My first ... Milkfish!

Hi there,

With a few unsuccessful trips in a row it was time to get a few fish...
So Sheeby proposed to Sarrge and myself to have a go at the Cullen Bay Milkfish...
We said yes and we did not regret it!

In fact I had read so much about the run of the Milkfish, that I woke up at 3:00 am and could not find any more sleep, too anxious to see what it would be.
Sarrge offered to give me a lift so no pushbike ridding under the rain for me, that was a good start.

As we arrive we were greeted by a double rainbow over the harbour, a nice thing to see in the morning.

Greetings from the fishing spirits.

We walk down the rock, Sheeby is not yet there and Sarrge start to cast a chrome slice, and before I have even rigged my rod, he is on a nice little Queenfish! On his second cast!
The day is definitively starting well, I tell myself.

Sheeby arrives five minutes after us, and jump in the action the Queenfish are all over the place.
I got one too, and quickly bleed it and put it in my bag.

Sarrge got two other that he keept, yes that makes three fish to take home for him.
And then he hooked a fourth one...
But that was cheating, he hooked it on the tail...
And he was small too, so he put it back in the drink, so it grow a bit more for the next time.
He also hooked another one, and that could have been the biggest Queenfish of the day, but it literaly slipped from his hand, once he had taken the lure out of the fish, and went back for a swim...
I am not sure that he was very happy?

Sheeby so far, was good company, but did not catch much...
And sure enough, Sarrge and I, like the two good fishing buddies that we can be, we don't miss an occasion to remind him what the scores are...

But I have to admit, that with time, he was to have his moment, no doubt about that.

Then, we put down the spinning gears, and start to try for these Milkfish, which from what I was told, can give some pretty big run, and have an impressive stamina...
I was not going to be disappointed...

This is when Sheeby started to shine.
He got the first Milkfish of the day, and I think it is fair to say that both Sarrge and I were surprise and impress by what was happening in front of us.
Even if we couldn't help to ask Sheeby if he was making it last so long because he hadn't landed a decent fish yet...

But he definitively came up with the goods, and landed a beautiful fish.

Now the two novice wanted one...
And I hooked!
A mullet...

Sometimes, you really need a lip grip ...

But he still gave a faire fight, and I nearly slipped in the water trying to reel it in...
This time it was their turn to make fun of me...

But hey, I have no shame about it, it came at just over two kilos, and was a nice fish.
Because Sheeby gave me a Mackerel one of the last time that we fished together, I gave him the Mullet...
Fair no?

Actually a few people told me that they were actually very good to eat, and next time I might keep one for me if I can catch another one.

All this time Sarrge was trying to get a Milkfish on a cheap baitcaster that I had lent him...
I was soon to discover that it was a good thing that he did not hook one on it...
And the way I discovered it, was by hooking one myself, on my whiting rod...

Luckily I had changed the line on it the evening before, full of 15lbs braid and 20lbs leader  on a little Sedona 4000.
The thing just kept peeling line first going for the horizon, then for the left side of the wall, where I thought that I had it. But he started again, making a big circle around the point of the rock wall and jumping and taking for the other side.
I was sure that the line would break on a rock and I passed the rod to Sheeby who was standing higher than I so he could lift the rod tip to avoid the line rubbing on the rocks. I climbed as quick as I could and got my rod back, thanks Sheeby!
Then I spent what seemed a very long time trying to turn the fish toward me, but he didn't take any of it...
I even started to joke with the other that maybe they could come to pick me up tomorrow morning...

Ho they can pull ...

Eventually, the fish was close enough to the rocks for Sheeby to grab it by the tail and pass it to me.
Quick pic form his camera, and release of it...

My first ever Milkfish.

My ho my, they can pull...

Then i felt spent...
And started to flick a chrome slice around to relax.

Sheeby got a second one, which seemed like he was never going to stop.
To the extant that I had to ask him :lol:  if he had got his new reel cheaper because it came without any drag?

The fish looked like he was going to swim for a very long time, but finally was subdued, photographed and released.

And Sarrge in all that?
Weel he did had and encouter with a milkfish...
It didn't last long, maybe one or two seconds...
But that was enough to bend his hook, and give him a taste of what it is all about.

So that was our morning, and we all got back home with some fish and some good memories.
Thank Sheeby to show us how to target the milkfish, and Sarrge for the lifte, God life is becoming good!

So I did not came home with 5 big Queenfish, only with a smallish one...

But hey, it could be worse.
Have a good day,
Me.