Fishin’ Maggie
What’s Happening On Maggie
The beginning of May sees the Spanish mackerel finally coming back, enjoying the rapid sea temperature drop. They have schooled up in big numbers and are set to excite anglers again this year I was blown away with the numbers of Spaniards at Container, Bomber and the Shoals last week. Read on.
Bill told me about a surprising catch at Horseshoe Bay while fishing the beach. Did it fall off a ute while launching a boat?
The boat ramp at Nelly has been extremely hazardous, several cars and boats slipping badly trying to get up the ramp. Whilst on that subject, that Horseshoe Bay ramp has to be fixed soon with the big chunks missing from it post Cyclone Debbie weather. Whether they do it whilst still keeping it open is another matter entirely. Let’s hope so. All the commercial guys need access to the bay daily.
With the water temperature cooling down, me and a mate decided to go and see whether the Spaniards had come in yet. I had heard from the game fishing club that there were some decent Marlin around already, so it was good odds that some of the Macs might be here already as well (Ray had already found hundreds of small Greys around about 50 cm schooling off WestPoint through to Bolger Bay.
Because the tide square logo Hurley, we couldn’t leave the boat ramp till 615. Straight out to Bomber we dropped out 1st lures, Halco pilchard seven meters my favourite for big Spaniards.
I guess that the effect was kind of like dropping live bait into a tank of starving African Piranhas. The nearly new Halco Lures were barely in the water, when the water boiled and the first lure disappeared for good. Dozens of hungry Macs were trying to eat each lure as we dropped it in. We quickly put 2 fish in the esky, before losing another big lure on 80lb steel. The next 30 minutes was a frenzy of Spaniards, just desperate to grab those Lures as soon as they were put out. We dropped plenty, and at one stage we had 4 fish on the deck, and decided to drop the lines again. Two more big ones came in at once, and bugger we were one over the bag limit. Doing the right thing, we tried to hand it to the only other boat nearby, but he was having too much fun getting his own bag limit. . Sadly we had to let go a big injured Spaniard knowing it was going to die, and didn’t those big whaler sharks make short work of it. They stalked the boat after that until we left.
Looking at our lure collection after the session, the paint jobs were stuffed, big teeth marks everywhere. That’s a top mini session.
Trolling all the local reefs with Halco deep 190’s, (pilchard, red white, Dorado etc., woghead and chin guard rigged Gars is just slaying the hungry Macs. Also working well is floated pilchards and live baits (although sharks were a problem in many locations last week. The occasional Black Marlin is already being raised and tagged already off the Cape, and that’s not too deep for Tinnies to play with as well. I would expect their numbers to multiply as we approach June, and I’m so looking forward to the big game fishing comp this year. Cobia has been prolific at present on most of our local reefs and wrecks and has always been a favourite of mine. Cobias are being caught by those targeting mackerel and by bottom fishermen targeting big Reds. Personally I like floating squid over structures out 25m plus, just drifting a line, particularly at wrecks like Bomber. This technique also picks up Largemouth nannygai, which are again featuring in reef bottom fishing catches after a slow period Feb/March Good numbers being caught on the rubble patches and gutters in the paddocks between the reefs, and out chicken Reef way Josh had a blinder last week bagging all his and his Dads favourites without working too hard.
Horseshoe Bay
It is exactly one year since the massive Jelly Prawn schools turned Horseshoe Bay Beach alive with fish, and my son and I got the massive Queenie next to the ramp. Guess what, they are back again. Boat ramp to stinger net, left of the boat ramp and deeper out is filled with excited Queenfish, GT’s Golden Trevally, Tarpon and of course those annoying Long Toms. Yes Barra are there too, and will take Tarpon fillet. For the best fun use tiny soft plastic, small slugs, small divers and small poppers. Remember what they are feeding on.
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, bike hire and ELECTRIC BIKE HIRE, SEGWAY TOURS, car hire and convenience supplies. Check out Kooler 24 hour Ice 7kg $4.