Day 22 – Take a Kid Fishing

Something different today! After discovering a gem of a fishing spot on day 14, and having my family (including my nine year old son Josh) with me this weekend I decided it was time to put Josh in the back of my kayak and take him fishing.

So I took the Tagit bag out of the back of my Ocean Kayak Prowler Elite, threw a second softbait rod and reel in the kayak, put a life jacket on Josh, sat him in the back and paddled off for a fish up the Ngunguru estuary, to my “magic” spot.

Today heading up the estuary we were against the tide but the current wasn’t too strong, Josh decided once that it would be easier and less wet to get out and walk, so I dropped him off on one of the large sand banks and paddled around and met him at the other end.

Now Josh and I have been fishing the odd time before but always from the shore and he’s never caught a Snapper so my main aim was to get him a Snapper or two, I was really hoping the estuary would deliver the goods today…

Last time I fished up here the tide was in so the landscape was a bit different, we hunted around to find the channel, once we found it bang bang he was getting bites, very encouraging! Then yay I was hooked up, I reeled in a just over legal Snapper to the side of the kayak it was just there long enough to show it to Josh before it spat the hook and swam free.

Then “Dad dad, I’ve got a fish on, oh no it got off!”, we had a few of those, each one followed by some helpful advice. Then one sticks and we soon have a very happy nine year old holding the first Snapper he’s ever caught, a just legal fish but back it goes after a quick photo.

Then dad gets one, hey I still have to be a role model don’t I?

The fishing goes a bit dead so we paddle to the shore and have a look around the other channels, we have a few casts off the shore but nothing happening, so we head back into the kayak. The sun is pretty much down at this point and just like the other night I was down here the fish woke up, fish in the shallows, fish jumping all over the palce, this got Josh’s attention again and he found that casting into the spots that fish were jumping would quickly result in a a bite or two and sometimes a hookup.

Then on one cast it happened, Josh hooked up, line started peeling off his reel, this was a pretty energetic fish for sure, with a bit of real time tuition he managed to hang on to it and get it to the kayak where dad brought it aboard, a nice solid fish. Josh was physically shaking in the back of the kayak, “you cold mate?” I asked, “no I’m just excited dad, it’s legal right dad, can we keep it?”. It was plenty legal, so I quickly dispatched it and then we had a photo session, measured when we got home and it was 380mm.

Dad hooked up on another but lost it at the kayak again, I needed to just land them rather than trying to show Josh the fish in the water… Josh then hooks up and lands another Snapper again legal but smaller than his last so back it goes, we have one to take home to show mum and sis, and for dinner tomorrow.

By now it’s getting late and the incoming tide is now flowing, so time to head home, all the way home Josh was asking when can we go again, when are you getting a double kayak, such a great feeling to see that he’s hooked!