Small fish BIG smile

South Australia Fishing Reports
Bugatti

Small fish BIG smile

Post by Bugatti » Tue Jan 29, 2019 10:23 pm

We all have fishing stories, this one is from a few years back, but I still think of it from time to time.


Took a mate, who has never caught a snapper, out one evening a few years back. Top bloke, heart of gold, who has had more than his fair share of hard knocks. His fishing prowess and fishing gear match , , , , both dismal and in storage and in need of a spring clean if not an overhaul. I did not mind at all, doing the charter experience for him as he has helped so many?

Went out from West Beach South Australia to a "reasonably" unknown spot, normally only 2-3 boats when the season is on. We had the spot to ourselves which was good so there were no competing berley trails. As we weren't going to affect any other fishers, pumped out the berley to put the call out far and wide, knowing it might over feed the reds and eventually go quiet but it was about getting 1 not many.

Rods baited and poised in the rod holders it wasn't long before he was getting jumpy at the morse code taps on his two rods. The next 10 minutes he was juggling his two rods and missing opportunities. It looked like a camera flash when the light globe in his head went off. Hold one and put one down. Told him to cast his second rod far for a rogue inquisitive fringe dweller.

Well, for an hour or so pandemonium broke loose, we had a hot bite. Missed more than he caught and threw back more than we kept. But we both were laughing so much we had tears in our eyes. If this was to occur again in a few more years, I think I might need to invest in some "depends" cos I don't think the plumbing could withstand that kind of laughing at an older age. Hadn't laughed like that in years.
The put-down rods screamed out separately on two occasions. And he screamed out twice from the lost opportunities, once was with a fight with a sizeable red but after a brief but solid fight the hook pulled. I have never seen anyone still happy after losing a big fish until that night.

Yeah, it went quiet for two hours, moved, couldn't get a nibble, moved, and ran out of coffee, getting cold so we pulled the pin.The sobering aspect of the story is that he truly had the snapper experience, a hot bite, fish in the esky, lost big fish to tell stories about AND a few hours without a bite.

End result: Not a massive haul and not massive fish.

It's not the size of the fish but more the size of the smile.

Smiley - Copy.PNG
Cheers, Bugatti

Irishfisherman
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Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by Irishfisherman » Tue Jan 29, 2019 11:12 pm

Great read, sounds like he had an awesome time!

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Sebb
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Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by Sebb » Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:01 am

Great story there.
Agree, realise it or not, we fish to put a big smile. That happiness is priceless.
That man on the photo looks 15 years younger with that big smile on his face. Haha. He looks so happy.

Watched AFN episode the other day when Nigel and his mate caught some cods, both of them laughing and giggling, hugging. My wife was wondering what happened. Fishing can make two middle aged men like 10 year old boys getting the best toy in Christmas.

Lightningx
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Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by Lightningx » Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:49 am

That’s a great read mate! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers :thumbsup:

Brownie
Rank: Australian Salmon
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Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by Brownie » Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:36 am

Sounded like fun mate. Good story. :thumbsup:
25 yrs ago got a call there was acres of couta off the surf coast. Went to my mates and he had a few of those reels for us to use that were almost toys. You know the ones they used to sell on the back page of magazines years ago, no bearings, no line rollers, just a wire bail arm. In a pack with the stiffest mono mans ever made, hooks, red/white floats. Even the named of the reels were ridiculous "Powerful Happy". So we all went out with these for a laugh. The sounder was blacked out from the millions of fish. All good size too 3 1/2 foot. Every drop a fish, we were catching them on just a running sinker and hook, no baits. All we did was laugh our heads off cracking jokes. One by one those reels packed it in not one of them lasted the session. Funniest day fishing I've ever had.

ben475
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Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by ben475 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 6:41 pm

classic stories there Bugatti and brownie.

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Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by smile0784 » Wed Jan 30, 2019 7:38 pm

Great story mate

Bugatti

Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by Bugatti » Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:12 pm

Irishfisherman wrote:Great read, sounds like he had an awesome time!
Lightningx wrote:That’s a great read mate! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers :thumbsup:
ben475 wrote:classic stories there Bugatti and brownie.
smile0784 wrote:Great story mate
Thanks guys, it was one of times that just went well all on it's own.

Seb85 wrote:Great story there.
Agree, realise it or not, we fish to put a big smile. That happiness is priceless.
That man on the photo looks 15 years younger with that big smile on his face. Haha. He looks so happy.

Watched AFN episode the other day when Nigel and his mate caught some cods, both of them laughing and giggling, hugging. My wife was wondering what happened. Fishing can make two middle aged men like 10 year old boys getting the best toy in Christmas.
I agree Seb85. I think every true Fisho when they buy a new rod or new reel or the jackpot , , , , new rod & reel feels all smiley, just like a kid with a new toy , , , , reminds me , , , , new toy time for me I think.

Brownie wrote:Sounded like fun mate. Good story. :thumbsup:
25 yrs ago got a call there was acres of couta off the surf coast. Went to my mates and he had a few of those reels for us to use that were almost toys. You know the ones they used to sell on the back page of magazines years ago, no bearings, no line rollers, just a wire bail arm. In a pack with the stiffest mono mans ever made, hooks, red/white floats. Even the named of the reels were ridiculous "Powerful Happy". So we all went out with these for a laugh. The sounder was blacked out from the millions of fish. All good size too 3 1/2 foot. Every drop a fish, we were catching them on just a running sinker and hook, no baits. All we did was laugh our heads off cracking jokes. One by one those reels packed it in not one of them lasted the session. Funniest day fishing I've ever had.
Brownie, you had me in stitches. Aren't times like that ridiculously funny. And amazing how you just can't stop laughing at the ridiculous. Good on you and the Lads

Brownie
Rank: Australian Salmon
Rank: Australian Salmon
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Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by Brownie » Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:56 pm

Bugatti wrote:
Irishfisherman wrote:Great read, sounds like he had an awesome time!
Lightningx wrote:That’s a great read mate! Thanks for sharing.
Cheers :thumbsup:
ben475 wrote:classic stories there Bugatti and brownie.
smile0784 wrote:Great story mate
Thanks guys, it was one of times that just went well all on it's own.

Seb85 wrote:Great story there.
Agree, realise it or not, we fish to put a big smile. That happiness is priceless.
That man on the photo looks 15 years younger with that big smile on his face. Haha. He looks so happy.

Watched AFN episode the other day when Nigel and his mate caught some cods, both of them laughing and giggling, hugging. My wife was wondering what happened. Fishing can make two middle aged men like 10 year old boys getting the best toy in Christmas.
I agree Seb85. I think every true Fisho when they buy a new rod or new reel or the jackpot , , , , new rod & reel feels all smiley, just like a kid with a new toy , , , , reminds me , , , , new toy time for me I think.

Brownie wrote:Sounded like fun mate. Good story. :thumbsup:
25 yrs ago got a call there was acres of couta off the surf coast. Went to my mates and he had a few of those reels for us to use that were almost toys. You know the ones they used to sell on the back page of magazines years ago, no bearings, no line rollers, just a wire bail arm. In a pack with the stiffest mono mans ever made, hooks, red/white floats. Even the named of the reels were ridiculous "Powerful Happy". So we all went out with these for a laugh. The sounder was blacked out from the millions of fish. All good size too 3 1/2 foot. Every drop a fish, we were catching them on just a running sinker and hook, no baits. All we did was laugh our heads off cracking jokes. One by one those reels packed it in not one of them lasted the session. Funniest day fishing I've ever had.
Brownie, you had me in stitches. Aren't times like that ridiculously funny. And amazing how you just can't stop laughing at the ridiculous. Good on you and the Lads
Absolutely, it was ridiculously funny. You gotta do stuff like that now and then mate given the opportunity. I once fished for mackerel in Qld with an outfit you'd fish for whiting, damn, that reel squealed on the runs. The reel was a rear drag Tica with a plastic spool. The drag ratchet packed it in but the rest stood up unbelievably. People watching, was on the rocks, first up laughed at me and asked me what I was trying to catch. But for some reason the lures I had, some silver outback minnows from big w :-D
, mate those qld Mack's will hit a spoon tied to a line so why guys spend 20 to 40 bucks on lures they bite off has me beat, anyway the Big W's, $3.50 each, were fish candy to them and every second cast was a hook up and a screaming little Tica on Banax Bullfrog rod.
Kept the reel as a reminder of that session. Even caught sharks up to 60 lb on it. Couldn't kill the damn thing. I swear, its all true too.
Here's that Tica & Bullfrog rod. Tough little rod too. I use that Tica now to wind my line on my other reels. Put my line on it then wind it on the others under the Ticas drag pressure. :thumbsup: It's drag washers were so good they are in another reel and its went in to it.
IMG_20190130_234628.jpg

Bugatti

Re: Small fish BIG smile

Post by Bugatti » Wed Jan 30, 2019 11:52 pm

Brownie wrote:
You gotta do stuff like that now and then mate given the opportunity.

big w

mate those qld Mack's will hit a spoon tied to a line so why guys spend 20 to 40 bucks on lures they bite off has me beat, anyway the Big W's, $3.50
Ooooh yeah Brownie, heaps fun doing stuff like that, not always but as a break from the serious , , , , fishing is supposed to be fun.

Nothing wrong with "selected" items from anywhere. We all have different standards, different ideas and that most evil of circumstances, different financial situations. So noth'n wrong with anyth'n , , , , it's that person"s choice. I never criticise other people's gear, techniques, etc etc
In "The BOOK of BUGATTI" it is written "their shoes - their steps".

Saddens me when I hear people bag other people or their stuff or what they do.

I had an old Kmart branded reel from when I was a teenager , , , , worked a treat. A bit overkill for the small tommies but it would catch everything from Tommies to even rays. Never missed a beat, it wasn't a precision reel but did me fine and my finances. Got stolen a few years back, otherwise I'd still be using it for nostalgic reasons.

Bit like this one. Mate and I think it was a rebadged Diawa or Spinit

kmart reel 2.png

I even make my own "fancy hooks" like the snatcher style. Not pay'n $12 for a rig. You can get hairy hooks 12 for $9 and make your own rigs. Which I have done. But I enjoy making my own out of hair from kids wigs, tinsel etc. They do work, I don't use them all the time but they do work I think. On my Son's rod that he is using and catching, is a rig, with hairy hooks that I made, plus there is one in the rod rack. The pinky red ones , , , , the white one is a bought one.

Hey, I have kids , , , , my money is better spent elsewhere than only on my own endeavours.
f7.JPG
Cheers, Bugatti

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