To fish amongst kings.

Yellowtail Kingfish (Scientific name - Seriola lalandi), Kingys, Kings, Hoodlums, Bandits or "Rat Kings" are a strong, exciting gamefish that strike savagely at a wide range of lures, live baits and dead or cut fish fillets. Victorian Yellowtail Kingfish reports right here.
DougieK
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To fish amongst kings.

Post by DougieK » Mon Jul 06, 2020 11:35 am

As per always, there are inherent dangers that come with rock fishing. We, as experienced rock fishos, understand these dangers and accept them. The discussion about rock fishing safety has been done to death repeatedly and derailed a whole heap of really good conversations on here, please don't let it happen again.

I posted one of the vids the day it happened because I was too happy for him not too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd-XAtLBR4U

A couple of months ago in the height of the lockdown, Cam and I started having a look around for something to do to break the mid winter blues that we seem to get every year. The martial arts scene in Melbourne is all but cancelled for the year, and Cam has found himself in a steady job with good conditions, so we both have a little bit more time and money than we normally would.

I've been fishing pretty hard with CarlG to try and achieve some land based goals in Victoria since the lockdown eased up, and with no sign of any Tuna within reachable distance from the rocks, Carl also agreed that we needed to do something a little bit different.

We found an absurdly cheap Airbnb literally one door from the track that leads to our preferred ledge in NSW, and agreed that the first week of Victorian school holidays was the time to try and nail the Red Bearded Pikester his first kingfish.

NSW school hols start a week later, so we had the advantage of everyone still being at school while we were fishing.

An absurd amount of gear, preparation, organisation and packing later, we set off at 3 in the morning with a view to fishing at the Tubes on the Saturday afternoon / Sunday then climbing in to one of the more remote ledges on the Beecroft Penninsula.

An incredibly smooth journey up the Hume saw us arriving just after lunch on the Saturday. Sometimes with delays this drive can take up to 12 hours, in this case, closer to 9. Half a year later, the devastation from the fires through the inland route is still infathomable. A couple of hours of driving at a solid 100kmh through Windemella and Oallen sees the entire area burnt out.

Upon arriving, we dumped our gear, grabbed our rods and headed down to the Tubes. At the gate we were turned away because they are only letting a certain number of cars into the weapons range at a time, and there were 20 odd cars waiting to get in to camp at honeymoon bay or sight see at the lighthouse.

We made a decision to head down the ropes and spin the ledge near the place we were staying. The bush bash to get out there resulted in us covered in tiny scratches from the thick undergrowth, wet feet and several U turns, but all of this is forgotten the moment you open out onto the clifftop, and get the view 100m straight down to the ledge that we fish.

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A quick assessment from the relative safety of the cliff top showed the swell prediction accurate. The swell was pushing 1.6m, but this ledge is comfortably up out of the waves. The rain affected track and cliffs proved challenging, but achievable for the other two. The water you can see on the rocks is from rain the night before, not from the ocean rolling accross the top of it.

This is not an easy place to get to. There are a couple of spots that involve passing the gear down one piece at a time, and another that literally requires a rope for all but the most experienced climbers. Some numbnut cut the last rope off, so we took our own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-UnJLm0eyw

There is significantly more scrambling over rocks and down extremely challenging terrain before you get to the ledge. The view from halfway up the second part of the climb is telling of the reasoning behind why I say this is the most spectacular place I've ever been, not just fishing, but ever.

Commentary from CarlG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJCTCgwnJ98

Having been up since 230am, nailed a 9 hour drive, 2km walk, bushbash, then climb in, we didn't get a huge amount of fishing done that afternoon. An hours spin and the knowledge that the ledge was achievable was good enough for all of us. The dark shadows from the cliffs above already creeping past our little spot, and the wind kicking giving it a distinctive chill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D-ZTALT_bg

After a scramble back up then finding our way out of the bush and back to the track, we headed back to our little house and set a plan of attack for the next morning.

The Tubes is effectively closed unless you want to line up for hours to wait for someone to leave the Weapons Range so they let you in. Climbing back down the ropes in the dark with a whole days worth of gear was out of the question. So the decision was made to fish a more accessable ledge known simply as B.

This ledge is about 200m long and sticks out from the North East corner of the penninsula. The access is a little better, although the walk is significantly longer with tracks and markings, a life ring, a very large cave and a couple of smaller ones to hide in.

It is an absolutely amazing place at sunrise and the sandstone cliffs glow in the morning light.

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The last time we fished here the key was to pickup some livebaits before dawn, and keep them alive in a little paddling pool which we carry in, then bucket water into with a rope. We managed a few yakkas for the day but only a single slimey. In our past experiences, the kings came on hard about an hour after the sun comes up, and again on the low tide change. These lined up relatively nicely for us.

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After the color dissappears from the sky with the sunrise the ledge is a different kind of stunning.

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We spent the next 3 days following the same protocols. Up at 4, in by 445 or so. Livebait pools get setup, berley gets mixed, and a combination of yakka and slimey baits and lures are deployed. After the first day all three of us knew and understood our roles, and the setup becomes almost robotic. Carrying 20+kg of gear, then bucketing water, then catching livebait before the first crack of light even hits the horizon is extremely challenging, but a necessity of this style of fishing. Being super organised helps to take any of the 'who brought the bait' type problems that have occured in the past.

The ledge faces north, and the stiff SWer meant we couldn't see the weather coming. Out of nowhere we got holed up in the little cave above our spot on the ledge with one of the most torrential downpours i've experienced. Blue sky on either side, and rain of almost biblical proportions smashing down on the ledge underneath us.

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Halfway through day 2, just on the turn of the low tide, Cam landed a cast on a metal about 80m out. Just as he started his retrieve his livebait rod doubled over and the drag on his new spheros 20k screamed. Carl took his spin rod to save his lure, and the Mango Mongo grabbed his Tcurve and set the hook.

The king had a 15 second head start, and instantly dragged him down into the thick kelp. Cam struggled a bit until he switched his grip from an underarm to wedging the butt of the rod into his hip, managing to use his heavy leader to get the kings head up out of the kelp. A relatively short fight later, with many swear words from all three of us, I gaffed what I consider to be the most rewarding fish i've been involved with landing. 4.5 years of effort and patience all led to this moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apdr_fa2quQ

We all called it for about 7kg. This fish felt enormous on the ledge and that's probably a product of knowing just the crazy lengths that this guy has gone to to get one. When we got back it went 4.6kg, guttted and bled.

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We release almost every fish we catch, however we kept this one and two more trevally for food for the week.

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Mission accomplished.

We continued to fish B hard for a couple of days but didn't manage to even hook another King. We caught quite a few other assorted fish but nothing on any of the livebaits or big boy lures.

With Thursday being our last full day and no sign of any decent fish at B, we decided to try and climb some gear back down the ropes in the hopes of figuring out how to setup for a land based Marlin come summer time. We slept in, and got out there just as the sun was coming up.

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Climbing in with a spin rod and three lures is one thing, climing in with a whole set of gear, three rods, berley buckets, live bait pool, three big reels, a gaff, food, a jet boil, coffee, baits etc is another story all together. Bulky back packs make edging around the rocks extremely challenging.

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As is getting down decent drops.

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There are half a dozen places where we took out bags off, and used the gaff to pass them down the crack and drops so they woudln't get snagged on things.

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Not to mention adding a heap of weight when you're trying to rope up or down the really vertical bits.

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Despite that, we made it down pretty comfortably. Having three people makes climbs like this exponentially easier than doing it on my own, and i'm unbelievably greatful to these two for agreeing to head down there with me. Carl snapped this one of the two of us which is probably one of my favorite fishing photos ever.

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The day was spent taking turns casting lures, plastics, metals poppers etc and floating unweighted pillie chunks. The boys hooked a dozen trevally and yakkas, one each of which was deployed as a livey. Other than the seal grabbing my bait, we didn't see a big fish for the duration of the day.

Just as I was packing up, I gave cam a cast of my 11 foot stickbait rod, and ofcourse he instantly hooked up, a nice 1kg frigate mackeral.

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The decision was made to stick around for an extra hour with him under a balloon, but no dice. The climb back out was even more challenging having been at it for 12 hours.

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Cam was pretty done, so Carl and I spun the next morning for no result then just headed home.

I love writing reports with big fish in them, with lots of fish in them. I love casting lures into the sunrise and I love hearing the drag scream when a livey gets inhaled by a big pelagic.

Of every fish i've caught or been involved with catching, Cam's first Kingie holds a very very special place for me, to the point where I think this is the most rewarding fish i've ever been involved with the capture of.

This trip only saw a single king, but was spent with two of the best god damned human beings in existence. A massive thank you to CarlG for joining us and helping, and a final congrats to The Crimson Crested Dromedary for finally hooking and landing a Yellowtail Kingfish.

DougieK

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Chasing LBG and sharing a love for the Martial Arts, everywhere, all the time.


LBG Season 2023/4 :

Kingfish : 61

CannonsJS
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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by CannonsJS » Mon Jul 06, 2020 12:26 pm

Awesome report mate. So much detail. Was almost like being there.
Congrats to Cam. That's some serious dedication to get that King.

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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by Kimtown » Mon Jul 06, 2020 12:58 pm

What an amazing read

Would love to go on one of these trips with you one day Dougie if ya ever looking for someone else to go with ya.

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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by 4liters » Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:00 pm

Outfished by a ranga

smh
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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by Snapper Snatcher » Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:13 pm

Great read Dougie. I’ve climbed down to the eves a couple times without a rope, very difficult with any more than one rod and a small backpack.
Fishing Victoria Species Comp:

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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by rb85 » Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:27 pm

Great write up some spectacular scenery there.
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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by CarlG » Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:44 pm

Well written Doug.
I had a ball as normal, and it really was magic seeing Cam get his first Kingy. You can see on the vid, if you watch the rod tip, the fish had buried itself in the kelp, and Cam did a great job just easing it up and out without panicking.
All in all, a great trip, not so much in the way of Kings, but we were busy the whole time with Trevally, Sweep a host of remedies and other baitfish, and a few whales putting on a show every few days.
We'll be back up there, hopefully early next year again.

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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by purple5ive » Mon Jul 06, 2020 2:07 pm

So good man, I love that last pic.
I didn’t know ed Sheeran fishes with you guys, can you get me an autograph next time please.
Congrats to all involved, trips like these will always be cherished.

DougieK
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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by DougieK » Mon Jul 06, 2020 2:13 pm

CannonsJS wrote:
Mon Jul 06, 2020 12:26 pm
Awesome report mate. So much detail. Was almost like being there.
Congrats to Cam. That's some serious dedication to get that King.
Pretty well deserved I think. On the current rate he should catch his next one in time for Xmas 2025.
Kimtown wrote:
Mon Jul 06, 2020 12:58 pm
What an amazing read

Would love to go on one of these trips with you one day Dougie if ya ever looking for someone else to go with ya.
If you promise not to bring your jetski we might snag a long weekend late year.
Snapper Snatcher wrote:
Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:13 pm
Great read Dougie. I’ve climbed down to the eves a couple times without a rope, very difficult with any more than one rod and a small backpack.
I free climbed it last year just to see if I could with a pe8 assassin in my teeth. I mostly just wanted to see if I could get back out if some numbnut decided I shouldn't be fishing 'his' ledge and cut my rope off. Scary but achievable.
rb85 wrote:
Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:27 pm
Great write up some spectacular scenery there.
If ever you get the opportunity it's worth going to Currarong and just having a look around.
CarlG wrote:
Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:44 pm
Well written Doug.
I had a ball as normal, and it really was magic seeing Cam get his first Kingy. You can see on the vid, if you watch the rod tip, the fish had buried itself in the kelp, and Cam did a great job just easing it up and out without panicking.
All in all, a great trip, not so much in the way of Kings, but we were busy the whole time with Trevally, Sweep a host of remedies and other baitfish, and a few whales putting on a show every few days.
We'll be back up there, hopefully early next year again.
One fish or none, that trip was great fun.
purple5ive wrote:
Mon Jul 06, 2020 2:07 pm
So good man, I love that last pic.
I didn’t know ed Sheeran fishes with you guys, can you get me an autograph next time please.
Congrats to all involved, trips like these will always be cherished.
Honestly, it's as much about the people you fish with. That last day at Eves and getting stuck in the rain in the cave are memories that will last a lifetime, magic days that define why we do what we do.
Chasing LBG and sharing a love for the Martial Arts, everywhere, all the time.


LBG Season 2023/4 :

Kingfish : 61

Texas
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Re: To fish amongst kings.

Post by Texas » Mon Jul 06, 2020 2:51 pm

Fantastic report & photos Dougie
But, you can keep those ledges to yourself
To save climbing in and out each day, could you "say", camp in a cave ?????
Cheers Gra

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