Straddie/Amity report

[Jeremy]

just got back from a week at Stradbroke Is (SE QLD) staying near Amity. Had 3 trips out in the boat. Sunday I was just doing some exploring and went out to Fish rock, Boat rock and Flat rock but it was a bit choppy. Wednesday went out to Flat rock again and trolled lures and baits around for about 3 hours. Couldn;t catch any live bait despite finding schools on the sounder. A nice 8 kg spanish mack was caught by someone in another boat about 9 am and after another 30 min trolling I went back in to Amity. Did some trolling around the Rous channel area for mackerel and finally managed one school mack on a drifted pilchard. Friday I concentrated on the Amity area and trolled everything in my tackle box twice - deep and shallow, slow and fast - but didn't do any good. Caught a small mack tuna on a cast slice. Eventually about 11 am on "one more drift" I managed 3 school mackerel in 15 minutes on drifted pilchards. Seems there are quite a few around but fussy about what they eat. Plenty of locals out there working for them as well.

Jeremy

[bugman]

Jeremy,
I guess being a bit rough you didn't get a chance to head out to the marks I gave you. Probably wouldn't have made any difference because it seems everyone had a shocker over the weekend.
I don't know what was the problem with the baitfish this weekend either. you should have nailed them at flat rock - there's always plenty there - but just like you I had tonnes showing on the sounder and they wouldn't take the bloody jigs for me off Noosa.
It seems there was some unforseen forced working against all of us over the last few days.
Keep those points in mind because in September those areas will be really firing for snapper.
Bugman

[Jeremy]

Hi Bugman,

thanks again for the mark, but I decided it was just a bit too far to run in my tinny. The conditions were actually very good inside the bay and the swell was small, but the SWerly winds seemed stronger the further out I went and it did get choppy. Don't know if I'll get out there in September either. It's a fair run if you launch inside the bay. Like you, I prefer to fish the reefs on the Sunshine coast.

Cheers,

Jeremy