Smithy here using Russ' login.
Well the big talking point is the weather. 20-30 SE for over a month straight. Jagged one day out on the reef where it was 15-18knots. SEers are keeping everything cool, bringing showers, stuffing up the Barra and Jacks in the river and messing up the current out wide. Strange things are happening, the big Marlin are being caught anywhere from Lizard to Linden Bank and Jenny Louise Shoal. Lizard Tournament has been run and won with Tenacious skippered by Chris "Sharky" Miles successful on 8 tagged Marlin. Sharky is a Sunny Coast boy originally and he had his owner Kim McCendrick aboard. 2nd place was Diamond Girl skippered by Kim Andersen with Leigh "Colorado" Haltsbaum, Danny Simons and Kevin Cook aboard and with only one motor the last two days on 6 Marlin. That is pathetic for this tournament which goes for a week to be won by only 8 fish with many of them only small fish. There were 47 boats in it and many famous names went fishless. There were a few big ones around by they were mostly SEQ size and no mid-size ones. By the sounds of it the little Blacks are all over the place as well, at Cape Bowling Green, from 1770, off Fraser and off the Sunny Coast.
Picked up Monroe and Ken from Cairns airport then drove to Cooktown having a quick beer at the Palmer River Roadhouse.
First two days were in the river in the 475 Hornet. One legal Jack for tea and one undersize Jack was the tally the first day. Few tarpon the second day which we kept for troll baits then we tried for a reef assault the third as it was their last day there. Tried to follow Tradition out but we were no hope of keeping up so turned around and had breakfast at Cooks Landing before hitching up the Hornet for a river assault.
Wed night was barefoot bowls night. Captain America and Captain Japan enjoyed their first Crackerjack experience on doubles of Wild Turkey and Coke. We were heading for a pantsing the first couple of ends till they got their eye in then we made a great charge at the end.
Next up were Mal and Rod who drove up. First morning out up the River Rod picked up a 56cm Barra on a Richo Extractor. A while later on the same snag I dropped a good 70-80cm one on a Prawn Star. Headed out to Russ' Nannygai mark that afternoon putting in at 3.00 and puching out into 25knots of SE. Had trouble keeping on the mark in that wind and pulled anchor a fair bit. Actually snorkelling the reef it is amazing how wussy what we regard as a good length of chain actually is. Most time the plow drags metres and metres before hooking a bommie then the chain is just a shock absorber in mid air. That is is just in 10-20m of water. I hate to think what we get away with hanging on in 60+m. Didn't bag our or anything but put togther a nice feed everytime we were on it. Left just before dark.
Cleaned the boat and fish the next morning then played tourist for the afternoon. Finch Bay and Quarantine Bay are nice places. Will have to try this creek soon.
Finally got out to the reef. Only seriously Marlin fished one afternoon. Took 3 strikes. Hooked 2 things. Think one was a Hoo and the other a Black. 3rd strike was a Black as well I think. Bait fishing for Scaley Mackerel etc. was pretty poor with most of the action from the passages between the reefs rather than the bommies round the back. Had to share the No. 5 Ribbon anchorage with a super yacht which we think was called Andromeda going by the name on the boom.
Spent the night anchored behind 5 with a group of game boats including Tradition in the middle, Allure (43 Obrien no tower) and Iona (blue 43 Obrien).
Snorkelled and bait fished the next day and stitched up a few baits so we could troll slower in the sloppy conditions. A knot or two of northerly current into 25knots of SE is not a pretty sight and we only lasted from 11:00-1:00 before a dive and a bait fish then home.
The river is proving hard to work out and we are having trouble getting Herring. Got the net weighted up now. Mostly been using lure but the guides all use bait. One guide reckons it is too cold for this time of year.
Did a couple of dissapointing river days and an afternoon on the wharf before one final bash out to the reef in 25knots. Did Ribbon 4-3-2-1 and then Lena reef which was proving to be a hotspot for Diamond Girl. It had 6 boats trolling it. I captured 4 in one photo but that is how close they are to the reef on the other side. The get a couple of hundred metres off it and the 600W JRC is a waste of time it drops away that quick. We didn't go outside this day, inside was bad enough as you can see by the pics. These bommies had breakers on them at various stages of the tide. No. 3 is the last best anchorage as you see with the motherhips on it being The Boss, Atlantic Princess and one other boat.
Went out with Russ this arvo up the river after he shut the shop to try and learn a few secrets. Tally was a an u/s Barra, u/s Jack, Archer Fish and a Giant Herring. Still some learning to do in the river but if I get bait I know what snags the guides fish, I see them on the same ones all the time.
Barra pic from the other arvo. About 16 game boats in town last night now the Lizard comp is finished.
Smithy
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, so the wind's still blowing >
