My new PB Dhufish
Submitted by Daniel Westerduin on Thu, 2024-04-18 15:41
I had the opportunity to head out again so I did. Some people ask me how I get so lucky so often. Well it's mostly perseverance and being stubborn rather than lucky.
It was quite a long day starting around 9.00am. Headed to the servo for fuel, then to Subway for food then launch at around 9.30am approx. Headed out around 45-50kms with a decent Easterly tailwind. Swell and waves were relatively low. Fishing by 11.30am. I found a few fish showing on the sounder but mostly refusing to bite. I moved multiple times but it was very quiet. One undersize Snapper released, a couple of tiny Flathead and Whiting on the flick rod. Eventually a couple of Stingrays, Port Jackson's, a Tiger Shark hook up and release. Then after dark (Long hours aye) wind came up very strong but I still persevered. I was anchored at this stage in over 50m depth by hand. I Landed an nice Whiskery Shark after a while and was stoked to finally get something proper. Whiskery Shark look and taste a lot like a Gummy but slightly different colouring and have teeth.
Approx 8.40pm or slightly later I finally got the run and eventually the fish I've been waiting for. It took multiple runs and fought hard. At 1st I thought Samson fish or Shark maybe but then I dared to dream. Hell yeah when it popped to the surface I was ecstatic to say the least. Yehar bloody Yehar etc. 110cm my Pb Dhufish for length but not weight. A whisker under 20kgs after it was bled on the boat and weighing back at home. I fished a bit longer but the wind had strengthened substantially so headed back in, in a very strong easterly with rolling waves standing up quite high. My boat is only 4.8m in length. I could only manage to do 8kms hr to 15kms hr the majority of the way in. It was Pitch black and even the moon had gone down. So a normally 2hr trip took approx 4hrs. Worth every second but hell I earned this beast of a fish.
Livewire
Posts: 300
Date Joined: 25/11/16
Congratulations.
One very dedicated fisherman.
Sea goat
Posts: 980
Date Joined: 26/03/17
wow, amazing effort! i would
wow, amazing effort! i would be too chicken to be that far out after dark. You definitely earned that one! that is one hell of a fish!
Da pirate
Posts: 1564
Date Joined: 03/05/15
Holy ..
Holy shit balls ... bloody big
banger .. well done mate .
stirlling effort .. cheers pirate
Alan James
Posts: 2224
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Great commitment
and duly rewarded, well done
uncle
Posts: 9486
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Nice fish
marathon effect, welldone
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
little johnny
Posts: 5360
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Good fish
Thinking the same huge marathon . I would have had a few sleeps staying out that long
sea-kem
Posts: 15002
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Big orse!
Big orse!
Love the West!
Swompa
Posts: 3893
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Jeez you certainly earnt that
Jeez you certainly earnt that one!
straith
Posts: 422
Date Joined: 25/11/13
wow, hats off mate!
wow, hats off mate! hopefully your next one is a bit easier
Daniel Westerduin
Posts: 429
Date Joined: 30/10/06
Cheers for the replies
Cheers for the replies fellas. I'll put in that effort again no problems if the next one would be the same size haha. Seagoat night fishing is my favourite and I do it regularly. Sometimes it gets quite interesting. I was out there one night all night and had a big pod of Whales stay with me all night. They surrounded the boat and just stayed. Half way through the night a big Shark turned up so I shifted as I knew I wouldn't be able to catch or land any proper fish. I moved about two kilometres away and the Whales came with me and stayed till morning. I tapped the floor with my feet occasionally and one of the Whales would flap one of his flippers or tail like it was communicating with me.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18034
Date Joined: 11/03/08
Well done. Certainly a nice
Well done. Certainly a nice size dhuie. Rewards for effort
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Jackalchub
Posts: 599
Date Joined: 10/03/12
Well played sir
Well played sir
Markie
Posts: 2153
Date Joined: 06/08/10
Crazy crazy man. Great fish
Crazy crazy man. Great fish
Jim
Posts: 1336
Date Joined: 05/05/06
Well done, reward for effort
Well done, reward for effort
Bend over
Brock O
Posts: 3233
Date Joined: 11/01/08
Very nice, thats one big
Very nice, thats one big Dhue!
Crazy trip home.