Fishing plans for 2023

[NAGG]

Hey all

It's a little slow around here & so it might be interesting to hear what every ones fishing plans are for this year ...... be it a trip , project , new gear etc .
I'm sure we've all got something in mind ..... if not started already.

Over to you

Chris

[gunna]

I was only thinking last night that you were a bit quiet. I was going to post something nasty about Labor to lure you out lol. My major plan this year is to do something I didn’t do last year. Put the boat in the water. Other than that I will be farm sitting a couple times again this year on a place with terrific cod fishing. Nothing I enjoy more than cod on poppers.

[Noelm]

Probably my plans are to take the smaller grandkids out (twins, they are now 6) a bit, they love the boat/fishing/crabbing. Once I get the cat trailer finished I would like to do just some "simple" fishing, Flathead and stuff like that, just easy drifting around fishing, nothing complicated or major preparation and cleaning up later.

[NAGG]

I was only thinking last night that you were a bit quiet. I was going to post something nasty about Labor to lure you out lol. My major plan this year is to do something I didn’t do last year. Put the boat in the water. Other than that I will be farm sitting a couple times again this year on a place with terrific cod fishing. Nothing I enjoy more than cod on poppers.

Thanks Pete

I dont think there is too much going on politically at the moment ...... but thanks for thinking of me .

Surface cod fishing is pretty good .

Chris

[NAGG]

Probably my plans are to take the smaller grandkids out (twins, they are now 6) a bit, they love the boat/fishing/crabbing. Once I get the cat trailer finished I would like to do just some "simple" fishing, Flathead and stuff like that, just easy drifting around fishing, nothing complicated or major preparation and cleaning up later.

The joys of being a grandfather

Mine are a little too young ...... but it will come . My grandson is lucky to have a father who is a very keen fishoe - so I would expect Codey to follow .

Chris

[chris69]

I was thinking of going to lake missery next week but you have posted nothing about your trip and I’m hearing of only small fish and hard times by the best that know the lake better so now I’m scratching my head about what to do now .

[NAGG]

For me 2023 will be significantly different to 2022

22 was the year of the big spend ..... New electronics , new tackle (quite a bit - incl taking up cod fishing) & finally a second boat & renovations to that boat . There is still some work to be done on the second boat but there is no rush now. Aside from buying my Barcrusher ..... it was by far the biggest year on expenditure .

With that out of the way - 2023 will be about enjoying what I have & mixing it up . Over the next couple of months there will be a cod trip out to a western NSW dam (Windemere or Burrendong) before the first of two trips to Evans Head . Having fished at Evan once before in February - I'm looking forward to a mixed bag .

I'll need to look at options for Easter but I reckon I might be on a dam out west

May sees the 2nd & longer Evans Head trip (8 full days) . I absolutely love this trip & it will be the 7th consecutive year that I've fished Evans Head . For the last few years rather than camping I've rented a house that served me & my deckie well . A shock came just before Christmas when I was told that the booking had been cancelled as the owners wanted to renovate the place ( It did need to be spruced up) . Anyhow the hunt was on to find another place & wow we have come across a cracker ..... a bit more $$ but plenty of parking .... & what a view Evans Head accom.jpg
Each & every trip has been pretty special ...... & the results have got better year in year out ...... when you throw back meter plus jewies , spotties & 70cm snapper - wow no wonder why this is an annual event.

From there it will be some winter cod trips out west - nothing like camping on the edge of a lake (fire) & having the boat in the water.

October will see me towing the hornet up to Kinchant ..... a much better prospect than taking the barcrusher like last year. ..... once again some other mates will join us & that makes for a great trip.

the Christmas period ...... yet to decide - I could go over to WA & catch up with my young bloke in the Pilbara - or it could be another road trip north . I was actually surprised by the availabily of camp sites at all of the dams (or near to them) in SW Qld & orthern NSW.

so there you have it ...... certainly have some good stuff planned to break up the working year - let it roll

Chris

[NAGG]

I was thinking of going to lake missery next week but you have posted nothing about your trip and I’m hearing of only small fish and hard times by the best that know the lake better so now I’m scratching my head about what to do now .

I didn't want to be putting up sunset photos

Mondy was tough ...... yep I got 3 small (60cm) fish in my first session - Over the next 3 days we boated another 3 fish with the best being 82cm . There are plenty of rats in rainforest * the points in 2 mile was where we had the most action (by far)

For me the whole trip was a tale of woes ........ Pulled the hooks on a good barra at mondy - had the line break on a strike - missed a few bites.

Callide - never had a touch ..... 1 swirl on a stiffy in 2 full days . (spoke to a dozen others - no one caught anything.)

Cania - a few small bass up river & straightened the hooks on a good toga . Plenty of bass around if you wanted to jig them.

Pindari - Miissed 1 surface strike , belted by one boatside on a big soft swimbait & a short strike on a big spinnerbait . Some young blokes who showed me around landed 7 in two days . Learnt a lot from watching & talking to them .

I would have put up a report if I took some good photos - but the camera shit itself from day 1

Chris

[chris69]

Gee you have done some fishing over xmass thanks for the update I though there would have been more bass for you a
Cania good to hear the toga are getting up in size to straiten hooks.

[NAGG]

Gee you have done some fishing over xmass thanks for the update I though there would have been more bass for you a
Cania good to hear the toga are getting up in size to straiten hooks.

In all honesty - I didn't fish anywhere near as hard as I normally would ..... It was more getting to know the new boat & a fair bit of sightseeing / looking .

If I was motivated - I would have trolled around & found the bass - then jigged them .

The toga have become more elusive from what I was told - less focused on surface ( apparently noticeable since bony bream were introduced into Cania) . Oh & back in 2007 when I first went to cania - we had two saratoga encounters ..... one lost after a long fight guesstimate 80cm & had one nearly go through the side of the boat that we called for around 90cm ...... two very large fish.

Chris

[Sea Unit]

My plans for 2023 simply involve getting on the water more than in 2022.

I sold the Formosa (6m half cabin) for a 7m fibregalss centre console from a new builder, Slayer Vessels out of Newcastle (happy to provide a rundown in a seperate thread if anyone is interested in another local builder).
This will provide the family and I with a bit more comfort for the extended, long range trips we tend to gear up for.

First up however will be a boys weekend to North West Island for some spear & line fishing. Hoping to score a weather / tide window in the next 3 months to make this one happen. I've done half a dozen day trips to the area (including an extended week long trip) and cannot wait to get back. This time with far less banging in a plush new glass hull!

[Volvo]

More offshore Fishing than last year.
More overnight outings.
Try out some new Japanese Knives I had on the wishlist last year along with some newer stones.
New filleting board/station back of the Tinny get rid of that useless one came with Boat.

[Noelm]

I guess another one of my "must do this year" is more fly fishing, I live right on a great fly fishing spot, plenty of Bream, Blackfish, Mullet, Whiting and even the odd Flathead (not all the time of course) all respond to bread burley and a bread fly, all I have to do is walk across the road, but I always find a reason not to go! Also take the older grandkids Lobster diving, another thing I have 10 excuses why I don't go.....

[disorderly]

My plans for 2023 simply involve getting on the water more than in 2022.

I sold the Formosa (6m half cabin) for a 7m fibregalss centre console from a new builder, Slayer Vessels out of Newcastle (happy to provide a rundown in a seperate thread if anyone is interested in another local builder).
This will provide the family and I with a bit more comfort for the extended, long range trips we tend to gear up for.

First up however will be a boys weekend to North West Island for some spear & line fishing. Hoping to score a weather / tide window in the next 3 months to make this one happen. I've done half a dozen day trips to the area (including an extended week long trip) and cannot wait to get back. This time with far less banging in a plush new glass hull!

Love to see a bit of a review of the new rig...I bet your back thanks you every trip now..