Wind: SE, starting at 5 knots, building to 10 knots
Swell: low NE
Current: not recorded
Water condition: Murky within 600m of Main Beach, otherwise very clean
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: (9) richmond, carlton, gemini, jaro, imax, kodaz, sunshiner, yakfinn, helveticus (visitor and potential new Noosa Yakker)
Knowing that we probably had two first-timers coming with us today, I arrived at the car park at 04:30, 30 minutes before jaro’s appointed time. This early arrival would assure me of getting my favourite parking spot, or so I thought. Thwarted again! Incredibly, richmond’s car with empty roof rack was there. The spot happens to be his favourite too; maybe because he also has a Stealth. It was fully dark, with the moon having set hours ago and sunrise over an hour away but that hadn’t deterred our Recorder -- how keen is that?
Gradually over the next half hour, all the expected gang arrived and as they were ready to launch they did, into a very easy sea. I’d opted to sit back a little today and make sure our newest member Carlton, and visitor from Brisbane, Martin (AKFF and callsign: helveticus), were shown around our patch.
Sixteen year old Carlton was last to arrive, on time and on foot, having trundled his Hobie from his home in Noosa Heads, thus creating an excellent first impression, as none of us had met him before. Soon he was mingling on the beach with several of the others who were about to launch. Last to be ready was imax, who had opted to use his Hobie Adventure Island, which takes a little more time to set up.
Before long, with a very easy launch behind us, helveticus, carlton and I were heading toward Jew Shoal, a few hundred metres behind jaro, gemini, kodaz and yakfinn who were also heading in that approximate direction.
05:28. On the way to Jew Shoal, carlton is silhouetted by a glorious dawn.
As we emerged from the shadow of the headland richmond's radio came within range and we learned that he was off A-Bay, not at Jew Shoal as we thought. As a result of the info supplied by richmond, jaro opted to head for the area east of Hells Gates. Our little group of three plus the remaining three continued on course for Jew Shoal, where, based on our experiences in the previous couple of days I expected some action.
As I found out from carlton, he’d already had his yak out at Jew Shoal, but hadn't yet caught a tuna. Helveticus had never been here before and hadn’t caught a tuna either so I was hoping that I could put them onto fish.
Sure enough, soon we spotted some terns fluttering around a little to the NE of the pinnacles. Carlton charged off to intercept them, closely followed by helveticus while I paddled sedately, as befits an elder of the community, bringing up the rear. I think probably helveticus and I hooked up simultaneously but my fish self released so that left me with some photo time.
06:18. Helveticus fighting the fish, which he’d hooked on a cast soft plastic.
06:24. Helveticus with his first tuna (striped tuna, usual size).
Now that we were on the board, I could relax a little. The shoal felt very fishy, with clean water, but after another half hour or so of trolling around we'd seen no more accessible bustups. Gemini reported that he’d taken a strike on a trolled lure but that the hooks had not held while helveticus had suffered the loss of a lure through a bite-off (not rigged with wire).
Then came information by radio from kodaz and richmond that many birds could be sighted near Hells Gates so that became our destination, a couple of kilometres south of our present position. It was a slow paddle into the SE sea, but the closer we got, the more interesting things seemed. Many terns could be seen wheeling around, some grouped closely on brief food opportunities as baitfish were herded to the surface. Actual sightings of predators were rare and brief but all of a sudden I noticed that carlton, not far from me, seemed to be hooked up. Yakfinn, closer to carlton, confirmed by radio that this was the case, so I again switched my attention to getting some pics, for these are important occasions in a young fisho’s life.
07:36. Carlton in action, Sunshine Beach village in the background.
Later, I found out that carlton, while pedalling along happily toward a flock of birds on the eastern horizon, had suddenly encountered some tuna feeding in front of him. He was well prepared and was able to quickly fire off a cast which resulted in an immediate hookup.
I stood by in case assistance was needed but he handled it well. But I did have to transfer my gaff to him in the choppy conditions as his had become inaccessible. Shortly he boated the tuna by grasping its tail and dragging it aboard.
07:43. Carlton with his first tuna, a mackerel tuna. Fine effort, in choppy conditions.
By now we were fishing in lively waters pretty much due east of Hells Gates and up to about one kilometre offshore (see track map later). Terns and shearwaters were scattered all over the visible area, and later, shoals of very small bonito and small tuna could be seen working over baitfish. We all patrolled this area without further significant success until a group decision to head for home was made about 08:15, during a noticeable lull in activity. Richmond and imax, who had been fishing further south, joined us in heading for the exit.
As we turned west, I put out my Halco once again, to troll back. It had only been out a couple of minutes when a shoal of bonito swept past just behind me and over the top of the lure but whatever clobbered my lure was no bonito. It went fast and deep but the encounter was brief as the knot attaching the main line to the wire trace broke. I usually retie my knots before each trip but hadn't on this occasion so I blame myself for the loss of what was undoubtedly a decent sized fish (shark, I hope, but suspect a biggish tuna).
Digging into the bowels of my puny onboard tackle reserves I then extracted a small Rapala which was already rigged with wire. By now, of course, I was at the end of the string of yakkers heading for home. Out went the Rapala and I paddled off in the tracks of my colleagues. Two minutes or so later, it went off with a long, howling run to the east. This time I had a new knot so I reckoned I was in with a good chance as this was another powerful fish. Not my day, today! The hooks pulled free after only a couple of minutes, leaving me to wind in a very long line taken out by the fish.
Now I was even further behind, but I put the lure out again. Somehow, I caught up with gemini as we approached the choppy waters north of Hells Gates. We could both see increased bird activity and some splashing in our path so deviated as necessary, weaving and dodging, to intercept the fish. It was about now that I noticed, just as gemini was about to cast a slug into a nearby frenzy, that his trolling outfit was jumping around. I radioed him quickly and saw him reach back and start retrieving his lure and then respond with “It’s gone”. Then about 30 seconds later, “No, it’s still on”.
Gemini had caught the season’s first spotty Mac.
08:58. Gemini with his first mackerel, ever! Thanks for breaking our mackerel “duck”, mate.
By now everyone else was at the beach or almost there. Gemini and I headed for home also, passing shoals of feeding bonito and tiny tuna as the action hotted up before our weary eyes.
Nearly an hour later we were almost back at the beach when we encountered imax heading out for a second session. I think he came in for a lure resupply as he’d lost a couple to some big hits earlier, off Sunshine Beach.
10:00. Imax heading out again. Hopefully he’ll break our Spaniard duck...
Richmond was waiting on the beach for us but refused to applaud my exemplary surf ride demo in my Stealth. And we both welcomed gemini’s smooth and easy return to the beach with the season’s first, and new Noosa Yakkers Record, spotted mackerel.
Gemini’s spotty. Agreed at 76cm by richmond and me.
Gemini’s track map from today.
Some success, some failure, today. But at least we can see that the mackerel have arrived. Let’s hope the spotties and Spaniards get into the bay, as they usually do. Thanks for coming along guys.
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Imax's session
Well today had plenty of lows and one big high for me. After checking the wind and swell Friday afternoon I decided to take the AI. This meant that if the wind picked up like predicted I would have an easy trip home. My plan was to head to Sunshine Reef after the Davo's guys reported Mackerel on the chew. As Kev said I was the last to launch but had an easy run out to SR with the perfect reach upwind taking me straight there without having to tack. Once over the SR area I set about trolling 2 hard bodies in a big rectangular pattern. On my second run back North sailing downwind I had a big hit on the overhead. I run a medium drag while the rods are in the holders and when I bumped it up to strike I felt the line ping and the fish was gone. After bringing in the remaining line I found I had been bitten through on the single strand wire.
During this commotion I was still under sail and 30 seconds later my other hard body went off. This one held and I furled the sail and set about fighting the fish. Whatever this fish was ran hard and fast for a little and then went deep. I couldn't feel the tail beats of a tuna so was really hoping I might have my first Spanish. After 5 min or so it felt like I had slowed this thing down but it went for another run and with another ping I lost a big fish. A few choice words were said and I was rather annoyed to find that this fish had also bitten through the wire leader. I will now be going up in my wire strength.
It was about now that I decided to head back to MG to get some more supplies of lures and have a quick bite to eat. On the trip back I cast to a couple of bust ups and managed 2 small striped tuna and 2 mac tuna. The only other excitement I had on the trip home was when my big trolled soft plastic went for a very quick run off Boiling Pot. This fish stole the tail and ripped the body of the soft plastic in half but still missed the hook.
It wasn't feeling like my day but I had had too many close calls so was very keen to head out for a second try. I had a quick chat to Sunshiner and Gemini on the way back out and from here I decided to head in the direction of JS. I was trolling in a big rectangular pattern around JS when my gold LP went off again. I was confident to call this fish for a tuna as I could feel the big tail beats. It didn't take long to get it to the boat so this had me thinking that I might have a small mac tuna on. It was only once I got it right beside me that the fish woke up and lit up showing a beautiful yellowfin. I had the leader on the reel the whole time but it still took 5 min to get it close enough to tail grab. With those big pectoral fins they can sure make it hard to lift them when they are circling. Finally I had a good fish on the boat and a 80 cm yellow fin was mine and a first for me.
Dan’s first yellowfin tuna.
Happy with my capture I headed for home with the gold LP out the back still. Not long later I had something big grab the lure and take off. This was probably my biggest hit for the day and a big first run. It wasn't to be though and this fish spat the hooks. I was disappointed but at least I still had a nice fish on the board. The rest of the trip home was uneventful and I had everything loaded and leaving the carpark at 12:30 pm.
All up I spent 6+ hrs on the water and overall it just wasn't my day. I had really wanted to catch my first Spanish Mackerel. I'm not sure when my next chance to try will be but I will be putting in some big days until I manage to get one. Good luck to those that get out soon, I think you will be in with a real chance in the next few weeks.
Imax
It was a real mixed bag yesterday, but there were a few firsts at least. I landed my first tuna (striped), bonito, and spotty mack, but it took 3 missed hits on the trolled line and 15KM of paddling to get to that point! Things are starting to heat up a bit out there, so let's hope for some long stretches of excellent weather!
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