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Quick Run Out To The Group

Drop Bear

By Drop Bear
in Saltwater

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Drop Bear Community Regular

Drop Bear

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A mate of mine has a 5.15m bow rider that he uses a lot in the broadwater and has been nagging me to take him fishing in it. With lots of success with thanks to people like @Tybo and  @tugger and @benno573 and @demarc and @aussie123 and @Angus Sorry if I forgot someone. With light winds and small swell we decided to hit the group off Point Lookout.

Low tide was early so had to wait a little bit to cross the South Passage bar. The light winds and small swell made for a pretty simple and safe crossing even in the far from ideal bar crossing boat. 

We tried for some livies at shag rock with no luck so towed some spoons on paravanes from shag to the group. Thanks for showing me this @Tybo and @aussie123. Small Bonito and Mac tuna were thick. We had multiple double hook ups and kept a few for bait.

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There were dozens of Manta Rays lolling on the surface right near the group. 20171207_074513.thumb.jpg.e96eea8b6f53152294b15fef77b073b2.jpg

So hoping that some cobia were amongst them we threw some slugs around them with no luck. 20171207_075425.thumb.jpg.4273f4bd9c5b22922f82f4204d991308.jpg

Back to trolling and we got a really nice school mac that went over 70cm... (not sure how the tail got knocked off and also a PB schoolie for me)  and a lot more bonnies and little tuna. 20171207_151452.thumb.jpg.b50b87852d39edc1bdcbd52fa74d4e47.jpg

So time for an anchor at Boat rock. It was really quiet today. Got a few small grassies and a stack of spikey cod that all went back. I put a much smaller sinker on and float lined a slab of bonito down. It eventually hit the bottom and I hooked something bigger. We were fishing heavy so wasn't much of a challenge but I was glad to pull in a nice big squire over 55cm... (when does a squire become a snapper????)

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I floated a pilly and a gar out the back. The gar got smashed but it missed the hooks and didn't come back for a second look :(

The wind had properly dropped off and the tide change produced no more fish so a bit more trolling. This time we used bibbed lures. Halco lazer pro in clasic white with red head and x -rap deep diving bibbed in a pilchard colour to try and get past the little tuna/mac. Sadly this didn't work although we had a large fish on when we trolled in front of North Gorge on Straddie but it spat the hooks. Its a bit tricky in front of point lookout at the moment. There were some odd waves breaking for no apparent reason in deep water so we kept our distance.20171207_103559.thumb.jpg.8d90208bfb55b9ced8bcb98e3ff682a7.jpg

The wind was predicted to pick up and one of the guys was complaining that he haddn't had breakfast :baby: so we headed back. The tide was much fuller now so the crossing was pretty simple although the 5.15 bow rider only has a 70hp 4 stroke Yamaha and was a bit under powered IMHO and struggled to get back onto the back of a wave when it fell back a bit in the sloppy bits. The bar is much further north than when I went out a few weeks ago. The gutter that ran along Flinder's wasn't there. Its quite pronounced and heads pretty much straight out from the last shark buoy (maybe a little north) 7/12/2017.

I showed the boys Myora Spring. It was full of people so we didn't go close. Stunning spot at high tide. Then we went and had some prawns and oysters at Little Ship Club before bumping through the freshening sea breeze back to Cleveland.

So only 2 fish to take home but it is such a stunning place especially when the wind is down. 

I feel very lucky that this is on our doorstep and really privileged to have been taken out there a few times with the very generous @tugger

Interesting for me there is NO whales out there at the moment. After seeing so many for so long it was really strange haha. Glad they are back. 

 

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Old Scaley Mentor

Old Scaley

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10 minutes ago, Drop Bear said:

when does a squire become a snapper????)

These days they are all snapper as far as I know. Used to be that the undersized ones were pinkies, then the squire were a bit bigger and generally anything with a bump on the head was a snapper.  

Sounds like a top day out Robbie and you seem to be building good knowledge of different spots. I am a bit jealous of how much time you are getting on the water lately.

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Drop Bear Community Regular

Drop Bear

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18 minutes ago, Old Scaley said:

These days they are all snapper as far as I know. Used to be that the undersized ones were pinkies, then the squire were a bit bigger and generally anything with a bump on the head was a snapper.  

Sounds like a top day out Robbie and you seem to be building good knowledge of different spots. I am a bit jealous of how much time you are getting on the water lately.

Yep I guess I'm old school and still remember someone telling me that I wasn't aloud to call them Snapper unless they were huge. :)

I hope to spend lots of time fishing in the future. 

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Tybo Newbie

Tybo

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All good Robbie, just happy you're getting amongst them, weather looks fantastic. I'll have to follow you out to the group one day.

I just made this up now, but I'd say:

1) rat squire = under 25cm

2) squire = 30 - 40cm

3) Good squire = 45-50cm

4) Snapper = 55cm+

5) Good snapper = 60-70cm+

6) Proper knobby = 75cm+

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Drop Bear Community Regular

Drop Bear

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20 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

How big were the bonito - they're not bad on the chew ....  Do you smoke fish at all - they'd be good for that too.

Yep matas were awesome. The Bonito were a little small but we kept one. I used to smoke a lot of fish but the smoker rusted out and I dont have one now. I might try and make one :)

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