Scott nthQld
07-04-2008, 05:22 PM
Just a bit of a report for the recent Townsville Ausfishers M&G.
After much discussion and beer consumed the date finally arrived for the M&G and it turned out a shocker weather-wise. After checking 3 different sources that all had a different prediction we decided to take the average of the results and come to 15knt for most of the day.
After an offer from matmuller85 to use hit Xtreme X550C centre console (great rig by the way), my boat remained at home. Fishin_Dan, Matmuller85 and I met at the ramp at 4.15 am we were on the water by 4.30 and attempted to make our way out to the shoals when w were greeted with 25knts+ out side the port, we tried to push on but before we'd even gotten half way out through the channel, the call was made to try and avoid the wind and head to West Point.
Anchored up by 5.15 on top of a mark I had acquired we sent our bait down the bottom and a couple of floaters hoping for an early mackeral. after a couple of minutes the tell tale taps began, with me hooking into the first fish of the day, only to skull drag up a bloody grinner. Next fish was a small reef shark caught by Dan and a couple of bite offs by the rest of the school. Next I pulled in a very small big eye trev followed shortly after by a dirty, slimy remora, and another trev in from Dan. With the wind picking up a bit more we decided to head in closer to the Island for a bit more shelter.
Here, we found another Ausfisher, Levinge, who had made he's way out of the Bohle. Once anchored up in the second spot, it was time for the small cod to come out to play and they did a good job of annoying the hell out of us. with Matt still yet to get his first fish he was starting to get a bit ansy to get onto some good fish. We moved East a little to another rocky pinnacle.
Both boats (Matt's and Levinge's) were anchored quite close when we got onto a scholl of grunter, with Dan boating 4 between 45-50cm, Levigne 1 and Matt 1 all in the same size range. I was really starting to feel left out and before matt got his fish, Dan was looking at a long swim back to Townsville. Finally I hooked up, saying 'this better be a bloody good grunter' only to drag in a little bat fish, after a few jokes and a bit of a laugh (at me, not with me by the way), I rebaited and sent the bait to the bottom once again. by this time the current was roaring through and we were all trying to get the right balance of weight and the fishing slowed. Levinge dropped 3 fish, 1 right next to the boat, another good sized grunter and I droppped a couple and boated a 20cm largemouth nannygai which I sent back to do some more growing.
With the fishing well and truly slowed, we decided to head into a little bay to try and get out of the strong current, only to donate a bit of tackle to the briny. We moved to one more spot for a few more small cod and headed back around to a trout spot I've fished before with mixed success. Anchoring up here we minimised the weight to keep the tackle above the coral below, and we were all still donating a few bits and pieces to the reef in between a procession of small cod. With no keepers in the esky I was getting nervous and finally saved face with a just legal tuskie, and know how good they are on the tooth, he went straight into the esky, after a quick call to verify legal size. Shortly after we called it quits and headed back to the ramp.
A few piccies attached below of the glassed out conditions off Westpoint, out of the wind, and the day's catch )minus Matt and Levigne's)
After much discussion and beer consumed the date finally arrived for the M&G and it turned out a shocker weather-wise. After checking 3 different sources that all had a different prediction we decided to take the average of the results and come to 15knt for most of the day.
After an offer from matmuller85 to use hit Xtreme X550C centre console (great rig by the way), my boat remained at home. Fishin_Dan, Matmuller85 and I met at the ramp at 4.15 am we were on the water by 4.30 and attempted to make our way out to the shoals when w were greeted with 25knts+ out side the port, we tried to push on but before we'd even gotten half way out through the channel, the call was made to try and avoid the wind and head to West Point.
Anchored up by 5.15 on top of a mark I had acquired we sent our bait down the bottom and a couple of floaters hoping for an early mackeral. after a couple of minutes the tell tale taps began, with me hooking into the first fish of the day, only to skull drag up a bloody grinner. Next fish was a small reef shark caught by Dan and a couple of bite offs by the rest of the school. Next I pulled in a very small big eye trev followed shortly after by a dirty, slimy remora, and another trev in from Dan. With the wind picking up a bit more we decided to head in closer to the Island for a bit more shelter.
Here, we found another Ausfisher, Levinge, who had made he's way out of the Bohle. Once anchored up in the second spot, it was time for the small cod to come out to play and they did a good job of annoying the hell out of us. with Matt still yet to get his first fish he was starting to get a bit ansy to get onto some good fish. We moved East a little to another rocky pinnacle.
Both boats (Matt's and Levinge's) were anchored quite close when we got onto a scholl of grunter, with Dan boating 4 between 45-50cm, Levigne 1 and Matt 1 all in the same size range. I was really starting to feel left out and before matt got his fish, Dan was looking at a long swim back to Townsville. Finally I hooked up, saying 'this better be a bloody good grunter' only to drag in a little bat fish, after a few jokes and a bit of a laugh (at me, not with me by the way), I rebaited and sent the bait to the bottom once again. by this time the current was roaring through and we were all trying to get the right balance of weight and the fishing slowed. Levinge dropped 3 fish, 1 right next to the boat, another good sized grunter and I droppped a couple and boated a 20cm largemouth nannygai which I sent back to do some more growing.
With the fishing well and truly slowed, we decided to head into a little bay to try and get out of the strong current, only to donate a bit of tackle to the briny. We moved to one more spot for a few more small cod and headed back around to a trout spot I've fished before with mixed success. Anchoring up here we minimised the weight to keep the tackle above the coral below, and we were all still donating a few bits and pieces to the reef in between a procession of small cod. With no keepers in the esky I was getting nervous and finally saved face with a just legal tuskie, and know how good they are on the tooth, he went straight into the esky, after a quick call to verify legal size. Shortly after we called it quits and headed back to the ramp.
A few piccies attached below of the glassed out conditions off Westpoint, out of the wind, and the day's catch )minus Matt and Levigne's)