As always I like to keep any eye on the tides from week to week looking for that morning before work where the change of tide co-insides with the sunrise… and Thursday was the day. So after work, like most people, I prepared the boat and rods for the morning ahead.

I have my favourite lure for the elusive Jew and mine happens the be the 100mm black and gold Squidgy fish- love it. Very rarely do I throw anything else, so you could only image my disappointment when after rummaging through plastic bags several times, that I didn’t even have one pack (not happy). After a ring around ,with no luck, I decided to try out the Drop Bear colour.

The next morning was a cracker, with a slight wind out of the SW. I picked my mate Brad Williams up and we hit the water  at about 5.15am and headed straight to the spot, where on arrival we were marking good bait, but the current was still running fast. So our plan was to do three drifts then move on to the next spot. My theory is three drifts through a spot then move on the then next one.

So we finished our first drift with one hit, which could have been anything, and so we started our second with Brad saying the sounder was starting to show some nice fish so it was just a matter of time… then five casts in I came up tight with some solid head shakes and it’s first blistering run. It’s hard at this point to estimate its size but it had to be a Jew! I tend to fish a little light on compared to most people when targeting Jewfish, with only a 12 pound leader and it’s first run  was headed straight along the rocks! My heart was in my mouth but with some quick work on the electric we had ourselves between the fish and the bank for his second run and now I was just keeping the electric motoring forward and trying to bring the fish to the boat.

So as the fish got closer we could see it on the surface just cruising in the current and as quick as I could say to Brad “I think he has one more run in him”, he was off across the top of the water with a last ditched effort for a getaway, then for the fun bit. I’d seen to many fish lost at the boat and with no gaff Brad was going to have fun getting him into the net. First attempt the fish stiffens like a board and falls out, BUGGER, next try Brad takes a massive swipe and gets the head of the fish in and just pulls the fish in the boat to my feet. Great work, hi-fives and we had him on the deck, packed everything up and headed to work- what a way to start the day!