Learnt the lesson. 10Feb13

TR by Jaro with contribution by JamieD

Participants: Jamie D, Redwood, Stormin, Kiwibro and Jaro
Conditions: Weather mostly clear and sunny, large swell especially further out, windy 10 to 15 knots also especially further out. Water still dirty from runoff.

Woke up this morning with DIP and Cape Moreton showing red. A few NYs sent emails saying they were pulling the plug but some keeping their options open for a later start like me.

Decided to have another look at 5.30am and found an email from Redwood stating that conditions at MG were not bad. DIP and Cape Moreton had gone down to 15 knots so I took off for MG.

When I arrived all the other participants had already left. There were large waves coming in sets with a reasonable interval in between them. Timing was of the essence and boy, did I time it perfectly, just got over the first of the next set and was in the clear with a dry bum.

Called the other yakkers to find Stormin and I think Redwood and Kiwibro heading for LHR. Jamie D was at JS where I headed as with an easterly wind present I did not fancy bashing into it on the way back if I went to LHR.

Conditions weren't bad at MG but the closer I got to JS the worse the conditions got. The swell was large with slop on top. By the time I got to JS, Jamie D had pulled the plug due to a roll over and encountering blue bottles in the process. The others at LHR on hearing Jamie's roll over and as the swell was scary with the wind appearing to pick up, decided to also pull the plug and head for MG.

So there I was at JS wondering if I should persist or let discretion be the better part of valour. Discretion won out after I had done one drift with no action. The paddle back was hard at first but I did the last half under sail at a fair clip reaching 11.5km/h.

The tide was now at its peak at MG but there were still large waves to negotiate and again, as luck would have it, my timing was perfect and I got in easily with some furious paddling to beat the big ones coming in behind me.

No fish were caught (or seen) by all 5 of us. All we got was a good dose of exercise and practice at getting out and in.

---

Contribution by JamieD

What a day! That is officially the last time I ignore the decisions of senior members local to the area.

What a deceptive place, it can be flat and windless at Middle Groyne and disgusting out wide. Got out okay. Got stung by bluebottles, which by the way is why no one could understand me on the radio as it has been drowned lol, capsized, was being stung by blueys the whole time I was trying to self rescue. After that I sulked all the way back to Middle groyne. Included the video of my day.



Jamie

Lake Mac Surprise - 09 / 10Feb13

TR by Gemini
Participants:  Gemini, Whiblah
Launch Site: Strawberry Patch, Lake MacDonald
Conditions: Fine, light breeze


After the rain stopped on Saturday Whiblah and I decided to hit Lake Mac on the spur of the moment at around 3:30. Conditions were good, although the water was tea coloured and murky.

After a couple of hours flicking lures all the way around to the palm farm with no takes, I made the call to wrap up the day in disgust... I should make that call more often. Coming back past toga bay I cast half-heartedly at some floating debris and BANG! I was on.



At 38cm he was a nice, although somewhat unhealthy looking, bass. He had a few wounds and seemed a lot darker than normal. Perhaps he had a failed attempt at a wall jump...

As we rounded the corner back towards the strawberry patch I managed to entice another bass to take my lure.



This guy measured in at a slightly shorter 35cm, and then went back into the drink with his mate.

That was it for Saturdays exploits, but today (Sunday) was a different story. After aborting our trip out from MG at 5AM, we decided to hit Lake Mac again instead. Surely the fish would be kinder today?

Fat chance.

Asides from a (missed) surface strike on a fouled up lure, the fish kept their distance. There was plenty of jumping and splashing all over the place, but nothing would bite. Feeling rejected, we called it a day again...but this time, Lake Mac had something completely unexpected for us.

(Please view this video in HD and enlarge. It loads a lot slower, but you'll want the detail for this one.)



I've not heard of platypus living in Lake Mac before, and I've only ever seen one other in the wild only for the briefest of moments. This little fella was quite happy to have us hanging around for a good while, and came fairly close to us. Who cares about the fish when you get a magic moment like that.

Cheers!

Matt (Gemini)

Helloooo? Anybody home?? - 02Feb13

TR by Gemini
Participants:  Gemini, Lisbeth & Emil (2/3 VB Family)
Launch Site: Strawberry Patch, Lake MacDonald
Conditions: Fine, light-medium breeze

I launched around 5AM onto a slightly less full and murky lake (from the proper launch this time, not the bitumen). The rain had stirred the water up a little, so visibility was zero. Emil and Lisbeth arrived shortly after I launched, and quickly proceeded onto the water.

The conditions were otherwise great, and the bird life put on a show, but the fishing unfortunately didn't keep up the trend. We cast away madly all the way around to toga bay with no strikes. Here Emil had a take from a nasty tree-fish on the bank just past the bay, so I headed over to see if I could help. While scratching our heads about his lure high above, Emil noticed Lisbeth tugging away at her line a little ahead of us and waved me over to help there instead. By the time I arrived there was a nice fat bass in her net!



At 37cm it was a nice first bass. Lisbeth released him and we went on our way.

We continued around past the Palm Farm and on to the Three Ways. The wind whipping down the channel from the Three Ways was fairly strong, and this coupled with the heat and no fish led me to decide to start the voyage home. A few exploratory casts on the way home yielded no further results.

Not the best fishing trip, but a nice day on the water otherwise. At least the lake is full again for the moment, and it would appear that not all the bass have escaped over the wall. Here's hoping for next time!

Matt (Gemini)

Fishing Friday Night, 01Feb13

TR by Panno
Launch Point: Noosa Lions Park
Wind: Sheltered from the northerly at main beach
Participants: Carlton, Tiberium, Eyetag, Tunny, Panno


Hi guys, I headed off from Lions Park around 7pm after meeting a few other yakkers plus Turtleboy and friend Owen.

Whilst I think the others went up the back way towards Weyba Hole, I trolled a bibbed minnow along Woods Bay, closely followed by Dave. I hooked up on the western side of the Woods area a little before Ricky’s, and it was a solid fish that took a long first run against 20lb braid set on a stiff drag.

With the rod still in its holder I immediately paddled into the middle of the bay to give me some room to fight the fish off the rod, but due to the force of the fish and the wind, I was back where I started within 30 seconds. This act was repeated three times until suddenly I could no longer feel headshakes and my worst case scenario eventuated, the fish had wrapped me around an anchored fishing boat !

At least I got my lure back, but there’s a solid fish out there. To give you an idea, it went much harder (and longer) than a 68cm cod I hooked there a few weeks back, so I am guessing it was either a large Jack, a barra or a GT, but I suppose we will never know !

The rest of the night was uneventful for me. I trolled up to Munna Bridge and then to Weyba Hole where there were some intermittent splashes but nothing to get me excited enough to hang around for too long. The boys and one other yakker (possibly Eyetag) were also working that area when I arrived, but to no avail at that juncture. After about 30 minutes of flicking SP’s up there I returned home via the back channel.

Whilst you guys are probably already aware of this, I was surprised by the number of stink boats zipping about the estuary without lights. They certainly present a hazard and any yakker would not want to get caught out there without some form of light to flash at them if they are heading towards you !

The boys were planning to stay out all night. I look forward to hearing how they did. Oh to still have the energy to be able to do that !

Ciao

Andy (Panno)

Carlton's Friday Night, 25Jan13

Trip Report By: Carlton
Wind: 20-25 knot gusts
Swell: N/A
Launch point: Munna Point
Participants: Carlton

I arrived at Davo’s at around 6pm for comp briefing and headed to Munna point at 7pm. As it was blowing a gale and raining on and off, I thought it would be best to head up Weyba creek and find a spot out of the wind.

After a quick troll around Weyba hole I paddled to what looked like a nice spot tucked away out of the wind. But getting there was hard as the wind was that strong I could barely hang onto the paddle. As I finally pulled up, dropped the anchor and kicked back with the rain at my back, I chucked a line out with a piece of fresh mullet. after a while with only a few bites I thought I would flick a gladiator prawn around, I see Ian always uses them so I would give it a go. Second cast and I had a good hit and I was on to a solid fish. after I was towed around for a while, I saw a round looking thing, Not a stingray! I must be doing something wrong with the Gladiator Prawn.

After re-rigging, I chucked out the old trusty savoy shad hardbody and trolled close to the jetties hoping to keep out of the wind. After about 2minutes of trolling i had a massive strike and before i could put the paddle into the holder and pick up the rod, the fish had stripped about 30m of line of my reel. I was being towed around for about 10 minute before landing a solid Jack. I had trouble getting it into the net. I paddled to the bank to get some photos and measure the fish. It went 59cm and later weighed 2.85kg.



Savoy Shad, same colour use to catch Jack.

I paddled around for a couple of hours and tried to fish woods bay but it was blowing too hard. So back up the creek I went and found Ian getting around, had a quick chat and we went our ways. I got sick of the wind so went to the sound bridge and pulled up for the night. At least I had one good fish and dinner.



Photo courtesy of Bill Watson taken at Munna Point.

And on the mat



Carlton

Contribution from Eyetag


I caught my first ? but unfortunately it doesn't count in the comp and I also had to release it which is a bummer, but I'm stoked to have caught it. Conditions were awful, bordering on dangerous. I might give it a try later tonight if I get itchy feet.

Redwood, Tunny, et al, 23Jan13

  

TR by: Redwood

Conditions: sunny
Swell: small
Wind: +-10 knot from the east
Current: fast to the east
Participants: Tunny, Redwood, Pedro, Emil, Soren

Everyone turned up at MG at around 4.30am. Pedro was there and out first and planed to go to JS then to Sunshine Reef. Emil and Soren were headed to Halls and who can blame them after the fantastic day they had there previously. Tunny and myself were going to JS.

Tunny and I were next out with an uneventful and easy exit as the surf was very small. We did not see Emil and Soren's exit. Beyond the surf zone Tunny and I both put out hard bodies lures as we paddled out to JS. Just before we got to JS I heard my reel ratchet very briefly, I grabbed the rod and I was onto something. which turned out to be a small shark (50-60cm). After a lot of trouble getting the treble out I released it. We both then travelled out to one of the JS marks I had on my GPS where we set up bait drifts, Tunny using strips of Bonito and I using prawns. After a few minutes I was on again—a trigger fish, which I again had a lot of trouble dislodging the hook (even with an excellent pair of pliers). I must have taken too long as the trigger fish looked to be a goner when I finally released it.

By this time we'd drifted 500m off the mark, so we paddled back and started again. I again hooked up with something putting up a decent fight, which again turned out to be another shark—this one a bit bigger (+- 1m). It was also released. I re-prawned (both sharks taken on pawns) and hooked up with something big, I suspect another shark. At first I thought I was snagged as extreme pulls on the rod seemed to do little, but hang on reefs don't take line! The 'thing' dragged me around for a bit but I was making some headway getting it in. I fought for 5 min or so before the line slackened slightly and it was gone. I didn't get a look at it.

It was 8.30am and I need to get back so we setup a final drift. I had a number of bites but didn't hook up with anything. Tunny had no luck with his bonito strips. After the final drift we headed back to MG where I managed to land without trouble (even surfing the evo in somehow), but Tunny, who obviously had had enough of the tourists this season, tried to take as many out as he could with his return.

You can see the results here:



Emil and Soren had also arrived back at MG and came in like experts, leaning, bracing and basically showing us how it's done.



They reported that they had no action at all on their Hall's outing. Pedro was still out, so will be interested to know how he went.



Redwood's EVO 495 on the right of the photo.



Eric's Canoe 'Tunny'. Tunny in picture.

Cheers, Redwood.

NYTR Doctor Dog Solo, 22Jan13

TR by doctor dog
Wind: ENE 5-10 gusting more on the rain squalls
Swell: half metre Easterly
Current: not detected
Launch point: MG
Participants: Doctor Dog

I arrived at MG car park at about 5am finding I had it to myself apart from a couple of backpackers vans. I parked in my favourite spot(long enough to get the trailer in).



Conditions were ideal for launch beside the rock wall with a trawler riding at anchor in the bay.

I made the exit from the beach without incident (dry bum) and proceeded to set up out the back to troll a pilchard on an "easy troll" rig and a Halco Laser Pro 120 pilchard pattern and I had my preferred slug casting outfit to the ready.

I paddled north to Little Halls and onwards towards Halls reef proper. I passed a few sporadically feeding flocks of terns but no surface feeding fish until the far north of Halls at the level of the third cutting on Northshore beach. There I came upon a vigorously feeding large flock of seabirds and surface feeding fish. There was obviously a great bait ball aggregated on the surface so I was looking forward to getting a few slug casts into the melee. Unfortunately in my excitement I got a tangle and paused upwind to get that sorted.

Once untangled I looked up to find I had drifted within 5-10 metres of the bait ball which had now been joined by no fewer than 6 sharks feeding on the surface several of which were well over 2 metres.

Discretion being the better part of valour I chose to paddle away from the bait ball realising I would not succeed in landing anything I hooked even though there was clearly a large variety of pelagic species feeding including Longtail and Mac tuna as well as small mackerel presumably "spotties".

Time was marching on so I elected to head for home still trolling my untouched pilchard. I changed the HB to one in Qantas colours hoping to generate some interest.

I passed a Pro Fisherman in his big centre console tinny anchored at Little Halls. He was fishing for sharks but was on for a chat and recounted being around at Sunshine earlier in the morning trolling for Mackerel. He said he hooked three sizeable spaniards but lost them all to sharks.

I had just about given up any chance of hooking a fish this morning as I neared the river mouth only to be woken from my disconsolate reverie by the "scream of the reel".

A large vigorous fast and ariel fish had slammed my trolled pilchard and taken off for the horizon bursting through the surface in its first furious runs. I at first called it for a spaniard as it seemed to be silver and came to the boat readily after its first fast run but then reverted to its true species behaviour and continued to do repeated long slogging runs for 30 - 35 mins before I could bring it to the gaff.



118 cm of prime Longtail Tuna weighed at home at 15.5 kg

My return to the beach was uneventful.



Lacking Sunshiner's youthful charm and good looks I was unable to get any of the fairer sex to pose with my catch but here it is on the brag mat with the "easy troll" rig.

Cheers,
Doc Dog