Fishin’ Maggie
What’s Happening aound Maggie
Firstly let me correct the date for the children’s fishing competition at the jetty. The competition will be on Sunday, 13 September.
Reports on the weekend of a large turtle seen heading up the beach at Horseshoe Bay down the northern end, over the dune. This would only mean she is there to lay eggs. This is really awesome and hopefully there will be more. For us anglers it means being very careful not to disturb the area. More soon
I had some cranky people in Sunday afternoon. Apparently the 2.40 barge was selected to be part of Fantasea’s new weekly lifejacket drill. These unlucky people got to spend 30 minutes before they left town doing a lifejacket drill, and of course that put everything out of whack time wise. I know safety is important, but is this really necessary all of a sudden?
There are very active Sea Eagles around the island at the moment, and they can cause problems when you’re trying to retrieve fish. We had a hungry White Bellied Sea Eagle try twice to pinch a Wolfie being retrieved last Tuesday in HB, and he narrowly avoided getting hooked up through the Talon with a treble. However for the first time last week during a Segway tour, I actually had a customer stalked by one. Segway Glider, Margaret, out with her husband and I for a 2 hour tour, wearing a very blue fishy swirly top drew the attention of this magnificent bird. After seeing it above us for the first time at Arcadia, we then noticed repeated very low flyovers and visits for the next 20 minutes before it finally decided her top (or her) was not a food source. Margaret thought it may have been her amazing personality, and her husband and I quite sensibly agreed with her at the time. It was a novel and slightly disconcerting experience.
Boating
Spaniard Stories? They are still few and far between in close. Bill got a cracker 10kg off The Point, and John got one 500m off Wilson Bay. Doggies on the other hand are following the gar schools and very thick in some areas and big, to 85cm
I got to sneak out Tuesday for a run in my boat short notice. Unfortunately it was still bumpy as heck heading out, so I went to HB to troll and test my new Lowrance HDS7 sounder. I had a great morning session landing 15 doggies, nine of which were keepers, a bunch of Wolf Herring, thumpin big Tarpon, and Tea Leaf Trevally. Anyone that knows my boat knows it is not really designed for one person, as running up and down from the fly bridge that many times can be a pain, (although fast fish action is always welcome.) In the afternoon Graham came down to give me a hand. The sounder was so accurate I was able to tell Graham fairly accurately what was on the end of the line each time it went off. At one stage in the arvo one of the biggest blips I have seen on the sounder rocketed under the boat and the big Wolfie we were reeling in got demolished in one big bite. I’m pretty sure it was a massive shark and only 100m from the boat ramp. I wonder if it was the 3m + Tiger shark that was caught on Drum line near The Point several days later?
Mick and Co almost bagged out on a trip on Tuesday. The boys got Red throat, one Spaniard and a bucked load of Trout is a productive day trip out wide.
Fishing Maggie on Land
Congratulations to young Elijah Pope, who landed a Prize Golden Trevally off the jetty. Elijah and his Dad proudly brought it to Magnetic Adventure & Hire to show me, I photographed it before he took it home to get it prepared for the family dinner. Golden Trevally are one of the better table fish around, and beautiful baked in foil with lemon garlic and butter.
The Jetty is still slow, although nights are doing well with Trevally and Blue Salmon just after dark.
One of Matt’s mates landed a whopper 80 cm Flathead just next to the boat ramp at Horseshoe Bay, and he and he also landed a beautiful Fingermark on lure 100 m further down.
September 13TH Magnetic Adventure & Hire Kids under 16 Fishing Comp 9am start Presentations at 12 plus Sausage Sizzle
All children under 16 years old
Register now at Magnetic Adventure & Hire 36 Mandalay Ave or by phone 47785126
Prizes Include
Weirdest Fish
Biggest and smallest fish
Most inedible
4-8 year old best fish
9-12 year old best fish
13-16 year old best fish
Most fish by a single angler.
Mystery size
Mystery Species
Until next time gone Fishin’…. be back at dark-thirty
Cheers Dale
Fish’n N Fuel’n
36 Mandalay Ave, Nelly Bay 4778-5126
For all of your fishing and sports hire gear. We hire and sell fishing rods, and snorkel equipment, plus sell bait, tackle, ice spear fishing equipment, toys, party, pool toys, and BIKE HIRE, SEGWAY TOURS and convenience supplies. Check out Kooler 24 hour Ice 7kg plus $4. New BIKE section. Rod and reel repair available.