Noosa Yakkers Trip Reports: January 2016

Spotties and snapper. 20Jan16

TR by sunshiner

Wind: None
Swell: about 1m SE
Water temp: 26.7°C
Tides: High 05:17am (1.82m); Low 11:39am (0.61m)
Current: none detected
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Surface action: sporadic, mainly mac tuna and spotty macs
Participants: cuddles, jaro, tickey, weeksie, muzza, sunshiner
My trip distance: 39km
Redmap: No sightings provided
Keen Angler Program: at least one snapper frame donated.

The moon had set, the sky was clear and so star and planet sprinkled. Slight pink tinge on the eastern horizon. We early starters launched at 4:00am, one hour 15 minutes before sunrise. Weeksie and muzza were a little later.

Dead easy launch, almost dry bum class. All of us were headed for Halls Reef, after tunny's TR from yesterday. Glassy seas met us as we paddled NW. From the river mouth onward to Little Halls Reef we paddled among rippling patches of baitfish moving along, without harassment, on the surface.

I was first among the yakkers to Halls Reef, although there were already several stink boats hanging around. A few terns were wheeling around but there were no signs of bustups at that stage. This made it easy for me to decide to rerig with my prawn SP to try for a sweetie or snapper, which I did. First cast went out and I let it sink gently. Flat calm, 19m depth. A couple of minutes later the SP was whacked, just as I drifted over a large patch of bait showing on the sonar and I was on.

On the board!

By now cuddles, jaro and tickey had also arrived at Halls Reef. They quickly adapted to a waiting game, necessary until the spotties started to show up. And show up they did.

Cuddles was first off the mark with the spotties.

Then tickey, who combined his spotty mac catch with a hit and run deal by a local dolphin.

The dolphin was quite aggressive (see movie to be uploaded in a day or so).

Then muzza, who had brought up the rear, caught up.

Muzza's first Noosa Yakkers fish. Many more to come, I suspect.

Shortly after this, cuddles hooked up again when casting to a nearby very brief bustup. He has no radio, but managed to let me know that this fish was bigger than he expected. Seeing how quickly he was being towed made me conclude very quickly that he'd possibly hooked a longtail tuna. Intent on getting GoPro footage, I decided to stay with him until the end.

This is how it was, most of the fight, with his yak being towed at 3kph most of the time.

Staying till the end turned out to be a lot longer than I'd planned. Even worse, there was no epic capture at the end, as the leader knot failed after 3.5 hours. I felt for cuddles, who'd just lost perhaps the largest fish he'd caught from his yak so far. Neither of us actually saw the fish, which is doubly frustrating. Notably, during the fight, a juvenile marlin chose to display his strength by free jumping about seven times in a row nearby.

By the time cuddles and I had hit the beach at 11:30 am, the wind was up and all the other Noosa Yakkers had headed for home.

Beach pics

Cuddles' two spotties and my snapper.

Provided by jaro

Tickey's (top) and muzza's spottie Macs

Tickey and muzza

Trip Report movie, 1min 40sec:

Thanks for reading.

Kev Long
Sunshiner
Author Kayak Fishing Manual for iPhone, iPad and Mac (click linked text to view)
Stealth Supalite X, yellow/orange
FREE iBook "Kayak Fishing Laguna Bay & Jew Shoal" for iPhone, iPad and Mac

Paddleparra's Spottie: 19 January 2016

TR by Tunny

Trip date: 19 January 2016

Participants: Bluedog, Paddlepara, Tunny

Launch Site: MG

Conditions: Wind variable, mainly SW 5 knots, lumpy at 4.30 am becoming smooth later, High tide 4.10 am

Keen Angler Program: Nothing donated

We met in MG at 4 am and launched just after 4.30 am. The shore break was tiny and the launch very easy. Despite the terns heading towards Sunshine Beach we decided to follow in Stormin's recent successful tracks and headed for Little Halls and Halls Reefs. I trolled a weighted pillie and Halco lure, Bluedog had a slimey out and Paddlepara trolled a Rapala X-Rap

Bluedog blocking my view of the sunrise

At Little Halls there were no signs of any birds or surface fish action so after a few circuits around the reef we headed towards Halls Reef. As we approached Halls Reef there was plenty of bird action but the bust-ups were few and far between. The birds were chasing very small bait fish which occasionally broke the surface.

Birds diving

I never got close enough to cast into a bust-up but Paddlepara managed to catch one just-legal spottie. By 7.30 am the birds were disappearing. Bluedog headed in while we continued for another hour before heading back to MG.

Sea went smooth at 8 am. Paddlepara heading back towards MG

We opted to beach the kayaks on the East side of the groyne due to the presence of children in the surf on our normal route. Good luck to those going tomorrow!!

Small Longtail, Big Spaniard at Rainbow Beach: 15 January 2016

TR by Tunny

Trip date: 14-15 January 2016

Participants: Tunny

Launch Site: Rainbow Beach (in front of the Surf Life Saving Club)

Conditions: Wind variable up to 10 knots, surf zone a bit rough

Keen Angler Program: 1 Spanish Mackerel frame donated

While spending a holiday with my family at Rainbow Beach I got a chance to fish two mornings, the 14th and 15th of January. On both days the shore break was a bit trickier than we normally have at MG (aren't we lucky with Laguna Bay and the MG launch?). But I got out upright although wet on both occasions.

Surf conditions - with my son on a SUP in the distance

On Day 1 I launched at 5.30 am, headed towards Double Island Point, trolling both a weighted pilchard and a Halco 120 shallow diving lure. There was initially no bird action or bust-ups but at around 9 am as I was on my way back towards Rainbow Beach the birds started arriving and shortly after I saw the first of a few fish breaking the surface. They were mainly Longtail Tuna, but very small ones. The fish and birds were moving around quickly and despite several attempts I only got one cast into a bust-up. As the lure hit the water it was taken by the smallest Longtail I have ever seen or caught. I estimate it was around 40 cm long but never measured it as I released it while alongside the kayak. I never got close to another bust-up so after about 4 hours of paddling headed in. I surprised myself by catching the perfect wave.

On Day 2 conditions were similar. I launched at 5 am and followed the same route towards DI. There was no fish or bird action and my Halco and Pilchard remained untouched for 5 hours. I stayed out a little longer today as the forecast was for big winds and I knew this would be my last day of fishing off Rainbow. But with no action I was heading back and was only about 2 km off Rainbow Beach when my reel started to play my favourite tune, a high pitched scream as the line peeled off. I grabbed the rod, played the fish for a couple of minutes and once I was sure the line was clear of my second trolling rig I place the rod back in the holder and quickly retrieved the other line with the Halco. I had offered the fish a choice of lure or pillie and after 5 hours of indecision it finally opted for the pillie.

The Spaniard put up a good fight, but after about 20 minutes was alongside the kayak, gaffed and in the hatch.

Spaniard in the hatch, with Rainbow's cliffs in the background

I trolled for another 30 minutes without any luck then headed in. The wave I caught worked well until the last 15 m from the beach when a separate wave coming from the side took me out. No damage done, just got a bit wet.

Nice Spaniard !

It went just over 130 cm

Stormin's Spaniard Limit. 15Jan16

TR by stormin; minor editing and posting by sunshiner

Loaded the kayak heading to work yesterday arvo hoping I still got some energy to go fishing after 12hrs night shift. Supposed to finish at 6am but managed to get someone to cover my shift for two hours.

So by 4am I'm on my way to Noosa, all excited and feeling lucky. Met Adam from brissy at the car park; I think it is his first trip to Noosa. He's thinking of heading to JS. I kinda talk to him to head north instead as there's been some action there lately.

On the water just after 5am with the plan to attack spotties at Halls Reef. Got this shiny micro jig that looks like a small fish but with a decent weight to cast at the bustups. Rig up my trolling outfit with weighted slimey but didn't troll till past river mouth to avoid shark hook ups.

Solid hook up after just a few minutes of trolling. But unfortunately my 44lbs wire got bitten through. Re-rig right away still feeling lucky as from where I was I could see lots of birds working between the beach and Little Halls Reef. I met Jason (paddleguy, not a Noosa Yakker) and his friend chasing bustups. Jason hooked up into something which turned out to be a tuna.

I continued paddling closer to the beach when my trolling reel started singing again and after few minutes got a nice Spanish in the hatch. Paddleguy was kind enough to take a picture while still on the water.

Paddleguy's pic

I re-rigged again with a slimey and paddled back to where I'd hooked up. Bang! Again the reel is singing! A few minutes later and I've now got two Spanish in the hatch. Can't believe my luck.

Check my on-board Noosa Yakkers limits table just to make sure that I still can have fun. Yep, three's the possession limit for Spanish.

I continued paddling back and forth between the beach and Little Halls Reef. After 7am I decided to head in. I made a radio call to paddleguy about my intention and to wish them luck.

I'd just left behind the Little Halls Reef mark about maybe 400m and suddenly… No Way! My trolling reel is singing once more. Soon afterward I'd boated my Spaniard limit fish so packed up my gear except for my radio and knife.

Nice and easy paddle back. At the beach at 8am according to my GoPro.

PS. Tried calling Adam on the radio to check how he was going but no response so not sure if he's got a radio.

PPS. I'm using same rig that was used to catch my first Spanish.

Beach pics

The biggest measured 119cm and the others both 113cm.

Cheers

Stormin

Blooding weeksie's Fisha. 14Jan16

TR by sunshiner with contribution by weeksie

Wind: light, variable
Swell: about 1m E
Water temp: 26.7°C
Tides: Low 04:26am (0.35m); High 10:57am (1.96m)
Current: none detected
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Surface action: Heaps at Halls Reef, spotty macs and very small mac tuna or bonito.
Participants: diesel, muzza, weeksie, sunshiner
My trip distance: 17.5km
Redmap: No sightings provided
Keen Angler Program: unknown

First up, will the membership team especially note that new member "muzz", who launched today for the first time and had access to a borrowed radio, has agreed to use the nickname "muzza" because his first chosen nickname, being a single syllable, was unsuitable as a radio callsign.

New Noosa Yakker muzza arrived at the car park just as diesel and I were getting organised, ie long before first light. We exchanged pleasantries and assured muzza, who, being a north Queenslander, is not accustomed to launching through any surf that gets your knees wet, that his choice of craft (Supalite X) was ideal for a Middle Groyne launch. In the background waves could be heard breaking on the beach. It was muzza's first launch through surf, ever.

No cloud this pre-dawn, no bloody moon either. It was dark on the beach. It was a very low tide. As far as we reasonably could in the poor ambient light, we explained to muzza the expected wave patterns and laughed off the white water which loomed out of the blackness and threatened to float our yaks in their parking positions. The waves come in sets, we explained. Watch diesel, we said. Muzza and I stood back while diesel with his yak strode forward.

Diesel's launching with his head torch on. Jumps aboard, paddles forward, stops briefly, back paddles, paddles hard, hits the first wave and punches through. The next wave, three seconds after, stops him dead, the headlight's buried in a head high breaker. He's momentarily going backward but then recovers, to my surprise, and paddles hard forward to meet the oncoming next wave, same size. Standing on the edge, waiting and watching, muzza and I could hear the thump as diesel bellied after the third wave. He got through, totally soaked, but he was through and paddling out to the setup area. "See", I said to muzza, "nothing to it!"

He and I launched together. As happens fairly often, especially when my vision is limited, my timing was not quite impeccable. I counted four biggies as we waited thigh deep in the surge and then signalled "go". We both got very wet but every wave we encountered had either already broken (and thus is easy meat for an X) or was still building (that's easy meat for any yak). Anyway, there were only about four waves to deal with before we were into deeper water, so a good first launch experience.

The three of us headed for Jew Shoal, hoping to dodge the chaos of cruiser commanders at Halls Reef. My hopes of finding baitfish at Jew Shoal were dashed. Bugger all on the sonar; no surface action; no birds except one or two shearwaters. I paddled around, checking all the usual places. Nothing. Weeksie called up from the beach and told us he was on his way out, too.

But as the sun tipped over the horizon we all could see dozens, if not hundreds, of terns purposefully flying from around Hells Gates toward the west. Looked like Halls Reef was on again! It's only another 4.5km, so why not? The four of us headed west.

Pretty soon we started seeing stink boats on the horizon, dead ahead. It was only when we got within about 500m that we could see that the terns and the shearwaters were flocking around and feeding on massed baitfish. So we joined the melee. The bustups were of two types. Firstly, small tuna were tidily terrorising the bait raising only a small ruckus, punctuated by eruptions of baitfish and the presence of dozens of shearwaters, sitting on the water, right in the middle of all this. Secondly, the spotty macs were feeding, usually separately, in their usual boisterous style, making larger splashes and high speed dashes into the packed bait.

I tried several casts of my smallest slug into the tuna bustups. No reponse, even though in many cases the fish were feeding within five metres from me. Spotty macs then drew my attention. The same lure got a couple of hits but no solid hookup from the spotties. I switched to a bigger lure, rigged on my second rod, chucked it out, let it sink and cranked hard. Immediate hookup then nothing. 40 pound mono bitten clean through!

Muzza out at Halls Reef today.

As described by jaro and jag-one a couple of days ago, the spotty macs were cruising around, highly visible from my seat in the yak. But they were finicky and pretty soon I tired of dodging stink boats and proposed to muzza and diesel that we start heading home as the temperature would likely climb pretty high soon.

As explained by him below, weeksie had opted to go for Little Halls Reef rather than Halls Reef. On the way back we heard him calling us that he had a Spaniard in the hatch. I'll let him tell his story.

Contribution by weeksie

I paddled from Middle Groyne at around 4.15am destination Jew Shoal where I eventually caught up with Sunshiner, Diesel and met Muzza on the water.

The general call was to make tracks to Halls Reef several km to the west which is where many birds seem to be headed.

The armada of boats at Hall's became apparent as we got closer to the mark. Little Hall's seemed more appealing for me so a new mark was set slightly south west to troll a pink skirted slimy mack bait.

The wind dropped out and with the morning sun at my back, it was quite peaceful, a bit too peaceful.

Birds working inshore to the south west drew my interest and a Barred Long Tom was released after casting into one of the bust ups. On the way to another bust up and paddling at a fair clip, the ratchet on the trolling Jigmaster rig buzzed. I paddled hard and eventually boated a beaut Spaniard.

By sunshiner, while still afloat.

We all paddled in about the same time and exchanged pleasantries on the beach and t'was good to meet Muzza.

The Fisha 460 did everything I asked of it this morning (except motor in) and it is a pleasure to paddle.

Cheers, weeksie

Beach pics

Weeksie's on the board. 1.08m.

With his new Fisha (muzza in the background)

Muzza

Marlin, spotty and snapper. 12Jan16

TR by jaro, microbe, tickey and bogey, with some editorial, photo and movie input from sunshiner

Wind: calm
Swell: about 1m SE
Water temp: 26.7°C
Tides: Low 02:52am (0.26m); High 09:28am (2.10m)
Current: no info
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Surface action: Heaps, mainly spotty macs
Participants: jag-one, diesel, jaro, weeksie, microbe, tickey, noddy, bogey, prowler1, isobar(?)

### Jaro at Halls Reef

Conditions: in a word, perfect.

Four of us (Diesel, Jag-one, Tickey and I) arrived at 3.45am at the car park and we were on the water before 4.15am. We all headed for Halls Reef via Little Halls Reef with Tickey and I going directly to the marks while diesel and jag-one went further out to sea.

The trip out was uneventful. We arrived at HR where stink boats were already present. Tickey and I parted company somewhat and as luck would have it Tickey found himself near a bust up. I don't know how many times Tickey cast his slug (but it was not many) when he hooked up (talk about beginner's luck). He played the fish like a pro and after a short tussle gaffed it expertly and boarded a nice sized spotty. To say he was chuffed would be an understatement. As I was nearby and watched it all, I went over and took some photos to record this momentous occasion.

Jaro's photo.

Unfortunately this was the last of the action at Halls Reef. There were many bustups and much bird activity but no matter what slug I used the fish would not take any, even when they were pulled through the bust ups. All the others had the same experience. Yet Jag-one and I could see many spotties directly below us. Baitfish were everywhere but were very small so maybe a 10 gram slug was needed.

Tickey and diesel left for home around 8.00am. Jag-one and I persisted for another hour or so before calling it quits. The return trip was also uneventful.

### Microbe's marlin

I launched more or less with the rest of the group and decided to head towards Jew Shoal as I was keen on trying to get an elusive Spanish. I wandered around there without any luck chasing the bait fish and birds for about an hour.

Then, slowly paddling in along the headland my trolled pillie got grabbed. I fish with two Stradic reels, one 8000 and one 5000 model. In this case I was maybe a little lucky and it was the 8000 that went off.

I was extremely disappointed in myself for not having had the GoPro on board! It's the last time I will do this out there when there is any potential for excitement (editor: that potential is always there).

The marlin managed 11 full jumps with some that seemed to just hang in the air in the most epic of experiences I have ever had on a kayak. Total fight to get the fish towards the kayak was around 45 minutes, had a lot of line out and only 20 lb leader.

I intended to get the fish within distance to get a nice shot (diesel had paddled during this time an enormous distance to come to my aid with a camera!- his effort was greatly appreciated).

Before he arrived the fish just dived deep and stayed on the bottom, not really circling just holding position, I backed the drag off to very little and the fish just sat there and held position. Perfectly healthy as far as I was concerned. He was just cruising here with hardly any drag on for around 10 minutes. Suddenly everything just went slack and I thought he was off. I began to reel and could feel weight; maybe he had been eaten by something bigger? The fish then basically just floated to the surface, with no chance to recover.

I was elated and saddened and overjoyed all at the same time, a fantastic fight and a beautiful fish that I really wanted to watch swim away. For those who heard me on the radio, apologies for my over exuberant language at times, for me it was just a phenomenal experience and one I won't forget in a hurry.

Oh, I also saw a large sunfish. I have only ever seen a picture of one in a book and I also managed to get enough blue bottle parts around my line that my hand looks pretty interesting.

Cheers, microbe

### Tickey's trip

I think I caught the fish at Halls Reef (Jaro will know). I had trolled a Rapala from just past the river mouth without reward, past Little Halls etc.

There was a bit of surface action… I think it was spotties busting up after small bait fish, and a few birds. Jaro suggested slugs. On my third cast or so I let it sink before winding in at speed and got my take. Fortunately it was well hooked with the treble so I could deal with it with my inexperienced gaff work! And it was in the hatch.

That was the only action that I saw as far as spotties being landed including the stink boats. There were numerous surface bustups but they seemed to be feeding on very small bait fish. 20 to 30 stink boats later seemed to resort to bottom bashing due to spotties either being scarce or fussy with what they were feeding on.

Conditions were beaut. Glassy surface with little or the slightest breeze. Negligible surf… ideal for a first trip! Approx 13 or 14 km; not sure as I only switched off the GPS at home on 18.5km. (Have to polish up on all of these issues).

I have a few things to fine tune after the first trip. Still battling with my fish finder. Must improve radio methods.

Legs collapsed when I got off the yak (editor: see embedded movie). Time for a nanna nap shortly before tennis!! I am bushed!!

A very enjoyable first trip out in perfect conditions. A fish certainly helps!

Thanks again for all of the assistance!

Cheers
Tickey

### Bogey's comments

Thanks for all the information and help from Noosa Yakkers today - esp Kev.

I'm situated at Kawana Island so I have plenty of good fishing on my back door but decided to venture up to see how you guys get amongst the pelagics.

Had my radio tuned to No.9 and could here all the activity and that kept me interested trolling big slimies around Jew Shoal and hoping for a change of diet away from my usual Snapper and Sweetlip.

Unbelievably - a nice big Snapper (editor: see beach pic lower down) stole my last slimey and sacrificed him/her self to the dinner table.

So I STILL don't know how you do it up there!

Will try again soon.

Cheers, Mark (Bogey on here and Yakshed)

Beach pics/movie by sunshiner

Movie, tickey's beach arrival

Tickey with his first ever yak caught fish, first trip

Tickey's fish on the mat

Microbe's marlin

On the 160cm long too-short mat, with supplementary measure device.

173cm, same shot as above but zoomed in and annotated. No record, but equalling scottyD's record established late December 2015.

Bogey's nice snapper, taken on a trolled slimey mac, at Jew Shoal.

Job done using my iPad, in my easy chair. sunshiner

Spotty mac madness, plus Spaniard. 04Jan16

TR by sunshiner

Wind: 5-10 knot southerly
Swell: about 1m ESE
Water temp: 26.1°C
Tides: High 03:57am (1.43m); Low 09:46amm(0.94m)
Current: none detected
Launch point: Middle Groyne
Surface action: Heaps, mainly spotty macs
Participants: (12) bluedog, cuddles, jag-one, gemini, beejay + jeff, stormin, pedro, diesel, jaro, weeksie, sunshiner
My trip distance: 19km
Redmap: No sightings provided
Keen Angler Program: Stormin donated another Spanish mackerel frame

The benefits of being a Noosa Yakkers member were readily apparent over the last few days, with more and more useful fishing intelligence appearing first on our members-only Facebook page and on our members-only email system. This resulted in twelve starters this morning, with one no-show. Clearly they'd been watching the spotty mac build up as earlier reported by their fellow Noosa Yakkers.

Anyway, today's starters weren't disappointed, but I dare say the single no-show might be pissed off.

As often happens, pedro got away first, seriously early. The main body launched around 4:00am, in darkness and gentle drizzle, tiny surf, with moon obscured by cloud. Stormin and weeksie followed a little later, to no disadvantage, as you'll find as you read on. New Noosa Yakker bluedog tagged along with me, on this, his first launch with us.

The whole push went to Little Halls Reef/Halls Reef. I remember diesel, just after leaving Middle Groyne, radioing that he'd just been nudged by something. Progress to Halls Reef was rapid, helped by the southerly which was forecast to swing to the east then NE (weather forecasting is not always accurate, though).

With no action at Little Halls Reef and encouraged by pedro's reports of action starting at Halls Reef, the whole fleet headed up there, making great time because the southerly strengthened the further we got from the shelter of the Main Beach area. Pedro's description was correct and he had the fish to prove it, two spotties aboard already by the time the front runners arrived. By now there was sufficient light to see that terns and shearwaters were treating Halls Reef like a McDonald's serving breakfast. Paying the breakfast bill were the legions of small baitfish whose terrified presence was revealed by bustups, stark white against the uniform grey of the sea and sky. Soon the pelagic predators were also paying the bill, as Noosa Yakkers, and a few stinkboat fishers, started to entice them to take their lures, which were being lobbed by all, into the melee.

Typical of the situation out there; jag-one asked me to take a photo with him in his newly acquired Stealth Evolution, and the fish he'd caught on this, his first offshore trip in it. He had to leave early to get back to Gympie.

This hookup was typical of dozens from kayaks out there today. Having been asked by the house manager not to bring any fish home today, I released this, my first spottie of the season.

After about an hour of spotties smashing all around, radio reports from yakkers of bag-outs started to come in. It was noticeable that there were a few undersize fish around and the average was smaller than I've seen in the past. Nevertheless, the drags were screaming and fishers were whooping, amid the stench, noise and wake from the several nearby stinkboats and the building waves as the sea gradually increased its sloppiness with the relentless southerly breeze (this last an ominous warning for the wary kayaker, six kilometres north of base).

I've been caught in a stiff southerly out there before, and do not relish the hard slog into the steep chop which develops in a 10 knot wind. My greatest fear is that the wind might increase to say 15-20knots. Today, the wind was already misbehaving, not sticking to the BOM meteorologists' plan. I checked my GPS. Distance to Middle Groyne: 6.6 kilometres, at least 1 hour 30 minutes for me, at the enforced reduced speed. Time I was gone. So I started to paddle southward, announcing my intention to all by radio.

Obviously, I made it back OK, but it was a tough journey, until the last kilometre or so when I entered sheltered waters. Several other yakkers had beaten me home and were waiting on the beach, some having pulled the pin because they'd enough fish and others because they were justifiably concerned at the wind strength and direction (good safety, guys).

Before I got to the beach I heard stormin triumphantly announce that he'd hatched his first Spaniard for the season so stormin's beach return was something to look forward to.

Beach pics

GoPro catches the small wave and the kid on the boogie board at Middle Groyne.

Some of the first batch of spotties on the beach

Cuddles shows off two of his first ever spotty macs (bagged out). Jimbo, note that cuddles would like a brag mat.

Diesel with one of his two

First tripper bluedog with his result, but he did go home to his family with fresh fish. Also he lost 200 slugs, apparently, but brought both rods home intact. Jimbo, note that bluedog would like a brag mat.

Gemini's bag.

Beach scene, fairly early

Stormin's Spaniard (agreed at 117cm -- parallax error in this image). He also bagged out on spotties.

And again, with the man himself.

And again, held by an admirer from Brisbane, who hopes that she'll be able to show this to her kids on the blog tonight.

Pedro, bagged out

Weeksie's bagout.

Very happy weeksie

As for beejay and his bro-in-law Jeff, I understand by radio that beejay had two spotty macs aboard and they were working their way back to Middle Groyne when I left there.

So, 32 spotty macs brought back, and one Spaniard. Nice going, Noosa Yakkers, especially as the weather was far from ideal.

Thanks for reading.

Kev Long
Sunshiner
Author Kayak Fishing Manual for iPhone, iPad and Mac (click linked text to view)
Stealth Supalite X, yellow/orange
FREE iBook "Kayak Fishing Laguna Bay & Jew Shoal" for iPhone, iPad and Mac

Stormin's Mackerel: 3 January 2016

TR by Tunny

Trip date: 3 January 2016

Participants: Eyetag, Redwood, Soren, Stormin, Tunny

Launch Site: MG

Conditions: Wind 5-10 knots from SE with some stronger gusts, very lumpy, low tide 8.30 am

Keen Angler Program: Nothing donated

At 3 am Seabreeze showed little wind at DIP or the Sunshine Coast, but a 15 knot southeasterly at Moreton Bay, so I expected conditions to be a bit worse than yesterday and they were. Eyetag as usual launched early with the rest of us following after 4 am. The launch was easy enough and we all headed for Little Halls as this was where most of the action happened yesterday.

Beautiful sunrise, but choppy conditions

Once we were away from the protection of the headland the SE wind felt stronger and conditions became quite lumpy. We trolled a mix of Halco lures and weighted baits around Little Halls, then Eyetag came on the radio to let us know he was about a kilometre East of Little Halls where there was bird action and some Longtails breaking the surface. Redwood, Soren and I headed there while Stormin continued towards Halls Reef. But the bird action did not last long and the Longtails disappeared.

We continued trolling around Little Halls and chasing the sporadic bird action but with no success. Soren and I decided to head towards Granite Bay while the others continued to fish the Little Halls to Halls area. When we were half way to Granite Bay Stormin announced he had caught what he initially thought was a Spaniard but is probably a Grey Mackerel. This was caught on a trolled pilchard close to the beach north of Little Halls.

Stormin with his potentially recorded smashing School Mackerel

Redwood then had his trolled slimey taken but failed to hook up while Eyetag caught and released an undersized spottie.

Twin peaks - Conditions were not the best especially in close near the 3rd cutting.

Redwood arriving back at MG

Grey Mackerel? (Confirmed later to me a School Mackerel)

A visitor to Noosa with Stormin's Mackerel

Who can positively identify this fish? It went 86 cm