queensland North west island coral trout :D

[J-DOG115]

Hi all

bit of a late report as iv been away since I got back

headed up the reef for our annual north west island trip, after a shocker on the fish front and bad weather last year we were hoping there would be some more fish around this year, headed up to Gladstone all loaded up on boxing day got up there bout 2pm packed the stuff into the crates, loaded the barge and settled for a sleep before the 3am departure.

Day 1

Arrived at the island about 8:30am dropped the boat off the barge and made our way in to the island, anchored the boat and went to find a campsite after that we unpacked the barge and spent most of the day setting up the campsite

Day2

With the weather meant to deteriorate in the next couple of days we headed out to see what was around. Went for a shoot at some old mark to get some bait ended up with two trout, missed a few bigger ones and got a trev and rubber lip sweet lip for bait.

Day3

Headed out for look at another spearing mark, wasn’t much around only got two trout but once we saw a hammerhead shark bout 3m long one to many times haha we headed back to the boat and went to some fishing marks, sounded round found a few good shows ended up with four red throats and a couple of tuskies for dinner

Day4

The weather yet to get nasty and myself dying to shoot a decent trout we headed out to mark wear we got a couple the first day. Arrived there, suited up and jumped in the vis was pretty good, few trout swimming round in the end I managed three trout in the mid mid to high 40’s with the old man missing everything he shot at, we jumped back in the boat and found a mark on the GPS bout 2ks up the reef and thought we would check it out. We arrived there, I jumped in with dad deciding to just line fish while i sused out the area, the first thing I saw was a border line trout sitting mid water watching me as I load my gun and paddle away from the boat, saw a couple a bigger ones but they were very flighty and took off befor I could get close enough. Stared to head back towards the boat when I noticed dad was hooked up rushed over to find some random little reef fish getting pulled towards the surface but was amazed to see four easy legal trout sitting on the bottom watching this happen, told dad and that was enough encouragement to get in the water I went down and took a shot at one of them but missed and they all took off so both of us the paddled along the reef a bit we then saw a decent trout sitting under a piece of plate so dad went down to have a shot and actually hit it we both surfed and put the fish in the float by the time we reloaded and got sorted it seemed like every trout on the reef had come to see what we were doing at one count there were at least 9 trout sitting with in 10m of us we couldn’t believe I eyes, I didn’t know which one to shoot haha so we got a few more but with the current picking up we had to make way back to the boat along the way dad spotted a very nice trout he took a dive but it started to swim off before he could take a shot so he surfaced and the trout stopped so I dived down and it just looked as I lined it took my shot GOT HIM!!!!!! Good way to finish off still with calm seas we headed back very pleased with our haul.

Day 5

the winds picked up with nothing much happening got a few dart off the beach and lost half my line on ma 1-3 to a golden trev in the reef

Day 6

The weather looking better dad and I decided to take the 15k run to Douglas shoal (WORST IDEA) wasn’t a really bad run out but the weather went from average to BADD and myself getting sea sick for the first time on the trip we got to nice tuskies and headed back we sat on 8kts all the way back with bout 2m swell and waves breaking all over the place it was good to get into the lea of the island where the swell was almost none so we then headed up the the trout spot from the other day, wasn’t much there and vis wasn’t that good we ended up with two trout and a purple cod this was when the plague of the purple cod started

Day 7

Weather a bit better and the rest of the fam was keen for a fish so headed out to a reef mark just off the island, a little bumpy but still alright got a another feed of tuskie and two squid that popped up at the back of the boat. After a couple of hours every body had enough so we dropped them off and me and dad headed up to the fish tail (top end of the reef) for a dive got up there and jumped in to find a fair bit of current so only got one purple cod and three trout jumped out and after some discussion decided to have a troll round the deep bomies put the green hydro magnum out went bout 100m before ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (was hopping for a mackerel of some sort) quick fight and up come a solid purple cod so in the esky and back out with the lure went bout 50m before hooked up again, another purple cod and then another after that so we got three purple cod on the troll which was a first for us haha with the wind and swell dying it was a quick run at 35kt back to the island to start filleting

Day 8

We had more then enough fish in the fridge for dinner we headed out in search of trout for the freezer with no wind and swell we headed round to the ocean side the vise was amazing we were just ideling along in bout 25ft looking for bommies and then u would see two trout sitting on the top of the bommies from the surface so we just dropped the anchor jumped in dad managed a very nice fish which was only 2cm bigger then mine going 59 grr haha but after that most of then were in the mid 40’s so ended up with 9, a good effort for the last day

Day 9

Headed out on the morning high to feed the sharks come back and started the big pack up for departure the next day

Day 10

Slept on the beach for the night loaded the barge and boats without hassle and was under way and heading for Gladstone by bout 8:30am was a good run back got to Gladstone bout 2pm loaded the car and left Gladstone bout 4pm with a freezer full of fish

All in all was a very good trip heaps of fish and decent weather

Thanks for reading

Joel

[thriller]

Looks like fun, thanks for the post.

[fishguru5]

Man you take some nice photos. That's great fishin !

Pat

[plugga]

awesome stuff mate

Jordan

[J-DOG115]

Man you take some nice photos. That's great fishin !

Pat

Cheers bud, haha yeah they were all taken on my iPod

[Obsession_Fishing]

Great report mate.

Spearing is just another opportunity we offer on the 2012 Jewel Reef trip for any out there looking for an "introduction" into this very different fishing avenue.

Obsession.

[Hfisho77]

looks like a great trip Joel, would have been feasting like kings with all those trout, they are defintitely easier to get spearing. When we headed up there they were so hard to find, they must like it when the water heats up. Will have to start spearing seriously next time

Cheers

Hugo

[J-DOG115]

Yeah it was pretty good

And yeah we didn't Catch one the whole trip all speared and thats the first year iv really given it a good crack like I think I shot one last year but this trip I shot between 10 to 15

Joel

[wesfish]

Great report and great pics mate!! enjoyed the read in pic 8 at the end of the mat one maybe two of the trout must have come close to being under size? remember with a spear you can select before shooting, i would be shooting the bigger ones like you did and not risk shooting possible legals

[dhess]

Great report and great pics mate!! enjoyed the read in pic 8 at the end of the mat one maybe two of the trout must have come close to being under size? remember with a spear you can select before shooting, i would be shooting the bigger ones like you did and not risk shooting possible legals

Fair enough call. At least one of the redthroat is undersized as well.

[J-DOG115]

yeah fair call guys but all the fish were legal and the trout were at least 40 and yes spearing is selective, we could of shot heaps more which were borderline legal but didnt and yes a couple do look small on the mat but i think its the angle of the fish and photo

joel

[Bommie]

jealousy is a curse

[ellicat]

Mod Note

Legal Size for Coral Trout and Redthroat Emperor is 38cm minimum.

Whilst I can see there is some doubt as to the size of the Coral trout with the angle on the mat etc I think there is little doubt a couple of the redthroat are undersize.

Due to the nature of this type of fishing I concede there are inherent difficulties in sizing your capture before killing them, however erring on the conservative side seems the best way to avoid making a mistake, thus helping to ensure plenty for next time.

Members, it has now been said so let's leave it alone for the rest of the thread.

[Scope]

Sounds like a great trip mate. There have been some great reports from afo members heading to north west island, I'm dying to get up there and check it out in the future.

Have you got any booking info etc J-Dog?

Cheers - Jono

[wesfish]

jealousy is a curse

very very jealous !!

[tim78]

Hi Joel

Great report looks like you had an awesome holiday.

I looked into going there a few years ago but was put off by a couple of blokes I spoke to at the time.

They had horror stories regarding getting off the bardge swamped boats etc.

Can you let us know a bit about the logistics of getting there.

Things like the name of the bardge company, do they drop you at the beach or out behind the reef.

What would be the biggest boat that you would take out there and do they tow them or are they loaded on the bardge.

I can see in one of the photos most of the boats look about 4 to 4.5m.

Cheers

Tim

[J-DOG115]

Hi Joel

Great report looks like you had an awesome holiday.

I looked into going there a few years ago but was put off by a couple of blokes I spoke to at the time.

They had horror stories regarding getting off the bardge swamped boats etc.

Can you let us know a bit about the logistics of getting there.

Things like the name of the bardge company, do they drop you at the beach or out behind the reef.

What would be the biggest boat that you would take out there and do they tow them or are they loaded on the bardge.

I can see in one of the photos most of the boats look about 4 to 4.5m.

Cheers

Tim

yeah mate no worries ill get some info for ya and pm you sometime this week

joel

[crazywalrus]

Hey Joel - Trying to work out a trip myself at the moment to North West for Easter. Still trying to get the EOI together before committing to the bookings an Ferries. Do you have any of the costings for the ferry? Did you take the Robert Poulsen?

How far did you guys venture from the island?

Thanks Ted

[jon]

looks like an unreal destination mate would love to get up there my self. just wondering do you take a waeco/engel with a battery/genny or do you take dry ice and eskies?

[Glenn Hall]

On 16/01/2012 at 11:46 AM, thriller said:

 

That was enough to get me frothing for a trip in September this year. Any suggestions on marks for fishing or dives. 

Cheers

[Drop Bear]

On 27/06/2019 at 12:33 AM, Glenn Hall said:

That was enough to get me frothing for a trip in September this year. Any suggestions on marks for fishing or dives. 

Cheers

Where are you heading Glenn Hall?