tugger

Went up to 1770 over the weekend with Lance headed out early Saturday morning stopped and got livies then had a quick look at a close wreck with no luck. Put the throttle down and aimed for our 1st spot up around the reefs it was glassing out and we were loving the weather. The 1st drop with live yakkas didn't take long with the livie shaking on the line it was inhaled by a nice trout. This was the next couple of hours fishing as baits just hit the bottom you were on, we got good trout and moarie cod on the livies but they soon ran out as silly us didn't take enough up. The red throat emperor were scarce as were the tuskies and by midday it had shut down we fished hard for not much but the ever present hussar. Late in the arvo we fished some red emperor ground and were rewarded with a couple of these fish for the box. Losing big Reds was heart braking on a couple of drops and by sunset it was time to find our anchorage. It was a calm night and the next day was the same we didn't get any wind above 5 knots for the 2 days. The sea was like glass and we cruised to all our spots chipping away at our bag of reefies but again by midday it just shut down. Lunch and a few beers was a good way to bide the time till we headed for the red grounds and yes another red hit the deck. We droped the anchor again in the same spot for sunday night with the wind finally increasing a bit after we had dinner it got to 20 knots but we had a good spot behind the reef. Monday morning the wind had dropped off and we found some more mixed reefies before we headed for a quick trip into fitzroy lagoon for a swim and a shower. The lagoon had crystal clear water with beautiful reef everywhere this was a great way to finish the trip. We stopped in town at a freinds place for the night and drove home the next day then got a picture of the catch before filleting.

Good luck Robbie the weather is mint go get em

Sounds like a lot of fun Robbie plenty of mackerel up there this time of year

Some solid snapper there well done

Very doable if you stay close to shore I have been offshore in a 30knot westerly the sea was so flat. I fished the mermaid reef that time westerlies flattens the swell but it does get lumpy out wide. The rock would be good in that wind

I use the navionics HD app on my tablet with the sonar charts to find new ground very handy locating steep drop offs and rising reef.

Used the normal grounds on the way out I was planning on stopping at the new artificial reef on the way back but we needed to get home by then.

It was a good day on the water we did a lot of drifts before anchoring and lost our best snapper of the day to a shark just getting the head back the rest missing from the gill plates. It was getting calmer as the morning wore on there was a nice amount of current and I was hoping the snapper would chew hard. Thanks for the company Steve those fresh snapper fillets were sensational sorry I can't help with any better photos.

Hope to find some livies tomorrow offshore I wonder if the new artificial reef has life yet just off adder rock.

Just on 2 months away now till we get up to 1770 will have to tune up all my terminal tackle again. I like 8/0 true turn hooks in a double gang with a swivel in between. Will be visiting the tackle store this week then ganging up hooks at home.

We had no current so fishing was slow we had to work hard for the fish as they say no run no fun

Great result Lance it looks the goods

Great session on quality snaps sharks do interrupt us getting those big fish it's heart breaking sometimes

Sounds like your getting the addiction Robbie

Thanks Mick my boat is a 5.4m tinnie a good allrounder for offshore and the creeks

Thanks Brad good luck Friday if you go

Yeah this will be different hope to get my wife and daughter on to some good fish. Going to do a bit of snorkeling to with them in the lagoons at either Lady Musgrave or Fitzroy.

I still like the bigger trips like 1770 it is the different species that I like to see like this mixed bag and the different fish up north

The dart are up very close to the rock I pretty sure I have seen them all through the year

I have found them rubbery and have even tried thinning the fillets. Nearly all reef fish I love eating except these fish not sure why they are like that.

We caught a heap of the queenies along with the dart there 1st time i have seen them at the rock.

Spangles go hard and your hoping to see a horse snapper surface but then the deflation hits hard.

Your welcome Steve magic day is on the money

Thanks Kelvin looks like some good weather for the next week or so

There is a lot of variables to crossing bars especially swell direction if it a southerly swell 1 of the best bars to cross is south passage bar. As mentioned before the incoming tide is the best conditions to cross a bar and again going with more experienced seafarers 1st is the best idea. The seaway at southport and mooloolaba is deeper therefore less wave action.