Wind: NW to SW 5 knots
Swell: 1.5m SE
Current: In Laguna Bay, toward the east
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Participants: lazybugger, jaro, jimbo, solman, yakfinn, soren, emil, stormin, redwood, sunshiner (sorry if I've missed any other NYs present).
Background: Since our previous offshore trip, 24Feb13, three weeks ago, until today, the wind had exceeded 20 knots and the swell exceeded three metres so no offshore fishing opportunities have arisen. In February we got out offshore only once. We have also experienced high and ongoing rainfall events which have only just stopped in the last several days. After today's light winds and low swell the forecast is for no more offshore fishing days in Noosa for the next week -- a grim prospect, but hopefully the rain will hold off and give the sea a chance to clear.
The Middle Groyne carpark was busy at 05:10 when I arrived. I expected to be one of the earlier starters but was upstaged by several others. All three of my favourite (favourite because they have clear space on one side which makes for easy unloading and loading single handed) carpark spots were taken so I had to make do with a "normal" park which forced me to seek help to get my yak off.
Down at the beach the first three of us, jaro, lazybugger and I, could see that launch would be easy and that proved to be the case. Dry bum! Except for some!
The water was still murky :-(, but at least the wind was light. Gradually the launchers arrived out the back. Plans varied. Some were heading for Halls Reef, others for Jew Shoal. No one for Sunshine Reef. Lazybugger, jaro and I headed for Jew Shoal. Everyone was hoping to find clean water and thus, possibly, fish.
At Jew Shoal the water was still somewhat murky, but not so bad as in close. Although the sun by now had risen there was no sign of surface activity. A few terns could be seen from time to time, but except for one brief flurry of activity about 1500m west of the Pinnacles there was nothing happening. Jaro was fishing with his usual baits and immediately started to catch sharks. Radio reports from the west, around Halls Reef and Little Halls Reef, indicated the same result.
At one stage jaro saw a couple of tuna leap right in front of him but I saw none. No turtles or dolphins either.
By 08:30 I and some others had exhausted our patience. The area looked and felt dead, except for sharks. Stormin reported the catch of a "cod" just under 40cm, which he released. Solman managed to convince another shark to take an SP which would have provided a great tussle with a disappointing end. Imagine thinking that a decent snapper had taken your offering only to have a small shark appear next to the yak with your offering in its mouth. Jimbo reported releasing a very small snapper, caught on bait.
The great paddle/pedal back in started about now and by around 10:00am most of us were either on the beach or pretty close to it. It was good to see such a strong rollup and I'm sure the practice gained will stand all in good stead in the next few months.
Colour on the beach as we assembled for a chat afterward.
Thanks for coming guys
Kev
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