Well I had an early start Friday morning leaving the house at 5.20 am to get to Gary’s just before 6 o’clock. I arrived to see Gary loaded and ready so I parked the van and unloaded the kayak and gear as Gary was driving today, not long and we were off. Next stop was MacDonald’s for breakfast then Tesco’s for refreshments for the day. We arrived at sea palling around 8.40 to see that James had already arrived and was on the water. We were all keen and the weather was playing ball for once so we unloaded the kayaks and gear and made our way to the beach to launch. Conditions couldn’t be any better no swell and flat.
Gary got on the radio to see where James was and he was straight out to the left on the inside of the reefs (couldn’t see him in his camo kayak), so we launched and paddled out to start trolling. I went right, Gary went left with James. I trolled up towards waxham with not a sniff apart from the odd nod from the rocks, so turned round and started again heading back to sea palling. I got to the third reef and noticed one off my rod tips wasn’t nodding so I reeled in thinking weed and this little fella popped up.
Returned back to the water and carried on to the end of the reefs, half way down I noticed one of my rod tips wasn’t nodding so reeled in to find this little surprise hanging on the end.
Set off again to the last reef at sea palling, I had a 5min break then changed lures again and set off. I got to the fourth reef and then had my first noticeable take. I paddled away from the rocks then started playing the bass, nice little fight and then ping it was off. I was gutted, I reeled in to find that the trebles had snapped, not good as I changed all the trebles on all my lures the night before so was a little disheartened. I set off again, not too long and I had another take. I paddled away from the rocks again then started playing the fish. Gary wasn’t far away and came over, the fish made a few darts under the kayak with the drag and the rod doing all the work at this point I was thinking please don’t come off, up it comes and straight in the net onto the kayak 46cm.
Whilst unhooking the fish one of the trebles snapped in the forceps!
Set off again and James came on the radio saying about the sand eels and then Gary replied saying there was loads at Waxham end, they seemed to be everywhere now! I trolled up and down with no more joy on the bass front. James came on the radio and said he had a string of macks on the last reef!! I was about have way down the reefs so a quick paddle to where James was, put some hokkais on with no joy then tried sabikis with no joy also. I gave it half hour then spoke to Gary who said one more troll backup to waxham then he was going to call it a day so we set of trolling again but with no joy.
On the way back James had found the mackerel again in the middle of the reefs, so I changed back over to hokkais with but no joy. James was getting sand eels and the odd mack in the mix. When the shoals were coming through you could see the gulls diving in the distance I wasn’t getting a sniff so I changed over to some small sabikis. First drop a string of five mackerel, dropped down again and had a string of sand eels, by this time Gary was back on the beach so I called it a day. James followed me back in as well. It was a really enjoyable day with great company and lots of sunshine and over six hours afloat on the Tempo.