The Element Of Surprise

By Dan Trotter on May 31, 2016 in Other

Surprise is a wonderful thing. In fact, our minds are wired for it. Scientific testing has proven that we crave the unexpected. That’s likely the reason why so many of us love the pursuit and experience of fishing, for one can never know what the day ahead holds, what those dawn hours will turn up, or what a trip to a never before visited destination might reveal.

It is this surprise, the element of the unknown, which delivers some of the most memorable moments in our lives and provides a release from the mundane and planned. Take a moment to consider this and reflect back on all those wonderful times in your own life where surprise has made you smile, laugh and love the life you get to live.

From a fishing perspective I think surprise works two ways. On the one hand there’s the surprise and delight when your carefully planned trip delivers the goods; that moment when a solid fish eats your bait, your rod buckles over and your line begins to disappear off the reel at a rate of knots. Then there’s the surprise tactics we as anglers can use to elicit interest from a fish; perhaps it’s an erratically retrieved lure or a perfectly presented fresh morsel wafting in the current that works best. Surprise delights in all facets of life, whether it’s work or pleasure, so be sure not to underestimate it.

With all that in mind, what piscatorial surprises lay ahead in the month of May?

If you love an outside chance worth it’s weight in gold, a wide mission for an early yellowfin tuna should be on the agenda. Plan your day around the lead up to the full moon, catch live slimy mackerel for a deep set bait, take plenty of pilchards for the cube trail, and spend the first four to fives hours of your time beyond the continental shelf, trolling an assorted offering of bibless, bibbed and skirted lures while searching for a patch of water full of bait, a temperature break or other signs that the tuna may be close. Remember that the last of the day’s light is often when the tuna come to the surface to feed, so if you can find a tide that coincides and a vessel that is safe for a run home in the dark, wait out the twilight and keep the element of surprise alive.

For those of us without the means or time for a wide-ranging tuna run, snapper can provide the possibility of delight that all anglers so eagerly crave. Start super early or be prepared to stay out late, and again fish the change of light if you want to experience the best of what our home waters have to offer on the Pagrus auratus front. I’m still a huge fan of fishing soft-plastics for snapper and my advice is to use a 3/8ths of an ounce jig head on a strong 3/0 hook. The Berkley brand is best and it’s hard to beat the Gulp soft-plastics as a go-to lure.

If shore-based angling tickles your interest, May is a great month for the first of the big winter kings off the stones. Travelling greenback tailor and silver trevally will also provide a challenge and a tasty feed, whilst blackfish, bream and drummer are also worth the time and effort for an afternoon session.

Whatever your choice, embrace the unexpected, hope for a surprise and keep the anticipation of delight alive.