Point Leo, Balnarring, Merricks Beach, Somers, Stony Point, Crib Point
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4liters
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Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by 4liters » Sun May 22, 2016 11:23 am

The conditions looked perfect for a landbased gummy hunt with the full moon, a high tide just before midnight and an offshore wind. Uni has been a pain in the arse lately too so I was keen as for a big day of fishing.

I started out at Shoreham using the kayak to chase bait. My hopes of getting a bag of squid were quickly dashed when I saw the water, I could hardly make out the bottom in less that 1m of water. There was more weed on the beach than I've ever seen there (probably from the big storms we had the other week), and I reckon as it was decomposing it gunked up the water. I tried for a squid for a while anyway, and eventually had one hit the jig but it let go as soon as it felt me wind it in. Meanwhile the bait I was drifting in the current for trevs was getting smashed by LJs.
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These ones had a heap of bristles just up from the tail which I've never seen before. Normally I just catch the spiny ones.
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Plan C was to troll for pike. I'd never tried for pike before so I wasn't sure how it would go but before long I had a couple of hits on the lure followed by a hookup.
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I ended up with three, they all fought like a wet dishrag on the whiting rods and at times I wasn't sure if they were still on the line.

Rating: Not fun on light gear

The last one went a bit wild as I lifted it into the yak and managed to get the second treble on the lure caught on the brim of my hat so anyone driving past would've seen some ******** with a 70cm pike hanging off his hat trying frantically to avoid getting his eye poked out by a fin spine or the other treble...

I hooked a 4th but my little Slammer which has been in the wars lately chose this moment to seize up again (despite going into the repair shop and allegedly having the issue fixed) and while I was trying to sort it out the fish bit the lure off. A profitable day for the tackle shop at least.

In case anyone was wondering, I was using silver coloured Berkley and Tsunami lures from Kmart... no point using good lures on fish with chompers like a pike's imo.

After one last quick attempt at a squid I headed back in, loaded up the yak and drove over to Gunnamatta. The storms the other week had left their mark here too. Te bottom of the ramp had completely washed away.
Plenty of people were making the most of the conditions:
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I checked with a couple of blokes if they were staying on after dark, and when they said they weren't I started unpacking behind them. While waiting for my mate to arrive I put out a gummy rig with some banana prawn and on the second cast I landed a 30cm sambo. Not sure the guys next to me who had been fishing all day and got donuts were amused. CarlG had been fishing up the other end of the beach and stopped for a chat on his way back.
It pays to get there early, it got pretty crowded as the night wore on but I'd got us some prime real estate in front of a very nice looking gutter.
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It was a beautiful evening
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No gummies unfortunately, but my mate hooked a huge skate which kept him entertained for some time while he landed it. I was tempted to keep it because I've heard they taste pretty good but it spat the hook on the beach and was too heavy and slippery to stop as it washed back out.

A fun day, pity about the lack of flake in the freezer right now, but landbased gummy fishing seems pretty hit and miss unless you really know what you're doing, which I don't. No one else seem to be catching anything either which always makes me feel better about not getting any myself. Learning how to catch pike was good because I like to fish for gummies off Point Leo so having another option for bait will be handy. The new (s/h) camera seems to work OK too.
2015/16 Fisting Victoria Species comp total: 289cm
Brown Trout: 37cm
Flathead: 51cm; Squid: 36cm; Australian Salmon: 51cm; Snapper 46cm; Silver Trevally 23cm; KGW: 45cm
Major Sponsor: Rim Master Tackle

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by Lecterfan » Sun May 22, 2016 11:29 am

Great report and pics, thanks.

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by Trumpeter » Sun May 22, 2016 12:14 pm

Nice report and pics, the leatherjacket is a "Toothbrush"

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by 4liters » Sun May 22, 2016 12:17 pm

Trumpeter wrote:the leatherjacket is a "Toothbrush"
So it is, thanks for that. There's so many interesting critters living in our waters.
2015/16 Fisting Victoria Species comp total: 289cm
Brown Trout: 37cm
Flathead: 51cm; Squid: 36cm; Australian Salmon: 51cm; Snapper 46cm; Silver Trevally 23cm; KGW: 45cm
Major Sponsor: Rim Master Tackle

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by Lightningx » Sun May 22, 2016 12:44 pm

Better luck next time with the gummies mate.

jedgpz

Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by jedgpz » Sun May 22, 2016 12:51 pm

nice report!
Ha i hate when i have been fishing all day and someone pulls up and first cast Bang!

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by Trumpeter » Sun May 22, 2016 4:49 pm

4liters wrote:
I hooked a 4th but my little Slammer which has been in the wars lately chose this moment to seize up again (despite going into the repair shop and allegedly having the issue fixed) and while I was trying to sort it out the fish bit the lure off. A profitable day for the tackle shop at least.
What's been wrong with the reel? I have a couple of the old USA made 560's that have been faultless, albeit a little clunky.

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by 4liters » Sun May 22, 2016 5:36 pm

Trumpeter wrote:
4liters wrote:
I hooked a 4th but my little Slammer which has been in the wars lately chose this moment to seize up again (despite going into the repair shop and allegedly having the issue fixed) and while I was trying to sort it out the fish bit the lure off. A profitable day for the tackle shop at least.
What's been wrong with the reel? I have a couple of the old USA made 560's that have been faultless, albeit a little clunky.
It seems to be an issue with the main shaft getting bent somehow (no idea how) which causes the whole reel to seize up. You can force it which allows the rotor to turn but doing that snaps the bit of metal that attaches the main shaft to the cross wind gear. I think I'll just get a new one and chalk his one up as a faulty reel that some how got past QC, or a freak accident that damaged the shaft.

They're only $85 so i think I'll just get a new one and use this one for spare parts. I've already paid $45 to get this problem fixed the first time, ordering a new main shaft would cost similar (I had to order a bearing cover for a 760 Slammer once and it was almost $20 posted :o_0: ) and might not even fix the problem if it is being caused by a fault somewhere else on the reel. I've heard too many good things about the Slammers to give up on them entirely, also my other 260 is still going strong despite repeated dunkings in seawater so I still have faith in the model.
2015/16 Fisting Victoria Species comp total: 289cm
Brown Trout: 37cm
Flathead: 51cm; Squid: 36cm; Australian Salmon: 51cm; Snapper 46cm; Silver Trevally 23cm; KGW: 45cm
Major Sponsor: Rim Master Tackle

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by hornet » Sun May 22, 2016 5:41 pm

Looks like a top day on the water, pity on the lack of fish BUT there's always next time as they say.
He who has the most fishing rods WINS ! :ts:

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Re: Shoreham and Gunnamatta 21/5

Post by CarlG » Sun May 22, 2016 7:39 pm

I was walking back with Ads, I saw the rod in the holder with a squall overhead, and said to him, " Penn squall, goonbag must be around here"..then you walked over..lol.
Gunners is very, very quiet atm..I have a deeply unpleasant feeling it's shaping up very much like last season..

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