Swains Reef Bonanza 2005 !

[Black_Rat]

G'day all,

Well were do I start # what a cracker of a trip with a great bunch of blokes and a brilliant skipper and deckie. We departed the BP Burpengary at about 5am and made our way to Gladstone. The trip was pretty free flowing except for when a police escort car tried to run us off the road from the other direction # and with good reason an allmighty sized bucket for a coal truck or somthing almost two lanes wide came through. # The new Navara came out unscratched and we arrived in town at about 11:30 and loaded the boat. It wasn't untill 5pm we departed so had a few drinks whilst waiting and a bit of sight seeing. We were blest with a magical ride all the way out (15 hrs) The only recommendation on the trip out I would make would be if your a lite sleeper bring earplugs #. The first day we stuck to the mothership and fished bringing up a mixed bag of reefies including coral trout, Hussar, idione bream, red throat emperor, spangled emperor and undersized reds #>. Days 2 - 4 saw much the same with some big bust ups occuring on the lighter tackle (30lbs #) the most fun in the dories was had when trolling for Spanish Mackeral with some nice specimans caught up to 13.5 kgs, one big mutha was lost at the dory edge when it snapped the timber gaff handle # and speed of after one hit with the donger # must have missed # (not me #)
Plenty of Tuna, bonito, Spanish Makeral, GTs and pelagics kept us entertained when moving on the troll from spot to spot # Even at night for entertainment some big baits went out at night for a shark catching and releasing. Except for one busted rod hey STUBBIE # # . We were lucky only few fish were lost to sharks. On the second last night I made the executive decision #8) to head halfway home overnight for a full days fishing in about 100m for some different fish species with some nice barr cod, snapper, jobfish and monster perlies comming aboard our best day all week. The weather was great if only overcast with one day raining which stopped no one from fishing #.
Pics to follow. First of all if your after a great skipper and crew Dan and Wally are about the most easy going blokes around who can't but do enough for you, so if your looking to do one of these trip I can't recommend the MV Australiana, Skipper Dan and deckie Wally highly enough #[smiley=2thumbsup.gif] Stubbie, Pumps and Gbanger will attest to this.

Damo.

[Black_Rat]

New Navara & loading the ship

[Black_Rat]

Leaving Gladstone harbour on sunset almost glassed out

[Black_Rat]

Another hook up after a troll to another spot

[Black_Rat]

Deckie Wally on the back deck risking the rain and waves as usual with out a hint of a complaint #

[Black_Rat]

a mixed bag from the dories the Red Throat Emperor were really on this day just on dusk

[Black_Rat]

some of the guys comming back after an afternoon rain squall a bit wet

[Black_Rat]

a nice tuskie caught these really gave you hell unless pulled them out of the reef on a locked drag

[Black_Rat]

This is my only spaniard for the trip going 10kgs, was caught of the mothership whilst retriving my bottom bashing rig to check the baits. Got smashed halfway up and i thought it might be a shark so locked up the drag to skull drag him in only to promptly back it off as soon as I saw it pretty ar$$y really for 50lb mono leader and a single 9/0 hook but i'll take it

[Black_Rat]

a couple of my average coral trout

[Black_Rat]

The reef was amazing appearing in the middle of nowhere and dropping sharply away plenty of spaniards were caught along these edges #

[Black_Rat]

few more spaniards and a cobia

[Black_Rat]

Deckie Wally was kept filliting the 227 fish we caught over the week

[Black_Rat]

a sunset and typical conditions

[Black_Rat]

another