Minnie waters (north coast nsw)

[mattooty]

Managed to score myself a seat in a mates 5.9m centre console on the weekend.
First stop was the bait grounds. The slimeys were in an area about the size of 2 football fields so that was easy. Filled up the live bait tank and then a bucket for some dead baits.
Got out to about 4 miles out in 46 metres of water. This spot was firing. It was a ledge that had a plateu about 2 acres in size. The dropoff had almost no fish on it but all over the plateau was covered in fish, and good size too.
First drop, the slimey didnt even make it past 20metres before it was slammed by a 2.4kg tailor. The tailor were so thick you couldn't get the bait past them, so out with the 40-60gram jigz to get a bag of tailor. A couple of dozen tailor and 2 small mac tuna later we changed the sinker on the rigz to get past the tailor. We didn't really have to as a 5.4metre black marlin swam through them and scared the bastards off.
Dropped down and got a steady procession of 2-3kg trag. All very solid fish. bagged out on snapper with most fish going between 2-8kg with one beast giong 11kg.
Pearlies started firing up but we left them alone as they were all on the smallish side.
Turned around to hear a groan from my mate trento and see his little penn screaming off line. Something with a bit of grunt was taking something. Got it up and i turned out to be an 8 foot wobbegong.
Cut that off and straight back down to the bottom.
Both myself and leo got slammed almost instantaneously by something big and both rods had serious curves in them. Leo got his fish up first which was 5.3kg bonito. flesh strip baits.
My fish took a bit more subdueing and when the 9.4kg bonito surfaced i was a bit disappointed as i thought it was a late run mack.
Both fish went in the ice box as cut baits for the next day.
Got 4 small sand flathead of about 1-2kg.
Decided to up anchor and head in. Loaded the lobster pots with baits and headed in. Next morning sea was a bit rough so trolled for macks and only managed 4 mac tuna. Good fun but were all released. Trolled towards the lobby pots and didn't get a touch. Ended up with 4 lobsters between us so tht put a highlight to the day. Trolling in hooked up to something that just wouldn't stop, and when the spool was nearly empty on the tld25 a big black jumped and busted us off.
Thort we should go in after that as we were pushing our luck.
All in all an awesome 2 days.
Note that its not often we go out and keep many fish. Needed to fill the freezer.
Cheers
Matt

[nigelr]

Hey Matt. Where do you normally fish out of?

[mattooty]

Live at yamba and usually go out off angourie but my mates have a caravan at the minnie water caravan park. So from chrissy till around now we go down most w.e if the swell is fishable. Usually get the brunt of the mackeral season off either minnie or angourie. Get some good tailor and jew off the beach as well. Where abouts are you from?

[FOOCKCHUCKER]

yes matty one of my old jew favs dont forget the small but productive stones in the area spun up many a jew close by but not right at minny sorry spot x sometimes must remain just that.

[theoldlegend]

Hey Matt

Anything for the LBG fisherman at Minnie waters? We're going to Iluka next Monday for a week. Will be looking at the walls, the Bluff and Frasers.

[gunna]

5.4 meter marlin
9 kilo bonito
8ft wobbegong

They sure grow em big around your way.

[morty103]

5.4 black marlin?

[mattooty]

We're pretty sure it was a black. As soon as i shrink the pic i'll post it and hopefully get an id from someone. It was ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE!!! I never thought that fish could get that big. Not alot of lbg ledges off minnie. Outside the lagoon there is the occasional mac tuna or spotty mac but not at this time of year.
Iluka has still been gettin mac tuna and very rarely now, a few bluefin. Some big fat bream and lots of tailor are around. Poppers are the go for thebigger tailor. Dad got 4 big ones off the tip of the iluka wall but they are all the way through the beaches and headlands.

[nigelr]

Hey Matt. Live at Mylestom south of Coffs. Come from Dy in Syd originally. (Late 60's, 70's child)
Nice parts of the world, Minnie, Yamba, Sandon! Personally, I don't think it gets any better! Cheers.

[Colorado]

At 5.4 m a Black or Blue would be well over a 1000lbs even if you include bill and tail length.

You should have put out that big Bonito Live and hooked up to it.

[bigblue]

At 5.4 m a Black or Blue would be well over a 1000lbs even if you include bill and tail length.

You should have put out that big Bonito Live and hooked up to it.

No suprise here-1000lb Blues are present on the North Coast and even well into winter providing bait is present.
These really big marlin have higher tolerances to stay in cooler water than smaller marlin-its only a matter of time before one is caught-Sydney angler Vic Levett lost one over 1000lb on the North Coast after he couldnt handle it on the leader-it cut through his glove almost to the boneon his hand -only had his wife on the helm-was undegunned with crew

THEY ARE THERE -hardly anyone fishes heavy tackle for them!