Quiet day at Peel 31.03.08

[SummerTrance]

Went over to my usual spot at Peel again this morn. Fishing was very quiet today and I only landed one Pinkie snap at 40cm. Had two bust off's, one felt big (pulled harder then anything ive caught so far anyways) and gave a good fight. I almost had it at the boat and was looking for colour when bang... busted off. I'll get you next time Mr Snapper!

Also I have a contender for Idiot of the week. I was just at the end of a drift (heading north from south) past the reef, when some toolbelt in a very new looking Cruise Craft blasted past me at about 20-25 knots, 20 metres south of me straight over the reef and my fishing ground as he headed for Straddie. It was exactly 1 hour b4 low tide and its still about 2-3 metres deep at low tide and he passed over it ok. But obviously with no idear regarding navigation, he kept on his heading straight for Straddie. 30 seconds later..... CRUNCH!!!!!!! He ran aground hard on the rock/coral ledge of the western side of lazerats gutter. He then tried to power through it. I was about 150 metres away and could clearly hear the grinding of his hull and prop of the ledge. Obviously he relised he wasnt going anywhere forwards, he trimmed up the E-Tec and tried to reverse out. It took him about a minute of grinding in reverse to get off the ledge. Safely in the channel, he made a phone call, and that person obviously told him to go staright back to the ramp. He was then slowly heading for the ledge of northen Peel, untill I yelled at him to go the other way. Dangerously he also had a small child on board. This guy had no idear of channel markers, navigation and obviously hadnt looked at a chart b4 leaving on his trip. All ya can do is shake ya head and wonder how these people get boat licences. It's way too easy me thinks.

Anyways.... despite the lack of fish, it was a great day on the water. The pick of the bay was taken looking north from Peel about lunchtime.

[ddobson]

Nice day and i thought it would be quiet at that time of the week. A shame about the biggins gettin away but i am used to that game. I just chase em down to give me a fighting chance. Cheers.

[Leighton]

If he hit the coral then he was well into Turtle Zone..what a Rooster.
Bad luck on the Snaps mate, next time. You may have to search for new ground around Peel!
Any birds working?

[Outsider1]

It is amazing how many come to grief around Lazarets like that, it is very beguiling if you have not bothered to look at the charts etc. I have seen some big boats do it too, ouch!.

The Spit is another trap for the uniformed and silly, at the other end of Peel! The number of yachts that have put themselves up on the sandbank trying to cut the corner is amazing, and some are locals trying to short cut the trip home to Manly, beggars belief really.

Hope to head over to Peel later in the week to see what might be biting, hope the weather holds. I was on the banks north of Peel last week, plenty of birds but no activity unfortunately, they looked lost and forlorn

Cheers

Dave

[SummerTrance]

Captain

Only saw one small bit of bird action, and saw only a few lonely longtails throughout the day. Didnt bother chasing. And yes, you are right, he was way into the 'no planing zone' going at full noise! I'd say he did a lot of damage to his nice expensive new boat, not to mention the coral.

Yeh, I do need to find some new spots. I did try an area a bit to the south for a while, but then returned to old faithful for the turn of the tide, thats when I lost the biggy

[Xtreme]

Hi SummerTrance,

congrats on another successful trip, you'll land that larger fish in the next few trips I am sure. How was the water colour? It was very clear further up the bay today which made the fish spooky. Still managed a feed of bream and a nice flattie though myself.

Wish I was there to see the spectical, albeit, nothing shuts down a shallow reef snapper bite better than a high reving engine over the top.

May the snapper gods repay you for your patients and not strangling the guy.

[SummerTrance]

Take 2

Thanks. Was a long day on the water for one fish but i still enjoyed myself. The water was super clear today and I think that was the problem. The only fish i got was at 6:30am. (although the one i lost was at 12:30pm in full sunlight) I have noticed that the fish bite better on overcast days. Is that the case?

[plaztix]

Take 2

Thanks. Was a long day on the water for one fish but i still enjoyed myself. The water was super clear today and I think that was the problem. The only fish i got was at 6:30am. (although the one i lost was at 12:30pm in full sunlight) I have noticed that the fish bite better on overcast days. Is that the case?

I'm hearin ya, i spent over 6 hours on saturday trying every spot i know around peel for nothing over 30cm and grinners

The water did seem very clear although there was quite a bit of weed in some areas, which doesn't help.

I've also found that overcast days are generally better and the fish stay biting a bit longer into the morning, but not that day.

Didn't see as many boats at the usual spots either, was supposed to rain all morning so that probably kept people off the water. Soft

[Xtreme]

SummerTrace / Plastix,

A wise man once told me the only rule in fishing is that there are none, that said, there are lots of theories and practical observations that give some guidance to why you MIGHT catch more or less fish in a given set of conditions.

EG: The fact that fish don't have eyelids means they use depth as one means of controlling light into their eyes. Discoloured water means the fish can tolerate higher ambient light conditions. Bright, sunny days with clear water see's the fish go deep very early in the day and not returning til evenings.

Cloudy days can produce more fish over a longer period for similar reasons (apparently).

Not sure how much scientific evidence supports this but I have experienced these factors generally, of course there are always exceptions.

Tides, hunger and other factors will all over-ride these at times which supports the "No rules" statement

Everyone will have theories and "My mate says" stories but a few very simple guidelines work for most.

• ALWAYS use the lightest jig head / sinker the conditions allow
• Same for main lines and leaders
• Bright lures on bright days, dull on overcast (And clear water)

The leader / line one is critical and if you do any day time bream luring you will experience it first hand in a visual context, big bream will tail a lure time and again on too heavy gear but willing take the same lure when the gear is scales right back, the trade off (as per your Peel experience) is hooking the monster of a lifetime on 6lb line and 10lb leader and watching him bury you in the reef.

My Peel reef plastics outfits include a 12lb mainline and 12 lb flourocarbon leader with 1/8 oz jig head and a second with 20lb / 20lb / 1/4 oz. When I get there I decide which is the primary outfit based on conditions above and switch up if I get bricked more than once or down if I get short strikes or follows.

I am sure many more qualified that I will have much more to add but it is just fishing and it's meant to be enjoyable. NEVER dont go fishing if the other factors such as work and family provide you the opportunity. I know guys who stay at home because the atmospheric conditions are not 100% conducive...A missed opportunity I say.

Hope those 3 little tips help you towards more and bigger fish,

Good Luck

[pickers]

Summertrance
saw a simalar thing happen at peel some years ago.
I could hear the rumble of twin V8's come out of Raby bay and head straight for the northern end of peel , I was fishing up on the hanlon light and was watching this big game boat roaring across the bay towards the reef and not turning at all.
I was thinking to myself...mate you might want to make a bit of a turn now....mate I'd turn now if I were you...then BOOM UP THE REEF HE DROVE IT...what s

[pickers]

Summertrance
saw a simalar thing happen at peel some years ago.
I could hear the rumble of twin V8's come out of Raby bay and head straight for the northern end of peel , I was fishing up on the hanlon light and was watching this big game boat roaring across the bay towards the reef and not turning at all.
I was thinking to myself...mate you might want to make a bit of a turn now....mate I'd turn now if I were you...then BOOM UP THE REEF HE DROVE IT...what a numnut...I heard later he did about $150,00 in damage to the boat...more money than brains.
pickers

[honda900]

pickers.

we were out there saturday week ago, bit windy but not too bad, same thing here comes this stinking great mustang cruiser, straight across the reef, though here we go bit of entertainment. He realised in time and must have stopped with a metre or so of water underneath, took him about another 30 minutes idling to get out from where he was.

Lucky.

Regards
Honda