Mooloolaba Monday

[Zeeke]

ventured outside the harbour today with vertico to see if we can raise a fish or 2 on lures, first thing we did was head straight out for a couple of kilometers then stopped and dropped a couple of lures and trolled our way to old woman island, didnt pick up a single fish and didnt see any surface action, once we got to old woman we trolled around a little bit then decided to fire up to Coolum reef for a bit of a dong.. on the way up we stopped at the waverider bouy and there was literally thousands of fish swimming around it, all from 10 to 20cm long.. tried jigging for some as bait with a bait jig but they werent interested so we continued up to Coolum. once we had gotten there the Tuna and Spotty Mackeral started boiling up around us, so we tried casting chrome slugs but they just werent interested.. so we anchored up and dropped some baits and had them picked off by small reef fish, so i dropped down the bait jig and pulled up an assortment of tiny reef fish including a very beautiful small purple wrasse with a yellow tail and a nice big happy moment.. decided once the happy moment were around that we'd bugger off and started heading back only to be checked by the water police in a big cat with a couple of rubber duckys on the back. after we got checked we decided to go in and grab some lunch then head back out, around 1pm we got back out on the deep blue and noticed boats schooling up so fired over for a look and saw huge schools of mackeral on the surface so we both fired out slugs, Sean lost his chrome slug first cast, then another on his 2nd cast by a dodgy reel that tightened the drag on itself, on my first cast i got a hit but no take, 2nd cast i felt the line go tight and i was on with my first ever mackeral, 5mins later i had boated a 80+cm Spotty Mackeral, after picts i quickly dispatched it and threw it in the esky with some ice, 20mins later we had the mackeral bust up around us again so out again with the chrome slug and i was onto another nice spotty mackeral, then i saw my brother out there with a mate of his in there boat so ventured over to say g'day only to be told to keep an eye on them because there outboard wouldnt start and id have to tow them back in to the harbour, so we chased mackeral around for another hour or so for no more hits, coming close to some big schools and even having some smash up right behind us only 5 - 6 meters away.. all in all, it was a quiet day, but a good day!

Tim

[agnes_jack]

80cm spottie is not bad for a first zeeke!
But not on a softie? shame, shame
Sounds like ya's had a good day!

Regards, Tony

[Zeeke]

yea, no plastics today, but next time ill give them a shot! twas good fun, gave the kwells a shot, id normally get crook as on a day like yesterday on the water even if the conditions were absolutely perfect.. but the kwells certainly worked, so im gonna gear up a bit and start giving the old spotties a shot now and then

Tim

[Brissyguy]

Tim the Mackslayer ???
Nahhhhhhhhh Tim the Bream Master sounds better lol...

Well done mate and as Tony said an 80cm specimen for a first is certainly the way to go.

Did you guys do any bottom bashing with the plastics ???
I bet the snapper at Murphy's would love them.

Cheers,
Rich.

[Zeeke]

Lol Rich, Mackslayer?? that title is held by the mack mauler hehehe.. Mr Rob so i wont step on any toes! did some bottom bashing with the plastics.. well vertico did, got a couple of happy moments and busted off a few times on light gear.. i was keen on just trolling up a fish or spinning up a tuna or mack

Tim

[mackmauler]

good to see you out in the big soda water, how are the tuna numbers? jeffo was saying the longtail had been quiet hungry, and how did the bream gear go or have you upsized

[Zeeke]

surface action was thick all along the bay from coolum reef to the harbour, didnt see much tuna, but they were there.. and yes rob, i upsided the gear to a slightly heavier spin stick and 10lb braid

Tim

[craigie]

Tim,

Good 'Spotty' mate ! You guys have got them in good numbers up there at the moment.

I've been told by several that the Cal 12 mile is loaded up with 6 kg specimens. I'm watching next weekends weather very closely !!!

Cheers
Craig.

[Zeeke]

yea, mine was only around the 4-5kg mark.. good fish, just had some for dinner, best bloody eating fish ive had in years!!! old man and i are going out later this week most probably, give them another go..

Tim

[Zeeke]

Here's another shot from Vertico's Camera.. you can see how smooth the water was..

Tim