Good day out with 'Fish the Deep'

[matt fraser]

Well I'm pretty wrecked after a big day out with Fish the Deep.

I was onboard with eight other anglers, including Platitudinus (Peter) who is a weekly regular. We left Southport around 6am and stopped at a spot to jig lives, didn't take too long before we had enough and headed East to the 50 fathom line.

First drop with the livies and we are straight in to Kingies and Ambos. We took turns fishing four up at a time, making short drifts over some marks. Every drift saw up to three hook ups, and almost everyone got at least one or had a hookup, some got two or three, before the fish wised up.

Forecast was for up to 16 knots and I reckon by about 9am it was all that and more, and didn't really let up all day - pretty rough. A few did some burleying for us, poor buggers. I usually go down pretty easily, but I took a seasickness tablet the night before and again in the morning and I was good as gold all day.

We tried a few spots that didn't fire, went into the 36s tried drifting and floatlining for little result, very hard to fish with the conditions. Then headed North to the 42s I think? then to a Trag spot, which really produced, with around 25 trag coming aboard.

AJ the deckie and Matt the skipper worked hard all day to try and put us on fish and keep us fed and happy, and entertained, not an easy job!

For me it was an experience fishing those sort of depths, I've never used a sinker heavier than an 8 ball. But we were using 16Oz all day! The seas were also a challenge! Great to come home with a good feed, and to do something different.

It was great to meet Pete, and I can see why he is a very regular customer with Matt and AJ. They all commented that it was a pretty tough day, by usual standands. But there were plenty of happy customers back at the pontoon as we loaded our eskies with a good feed each.

Good day, but Geez I'm wrecked!

Matt

[Smithy]

Maybe you're a cat man too Matty if that is the first time you have been in one!

[lethal098]

Top stuff, certainaly looks a bit rough in the photos, a good feed none the less well done

cheers Lee

[Platitudinus]

Hey Matt;
Good to see you had the stamina to last the day. I look forward to seeing you again the next time you want your arms stretching a couple of inches!
Cheers
Plato

[rosco1974]

well done matt....hope u didn't let pete show u up mate... those amberjack deffinatly give the arms a workout..and plato did u get that big kingie u have been after mate....
cheers rosco

[Platitudinus]

Hi Rosco;
No the big Kingie still has my name on its flanks and is swimming around waiting for me - hopefully next week. Matt got a good Kingie around 9-10kg that stretched his arms a bit. After my first AJ I floatlined livie slimies on 2.5 ozs of lead to a double hook. I had one 64cm Kingie that made great sashimi later and one more AJ - both took on the drop about 20m above the bottom. The seas were huge and we took three waves over the back and one over the top. Kieran would have done well on the trag spot but the snaps were not performing.
Everyone went home with a good feed despite a few not fishing (burleying) for most of the day.
See you again.
Plato

[matt fraser]

G'day Smithy, I haven't been in a cat before, so maybe ? I'm slowly getting better at keeping the seasickness at bay, but I was surprised at how well I held up in those conditions.

Rosco, yeah they go pretty hard, good workout! Very different to get used to fighting on the big overhead gear. Bloody cumbersome compared to my usual spin and baitcast gear. I can see why Pete takes his own gear, braid doesn't agree with 50lb mono though!

I'm keen to go again Pete, but I wont be going out in more than ten knots though.

Lee, thanks, I got nine bags of fillets out of what I took, good to restock the freezer.

She's a big bit of water out there, totally different type of fishing than I'm used to, definitely takes a bit to wrap your head around. That's why I went on a charter, and they were good operators.

Cheers,

Matt