Terrible Charter Experiences!!! More and more often....

[prdesa]

Hi to all good people,

Just wandering if anyone wants to share their thoughts and experiences.

What is happening with many of the fishing charter companies? Service is getting worse with each trip. Charge more, provide less. I am specifically talking about Gold Coast charters. I have been out fishing with quite a few in last 15 years and as mentioned it is getting worse with each trip. Decided not to go deep sea fishing Gold Coast anymore. Sunshine Coast only from now on. Hope it is better that way.

In last 6-7 years it seems as if skippers (charter operators) do not want to you catch fish. Ride out and drop a line for 15-20 min and change location. Ride for 20min + and drop lines for 15-30 min top. What is going on? Last time I went, recently, exactly that happened again. Went with the same charter for mates bucks thing, several of us as a part of 20 people on the boat and than again another mate was given a voucher for his birthday with the same charter and I went with him a few weeks after that hoping it will get better. After we came back, mate I was furious. I kept telling the skipper to let us fish but he just kept changing locations and making stupid excuses. We spent more time in motion then fishing 70/30. It was ridiculous. We caught nothing at the end of the full day. I told them off and grabbed my money back at the end of the day. Did not pay. That is twice with the same charter.

Can any of the skippers explain to me why is this done? changing locations constantly even if the fish starts to bite.

Look I have been fishing all my life. I do not want to catch 50kgs of fish to take home with me. I want 2-3 fish and I am happy. Rest of it I let go. It is a sport after all. But I DO WANT TO FISH AND NOT RIDE AROUND. I mean do we all look like idiots that do not understand what is happening here. Paying $200+ each time to ride in a boat is not something I consider good day spent fishing.

And this is not only with that particular charter. This has happened many times in the last 6-7 years with different charters. Is the main reason they do not want us to catch, preservation? if they are afraid of areas being fished out implement stricter bag limits regardless of government limits. Wouldn't it be great if we can catch a few good size fish and the rest let go, grab a picture and see ya later. Why do I need 30 kilos of fish???? I know some people will take it all home. Knuckleheads. Seriously!! You'll throw it away before you eat it.
or
We are being treated like morons, because that is how those guys behave and their attitude towards everyone is just insulting. Hence me going off like a bomb.

Anyway, can anyone share some thoughts on this please? I'd love to know the reason. Also, suggest a good charter for Sunnshine Coast, Noosa, Mooloolaba etc.

Thanks everyone

Igs

[jackson4300]

A lot of the cheaper charters you get what you pay for. I have been out with fish the deep a couple of times now and they have been fantastic, I recommend them for the Gold Coast. Off Brisbane would have to be john gooding and Sunshine Coast is smithy. These guys are all on the more expensive side with smaller boats but worth every dollar. Unless I have completely booked the boat I wouldn't expect the skipper to do what I wanted.

[Scalem]

It's most likely that these guys have their regular spots that have produced fish in the past and don't want to over fish any one particular mark, preserving fish stocks for the next trip out. I wouldn't tell anyone how to run their business because I've never been a charter operator, but moving that much must cost them a lot more fuel so the answer must be to have a billion marks and a good management of them, go there and stay longer. I've always understood that if you are not catching fish at any particular spot there is a good chance that it's not the location but the wrong time of day/tide/barometric pressure/ if there are bananas on board etc etc. Stay, burley up or just keep drifting around. If it becomes a car park with other boats is usually the main reason I will move to another location.

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[Lovey80]

People have been complaining about Gold Coast charter operators for years. Remember it was them that started the whole snapper review and got us restricted on the snapper bag last time. Come up to the sunny coast and book a ride with Smithy. He'll look after you.

[preso]

No charter would want to waste fuel.

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[TomTom22]

I Haven't fished a charter off the sunny coast for a couple of years now as i have my own boat but when i used to go out it was mainly with Top catch charters. probably did 8-10 trips over a couple of years and was never disappointed. of course there was a couple of slow days and that's fishing but always brought home a feed.

[Triple]

I reckon you said it yourself.. preservation. You go on a charter every few weeks/months, they go out nearly everyday. You want 2-3 fish then so would everyone else on board. 20 or so board. Taking 50 plus fish off a spot each time plus all the other charters and recs is not sustainable.

[chris69]

If there's no bites why hang around if the fish are there,if their there you will catch them,its really a hard job to find fish for customers the moon and tide are not good every day or weekends,but some operators think there smarter than the customers and do treat them badly and they dont stay around for long,they seem to hand out licences to every tom dick and harry that has some sea time up.

[Stradic]

I reckon you said it yourself.. preservation. You go on a charter every few weeks/months, they go out nearly everyday. You want 2-3 fish then so would everyone else on board. 20 or so board. Taking 50 plus fish off a spot each time plus all the other charters and recs is not sustainable.

Oh ok so it's ok for the charter operater to take your money but then not want you to catch fish because it's not sustainable. So what'sthe solution ? If you don't want customers catching fish i think it's best that particular charter finds a new career path

[Camhawk88]

A good operator will have heaps of spots that produce so they can spread the pressure. They should be able to take 20-30 fish off a spot and move on. But they dont hit that spot every day- maybe once or twice a month. That is how to run a successful charter and maintain a balance.
I think the problem is fishing 20 people. that is a lot of pressure if the fish are on so to maintain that you will need a hell of a lot of spots to rotate through. Id be looking for smaller operators. There are a number up here that run with 2-4 people and they produce quality fish pretty much every trip.

[prdesa]

Oh ok so it's ok for the charter operater to take your money but then not want you to catch fish because it's not sustainable. So what'sthe solution ? If you don't want customers catching fish i think it's best that particular charter finds a new career path

Exactly my point Stradic. Why take the money? Maybe solution is to take 1-2 good fish and remarket as catch and release. Take a snap shot to show your mate and "wife". That's what it is about.

Don't you hate when they tell you how great a day is for fishing and all that and at the end of the day " oops sorry fellas, fish was not on the bite for some reason.

[TruBlue]

Went out the front of Moreton with a mate, his strategy was to have several marks around the route , stop at 1 mark do a couple of drifts pull a couple of fish n move to the next an so on working his way up along Moreton
Then do the same heading back down, he said to me that a lot find fish n spend to much time repeating the same drift when the fish have stopped biting as the area is fished hard n after a couple of drifts u have stirred them up with noise ect, so move to the next mark n if u pull a couple of fish at each mark and u had half a dozen you bag anyway
We bagged out that day and several other trips
Now I do the same
Out the front of the Goldie could b much the same
Cheers



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[scottar]

To a point they are damned if they do, damned if they don't. If they move often to try and find fish and don't catch anything people complain. If they don't move to find fish and don't catch anything - people say they didn't try hard enough to put them onto fish and complain. The goldie is hit hard and it can be as TruBlue indicated from my experience. As has been recommended, if you wish to have more input as to the way the boat is run for the day, look for the smaller operators and hire the boat - or take your own.

[The Black Unicorn]

That's the risk you take going on a charter. I used quite a few different ones when travelling around Oz and the results varied from donuts to great hauls. One memorable donut was a Spanish hunt at Cape York. Who would think that would happen but it does. Even in my own fishing if I haven't got a fish in 1 or 2 drifts I will move and that's just keeping myself and a mate happy. Imagine trying to keep 20 people happy.

[bluefin59]

Having done dozens of charters over the years in many different areas of Australia I would suggest that some days even the best operators struggle to get a fish but choosing a good charter company is about research and forming relationships.
If you want a good regular haul of fish then maybe going to a seafood market or taking an extended charter of Gladstone might be a better option for you ,but if having a good day out and meeting new people and learning a few new techniques is what your after then it will cost you do find a decent operator on the Goldie or north coast for that matter . I believe Smithy on the north coats would be the go to man on the north coast and on the Goldie I use SEAPROBE Fishing Charters or Fish the deep i believe are pretty good as well but if your on a charter and can still see surfers paradise give it away your kidding your self . Matt