Fishin’ Maggie
What’s Happening On Maggie
The whale stream past Maggie has thinned out considerably, but in the tail of the massive migration is more mothers and babies, which are travelling slower and stopping in for a look around on the way. Last week Cleveland Bay was full of wonderful close encounters around the island off Nelly Bay Geoffrey Bay WestPoint and other bays. People packed the beaches to watch tail and fin slapping and juvenile whale antics. It’s a great time to be here, Winter on Maggie.
Unfortunately one of those dog injured koalas died last week, too injured to live, despite the outstanding care of Ally and the Maggie koala hospital. This week there have been a couple more koalas found around the forts with massive dehydration, causing confusion, and illness. This time of year is always tough for our koala population, with no rain, no new growth on the Eucalypts and no way for these awesome animals to keep hydrated.
Fishing Maggie
Picnic Bay jetty now has, in addition to the huge schools of resident herring, some very large Pike schools. Pikes are great bait for mackerel and really big fish.
The best way to catch Pike, (because they can strip bait jig to pieces and steal your sinkers,) is with tiny little metal blades. Put the Pike live on your rig to produce top fish like Troy’s 80 cm Cobia last week, as well any Spaniards and big GT’s cruising past. Big Cobia are a hard fighting sport fish and great on the chew, so well done Troy.
Picnic Bay has been outstanding for another week, with many Trevally and Queenies also bagged. Evening tides are perfect for night fishing. Matt bagged a 90cm Barra near the northern Pylon, and there was another Barra that smashed a squid that an angler had hooked on a squid jig. The big girl took the squid and the jig and took off.
Has anyone heard of this Black Magic Bait Buddy? We had an angler in the shop raving about how good it was. Apparently you use it to tie bait on your hook, and the fish have to work harder to get the prawn or your preferred bait off the hook. This guy swears by it, and said has anyone else this week caught Queen Fish Trevally Grunter and heaps of other fish off one packet of prawns? I’m going to get some in next week and give it a try, I guess everybody has the experience of losing all the bait all the time, with no fish resulting, so maybe it’s worth the extra effort.
Congratulations to Ray C on his massive Coral Trout last week (see pic), Ray and the boys caught masses of beautiful eating fish including huge Nannygai and Red Throat on their reef trip. The boys said the fishing was as good as they have seen, comments which are repeated by many anglers.
John Brewer is also fishing is good as ever, lots of fish on the chew. One of the local boats that went out without any GPS marks still did tops with Trout Spangled Emperor and species of that Jobfish there for the taking.
Spaniards are closer in and bag limits are easy at and around Cordelia Rocks with huge schools congregating on the bait schools.
This week looks to be a brilliant week for boating, with good tides and big fish biting so get out there.
Until next time gone Fishin’…. be back at dark-thirty
Cheers Dale
Fish’n N Fuel’n Sports and Tackle
36 Mandalay Ave, Nelly Bay 4778-5126
For all your fishing and sports hire gear. We hire and sell fishing rods, plus snorkel equipment, bait, tackle, ice, spear fishing equipment, sports, party, pool toys, bike hire and new ELECTRIC BIKE HIRE, SEGWAY TOURS, car hire and convenience supplies. Check out Kooler 24 hour Ice 7kg $4.