Shitty trip out to Deep Tempest

[Mr__Bean]

G'Day guys,

Whilst most reports here highlight the successful days we have, this is one of those "gee that didn't work" stories.

Head out from Scarborough at 4.30am yesterday with 4 blokes from work on board, rods and reels all rigged for some bottom bashing out at Deep Tempest. Hadn't been there before and thought we would give it a try.

Armed with some starter marks and some assistance from people here we dropped our lines in with good pilly and squid baits.

But ohhhh the drift..... out went the sea anchor but the current running across the wind had us fishing side on to the waves. Sea was pretty good so not too much of a problem but the odd big one had us holding on.

We soon found that it was damn hard to get the baits down though, big lumps of lead went on that had the rods buckling under the weight but with the amount of current we still struggled to get to bottom.

We put in about 2 hours and hardly lost a bait, not a lot on the sounder but definately fish down there. One of the guys was quite crook by now after his 3rd or 4th spit (down to the bile) so we got the shits on and headed back to Bulwer so he could walk the beach and get his legs back. Poor show in the ice box with only one snapper on board.

After a break we sounded around some channel markers and pulled up near one to see what we could entice, bugger all again.

Took the guys for a run around the bay and then back on the trailer at 2pm and a couple of beers before heading off home to clean up.

So, if anyone contemplates fishing Deep Tempest I reckon you need to time your trip around the tide and not the daybreak. You need a good sea anchor and I reckon you need braid not mono to get the line down straight.

As mentioned bit of a shitty fishing trip, but it still beat being in the office all day.

- Darren

[madman1]

I tried to call you yesterday Darren and now understand why you you didn't answer. I too would get on the drink after a trip like that!


Better luck next time.

Cheers


Mark

[-spiro-]

not good but you get that better than working tho

[Adamy]

I feel your pain Darren!! Lots of time, petrol and energy go into planning an outside trip like that and to have the elements against you isnt good. I guess it makes those trips when everything comes together that much more memorable.

Better luck next time!!

Adam

[lukesnapper]

mate i was out yesterday around the 33s and southern 35s and we had the same problam! the only success i had was finding plenty of yakkas on the way out!
i hate days like that! hopefully saterday i can bring home a feed.

cheers
luke

[snappa]

going to tempest tomorrow .????????????

[onerabbit]

Hey Mr Bean,

your yestersday sounds like our's !!!!!

We crossed Ballina bar at sparrow f@rt & headed straight for the 48s (we were told the current was only in close) but we struggled to get a bite after a pretty rough 13ml journey.
By 8.30 we were already sick of the 2.5kt current & took advantage in the lull in the wind to move back to the 32's north of Lennox Head.

We struggled to find a fish !!!!!!!!

By 10.30 the wind started puffing again & our 2lb sinkers were floating in the current.

In the end, our last resort was to fish the sand on the inside of the 32s as the wind picked up.

Probably shouldn't winge, we came home with 13 good flatties, but we would have normally just chucked them back if we could have gotten onto good fish.

At the end of the day, we caught bugger all except flatties (3 others), we were home early, but after a month of cr@ppy weather , it was just great to get back out there.

Muzz

[Brissyguy]

Darren,

Hard lines mate.

Saw you entering the passage as we were heading out.

We got caught in that Skirmish and Western Bank wind against the tide crap, and not knowing what it was like outside, we spent the night at Curtain.
Called you a few times on "72" but you must have either still been motoring or back on the trailer.

Got a nice Cobe but lotsa current and bugger all else.
Buzzed the beacons before dark and just on light but zilch.

Only real bonus was total glass out last night for a comfy sleep lol.
On the down side, forgot to put my new rego numbers on the boat and after a nice 15 minute chat with 2 very personable snr connies at Curtain, copped a $150 fine. #$@!*&^%

Cheers,
Rich.

[Mr__Bean]

Hmmmm, seems I wasn't the only one with a poor show yesterday.

I wondered about puting this post up as you mostly hear of the good reports and very few of the bad days, guess this keeps it in balance a bit hey....

Good luck tomorrow Snappa, hope you get onto them, let us know how it goes.

Brissy, apologies prolly had the radio off by then. You are right there was some rough water there yesterday. Good pretty crook around the northern tip of Moreton actually, we came in a bit shallow and I ended up running near WOT for a patch to keep clear of some steep ones that closed in behind us. It certainly gets a bit confused as the depth changes there.

Didn't recognise you on the way into Pumicstone or I would have had a yack, you weren't the guy we passed on the wrong side were you?

Did you see the young dolphins doing their aerial work? They were playing with the jelly's and getting between 6-8 feet out of the water, thought we were at Seaworld for a minute there.

- Darren

[rob7]

Hi Mr Bean, I think we saw you on the way out drifting past moreton- we had a similar trip to Deep Tempest, even with live yakka's floatlining and bottom bashing we managed one 35 cm squire and a 4 foot bronze whaler as nothing would stay down deep due to current and cross wind. Sometimes it would be better to stay in the Bay but there is always the chance of that fish of a lifetime offshore. We did hear two blokes on VHF 21 having a fantastic time trolling apparently picking up dolphin, billfish and wahoo but not sure where they were located.
Theres always next time.
Rob
Ps you're right about it being better than work though!

[2DKnBJ]

Bit of a bummer there Darren.
But hey...You get those days.All part of fishing

Cheers Dazza

[onerabbit]

What sort of current are you guys trying to fish in????

We have had up to 3.5 knt current in Ballina, impossible to fish the 32s with 2lb once the wind comes up.

Muzz

[Brissyguy]

Darren,

Wasn't us you passed on the wrong side, we were sitting quite happily on about 25 knots with thoughts only of fish lol going through the mouth of the passage.

Re Dolphins... They were everywhere, pods, singles, doubles etc.
Big black ones where doing a lot of hearding then slapping through the bait balls most of the time we were out there.
Deckie (my beautiful wife if she reads this) saw aerial antics behind us as we were motoring a few times.

They were especially thick around the beacons, the deckie thought we were burleying them up at times as everytime we got a trail happening they would turn up.

Cheers,
Rich.

[Lucky_Phill]

BUgga Darren,

I may have a suggestion for you. pm me if interested.

Phill