Made up for sat night

[horseboy]

I went out on sat night with the old boy but his back is in a bad way so we didnt sneek out of the creek good night just talking but no fish. I woke up this morning and the wind was light looked at BOM and weather bouy went and woke the wife (for permission) hooked up the boat and went. I was only heading out for a couple opf hours so i shot out to middle reef for a look just to see what its like, I have wanted to have a fish there for years as i hardly see anyone on it considering how close it is. What a nice suprise first anchor i got on to stripeys of all sizes got a good feed of them and had a move. Started hooking more stripeys then bang i new i had a good fish and when i saw the colour I could of headed home then, a 52cm trout. had a few more baits there alot of undersize fish grassys few small baldchin alot of small doggies around for a while. I thought about heading around to west point but had a good bag of fish and had some jobs to do this arvo so i headed home. I put up a thread for some one to come out with me on the weekend but my father came down so i took him out soory guys and today was a bit short notice i love mining but hopefully next break we will have some good weather fo a night fish and will head out then so i will put up a post then.

WADE

[nonibbles]

Well done Wade. I too notice that many people give middle reef a miss believing it is fished out. It is far from it but it does need a good flush everynow and then to renew it as it does fill with silt. I don't mind everyone giving it a miss though. Its always a welcome stop on the way home. I've only just recently started going straight there its a good spot to take the kids so they can enjoy some time on the water close in and catch a fish and there's always that chance that dad or mum can catch something bigger (or help the kids boat one). I've caught one of my best trout there and some good sized blue bone (venus tusk fish) too - yum. Most fish that inhabit that area like to get on their sides under a rock so be aware that "snag" you think you've hooked on. Sometimes a slight release of pressure can have it suddenly swim free instead of rubbing it off when you pull back and forth to unhook it from the "snag" that wasn't. If you check your line you can often feel the tail beat of a fish in this situation.
Its a good spot to check out the bombies around Cockle Bay and Picnic Bay with a snorkle and mask from. I hear that cray fish occasionally like to visit the area too.

[Scott nthQld]

sounds like a good trip, can't wait to get the boat back on the water.

Yeah tell me about those lazy fish taking your bait and just sitting under a rock. I had a good fish hooked on saturday nite, but he too went under a rock and just kept going, taking line as he went, until the braid reached the reef, ping, gone.

Definately heard plenty of people saying that middle reef is fished out, but with all the juvenile fish there at the moment, it won't be long until its number 1 on everyone's list again, we'll just have to keep it quiet.

[Fishin_Dan]

Ssssshhhhhhh..... Wanna go check out how "empty" it is soon Scott

[Scott nthQld]

yeah, next new moon, we'll go early in the morning, like still dark at 4or5am (this should beat the wind too, touch wood!) and get some live squid and catch some grassy's and fingers, and maybe, just maybe, if we pray to the fishing gods REAL hard, a trout when the sun comes up. In the meantime I've got a few more modifications to the boat I'll try and get done, not before going out for another fish though!

[horseboy]

The other joint i want to try is virago shoal inshore from middle reef. But dont know what sort of bottom it is if it is mud or rubble if it is ruble should be good for fingers and if mud the deeper holes should be good for jew maybe. but hopefully the weather will be better next break and i can get out further. anyone know what the spoil grounds out the front of tyhe harbour are like? and is cape cleveland any good or is it hit hard?.

WADE

[Scott nthQld]

cape cleveland is hit pretty hard, but still holds a lot of good fish, if you know where to get them. The trouble is the wind can pick up out of nowhere, often worse than other areas and it makes for a very rough trip home, hence why I don't go there.

I have fished virago shoals once, a couple of years ago and got a couple of fingermark to 43cm, but since then, the sounder blew up due to some electrician's technical know how and since I've hooked the new sounder up, last time I went I couldn't find it with no sounder we knew we were in the general area so we just chased the pelagics around Rowes bay, trying to guess where the shoal was as they seemed to be hanging off it but to no avail, ended up nearly hitting a couple of turtles.