queensland Local Waters

[Smithy]

23/10/09

Morning Snapper Trip

Rob from Toowoomba wanted to chase flathead in the river but I am not an expert at bait in the estuaries, mostly lures but from small boats so I talked them into soft plasticing for snapper in close as they were worried about getting seasick. I would dearly love a little boat in survey for these sort of enquiries and for doing charters on windy days but repowering the Stabi and keeping the trailer on the road are my priorities at the moment. We pulled up and not 10minutes into fishing he was pretty sick so I ran him, his mum and son back in. At least we got to see some whales up close.

22/10/09

Graeme Full Day Trip

Ray and Shania were shouting Graeme a full day offshore for his 40th birthday today. This was our second attempt to get out due to weather but it was a couple of weeks too late it would seem. The fishing was tough and the current had moved in. Coming off the back side of a new moon is always my worst week of the month and throw in a NW wind and it was far from ideal for getting onto fish.

We started off soft plasticing with Graeme landing one squire on his home built rod to christen it. Everyone missed a couple of bites each and a few small fish were released.

We kept moving wider and wider, loading up on live bait on the way. Ray ended up being the gun for the day landing a cobia, some trag and some pearl perch. Don't know whether it was because he was the one on the mono line or not or if it was just his day. Shania also picked up a pearly on the floater but the current was racing and each drop we were only 20seconds in the strike zone and it was unfishable at anchor. At least the weather was as flat as a tack.

21/10/09

Jason Peart Full Day Trip

Jason was shouting his son Tristan out for his birthday and Ben, Jason's brother was tagging along. We started out soft plasticing but it didn't happen though it is looking good with plenty of bait showing up on my northern soft plastic areas. We were also looking for a school of cobia that were balling up bait and feeding on the surface in the same area.

We went chasing live bait and grabbed a good amount to take to the kingfish spot. The kingies were tentative with around 5 bites for only one to the boat. A couple of well hooked ones dropped off half way up.

It wasn't really happening on the kingy front at a couple of spots so we went to a reef fishing spot. This was a good move with a nice trag jew on the floater for Tristan.

The action came pretty quick and fast from then on with pearlies, trag, a nice brown maori cod and some samson fish playing the game.

The boys released the sambos but we had to use a shot release weight and then set a self imposed 38cm size on the pearl perch as they were happy with the nice feed they got.

16/10/09

Luke Carter Full Day on His Boat

Today I went out on Luke's 6.2m Kevlacat to give him a few pointers about how to use his electonics and how to anchor offshore as well as showing him a few offshore rigs, how to jig for AJs and also soft plastic for snapper.

We did no good on the soft plastics but achoring on one of my bait spots we loaded up on live baits. We headed out wide and scored a few undersize amberjack and bits and pieces as well a gold spot wrasse.

We headed wider to an amberjack spot and tried to jig them but they only wanted livies. We kept a couple and let a little fella go but after a couple of reefings we decided to head in and go bottom bashing again instead of re-tieing.

Sounding around we finally found a good show and dropped the anchor in the perfect spot. We were upcurrent of a good show of pearl perch it turned out. They kept coming on the floaters and bottom bashers but the quality fish came on the Baitrunners and plastics rods floating down.

We had to do a count to make sure we weren't over our 15 we were allowed so we finished the day with a bag of pearlies, a few squire, 2xAJs, a parrot and a gold spot wrasse. Luke cranked up the KC and we came home at 30knots in great conditions.

15/10/09

2xDaves and Jeff Full Day Trip

This was my first mixed charter in a while and with good weather forecast I rang around and got regulars Dave and Jeff organised to come out with Victorian visitor David who was up on holidays.

At the first spot we were plagued with undersize stuff but did end up with another cobia and a few bits and pieces. We headed a bit wider and landed on a school of small yellowtail kingfish and amberjack. The odd amberjack went legal and they all gave a good account of themselves on the plastics gear we ended up using for a bit of fun. The odd one was too good for us rubbing us out on the bottom. Mixed in were some squire and other reef fish.

12/10/09

Mick Three Quarter Day Trip

Mick booked me for a full day and along with him were Des and Mitchell. We started out soft plasticing but did no good, only getting a few livies for the tank. We started heading north to head to the spot I wanted to fish and progressevily got slowed down as we started punching a 15-20knot NW wind. Eventually we got there and on the second hang we grabbed and were perfect for the current. The fish bit continuosly with undersize pearl perch and snapper the main culprits. First fish to the boat was a cobia to Mitchell and a while later a much bigger one came aboard to Des. Des dropped a second one while Mitchell kept pulling a steady procession of trag jew. Mick got a legal pearly and a trag in there and Des got a moses perch. With the wind swinging to the NE it moved us off the mark and freshening to 20knots plus it was an easy call to come in a bit earlier and call it a 3/4 day.

[yoyo]

sh*t...where's my credit card.........................

Good stuff smithy...

[rumrunner]

great report smithy

allot of happy customers there!

Ian.

[thorny]

How are ya mate do u run a charter?? if so i wouldn't mind a crack after seeing those pics.private Message me with ya details and ill get in contact for a trip, Very keen to get some decent fish lived in brissy for about 10 months now and go out a bit on my father inlaws 17ft brooker cuddy cabin but have only managed a 40cm squire as a pb.

[Smithy]

If anyone has PMed and I have got back to them saying to e-mail, I haven't had many e-mails from AFO people. Give me another try at info@sqcs.com.au

This has been what has going on since minus the couple of game comps and my trip to Breaksea in the Stabi. Lots of wind and a lot of days turned into half days and morning trips not to mention all the cancellations.

Noosa Yachties Freeby

November 27th, 2009

As part of Riverfest at Noosa, I donate a free trip to the Noosa Yachties Fishing Club who run the event for a lucky door prize. This year it happened to be won by a Noosa Yachties member. Friday looked like a good day to go out before the northerly wind got up so we arranged to meet at the Thomas St boat ramp Noosaville. We crossed the bar on the run-out tide but the Noosa bar is pretty good at the moment. We headed to Chardons Reef and loaded up on live bait. It was very easy to jig for once. We ran them back to Sunshine Reef and commenced slow trolling for mackerel. Still nothing yet. This time last year I was absolutely smashing them. I hope they turn up soon. I heard about one getting caught on the Gneerings Friday and lots of bait there. I also heard about a 22kg yellowfin tuna caught just a bit wider by one of my ex clients.

We tried the Jew Shoal on the way home and had a look at Halls Reef in case something was going on there. All in all very quiet at the moment.

Mark Menzell Full Day Trip

November 21st, 2009

Mark booked me in again with his regular crew of Bruce and a new guy who's name escapes me.

We made live bait easily enough in a couple of spots heading out. It was reasonable rough and we knew what we were getting ourselves in for but Mark was desperate to head out as it had been a couple of months. I was down to 14knots or so and this time of year I put the high speed lead head skirts out if I am doing less than 18knots with the Stabicraft.

We did a couple of laps of the good spot where I had pulled some mahi mahi, kingfish and wahoo the trip before but it wasn't to be. I also did a couple of figure of 8s on the new FAD raising a few mahi mahi but getting no bites. We tried for kingfish on the livies but they weren't interested in a couple of spots.

We tried deadbaits going for pearl perch and they bit well for a few drifts. I am not sure what happened after that but they shut right down in the northerly. Once we made the shift to cut bait they were chewing really good and we thought we were onto them as the show was good but they had lock jaw.

We headed to another kingfish spot and sure enought the small ones were on the job on soft plastics with five or so following each other up when hooked. Bruce managed to snag a GT (great trevally) doing this as well and then it was time to go home.

Lyle Half Day Trip

November 20th, 2009

Lyle was back again this time with his girlfriend Racheal and next door neighbour Todd. Live bait was easy enough to catch again. Some days it is a real struggle. We got to the fishing spot and put the lures out. First pass and it looked good but no action then a bit wide of the spot Lyle hooked up to this mahi mahi.

We put the lures straight out and Todd was up straight away with this wahoo.

It went quiet after that even though there were good shows on the sounder. We trolled to the FAD and saw mahi mahi but couldn't get them to bite. Back to the bait shows again and nothing yet again. It was frustrating so we started dropping livies, plastics and jigs down. This liviened the kingies up and we landed a legal one and a few little guys. When one was hooked a whole school would come up but we weren't good enough to hook any of the followers. After that it was time to head home. Here is Racheal hooked up on a soft plastic and the result.

Stephen Full Day Trip

November 19th, 2009

Stephen was visiting his daughter at Currimundi and he was over from England during the first 6 months of his retirement. He is a trout fisherman over their so his daughter shouted him a day out for his 60th birthday which was today.

We jigged live bait easily enough and had schools of bonito swimming around on the surface harrassing the pillies. We headed to a spot I had heard had some wahoo on it but it wasn't to be. Instead we opened the account with a rainbow runner. A reasonably rare capture. Next up was a mahi mahi and then we started a procession of mack tuna and yellowtail kingfish.

We drove away from them to try for a new species and headed to the FAD. Sure enough the mahi mahi were there again but we couldn't get them to bite. Back to the hotspot and into the kingies again to finish off the day. It was all pretty eye opening for Stephen to be sea fishing then catching the species that we did and the sizes we did compared to the tiny trout he was used too. All in all a great day for his birthday with good weather, good fishing and then he was off to dinner with the family that night to celebrate.

Dave 3/4 Day Trip

November 18th, 2009

Dave booked me again with Mitch and Mitch's dad Ron. There was a bit of soft plastics bite going and with a messy sea I decided that was our best bet. Dave did well scoring two good size grass emperor and Ron also got an ok snapper. Mitch wasn't having much luck getting the bite then getting snipped off by tailor, mackerel or pike. Eventually he hooked up to a screamer which would have been a big snapper for sure but his luck just wasn't in for the day. After that we went chasing live bait in the big swell conditions then had a fish for cobia. They didn't want to play the game so we finished the day off on some close reef going for whatever but plagued by heaps of undersize things and lancers and whiptails. Ususually you can sit through the rubbish and pull the odd grassy or parrot but it wasn't to be. The undersize red emperor putting up a good account of themselves though.

Shane Morning Snapper Trip

November 7th, 2009

Shane had booked in for a full day but with the weather the way it was forecast our only option was a morning snapper trip. As it transpired Shane got pretty seasick so it was better we run him back in than sit it out in the conditions. Things looked promising off the bat with a couple of squire but it didn't really live up to the trip before.

Mark Morning Snapper Trip

November 5th, 2009

Mark had booked in for a full day but with the weather the way it was forecast our only option was a morning snapper trip yet again. This proved a good move and the fish were on. Mark mastered it pretty quick but the other boys got some as well, more undersize anyway. They also ended up with a bonus grass sweetlip. Made a change for Mark from fishing off Southern NSW as he is based at Canberra.

Stoddards Building Supplies 1/2 Day

November 4th, 2009

Stoddards put on a day for Michael Pollard of Michael Pollard Homes Toowoomba. Even though the weather forecast was terrible the company had paid for the trip and accomodation so wanted to go at all costs. Joining Michael were BJ and Bill from Stoddards. That really only left me the option of heading out of Noosa with strong NWers forecast and nothing going on locally at Mooloolaba in close. We headed out and had a try for mackerel. Still none around so we went bottom fishing. The action was pretty good on just undersize brown maori cod and baby red emperor. Somewhere along the way Mick scratched up a parrot fish and by then the wind was ridiculous so we headed in.

Jim Full Day Trip

November 3rd, 2009

Jim Brown one of my regular customers booked in a full day with himself and Luke from Laser Electrical. It was a rough but alway fun day with Jim aboard. We didn't set any records but still scratched up a good feed. We had a look at the FAD but couldn't pull any mahi mahi off it. Live bait was reasonably hard to get but the kingies seem to be going off in the spots I fished. We still ended up with a few but cut bait proved better. The pearlies bit well on it and the bar cod was a nice surprise from that depth of water though I have caught a couple even shallower.

Jim and the standard live bait caught 7kg kingy.

The catch.

It was a rough trip home but the Stabi handled it well.

Craig Morris Half Day Trip

November 2nd, 2009

Craig was visiting from NZ and wanted to check out some of our fishing. Also along with him were his son and his son's girlfriend. We started out soft plasticing but it wasn't really happening. We went chasing live baits and got a few. We headed off Caloundra and started bottom fishing. The show looked ok and sure enough Craig was onto a nice Gold Spot Estuary Cod. We kept it as they are hard to release and a short while later his son hooked another, this time smaller, but also on the livey. This one we successfully released on the shot release weight. We ran back in in great conditions.

Justin and Clair Half Day Trip

November 1st, 2009

It just didn't happen today on the troll. On the Saturday a few wahoo and yellowtail kingfish were caught by each boat trolling but amongst the boats I was trolling beside on the Sunday only a handful of kings were caught and only one wahoo.

Tony Half Day Trip

October 31st, 2009

Tony had booked me in and we decided to go for a troll. We got some livebait and ran them back into the mackerel grounds. Nothing in there so we put the skirts and minnows out for an early season mahi mahi, wahoo or marlin but it wasn't to be.

Gary Barker His Boat Half Day

October 30th, 2009

Today I went out on Gary's Arvor to give him some pointers on reef fishing. He is a troller but his son wants to reef fish all the time and they aren't doing much good. I showed him how to soft plastic and how to anchor offshore but conditions were pretty uncomfortable. We came back in and tied up to the pontoon and went through knots and rigs. About then the Police swarmed all over the trawler docks giving us something to watch for a few hours. On the news they said 70 customs and police officers were involved. There was certainly a lot over that side of the river including sniffer dogs.

[Angus]

Nice gish Smithy

Angus

[yoyo]

Great stuff smithy, see you sunday !! cant wait....