My Cousin and I AKA Cods Wallup have just returned from anepic seven days at Stanage Bay.After a year in the planning and a million texts and phone calls we headed offjust over a week ago. Got to the notorious road at about 230am and grabbed afew hours rest before hitting the last 100kms.
Upon arrival our fears of bad weather were realised whengiven a strong wind warning for the next 4 days by Von at SB bait ant tackle.However we picked our chins up knowing that unlike other places Stanage offersplenty of sheltered water options and Dinosaur Mudcrabs. We got the boat readylaunched the Awesome “green mullet” 6.6hydracraft with 250 suzi and headed off on our 7day adventure. First port ofcall set the pots and poke out the front to see just how bad it was. A decisionwas made to punch out to the marbles and to say we got wet was anunderstatement but at this stage we were so keen we didn’t care.
We set up camp in as protected waters as possible and whilewe were beginning to feel sorry for ourselves and dry out the rods went off andit all began. A few fish later and a couple of beers laced with Stones GG offto bed. In the morning we woke to bait fish and Meter plus Queeny’s on popperseach and the spirits were looking up. We headed back into Stanage and spent theNext night up the sound and got a few monster bream and crabs on board. Whilemunching on some 2minute noodles I attended a bite and as I picked up the rodexpecting another Bream got nailed and rod was gone. Standing shattered Codssays to me were not in Kansas anymore . Then not twenty minutes later he was winding in and noticed some looseyellow braid on his line “no way’ on the other end was my rod and reel, no fishbut thank you fishing gods.
We pulled the boat out on Wed to reorganise or as Billyliked to call it “minimise to maximise” as we had almost enough gear to sink aship so to speak. Went up the shop tosus out the weather and nearly wet ourselves to hear no wind or swell for thenext four days. Hurried back to finish sorting out the boat, unloaded a heap ofgear into the back of the ute and got back in the water.
The next four days were some of the most memorable fishingdays of both of our lives. We camped at Hexam Island and to be fishing in Fivemins each day was amazing and a big saving on fuel. The first trout on boardwent 66cm well done Bill. We bagged out on our reef fin plus and awesome dayand a half on the plastics singling out more quality fish, Golden TrevallyTrout, Cod, bigger sweety’s another meter plus queeny and then a red hotsession on massive Golden Trevally.
Oh yeh im failing to mention the GPS / Souder caught fire onday one so we were very proud to have fished blind and deaf with only ourinstincts and experience to guide us. This did stop us from fining any sizedReds which seemed to be the only thing to elude us. We got about a dozen withthe best 53cm could not stretch that last 20mm.
We came in Sat arvo through the need for more Ice only toget talking with some fellow fisherman who had nailed some bigs reds and werekeen to let us tag along on Sunday as more glass was predicted and they weresympathetic to out technical issues. To those boys if your on Ausfish you knowwho you are and we thank you. I wish more blokes were this generous. Boy did weget a lesson though. They bagged out on the reds and all we got was busted upand a shitload of sweety’s and a few Noahs. Hope to see you again next yearboys.
With cut up fingers and aching arms, lower back and boxes offish a crabs and being blessed with suchamazing conditions we decided we had had enough “Icing on the cake” and pulledup stumps a day early. Shocked the missus when we surprised them a day earlyand got to cuddle the kids.
To the people of Stanage especially at the Bait and Tacklestore thank you for your great and generous service and advice. We will be backand we hope they don’t touch the road cause its all part of the experience ofStanage, it takes total commitment. Billy if you can add to this mate take over thanks for a memorable trip.
Notenoughsickies.
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. I'm a bit paranoid that way.
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