Fishin’ Maggie
What’s Happening On The Rock
The 70 mm of rain in Nelly Bay Sunday Monday was most welcome although Horseshoe Bay had slightly less as often happens. Although not enough to start the creeks running, it is enough to settle the dust. Now we need a group to go through and clean up the creek beds before the big flush to get rid of all the plastics and junk.
The early stingers have started arriving with multiple reports of juvenile Box Jellyfish in Arthur and Nelly Bay. Although these are still very small, wearing stinger suits for snorkeling and swimming are advised.
We sometimes offer our snorkel hire customers a $5 discount if they will wear the suits down the street in full view. It’s always a good laugh plus some visitors take us up on it, (like the bull riding boys over from the US 2 weeks ago. ( It always makes for fun pictures.)
The Jetty was a hotspot this week with Trevally schools smashing Hardyheads in close to shore, and taking lures and baits early in the mornings. In true Island fashion fish stories often arrive at the store from multiple sources. I heard one from a local telling me that he was on the jetty when he heard someone calling for a bit of help. The lady had hooked up on a big fish with a light rig, and was having difficulties getting the monster in. Our good Samaritan gave it his best, but the massive fish won and the rod snapped in half as the fish dragged the line around the pylons and escaped.
Later in the morning a lady came in with a snapped rod needing a replacement. I asked if she broke it at the jetty fighting a big fish. She was duly impressed with my ESP abilities, and I sold her a cheap replacement rod as she had borrowed the combo. She then told me a story about an incident the same day with a family visiting the Island. The cute 3 year old boy was so engrossed with his fishing, that he stepped backwards one too many steps and plunged backward into the ocean. Understandably there was pandemonium on the Jetty from witnesses, but when the calm father got to the edge and looked down, his son, was paddling, still holding the fishing rod, and quietly asked his Dad to get him out before sharks came for him. Dad jumped in and happily performed the marine rescue.
This same lovely family pulled into Magnetic Adventure & Hire 2 days later with a big fish for a picture. When I went out the front the young boy Asher had caught himself a monster Barracuda. (Great effort Asher.)
The Grunter are still in good numbers off Horseshoe Bay and WestPoint. Caillen and Matt took my little tinny and bagged out with big Grunter on Pillie after dark on Thursday in a top session off Young Bay. Smaller Grey Mackerel to 70cm are getting caught off the beach as they follow the bait in shallow. Mack’s off the beach are always a treat so get out to Westpoint with softplastics and Halco Twisties.
The run of Greys 2016 is nearly finished. I put the tinny in Friday and took a couple of runs to check the situation from Picnic to Arcadia. The bait is still very thick, and there are big Greys around in the meter range, but they seem totally spent from spawning and have no fight left in them, they came in like old rags.
A huge school of Longtail Tuna excited anglers and swimmers when they came in very close to the beach at Horseshoe Bay, doing a massive feeding run along the beach at a range of only 70 meters. As the Grey Mackerel leaves us after a bumper year, the fun fishing will be in the chasing of these amazing sport fish on soft plastics.
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.