Blaze's St Helens trip

[blaze]

Left on sat 19th, half way into the 400km trip had cooling probs with the RR, sorted them put enough to get there, also broke a trailer spring shackle.
On the water at 7.00 am sunday, condition were 2m swell with a meter of slop on top. Trolled the 110m line for 6 hours without turning a reel, plenty of lure changes in that time and for the first time in my life I burleyed the water (2 deckies both on quell give me heaps). Also caught a few livies and sent them back for no takers (plenty of bait holding over the reefs though)
Day 2 condition deteriated so we fished in 4m seas with a bit on top, bloody hard work keeping 5 lures out the back in them condition. Had a couple of major tankles and ended up minus the shotgun. Worked the 90m line looking for some temp changes or bait for 5 hours and give it away when the seas got to 6m
Day 4
Relax and go touring
Day 5
On the water about 7
Caught about 60kg of baitfish and trolled out to the shelf, sea was like a mirror the whole 30km (heaps and heaps of creal?, like soup in patches the size of footy grounds)
Pulled the lures in at the shelf and started to burley, after 2 hours of heaving burlying, I seen the biggest bloody shark I have ever seen roll and go under the boat, put a couple of baits in after a lot of debate by deckies and that was that for another hour of burleying. Give it away and trolled home into rising seas (time we got home the bilge pump going hard and i was drippin). 12 hours on the water.
Never turned a reel in 3 hard days
The time we were there only a couple of YF and 6 or so albies caught
Good trip though
cheers
blaze

[Stacer_440]

OH MY GOD.. YOU POOR BASTARDS....That wasnt a good trip at all. iI feel sorry for you guys...

[blaze]

dont feel sorry, thats fishing, some times its just plain bloody hard work and next time its so easy, this was one of the hard ones and can only get better from here (I HOPE)
cheers
blaze

[devocean]

Jeez I will never complain about a fishing trip again

[Cheech]

Bugger.

I do know what those sea's there can be like (and the St Helens pub). Got caught in pretty bad conditions sailing back from Hobart to Melbourne many years ago.

[Brooksy]

Sounds like you would have been right at home if you could have made it to the 1770 M&G

[blaze]

Hi Brooksy
I wish I could have, will have a daughter up in brissy in 10 months, so lots of trips then. Sound like a good time was had by all anyway
cheers
blaze

[bugman]

Seriously Blaze - give it up mate and head north.

You would have loved the conditions at 1770 - it would have been right up your alley.

It looks like I'll be making frequent trips to Tassie in the near future so I think it's time I got my arse into gear and came and see you up in Stanley way.

Bugman

[blaze]

Hi Bugman
While I was away the snapper have been going off apperntly, couple of nice ones photographed in the local paper, some good gummies, schoolies and tiger shark about too. Heaps of ausie salmon to ten pound. I went to the wrong part of the state, should have stayed home, but ya get that.
cheers
blaze