Quick Trip With Wayne

[samsteele115]

On Saturday I made a last minute decision to go fishing, so called Wayne and he wasn't hard to persuade seeing as he just had chores planned for the day.

We took my boat this time and we launched out of Scarborough to find mac tuna and lots of them just outside the marina! I approached the first school…… down wind instead of upwind. After driving my boat onto these fish so many times I couldn't believe I could get it so wrong! For some reason I must have thought the wind was blowing the opposite direction than what it was and I stuffed up the only real opportunity. Wayne gave me heaps about it too.

Anyway we left them and headed up to Caloundra to fish some reefs. Didn't see any pelagic activity along the way but came across lots of bait.

Caloundra didn't really produce apart from this big tiger which followed up my plastic.

We headed back down to Scarborough to hopefully find some longies on the way but no joy, so just fished the last of the light aiming for a snapper at North reef. Got a couple of squire and a bream but got distracted by fish busting up. There were tailor and probably trevs and even mac tuna in 2m of water! Only hooked a tailor though. 

So yeah a few small fish, no joy on the bigger ones so wasn't a very successful trip but was great to be out there anyway. 

[Angus]

Mate sounds fun to me!!

Massive tiger as well!

Angus

[Luvit]

The tiger came a few weeks to late, for the Origin round 2! or early for the round 3.

Thanks for the invite Sam was good to fish together again.

 

[The Mad Hughesy]

these tuna within kayaking range @samsteele115

whopping tiger. Does it affect the taste once they get bigger?

[samsteele115]

Well yeah the mac tuna were definitely in kayak range that day. Couple of hundred metres from shore. They move so fast though so gotta be lucky to find them there so definitely not worthwhile paddling for them unless you hear live reports of them being in a specific area. To catch a bay longtail especially i expect to do at least 100km in the boat and up to 160km and thats the easy part.

[Luvit]

 

6 hours ago, christophagus said:

these tuna within kayaking range @samsteele115

whopping tiger. Does it affect the taste once they get bigger?

Can't comment on the taste of the bigger tigers as this one will be bait for an upcoming trip. When we caught bigger ones in Victoria we couldn't tell the difference if they were big or small, they were all yum.

[Doyley]

Well done mate!  With so many people on this site now fishing the bay, maybe it's time we had a Northern Bay Social.  Morning fish, BBQ lunch??  

[samsteele115]

Done deal. I was thinking of organising a bay tuna comp next year. There are a couple each year, but only for fly fishers.

[curranboy99]

Sounds like pretty entertaining day out!

Seems like an awful long way to get to the caloundra reefs from Scarborough though. Have you considered going out thru caloundra? Apparently the bar is pretty easy to cross in most conditons for most boats, and it would take a 60-70km 1-way trip down to a 3-10km 1-way trip (note the measurements are approximates).

[samsteele115]

2 hours ago, curranboy99 said:

Sounds like pretty entertaining day out!

Seems like an awful long way to get to the caloundra reefs from Scarborough though. Have you considered going out thru caloundra? Apparently the bar is pretty easy to cross in most conditons for most boats, and it would take a 60-70km 1-way trip down to a 3-10km 1-way trip (note the measurements are approximates).

Thanks, yeah it was fun.

I wouldn't do that if i didnt target tuna. The point of the trip was to actually find longtail tuna and if we didn't we would just fish caloundra for a bit before driving back. If i just wanted to catch a snapper i would just go somewhere close by as you said. Most of the time this time of year I do find tuna along that stretch of land. Im forever in search of that next feeding frenzy, that next cast, that next eat. It is just too good not to go search for. You wouldn't get it until you experience it first hand.

Also both times I have fished caloundra recently there has either been strong wind or big swell that would make the bar very dangerous and therefore no one is out there fishing because no one is stupid enough to cross it or drive up from the bay. It's a pretty good feeling fishing a popular reef on a weekend with no other boat in sight  

[curranboy99]

Thanks Sam

Is that stretch of land you drive by bribie? If so do you think trying for longtails shorebased in the surf using heavier rods, 6000-8000 spin reels, 60-80g+ slugs would be a viable option?

In the past body boarding there I've seen bird action only 100-odd metres past the breakers as well as schools of nervous bait around the breakers. So something big must be harrasing the bait in close.

[The Mad Hughesy]

24 minutes ago, curranboy99 said:

Thanks Sam

Is that stretch of land you drive by bribie? If so do you think trying for longtails shorebased in the surf using heavier rods, 6000-8000 spin reels, 60-80g+ slugs would be a viable option?

In the past body boarding there I've seen bird action only 100-odd metres past the breakers as well as schools of nervous bait around the breakers. So something big must be harrasing the bait in close.

dirty big 14ft tiger sharks love harassing bait close to shore!

[samsteele115]

Yeah there are plenty of sharks off Bribie. Wouldnt be swimming near the bait especially. You most definitely could catch longtail off the beach. No doubt about it. But it needs to be your day. I've seen a guy in his fourbie drive to each bust up, get out of the car and make a cast. Was quite entertaining to watch from my boat. I would only do it if you know they are there in close otherwise you're almost wasting your time.

[Doyley]

9 hours ago, curranboy99 said:

Sounds like pretty entertaining day out!

Seems like an awful long way to get to the caloundra reefs from Scarborough though. Have you considered going out thru caloundra? Apparently the bar is pretty easy to cross in most conditons for most boats, and it would take a 60-70km 1-way trip down to a 3-10km 1-way trip (note the measurements are approximates).

Caloundra Bar is pretty ordinary.  Some days you can strike it lucky and have no breaking waves.  the main channel crosses from the bulcock life saving club over to the very tip of Bribie.  From there the channel pretty much disappears and you have to find a way out through the breakers; usually a diagonal NE. 

[curranboy99]

Thanks Sam, guess it would be huge challenge, yet rewarding.

And Chris those big tigers aren't as bad as there rep says, they enjoy a nice pat.

Also Doyley eventhough the bar is ordinary i still consider it to be easyier than bars like tallebudgera or maroochy, but thanks for that info (helpful to have the knowledge).