Trip date: 25 April 2015
Participants: Stormin, Tunny, Redwood (and couple of non NY yakkers)
Launch Site: Middle Groyne
Conditions: 8-10 knots gusting to 15
Keen Angler Program: None
Being ANZAC day we were a bit concerned about getting a park (Stormin was so worried he arrived at 1am and slept in the car), but we managed to park without trouble in the usual area. We unloaded and were ready to go just before dawn. Stormin was either delirious from lack of sleep, very eager or both but the sand monster was not going to be humoured and off he went with Tunny close behind. Both managed to jump a couple of largish waves and they were away. I was going to wait for the flat spots which I knew were there if you waited long enough, but I didn't time it perfectly and so all three of us had wet-face launches (bit like that old spice ad were the guy gets a slap in the face from a hand off screen).
We were now awake and ready for action. Stormin said he could see birds diving (must have better eyes than me) and had a feeling it was going to be a good day. I chucked on a garfish left over from Straddie and think the other two were trolling HBL's and we headed off into the sun to JS.
The action started about half way to JS with small bustups of what looked like Mac Tuna coming and going quite quickly. I had the gar on the one line and a white SP on the other and trolled these straight through a coupe of bustups with no result. As we approached JS there was a sustained bustup and Tunny announced he was on. I radioed to asked what on and got the reply "halco twisty". I had my rod holders full so had to get the slug caster out of the hatch. I fired off a number and wound in as hard as I could but didn't hookup. Tunny radioed in to say he'd landed a +- 80cm Mac Tuna and had put it back. Not long after he announced he was on again which also tuned out to be a Mac Tuna. All those sessions with the Sangoma were paying off for Tunny as he continued his remarkable run. There were also a few boats out and a number of them also hooked up.
The big bust ups went for about 30 minutes and then, poof! At 7.30 they vanished. Someone blew the whistle and the Tuna must have taken an orange break. Although the majority of the bustups were Mac Tuna, every now and then we'd see a small Long Tail bustup and we were all hoping we'd hook up to some sashimi.
We all spread out over the shoal and toward the headland chasing smaller bustups and birds, but these bustups were very fast moving and fleeting. Stormin decided he'd had enough chasing Mac Tuna and announced he as going to bottom bash for a while.
The sporadic bustups continued for a while and Tunny and I continued to chase them and as time went on it seemed they were becoming more frequent and lasting longer again. Then somewhere around 9am the entire bay went into Mac Tuna mayhem. There were bustups and Mac Tuna everywhere. Having not caught a fish for a while I was keen to bag one of these even if they were MT, but I also need to get back to the beach. I radioed the others and they said they were also heading in. The bay is full of fish feeding and we're going in--yip, those MT are not good eating. On the way back I couldn't resit throwing a slug into a few boils and eventually I hooked up to a MT. Give the plague type numbers, they were not easy to catch. To give you a comparison, the numbers here made spotty mac mayhem a couple of years ago look tiny. These things were literally everywhere.
We headed back in with Tuna all around us. Tunny reported seeing a large Long Tail at the shark nets but it wasn't interested in his trolled halco.
The return was tricky if you didn't time it right as the waves were dumping, and some were quite large. Tunny and I made it in safely, whist Stormin he needed a bath as he'd slept in his car.
A troop of lads from Gloucester made their way over as soon as the MT made an appearance. One was kind enough to be a fish holder (this ones for the ladies in the club--are there any?).
A crazy and enjoyable day. Next time I'm hoping they'll be spotty macs.
 |
| Dawn Service the NY way - behind Stormin and Tunny a Gallipoli re-enactment was going on |
We were now awake and ready for action. Stormin said he could see birds diving (must have better eyes than me) and had a feeling it was going to be a good day. I chucked on a garfish left over from Straddie and think the other two were trolling HBL's and we headed off into the sun to JS.
The action started about half way to JS with small bustups of what looked like Mac Tuna coming and going quite quickly. I had the gar on the one line and a white SP on the other and trolled these straight through a coupe of bustups with no result. As we approached JS there was a sustained bustup and Tunny announced he was on. I radioed to asked what on and got the reply "halco twisty". I had my rod holders full so had to get the slug caster out of the hatch. I fired off a number and wound in as hard as I could but didn't hookup. Tunny radioed in to say he'd landed a +- 80cm Mac Tuna and had put it back. Not long after he announced he was on again which also tuned out to be a Mac Tuna. All those sessions with the Sangoma were paying off for Tunny as he continued his remarkable run. There were also a few boats out and a number of them also hooked up.
The big bust ups went for about 30 minutes and then, poof! At 7.30 they vanished. Someone blew the whistle and the Tuna must have taken an orange break. Although the majority of the bustups were Mac Tuna, every now and then we'd see a small Long Tail bustup and we were all hoping we'd hook up to some sashimi.
We all spread out over the shoal and toward the headland chasing smaller bustups and birds, but these bustups were very fast moving and fleeting. Stormin decided he'd had enough chasing Mac Tuna and announced he as going to bottom bash for a while.
The sporadic bustups continued for a while and Tunny and I continued to chase them and as time went on it seemed they were becoming more frequent and lasting longer again. Then somewhere around 9am the entire bay went into Mac Tuna mayhem. There were bustups and Mac Tuna everywhere. Having not caught a fish for a while I was keen to bag one of these even if they were MT, but I also need to get back to the beach. I radioed the others and they said they were also heading in. The bay is full of fish feeding and we're going in--yip, those MT are not good eating. On the way back I couldn't resit throwing a slug into a few boils and eventually I hooked up to a MT. Give the plague type numbers, they were not easy to catch. To give you a comparison, the numbers here made spotty mac mayhem a couple of years ago look tiny. These things were literally everywhere.
 |
| A catch is a catch. One of only 3 Mac Tuna to be lifted out the water onto a yak. The other 5 million stayed in the water. Despite the numbers, these stripy buggers were hard to land. |
The return was tricky if you didn't time it right as the waves were dumping, and some were quite large. Tunny and I made it in safely, whist Stormin he needed a bath as he'd slept in his car.
A troop of lads from Gloucester made their way over as soon as the MT made an appearance. One was kind enough to be a fish holder (this ones for the ladies in the club--are there any?).
 |
| Lads from Gloucester - check out those pecs (on the fiiiiish). |
A crazy and enjoyable day. Next time I'm hoping they'll be spotty macs.
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