Neptune Giveth, and Neptune Taketh Away…
Submitted by Dan “Smoke the Monkey” Levy
Christmas of 2019 saw me head back to Australia. My wife had never had an Aussie Christmas, so it was time. For those of you that haven't been and love to get wet, hit me up for some reccomendations. There’s nothing quite like diving in Australia. My Father and Brother in Law, both avid spearos, were excited to have me back so we could go on our boys trips that have kept us well fed in years past.
Jervis Bay is an amazingly picturesque spot south of Sydney where you can run into pods of dolphins inside the protected marine zones (amazing snorkelling and scuba), or for those in the know, pop a decent pelagic just outside. My brother had inherited a dingy a couple of months before and had put in some work to make her seaworthy. Conditions looked ripe on Boxing Day, so we got up at 3AM, piled my young nephew into the car still in his sleeping bag, and started the 4 hour drive.
We launched and Dad putted us out to the mouth of the bay while we fussed with our gear. We jumped in and kicked outside the bay to hunt around. I had my float and line hooked up, and Dad tossed my second hand/new gun to me (110 AB Biller). Adam from MBay Kayaks hooked me up (great dude and awesome business that supports all the locals for your kayak needs). I already had my trusty old Mares 75 and strapped the AB to my float. I started looking around for some good ambush structures, and as you can see by the pic, set away at filling my stringer.
Another hour passed, a few fish later, and I felt my float snag on something. I swam over to it and noticed my newly acquired AB gone! I retraced my steps, alerted my buddy and we looked for another hour and a bit. No luck. I was heartbroken! I had bought it maybe a month before the trip and taken it out only once before to test. I felt like I had it well strapped in with 2 velcro straps and a swivel clip, though obviously not.
More than a little bummed, we began our kick back in. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a good-sized snapper shoot behind a big boulder. I dropped and skirted the other side to try and catch him unaware, and was surprised by a small yellowtail kingfish (Seriola Ialandi) shooting past. I quickly adjusted aim, blubbed a hasty prayer to Poseidon and shot, hitting just behind the gills.
I was stoked with my first Pelagic. While not huge (30” and around 11lb compared with the current world-record yellowtail kingfish for men—109.7 lbs.(49.7 kilos) by Nat Davey) he kept us well fed for another couple of days. It helped take my mind off the lost gun and look forward to future dives, setting other goals for challenging fish. I can't wait to head to the Channel Islands or San Diego for some blue water action, and I’m super excited to get something that requires two hands to hold up!
The exit story is one for another day. Let's just say we were lucky to keep our catch, our gear, and to get out in one piece.