bugman
30-12-2003, 10:41 AM
GDay all - hope you enjoyed your Xmas
I had a wonderful week at Caloundra surfing every morning at 5:00am and swimming, eating, drinking ,jetskiing for the rest of day.
Armed with necessary equipment headed offshore one morning on the jetski bound for an area we fished in Rebait with NoFrills (I think) on the great Mackeral hunt weekend a while back.
Seas were 1.5 to 1.8 with 15knots and a bit of chop. Made for a bit of slow progress to stop jumping off every wave.
Birds were gathering as the sun rose but nothing working as yet. Stopped at the Southern close-in beacon in front of Caloundra but nothing happening so I headed further wide. Hard to tell distance but probably 6-10kms. Still nothing really working so headed further north to another beacon. Jigged this beacon for a while with no hits then floated pillies for also no hits.
Attached a trolling lure and headed further in before coming across lots of working birds and another boat. They just shook their head at my approach as I slowly circled with the lure. Still no luck so back to slugs as I chased after the schools rod in one hand and the other on handlebars and throttle.
For about two hours the other boat and I chased these schools with both slug and pillie and neither of us put a fish in the boat. Tried a few different slugs but not one strike despite the mackeral almost hitting the ski. Got me thinking they may have been frigate rather than spotties.
Most excitement came as I put the rod down and stood up in order to have a wiz and it (the rod - no not that one) nearly went airborne (As did I ) as something smashed the floating pillie. Nothing solid on the strike other than empty hooks.
Did manage one Lancer at 30+cms as the pillie obviously got near the bottom at one stage.
OH Yeah the big ship reference in my heading was for the British Empire a 150+ gas ship that snuck up on me and passed within 50 metres without me hearing. My first inclanation was a 2.5 bow metre wave that nearly bucked me off the ski. I had saw her out wide stationary but with me running around looking West most of the time she had headed in to the shipping channel behind me where I was working. In about 10 minutes she had travelled 10+kms I reckon. Scared the bejesus out of me. I guess I wouldn't have even registered on its radar. Just like Agnes Jack posted earlier about that add "Charter boat ? What Charter Boat? How could you not see a charter boat" Well I never saw a 150m long bulk carrier until she was 40m past me.
Anyway gave everything up as a bad joke after that and headed back in for a bit more fun closer in. I think a couple of more modifications to the ski and I'll have a good offshore fishing platform. It was a touch wet however.
Good Fishing to you All.
Bugman
I had a wonderful week at Caloundra surfing every morning at 5:00am and swimming, eating, drinking ,jetskiing for the rest of day.
Armed with necessary equipment headed offshore one morning on the jetski bound for an area we fished in Rebait with NoFrills (I think) on the great Mackeral hunt weekend a while back.
Seas were 1.5 to 1.8 with 15knots and a bit of chop. Made for a bit of slow progress to stop jumping off every wave.
Birds were gathering as the sun rose but nothing working as yet. Stopped at the Southern close-in beacon in front of Caloundra but nothing happening so I headed further wide. Hard to tell distance but probably 6-10kms. Still nothing really working so headed further north to another beacon. Jigged this beacon for a while with no hits then floated pillies for also no hits.
Attached a trolling lure and headed further in before coming across lots of working birds and another boat. They just shook their head at my approach as I slowly circled with the lure. Still no luck so back to slugs as I chased after the schools rod in one hand and the other on handlebars and throttle.
For about two hours the other boat and I chased these schools with both slug and pillie and neither of us put a fish in the boat. Tried a few different slugs but not one strike despite the mackeral almost hitting the ski. Got me thinking they may have been frigate rather than spotties.
Most excitement came as I put the rod down and stood up in order to have a wiz and it (the rod - no not that one) nearly went airborne (As did I ) as something smashed the floating pillie. Nothing solid on the strike other than empty hooks.
Did manage one Lancer at 30+cms as the pillie obviously got near the bottom at one stage.
OH Yeah the big ship reference in my heading was for the British Empire a 150+ gas ship that snuck up on me and passed within 50 metres without me hearing. My first inclanation was a 2.5 bow metre wave that nearly bucked me off the ski. I had saw her out wide stationary but with me running around looking West most of the time she had headed in to the shipping channel behind me where I was working. In about 10 minutes she had travelled 10+kms I reckon. Scared the bejesus out of me. I guess I wouldn't have even registered on its radar. Just like Agnes Jack posted earlier about that add "Charter boat ? What Charter Boat? How could you not see a charter boat" Well I never saw a 150m long bulk carrier until she was 40m past me.
Anyway gave everything up as a bad joke after that and headed back in for a bit more fun closer in. I think a couple of more modifications to the ski and I'll have a good offshore fishing platform. It was a touch wet however.
Good Fishing to you All.
Bugman