queensland Mixed Results

[Luvit]

After fitting deck lights and other things to the boat I was dead keen to do an overnight-er and test everything out. I was taking a guy out that I promised to take out after he helped me out with a sounder bracket a little while back.

We launched at Moolooolaba at 5.30am and as we left the ramp I went to hose down the deck and the pump stopped. I checked everything else and only the radio and the sounder were working.  After messing around and time went by trying to find the problem we made the call to abandon the overnighter and just fish the day. Headed to Barwon banks and put it bluntly it was the quietest I have encountered out there. We still had a good time but only 2 x tusk fish was not great.

Sunday morning I got up and went through the electrical system to find the fault. Disclaimer: Not being an electrician I usually stumble through wiring and get by. Upon inspection of the new lights I installed it had a 3 way switch. The switch had 8 lugs to connect to! Anyway I thought I had figured it all out because everything was working when I had finished. So in the end what I found was I had installed an inline 5amp fuse to protect the lights however, with the main power bridge for the board the 5 amp fuse was powering everything and the pump load blew it straight away.  I had another go at re wiring it and all seemed good. The red light is so you keep your night vision and the white lights everything up when you need it.

Sorry about the photo quality at night form the phone.

So I took Monday off work so I could go out late Sunday afternoon and as a bonus everything was still in the boat form Saturday's failed attempt. I went back to Moooloolaba to try again and stopped at the inner gneering reef and put out a couple of rods while I reheated some ravioli I had.

It was inevitable the time I was pre-occupied with dinner one of the rods screams off with the fresh yaka I had caught. It was a good fish and smoked me quickly in the reef. Bugger, I enjoyed dinner with some country music and by then I was getting sick of the swell and chop so headed back in close to shore for the chance of a good nights sleep.

Slept well, 4.30am start and off to the banks I headed the weather was good but took it easy with very little light from moon. Arrived at day break and started looking for fish on the sounder. Couldn't find anything that screamed big fish so just started fishing. The trigger fish made light work of any baits and plastics, so I moved off to another spot. Caught a few tusk fish for the ice box and quite a few undersized of many other species. As the day went on the conditions improved and I went wider to the 80m and at this depth big sinkers are a real work out for an unfit office worker. Not having much luck in the deeper water I looked for new ground in 50m of water. Tried a few spots before I found a nice patch of reef that produced my PB Coronation Trout at 60cm, what a spectacular colored fish. I would have liked to get a nice photo with the SLR but it's a bit hard by yourself. So took one on the Gopro and another my son took on his phone when I got home.

On a natural high I kept fishing and then hooked a very good fish on a fresh fillet of iodine bream with a circle hook, it had a lot of weight and pulled good drag. Unfortunately the hook pulled and I didn't get to see it.

Called it a day with a nice feed in top conditions it was time to head home and enjoy the day that was. Seeing a pod of 8 whales in the distance as I headed home at 50kmph was one of the reasons I go to work.

 

It is so rewarding to find new areas yourself and catch fish.

Nice to finally be able to enjoy the boat since doing so much work on it.

 

 

[demarc]

Great effort mate!

[Luke Landrunner]

Great solo trip mate. 

If only I had got home earlier to see your invite, being half Italian, I would've taken care of that ravioli. 

Nice PB too!!!

Ive got some heavier gear for next time in transit. 

[Luvit]

Thanks Demac,

It was a 12 hrs session on Monday alone and the results are not that great for the time on the water. However I'm a big believer in putting the effort in, and eventually you will be rewarded.  

[Luvit]

The new gear will serve you well out on the reefs, Ciao 

[Gary_C]

A day on the water is always better than a day at work.  Nice trout mate!  I spent a week up on the GBR and still wasn't able to land one of those, so you've got me stomped on that one

[Luvit]

I have done same Gary, only caught undersized ones on the GBR. It was nice to get one locally. 

[Fishaman]

Well done Luvit, we passed you on Sunday arvo around 4p, we were heading in as you were headed out. We boated some nice tuskies and assorted other fish from the south end of the banks. We did get one just on legal coronation trout but decided to release. 

 

[Luvit]

Easy to identify my boat now it has the name on the side.

Some nice fish you landed.

We ate the Coronation Trout last night and to be perfectly honest, I preferred the tusk fish. The trout was still nice but a bit soft for my liking.

If you see me again come and introduce yourself. What boat do you have?

[demarc]

How many Ks did you travel for the trip Wayne? How were the Red Throat numbers?

[Luvit]

120km on Sunday. 

Red Throat I got were only just size or under all released. Only got 3 RT for the day.

[demarc]

1 hour ago, Luvit said:

120km on Sunday. 

Red Throat I got were only just size or under all released. Only got 3 RT for the day.

Wow not many ks man. I did 200kms just fishing Cape Moreton.

Pitty about the RTEs. They are by far one of my favouite reefies. They fight so well for their size.

Please sing out when you going next, I am dead keen on doing an over nighter at the banks.

[Fishaman]

3 hours ago, Luvit said:

Easy to identify my boat now it has the name on the side.

Some nice fish you landed.

We ate the Coronation Trout last night and to be perfectly honest, I preferred the tusk fish. The trout was still nice but a bit soft for my liking.

If you see me again come and introduce yourself. What boat do you have?

Yeah saw the name on the boat and though it might be you, your trip report confirmed it. I was on my mates 625 Cruise Craft Outsider. If I see you at the ramp I'll deff say g'day

 

Agree tuskies taste bloody nice

I do mine in butter and a sprinkle of Thai spice (Masterfoods in the spice section at Coles or Woolies). Creates an nice crispy outside of the fillet so its like Thai crispy skinned style except it is skinless. Couple of handfuls of McCains oven baked fries and a greek salad..... hmmmm made myself hungry

 

 

 

[Luvit]

The Cruise Craft was one of the very nice boats I'll looked at before buying. The one thing it didn't have, that I was not willy to compromise on was a self draining deck. Dinner looks superb.

[Luvit]

15 minutes ago, demarc said:

Wow not many ks man. I did 200kms just fishing Cape Moreton.

Pitty about the RTEs. They are by far one of my favouite reefies. They fight so well for their size.

Please sing out when you going next, I am dead keen on doing an over nighter at the banks.

Yes I like the Red Throat too and very good fighters. The more I think about the B/banks overnighters the less keen I am because of safety. I only considered it his time because there are not many whales around ATM. Then I was thinking if one of the large container ships would hit us at night. I know they have radar but still they take a long time to change course. The other thing trying to get a good nights sleep in anything but perfect conditions is very hard with the swell and chop. This is why I anchored close into shore for the night and did an early morning start. The difference in wave action was considerably reduced even compared to being out the 6km out off Gneering reef. I found going out the night before and going to bed early meant I would get a better nights sleep than getting up at a ridiculously early time to travel 1.5hrs to the ramp and launch. I felt so much better at the end of the day and driving home rather than leaving early around 2.30am to be on the water by 4.30am.

We will get out soon. See how this weekend pans out.

My wife is still away  

[demarc]

45 minutes ago, Luvit said:

Yes I like the Red Throat too and very good fighters. The more I think about the B/banks overnighters the less keen I am because of safety. I only considered it his time because there are not many whales around ATM. Then I was thinking if one of the large container ships would hit us at night. I know they have radar but still they take a long time to change course. The other thing trying to get a good nights sleep in anything but perfect conditions is very hard with the swell and chop. This is why I anchored close into shore for the night and did an early morning start. The difference in wave action was considerably reduced even compared to being out the 6km out off Gneering reef. I found going out the night before and going to bed early meant I would get a better nights sleep than getting up at a ridiculously early time to travel 1.5hrs to the ramp and launch. I felt so much better at the end of the day and driving home rather than leaving early around 2.30am to be on the water by 4.30am.

We will get out soon. See how this weekend pans out.

My wife is still away  

Would have to be the right weather window for it, but I have mates who have done the over nighters before, and often brag about how good it was.

Whales are a concern. I've been really, really wary of them ever since a mate of ours hit one out the Tweed at early hours of the morning. At 1770, I try not to drive around at night either for this reason.

[Luvit]

Too many whale stories for them not to make you very wary. 

[demarc]

15 minutes ago, Luvit said:

Too many whale stories for them not to make you very wary. 

I was fishing the Cape Saturday, 10mtrs, in front of the Lighthouse basically. Turned out to be the Whales chosen migration path. Suckers made a B line for my boat and kept going within 2mtrs of my stern.

What are the ramps like where you launch? Are they wife friendly(i.e: pontoons etc)?

[Luvit]

There are 4 x 2 ramps at Mooloolaba. 8 lanes if people can back properly. Yes there are small pontoons. 

I launch by myself during the week but weekends it's busier. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a launch and retrieve catch for the boat. I have been using and old piece of rope tied to the anchor winch bar. It has a loop on the end and I just hook it onto a cleat at the bow. Climb on board, start the engine, power up to give the rope some slack then unhook the rope. Let the power off and the boat glides back into the water. Reverse order to dock. 

[demarc]

47 minutes ago, Luvit said:

There are 4 x 2 ramps at Mooloolaba. 8 lanes if people can back properly. Yes there are small pontoons. 

I launch by myself during the week but weekends it's busier. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a launch and retrieve catch for the boat. I have been using and old piece of rope tied to the anchor winch bar. It has a loop on the end and I just hook it onto a cleat at the bow. Climb on board, start the engine, power up to give the rope some slack then unhook the rope. Let the power off and the boat glides back into the water. Reverse order to dock. 

Good effort.

I can do solo if there is a pontoon or a nice beach. Launching I just leave boat in gear with some revs, jump of boat and undo from the trailer and hop back in. I installed a 4000LB ATV winch on my trailer(powered by a 210amp deep cycle in my truck's tray) with a remote control, so winching on is easy as!

P.S: Sunday might have a doable window!

[Luvit]

I use to do it the same way you do but the distance from my bow D point, is to far for me to reach from inside the boat even laying down. Therefore the rope saves me getting off and getting back on. I have a hook in the boat so when docking I can pick the rope up easy. I can get off the power earlier which makes it easier for other boats trying to drive on. 

Less chance of an accident and the groin is still not right so trying to protect it as best I can without stretching over the bow rail. 

I'll be watching the weather closely for the weekend. 

See what we arrange. 

[kmcrosby78]

Nice one Wayne - beautiful trout and good to be getting some time on the water putting the new boat through its paces.

[Luvit]

1 hour ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Nice one Wayne - beautiful trout and good to be getting some time on the water putting the new boat through its paces.

Thanks, imagine getting out 2 weekends in a row! 

PS a bit of an update on the trout. I had some of it cold for lunch today. I liked it a lot better cold than hot because it seemed to firm up and the taste was quite nice. 

 

[aussie123]

Don't be too worried about ships Wayne.

Just make sure your lights are good and if you are concerned, grab a radar deflector and stick it on your roof for extra visibility.

We always drift the shelf at night, did again last night and never had an issue.

Their alarms go off many miles away and they navigate around any stationary vessels.

[Luvit]

My lights are good.

Now how do I get the whales to navigate around my anchor rope?

Would do the breakaway system on the anchor as previously suggested. 

Thank for the information Captain Lance. 

[aussie123]

Don't be worried about whales either.

The chances of them getting tangled in your rope in the open sea is not that high.

If there is very little or no current, you can just drift for the night which gives you a far better sleep as well.

We drifted the shelf last night and only moved about 3-4 km all night but other nights we have gone 10km or more.

[Luvit]

You continually amaze me with your depth of knowledge. So glad to receive advice first hand from an experienced sea dog.