queensland Great day off the Gold Coast 21/7

[sicott]

Headed down to the Gold Coast with my Dad and 2 brothers for our first trek offshore. We loaded the GPS with marks for the 18s, 24s, 36s, and a few other inshore reefs and had pilchards, mullet and squid as ammo. We were welcomed with beautiful flat conditions and decided to fly out to the 36s to have a crack while it was still dawn. Plenty of 35cm snapper out there and we released around 10 in hopes of the big one. It never arrived, however we were swiftly reminded that experience pays with my Dad hauling in a 125cm amberjack on a mullet strip (He was rebaiting so I held it up for a photo). We also managed 2 Morwong going 40cm and 50cm.

The smiles couldn't be wiped off our faces as we decided to head back into the 24s. Once there we got a few small kings and a big sergeant baker going 53cm as well a trag jew about 40cm as well. We hung around and did some whale watching with wales leaping clear out of the water just a couple of hundred metres from the boat. Very surreal.

Until today we had only ever fished Moreton Bay (very unsuccessfully) so to go out and catch all these species I read about on this forum so often for the first time was an incredible experience. I'm already planning another trip next week to try again having sussed it out this week.

Thanks for all the tips and report on the site, it all helped us have a brilliant day.

[toonie]

great report mate!

[dassa]

Thats a cracker of a amber congrateas to your DAD and also on the moe's mate but I didn't think we got sgt bakers up here and not bad fillet baits either well done boys.

[morty85]

Awesome AJ, very jealous!

[fifis101]

That AJ would've gone hard. Nice fish!