What’s New On The Rock
Janie and I had a report of a suspicious character hanging around tampering with the front door after close of business last week, thanks to one of many diligent citizens who keep an eye out for nefarious activity on Maggie. We of course flipped out; I was frantically logging on to my cameras with my phone while Janie was grabbing the car keys to bolt up to the shop. (I know it should have been the other way around but she’s tougher than me, I kid you not.) Suddenly it clicked with Janie, Joe, the evening shift guy changes into a singlet and back facing cap before he leaves. We checked with him and sure enough he was our sus dude doing lockup, looking for all the world like an evil robber.
Proving that no matter how thick the fish are, some anglers just can’t manage to catch them, this is a story from Dave last week.
Dave was out in his Tinny fishing at West Point when he noticed a boat cruising along trolling 2 lines out the back. The driver was looking forward and pushing a comfy 4 knots. At the end of the long line was a decent size fish that looked like a Mackerel. The poor bugger was on flapping on top of the water, obviously exhausted and heartily sick of being skull dragged along. Dave tried hard to get the boaties attention but gave up as the angler was obviously oblivious to the world Dave thinks the fish eventually fell off.
Offshore
Great Mackerel action this week with cooler temperatures providing action aplenty. One big issue was sharks. We went to the shoals and the Spaniards were thick and ravenous. Unfortunately, we lost over 10 big fish to whaler sharks. The day’s action went down a bit like this. “Yep fish on… sh#@, it leapt out of the water…..man that’s a massive shark…. Where’s my lure… damn the sharks took another one.” That was the morning pattern, despite moving several times, and it was a very depressing one. Although action filled. They were following all the boats and were onto the hooked fish within seconds, swallowing them whole. We lost 5 good Halco lures before heading home with less than we had hoped for.
The reef was on all the schedules last week with those 3 so rare relatively calm ocean days predicted a week out. Spaniards were plentiful at the Shark shoals but fished better around Brewer Reef where the sharks were less hungry. Coral Trout, protected by bad weather for so long were firing at Braggs, off Brewer in 25m plus, and seemed plentiful at Back numbers and the Palm group. JM was at Palm and his US visitor on the boat hooked up on a big Spaniard. When it was close to the boat the boys told him to hold while they got the Gaff but he pulled the super active fish straight on board and flopped it onto the deck with everyone scrambling to escape the razor sharp teeth.
Onshore
Something we don’t target too often is Whiting but I am mentioning them again because there has been some fat Whiting caught recently walking the flats around Nelly with tiny 0 size peeled prawns and worms. Ray loves chasing them on micro soft plastics with 4 lb line. There have been Trevally big Queenies and Grunter caught from the Picnic Jetty and the ever-changing harbour has also been producing some great fun on soft plastics and light line with Trevally and Tarpon keen to slurp down any small soft plastics cast their way. The Harbour must be due for a dredge soon, anyone know when?
Most of the creeks still have a trickle of fresh from Mt Cook and have been producing nice Grunter 40 plus with the head of Ned Lees creek and Endevour creek probably the main pick, Kayaks being the best method of casting inward.
Until next time gone Fishin’…. be back at dark-thirty
Cheers Dale
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