800 Fish in 1 year: What was I thinking?

Sometimes you are aloud to change your New-Year goals!

The Bustard caught on BAIT!

8 goals for 2018: Goal number 7 was/is to catch 800 fish this year!

Having a specific number/goal changes everything: that's the point of goal setting, so you take steps towards reaching that goal.

When writing my last blog 8 goals for 2018, I had not thought up my last (number 7) goal fully.  I pulled it out of my head at the time of typing the blog, not much thought involved: catch 800 fish in one year!

Once the reality of how many fish that is started to sink in (66 fish per month, 15.5 fish per week!), I realised I'd have to do some serious fishing!!

I have changed a lot of my running/fitness goals over the last few years, so I would not get obsessed with numbers/outcome.  We do not fish in comps because we do not like the pressure of having to catch fish.  But yet here I was bait fishing for the first time in years, just to count up the number of little fish I could catch.

Every fish counts when you are trying for 800!

A normal day at the BOR (Johnno's favourite fly fishing spot) for us would be more along the lines of me popper fishing over the reef for Mangrove Jacks while Johnno searches for the big Blue Bustards or Blue Bone.  Or me waiting for the big Queenfish while Johnno searches out the allusive Permit!

We can go many trips without catching a fish, and this is not normally given much of a thought...well kind of, not really, ok we think about it a lot!  We analyse and learn from every trip, each time getting us closer to Johnno's target!  But the point is we don't normally go out to catch as many of any fish we can, and we have not bait fished for many years (since live baiting for Barra in the Kimberley).

Last weekend however I was determined to catch LOTS of fish!  

We had been stalking a big Blue over an open area for some time, Johnno got plenty of great casts in, and had a couple of takes, but couldn't keep it hooked.  I was joking that he only gets 100 casts, then I'm throwing my bait at it, and keeping it for dinner.   Out of frustration I'm sure, Johnno said 'Go on then', so I did. 

 As soon as the weight hit the water the fish swum over, circled the bait and within moments I was on.  Straight away we realised it was a Bustard, not a BlueBone, just the fact that I was still attached to such a big fish.  We have both caught plenty of BlueBone in Broome, so we know how hard and dirty they fight, I'm sure I would not have landed one on my light gear.  Saying that, the Bustard still gave me plenty a run around, making me scream when I thought it had found a way to free himself a couple of times.  Johnno's a great skipper, driving me and my fish to a safe landing spot.

Releasing the Bustard for Fly fisherman to 'follow' for many more years to come.

I've heard Bustards are not good eating, but one look at those big brown eyes and he was safe anyway...next minute my hands were stinking like spew (honestly, like a week old throw up!!), so he was back in the water quick smart.  Yes if it was a BlueBone I would have kept him for dinner!

Johnno reckons he learnt a lot for this capture, how the fish behaved before and after hooking, as well as a good look at his very hard mouth and rubbery lips, hence why he could have been having trouble hooking it, even though it was taking his fly.

After a great fish capture, I always seem to go into a bit of a relaxed lull.  I'm not the kind of fisherman that can just pick up the rod and start fishing again straight away, I like to savour the moment, reflect on all that has just happened, and thank the fish gods (with a beer toast).  

Slowing down to savour this beautiful fish, and wonderful moment in life, I started to laugh at myself for my obsessively large goal I'd set for the year.  I started to contemplate what I could change it to, still sticking with the theme of 8 for 2018: 8 quality fish Johnno suggested.  

Great idea, but What is a quality fish? Had I caught the Bustard on fly it would be considered a quality fish, I could even write a magazine article about it.  But caught on bait, it's just a big stinky fish.  Everyone has different styles, techniques, idea's and goals with fishing.

I like relaxing by the water, catching a few fish for dinner sometimes, catch the big prize fish sometimes.

When I go fishing I like relaxing on the water, catching a few fish, but not so fussed if I do not.  Which makes Johnno and I compatible fishing partners.  He ONLY fly fishes now, which means HOURS of sitting staring at the shallow waters, waiting.

A couple of years back I took part in a year long Fisheries survey, recording all the fish I caught, where, when and using what.  Luckily it was during our extended camping trip along Manari Road, so we caught heaps of fish to record.  It is the only time we have recorded our catch (yes we should do more of that, to learn from our captures as well as our misses).   

I enjoyed looking back on the fish we had caught, so I am only slightly modifying my 2018 fishing goal.  I will keep it at 800 fish, but only to record every fish I catch.  I will not obsess about getting 800 fish this year, it was just a number I pulled out of my head.  

I will simply remember/record EVERY fish I catch.

Currently I am at 15 fish for 2018:

1: Trevally

2: Trevally

3,4 &5: Mangrove Jacks on popper, kept for dinner!

6: BBB: Baby BlueBone

7: Big Cod (would have kept for dinner, but jumped out of my hands while trying to get a photo)

8: Shark

9&10: BBB

11: Blue Bustard on BAIT

12: Baby Spanish flag

13,14 & 15: BBB

*different colours equals different days: note all fish in blue caught on same day on POPPER, seems I don't need to bait fish anyway ✋

Relaxing swim after fishing: no crocs here WAHOO!
I asked Johnno to take a photo: so he had to get out of the water to go to the car.