Night Fishing in the Bay

[TimiBoy]

Folks, I've had my boat for a year now, and would love to fish at night, but I'm just too damn scared. I'm lining up all the things I'm worried about, and mostly it's just an irrational fear of what I can't see running me over, or the thought of getting a crab pot tangled up in the new Enertia!

If there's a congenial bloke out there who'd either have me along to learn the ropes, or would like to tag along with me and do same, I am taking applications

Just expect me to fall off the boat at about 10:30 from extreme exhaustion (I'm always up too early!

[SummerTrance]

Hey mate, if you've got your anchor light on, no one should run over you. Just make sure you've been to wherever you plan to go, plenty of times in the daylight so you know where your going. sus out any things there are to hit. all beacons in the bay are lit at night. Its not that bad really. First time is a bit scary, but after that its a breeze.

[Reel Nauti]

The anchor light wouldn't have done much good for the poor buggers who were run over by the Riv in broad daylight!!

Sorry ST, don't mean to poke fun, just damn cranky and upset that innocent men could be harmlessly fishing and be run over through blatant negligence.

Dave

[mik01]

Folks, I've had my boat for a year now, and would love to fish at night, but I'm just too damn scared. I'm lining up all the things I'm worried about, and mostly it's just an irrational fear of what I can't see running me over, or the thought of getting a crab pot tangled up in the new Enertia!

If there's a congenial bloke out there who'd either have me along to learn the ropes, or would like to tag along with me and do same, I am taking applications

Just expect me to fall off the boat at about 10:30 from extreme exhaustion (I'm always up too early!

where do you launch from mate?
will be heading out for an arvo/night fish in the bay this weekend, leaving from Raby Bay most likely.

there's not much to it really - probably the hardest part I have is finding my way back home!!!! I mean finding the markers against the lights of the shore - especially picking the point at Raby Bay and making sure I give it a wide berth.

have had a couple of interesting times coming up on tinny's without adequate lighting, but overall haven't worried about crab pots etc. sure they are there, but your chances are very slim of wrapping it round your prop.

maybe you just need to 'bite the bullet' and hit the bay and have some fun. just remember to have adequate lighting and a strong torch in case someone is bearing down on you - at least you can flash it at them!

[charleville]

As SummerTrance says, it is a good idea to head out into the bay whilst there is still daylight.

Coming back is not a problem as those big Port-of-Brisbane lights, and the city's lights in general, light up the Bay really well and you can see very clearly what you are heading into. Usually it is pretty calm coming home as well.

However, going out into the bay with the city lights behind you at night can be a bit daunting, especially if you are going into anything other than a millpond because you cannot see the waves that you are hitting. Once you get your night vision in control, and especially if it is a bright moonlit night, you can travel anywhere with little concern.

The problem won't be what runs you over but what/who you run over. There are too many dills out there in places like the east of Green Island and Mud Island who fish without lights and indeed, sense. Hence, don't travel faster than what your eyes allow you to see ahead and avoid at night.

Boating in the open bay at night does not create too many navigation challenges on a clear night but night boating in a place like Jumpinpin does if you are not very familiar with the beacons in daylight. There are so many and at night it is often hard to tell which of those three beacons in front of you (say) is the closest.

Also remember that when you are returning to port at night from the open bay, there are few landmarks that you will recognise so until such time as you get practised enough to navigate by sight at night, it would be wise to set your GPS up with routes in the daylight.

Having said all of that, night fishing is my preferred mode of operation. I go alone, usually getting to where I want to be just before sunset and I always log on to the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club who keep a radio watch until 9.30 pm on weeknights (when I go) and I always telephone my wife when I get to my destination in the Bay so that she knows where I am.

I have a routine that when actually traveling at night, I ALWAYS don my lifejacket - although I take it off when anchored.

Night fishing on one's own in the bay in winter is one of life's most awesome experiences. The night sky, the smells, the sounds, the zephyr breezes, the monsters that you will catch, all comprise an experience that you will barely be able to force yourself to leave to go home from.

On a bad night though, when the calm weather suddenly turns against you in a wild 30 knot rain squall, you will need to have made sure that your boat is shipshape and you are well prepared with your safety gear at hand. That does not happen very often. It is easy to become disoriented at night in a bit of rough weather - not being sure which way you are facing. That can be unnerving the first couple of times but unless you panic and do something stupid, you will soon correct yourself.


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[r3volt]

Since ive actually started going out alot more at night im suprised at the amount of boats without lights or that dont know which lights to have on.

The other night when i passed the red beacon at the bottom of coochie there was a boat with i think anchored to the beacon with no lights and when i came close they held up some small lights, luckily i could make them out in the night before they remembered thier lights :\

Timiboy, I was a bit worried my first time about a night fish but after i got out there i loved it. No heat, not many boats around and plently of stars.
You will be suprised how easy it is too see once your eyes are adjusted and aslong as you go maybe a bit slower then normal and go somewhere you are familiar with its not really any harder then at day... lol ive only ever run agound during the day... touch wood :S

[TimiBoy]

Many thanks Guys'n'Girls! Great advice, much appreciated.

I have Furuno Navnet so the navigation part should be easy, I think the trick would be to crank down the backlight on it, and watch the water more than the screen. And slow down, of course...

There's no doubt my Cruisecraft 685 will be nice and comfy out there, and she is definitely adequately lit.

I launch from the Redland Bay Boat Club at Raby Bay, Mik01 do you want to come with me? FREE TRIP you know! Or I'd love to tag along with you, if you'll have me. Please PM me if either suits. Don't fear, I love to pay my way, and cleaning boats is my favourite pasttime

Cheerzall!

[Leighton]

dont worry about crab pots mate, its hard enough seing some of the barnicle and weed infested floats during the day.

[missami]

I found that as long as you got all batteries charged, all safety gear and all lights on board.(and working) Oh...dont forget to take a friend. It keeps the nerves down. Crab pots have never been a prob for me in the Bay. Unless im wanting to anchor in the shallows for the night. I believe its the best time to go any ways. And I'm a chick, so harden the **** up. As my boyfriend would say. :-) Enjoy fishing over weekend guys. I cant wait to head out tonight for a bay bash..

[lampuki]

I have been run over at night,nearly sunk our boat! We were lit just fine, the skipper of the 50fter fell asleep at the wheel - autopilot was taking him into pt cartwright. nearly killed us, i got caught up in the prop wash....Your fear is not totally unjustfied because there are some F wits out there. Budy boating is great when doing overnighters, its nice to have friends around when your 70 km offshore.

[TimiBoy]

Yeah thanks missami, took a spoonful of concrete and hardened the F up!

Had a blind date Saturday night with shabs and mik01 (all praise to Ausfish for bringing us together!!) and we stayed out until 10ish.

The weather was crap, blowing hard and bumpy as hell. It showed up the pointlessness of anchoring my tub on my 15 pound plough, now have a no 4 Sarca on order. No 3's just too small, even though a couple of salesmen said I'd be right with it, but that was the biggest they had in stock (the boat's 2.5 ton plus people). Leasure Marine bit the bullet and told me I should wait for the no 4, kudos to them.

Very few fish, plastics annoyed the crap out of all of us. Mik missed a monster out the front of St Helens (after he switched to tiny gear to make the baby squire fun) and shabs caught a killer shark on the last cast of the night, photo below.

Bloody good night though, thanks fellas!

[mik01]

cheers for the night Tim.
shame the fish didn't want to play - but at least you are comfortable at night in the bay now!!!
nothing like punching into a stiff breeze and a solid swell in pitch black to harden you up!!!!