Day 1. Set up camp. I notice my room has an angry bat in it, that’s a first for me. Still better than the time I woke up with one squished under me in my sleeping bag. 

Tying leaders, comparing knots - organising and reorganising tackle trays whilst being careful not to reveal this years gimmicky impulse purchase that I’ve convinced myself will be the secret weapon the lads will be jealous they didn’t have. We all haggle over alarm time and settle for 03:30. 

03:30 rolls around “just five more minutes” you can hear in the silent air as nobody is getting up.  

We get to the spot and climb down. We’re the only ones there - rare for this time of year. Usually you’re half way down and notice headlights only 10 minutes further down the track. The early bird 03:15 crew 

First light is trickling through, everyone’s asking eachother what they’re gonna be using. I opted for a large mullet soft plastic - the target is Cobia. We’re all after Cobia as the sun comes up. 

First cast - a tester. Get a feel for the sink time and the tail thuds on the paddle tail. 

Second cast - the telltail tap-tap-thud of a big brown gob. “Yessss I’m on!!” 

“Fuck off… already?” - jealous bystander 

“What’s he using again?” - another jealous bystander 

A solid fight and a clean gaff shot by the designated gaff-man. A good gaff man is like the spiritual guru of the group, a respected shaman. 

Up over the rocks and the first fish of the trip, a solid Cobia and on the second cast. The monkey’s off my back and it’s not even 5am. Hand shakes, fist bumps, fuck-off-don’t-talk-to-me(s). 

“Yep, yep” - Kev’s on with the trusted unweighted scalie. 

“Yep cobe for sure.” 

A good fight and not a shark in sight. We land the fish and we’re two on deck within the first 20 minutes. 

I decide to switch to a Mack bait rigged with singles. First cast and it was pandemonium. Hit after hit and until finally getting the hook home. A short tussle and an average size shark mackerel comes over the top. If the fish are under 10kg I usually just lift them out by having the leader long enough to reach the rocks and someone just pulls it by hand. Second cast, another shark Mack. Ok this is going to be a good trip. When the shark Mack are on; they’re on. 

Adam’s on now with another Cobia. Our shaman has appointed me with the skill stick and I drive it home. 

3 Cobia, two shark Mack. I check my phone and it’s not even 6am. Over the next 3 hours we landed an awesome amount of shark mackerel, I stopped counting after 21. We stopped using hooks on the lures and a wound down the morning just pissing sharkies off with Invincible shiny baitfish. The awkward silence before we have to head up the cliff considerably heavier than we were heading down. 

I’m telling you, nothing beats a half frozen Maximus waiting for you in the Ute. Success. 

The rest of the day was filleting, bagging and napping with a pissed off bat flying around in circles, but I didn’t care. One of the boys ask what time we’re fishing tonight. Oh wait, he’s serious. Ok I guess we can go for a sunset fish but buckleys chance I’m going down that cliff twice in a day. 

Kev hooks a decent Spaniard that gets the tail snipped right at the last second. Still a decent fish, just not the crumb shot (bakers slang). 

Possibly the best sleep I’ve ever had since having a newborn. A solid 5 hours. 

Day 2.

3:30. Everyone’s eyes were wide open and I do a triple backflip in excitement, land squarely in my shoes and we’re off. It doesn’t even matter if we get anything today.. the monkeys off our back, fillets are in the freezer and the bat and I have come to an understanding. 

Kev’s on again - he’s a Gun Fisho. A Cobia. The well rehearsed tango but it’s not a fish until it’s on the bank. Good work gaff-man. 

By this point I’ve decided to spin lures for some shark Mack’s to see if they’re still around and I land two within 5 casts - I can tick that box and I hope to never catch one again this trip. 

Kev’s on again - wow Kev I’m so happy for you. Another Cobia landed. 

Glenn’s on - nice finally someone other than Kev. A short tussle and that’s 3. A solid day by anyone’s standards. 

I come up tight. a GOOD fish. Fighting for several minutes, I can tell this is going to be a good one, the shaman is already there with the lightning stick. Disaster. The one that got away. I wind in to find my jig head is completely bent open. Hmmmmm. Not impressed, but often it is just the way the hook sits in the mouth. It’s still a solid gauge hook. I’ll give the benefit of a doubt. 

Hatchies on.. Mack after Mack. Heavy gear, light gear. By this point I can tell by the sound of the drag who’s hooked a fish. 

Kev’s on again and he’s not even chasing Cobia anymore - C*nt 

I decide to copy “Kev the Cobia king” and I get a shark Mack AGAIN.

I cast out again and I hook a shark.

I cast out again and I get snagged. 

KEV IS ON AGAIN. I hope he can gaff his own fish and still have energy to walk home because this is insane. How can one man be so fishy; is he part Cobia?

At this point I’ve just given up and I’m just sitting an unweighted scalie at the bottom. 

One of the guys from another group down there hooks up to something solid which comes over my line. I decide to wind up my line only to find my line is actually far out to the left.. oh great. A shark. Kev would have got a Cobia but I only get sharks, or snags.. or shark mack’s. 

I fight the shark for a couple of minutes until I start getting line back. I start getting hope. Maybe this is just a good fish. Yes, this is a good fish. Oooh’s and gasps from the spectators as the riskiest part of the operation is underway. Yes. A good fish is on the bank. Yes Kev I’ll teach you my secrets if you buy my book. 

I’m telling you, nothing beats a half frozen Maximus waiting for you in the Ute. Unfortunately I'm flying out on Tuesday and I need to get home. A short and sweet two-day trip. I'm just uploading a few snaps, got many more but I they don't add to anything. Cheers for taking the time to read the long saga   

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