queensland Spotted No School Macs

[Old Scaley]

So I got a bit interested in paravane fishing for school mackerel after reading @kmcrosby78s topic on the subject so last weekend I ordered a paravane from @aussie123‘s site http://www.reeltackle.com.au/index.php?option=com_ixxocart&Itemid=115&p=product&id=19007&parent=437&vendorid=2 along with a couple of spoons. They turned upTuesday (thanks Lance, great service as usual)  so then I contacted Kelvin to see if I could tag along and extract his secret spots and the plan was hatched to meet up at Hope Bank early this morning.

We put in at Wellington Point which is a first for me. I have never really fished that part of the bay - fished Green and Peel many times but never in between. Good ramp with lots of parking and easy access to both those islands. The weather was mint. Kelvin was on the water at stupid o’clock and I left the ramp a bit before 6. Kelvin sent me a text to say he had given up on Hope and was down near Peel. I motored out to where I thought Hope Bank was but ended up at Harries so decided to troll down towards Peel to find Kelvin.

Long story short, I met up with Kelvin near Peel and we trolled around that area and then trolled back to Hope and around there for a while. Did not see a single bird all day except for a few shags. It was smiles all round for Kelvin as he picked up a few of our old mates the grinner. I landed a bonito which Kelvin later told me was a Watson’s Leaping Bonito. We finished up with a bit of a bait fish around Green and back at the ramp around 11.30 in time to catch some eye popping scenery which I won’t elaborate on in case @ellicat reads this and gets over excited. 

So, yet another day of underachieving but great to be out in such good conditions and trying a few different things and places. Here is the bonito if anyone is interested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Angry51]

Good one OS, Any day on the water beats

a day at home.

  Cheers

  Gary

[ellicat]

I bet the bonito gave you a bit of stick and had the heart thinking "mackerel !"

" I won’t elaborate on in case @ellicat reads this and gets over excited. "

I think you should elaborate as I am already excited.

[Old Scaley]

26 minutes ago, ellicat said:

I bet the bonito gave you a bit of stick and had the heart thinking "mackerel !"

" I won’t elaborate on in case @ellicat reads this and gets over excited. "

I think you should elaborate as I am already excited.

45 lb mono and a paravane between him and me so I wouldn’t say t it was the toughest fight of my life but when I saw the silvery flash I thought I was in with a chance.

I will leave the elaboration to Kelvin. Let’s just say I think I know why he has a sore neck.

[kmcrosby78]

2 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

I will leave the elaboration to Kelvin. Let’s just say I think I know why he has a sore neck.

Went to the physio and they fixed my sore neck - told me to tone it down a bit when 'observing bird life' .............   Let's just say I would have happily parked the car and boat and gone for a bit of a leisurely stroll if I didn't have a family to get back to ........  

Good day on the water despite the lack of action Steve - it became evident pretty early on that the spotties weren't around but I was hoping we'd cross paths with some schoolies at some stage as we covered a fair bit of ground.

Would love to know what bit me off 5 times at Green on ganged hooks!!!!  Upgraded to four I think 5/0 gangs for the 3rd & 4th bite-offs and even added a snap swivel for the 5th one ........ unfortunately it was either sick of adding lip piercings or didn't like the loop of the heavier tackle I reverted to so there wasn't a 6th battle. It stripped some line a couple of times - grrrrrr!!!!!!!

While I think of it, which direction did your prop go? Mine goes clockwise - have a feeling yours goes anticlockwise, which thus means that your transducer is on the correct side as it's the opposite to mine? 

[ellicat]

Disappointed there are no pics, Kelvin.

Bite-offs could have been those big sea toads ? They'll bite through hooks with their massive chompers. I've caught a 70cm one amongst other big ones  at McLeay previously.

[Old Scaley]

11 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

While I think of it, which direction did your prop go? Mine goes clockwise - have a feeling yours goes anticlockwise, which thus means that your transducer is on the correct side as it's the opposite to mine? 

 I checked it when I was flushing the motor Kelvin. Definitely clockwise, so I checked the manual and it says to put the transducer on the starboard side. I thought it should be right because that mounting plate came on the boat when it was new and it was a boat and motor package so you would hope they didn’t get that wrong. The plate on the other side is only recently added for the bait tank pump.

[kmcrosby78]

Yeah I suspect probably them Brian, either that or reasonable sized shark. Doubt very much they were mackerel.

Gee that is annoying Steve - bit too late to complain I suppose .....

[Old Scaley]

1 hour ago, kmcrosby78 said:

ee that is annoying Steve - bit too late to complain I suppose .....

I probably didn’t explain myself well, but the prop spins clockwise and the transducer is on the right (starboard and correct) side so that is all good. Yours is on the wrong side but not sure how much of a difference it would make if you swapped it over?

[kmcrosby78]

Oh OK, mine is doing alright then given it's on the wrong side  

[Drop Bear]

Solid 48cm Bonito!!! 

They are very yummy I hope you enjoy. 

Careful of the bird life at Wello!

[Old Scaley]

@Drop Bear he was so lonely I sent him back.