queensland First offshore trip in new boat wed 4/7

[dhess]

After a positive test drive we ended up going halves in a 5.6m plate boat with a friend.

Unfortunately he couldn't make it so went out with my better half Mel and another friend Ramon.

We launched at Bribie at 3 am and had a super smooth trip across a glassy Moreton Bay. Once out past Cape Moreton the swell didn't get over 0.5m with nice light winds.

At first we had a drop in one spot that had a few shows on the sounder but didn't manage to hook anything but a few deep sea flathead.

We moved on and ended up finding a nice drop off in 75-90m of water south of the cape.

Instantly we were onto some snapper. The action lasted for about an hour and a half before dying. Mel and Ramon were happy to catch their first offshore fish.

I lost two fish that felt significantly heavier than the best fish of the day. but was still happy to catch a few fish on my first attempt at skippering an offshore trip.

After the fish went off the bite we trolled a few large hardbodied lures towards and around Flinders Reef. No action but whales started popping up everywhere with at least a dozen sighted.

All in all we had a great day. Wish we had fished the second spot to begin with.

Next trip we are hoping to hit Deep Tempest.

[dhess]

Flathead [img size=327]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/deepsea_flathead.jpg

[Angus]

Awesome mate. Well done. And regarding your regtrets, we live and learn, and i reckon you did pretty well for your first trip skippering!!

Angus

[dhess]

Sunrise over the ocean [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/moretonsunrise.jpg

[dhess]

Snapper incoming [img size=352]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/snapper1.jpg

[dhess]

snapper [img size=335]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/sanpper2.jpg

[dhess]

Ramon with a snapper [img size=316]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/snapper_ramon.jpg

[dhess]

Mel with her first offshore fish [img size=437]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/pearly_mel.jpg

[dhess]

whales [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/whales1.jpg

[dhess]

whales 2 [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/whales2.jpg

[dhess]

whales 3 [img size=375]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/whales3.jpg

[dhess]

the catch [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/catch.jpg

[dhess]

the boat [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/boat1.jpg

[ellicat]

Nice fish, nice whales, nice boat, nice pics, nice thread, nice smiles, nice day.

Nice one dhess:)

[Brian D]

dhess wrote:

Mel with her first offshore fish [img size=437]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/pearly_mel.jpg

Mate nice Pearl Perch. Yum Yum.

Sounds like you had a top time, yahooo, I must say I'm a little jealous.

Do us a favour an you post some shots of your new toy in the boating section, please. And I would love to hear all about it. You know things like: seats, electrics, motor and fuel consumption, bang factor, stability at rest, crossing the bars, all that sort of stuff. Cheers.

[Brian D]

dhess wrote:

the boat [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/boat1.jpg

Sweet looking craft. Did you know the chains will not pass the insurance test. You will be up for an extra $1000 bucks excess if you don't put a anti-mobile system on it.

[dhess]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Yeah the chains were there just for the night we got it. Have proper locks now.

[Gazza]

well done sounds like you had fun

[dhess]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Yeah the chains were there just for the night we got it. Have proper locks now.

[rayke1938]

Good report enjoyed the read the boat is only missing --- a couple of AFO stickers.

Ray

[STU]

awesome boat and nice fish mate good to see the mrs got onto some as well