when 17th - 24th July
where North West Island
10 blokes
50ft charter boat
3 centre consoles in tow
We left the boat harbour at Hervey Bay at 5am in high spirits although the weather forecast was not looking good. With beer in hand all day it was quite an enjoyable trip, with the bad weather looming a fish at Fitzroy was ruled out & straight to North West was the call by the Skipper. Arriving there about 10pm approximately (i'm not sure i was well & truly commatised by then). Monday Morning saw us unloading the ship into the tinnies ferrying it ashore & setting up our camp, this took until 12.30pm. We then got on the charter boat & went to a spot nw of the island we caught plenty of hussar, red throat, maori cod, & a good 5kg trout. The Skipper pulled the pin after an hour or so saying it was impossible to hold on the spot cause of the run nearing full moon.
Tuesday The wind pushed well above 30kn we fished around the island in the tinnies for little result red throat, parrot, baldy bream & hussar.
Wednesday we went for the charter boat as the conditions where still worsening, we where limited to the shelter of the island the swells outside of that where at least 2m, same catch as the day before.
Thursday & Friday where spent at camp playing golf & drinking, walked around the islnad also when on the exposed side it was a struggle to stand. Saturday saw us pack up & steaming of by 10am.
The main worry was towing the tinnies back with the swell being up i'd say to 3.5 metres. With the tinnies taking spray often the call was made to go into 1770 & get people to pick us up & the tinnies reaching there at about 8pm slow trip >.
the charter boat didn't get to Hervey Bay until 6pm Sunday night i'm glad we were of the boat.
also on the island was a year 11 marine biology class & 2 other small camps they where to be picked up saturday but i am sure the barge would have been cancelled.
will post pick later, only 1 fish pick of the trout was waiting for some good fish we never got them
i'm already thinking about going again.
kleiny