Palmy Spotties 3/5

[SteveCan]

Hi Guys,

There have been so many spotties caught lately out at mermaid and palmy yet I have seen no reports. I figure there is no point keeping it quiet as there are usually at least 60 or so boats on each reef each day anyways - it's not like it's a secret or anything...

We planed out of tallebudgera (wasn't even looking like breaking) and anchored in 21m of water just before 6:00. There were already at least 25 boats out there and more arriving all the time. The moment we got settled we started to hear the scream of the reel Even before the sun came up they were coming in. It seemed to me that the early on the people catching them were casting slugs - and some of them were doing quite well indeed. We were bait only - and I was a bit worried - as I watched the bloke on the surf ski behind us pull in his second in five minutes.

Once it got a bit lighter, I was relieved to see my rod bend over and the baitrunner emitted one of my favourite sounds - ZZZZZZZ,,zzzzzZZZZ It was a solid fish of at least 5kg and probably the biggest we landed all day. After that we didn't get to pay much attention to the other boats as we had action enough on ours, missed hookups, double hookups a couple who spat the hooks close to the boat and the buzyness of ferrying the fish from the kill tank to the esky, bleeding the new ones, re-rigging, re-baiting, taking photo's etc. Looking over the back of the boat and seeing BIG spotties munching on the chunks of mullet I was using for burley - It was all happening.

We had a ball - Dad reckons if you could bottle the feeling of being on a boat in the middle of a spotty frenzy you could make a few million bucks. I am not arguing - we spent two hours out there - upped anchor at eight with them still biting (I had commitments...) and it was bloody unreal

I reckon we could have easily bagged out, but in the last half hour or so they got a bit more finicky - the blokes next to us using single hooks and half pillies were cleaning up. We were using gangs and full pillies and hardly got a bite in the last half hour. I guess it just goes to show that changing tactics - lures to gangs to singles (in less than a couple of hours!) can make a difference on the day. As it was we were very happy with our seven. I reckon we spent more time cleaning the fish and the boat than catching them!

A ripper day out on the water, one of Dad's last for the year as he is heading off to the UK for six months (not many macks over there mate!) But it looks like he has timed his run well - I wonder how much longer they will hang around - or if indeed they will be gone with the change of this moon. I wonder if anyone has the answer to that one?

[SteveCan]

First on board for the day and probably the best fish...

[bugman]

Steve,

you need to bottle that look - not the feeling

Nice work

Bugman

[SteveCan]

Dad's first...

[SteveCan]

You'd think he had caught it himself!

[Fisherman02]

awesome steve
good to see some serious action still happening, macks on the barbie ay mate
cheers jack

[jeffo]

steve- are people following the law out there>? are the DPI inspectors doing checks? seams like the run is going strong down there still! i heard noosa was the same at the end of last week.

[SteveCan]

Thanks Guys

Jeffo, I didn't see anyone taking more than they should - There would have to be a problem with you if you did. I will be giving most of these fish away to friends and family.

Cheers
Steve.

[Double_Whammy]

Looks like dad know's what too wear when chasing spotties (jaket has more spots then the fish) #

Good work fella's, hope I can get down there too chase a few myself befor they all disappear

[webby]

Though you'd gone into hibernation mate, along with Spike
Good to see the spots are still down that way, and from Mono catching further south, its been a bumber year.
next year can only get better, now they no, no ones going to round them up in one hit
Congrat mate
regards

[Lucky_Phill]

What brand of hair spray you using Steve ?

Good to see in the background, not too many boats out there. How many did you count ? Last time I hit Palmy with success, I counted 74 boats that I could see. But then again, we all got fish.

Phill

[SteveCan]

I'm a Pantene boy myself phil, Can't beat morning hair can you?

I didn't do a full count - but there were at least 50 there, and judging by the radio, there were at least as many at mermaid. And I reckon there weren't many there who didn't get fish. you didn't need much science - just a line in the water with some bait on it .

Cheers
Steve

[JB]

Nice fish steve, i think everyone out there in last few days scored big time. It has been one hell of a season for them, it will be sad to see them leave!

Jason.

[northsboy]

Good catch fellas!!! 50 Boats how big is the area u are fishing in?? But top fish mate!!....What were yas using for bait?

[SteveCan]

Hey liam,

Palm Beach Reef is not a huge place and gets easily crowded, especially during summer - often there is abuse for people anchoring too close together I can remember a day at christmas when there were in excess of 100 boats at anchor there.

The humble pillie accounted for all of our fish today - but I did see a number of people using lures to geat effect.

Cheers
Steve.