Goldy close reefs - Ash's $5 pillies, whales & some fish too!

[Jackinthebox]

After watching the storm forming up Fri arvo & seeing there was a west/sth westerly change coming through behind it, decided to call up another mate on the "favours" list and put him onto the snapper that he said he would love to catch.

Sat morn, out to the close reefs off the seaway and Tez locks into a nice squirey/snapper about 2-3kg. Wind blowing a bit harder and out goes the drogue. Slowed us enough to get a few smaller squire and then we had a few pods of whales going past and jumping pretty close to us. A few big ones were hanging around so i said to Tez, " watch this, I'll bang on the side of the boat and they might come over" ........ well they changed course and headed over straight towards us. I decided that the tinny was a bit small to be close quarters whale watching and motored away from them. Got a few photos as they travelled away and then back to the fishing.

Nice five kilo'ish nobby for me and the drift became too fast. Donated a reef pick & chain to the bottom so decided to come in over a nice flat ocean.

By the way, those of you who saw Ash's $5 pillies for sale and the hoo ha that it created, another one third of these pillies were converted into the fish you see in the pics.

So far, from two trips, a $5 box of leftover pillies has been converted into about 10 legal squire, 2 x 2kg squire, 2 x 3kg snappery squire and one 5 kilo Knobby. I'd say i'm ahead, wouldn't you guys;D , and I still have one third left:)

Cheers,
Mick

[Jackinthebox]

More photos, plenty of undersized pearlies around ....

[Tassie JR]

Nice fish mate, hope you get another nice knobby like him on those left over pillies and a nice bit of whale action. Weather was great friday afternoon and friday night could have taken a 10 foot tinny out there and would had been safe.

cheers tassie JR

[skipalong]

nice snap bet you didnt try catch the big guys

[aussiefool]

Some mighty fine looking fish there mate well done

[Roo]

those whales can quickly give you the hurry up hey. I had a pair turn and head over for a look at me last year....they went down and out of sight for a few seconds then popped up 10 yards away.....I needed some brown jocks for that....the pair took a breath, rolled on their sides and eyeballed me as they cruised right under the boat.... An experience that I'll never forget. I was filming them on my phone camera but put I it down to grab my lifejacket when I realised they were about to go right under me.

Nice work on the snapper, looked cold out there....

Cheers Roo.

[Jackinthebox]

Yeah Roo, they sure make you nervous in a little tinny don't they?

The big ones are alright I reckon, it's those crazy 2 tonne calves that worry me when they are coming back down from up north & can't stop jumping & playing around. I can just imagine what they are saying ...... "look at me mum, look at me mum!! ............ mum! You're not looking!!!!"

Hey Andrew, you might have to come up this way mate cause i'm not gonna buy a new epirb until November when the QLD law comes into effect. Bloody NSW jumping the gun ...... end of this month & they want you to get a new one when the oldies aren't phased out until next year!!!!

Mick.

[aussiefool]

Hey Andrew, you might have to come up this way mate cause i'm not gonna buy a new epirb until November when the QLD law comes into effect. Bloody NSW jumping the gun ...... end of this month & they want you to get a new one when the oldies aren't phased out until next year!!!!

Mick.

No drama Mate your place is only 45 mins from mine. Just say the word.

[soulfish]

ASH'S $5 pillie thread was a crack up

[Jackinthebox]

ASH'S $5 pillie thread was a crack up

I thought it was quite amusing too mate, it was just starting to get going & then got locked down. Someone must have said something naughty.::)

[the gecko]

Good effort mick. What size tinny are you in?

I should get outside more in my 4.1 allycraft I think. Do you get out before dawn, or wait for some light?

I went out Fri nite to get some livies and then fished inside the seaway from 7pm on. Im a bit chicken to fish offshore in the dark on my own in a small boat. If only I could get some time off during the days, arggh, I even work on weekends.

cheers
Andrew

[Jackinthebox]

G'day Gecko,

4.69 stacer with 50 hp tiller merc, sold the old 3.85 explorer with 15 hp to a mate.
Used to go outside at night in that one too, but wouldn't recommend it. Hell, I used to go out to Fido's off the Tweed in the old 3.5 mtr explorer but definitely wouldn't recommend that to anyone unless they are really careful with the weather, carry all the safety gear and know what they are doing. Only when I knew it was gonna stay flat for the next day or so and light westerly land breeze at night.

In the mornings, if it's flat and offshore with incoming tide, I'd get out there in the dark just before first light & fish for three or four hours & still have time to get back in on the top of the tide before it starts running out.

Andrew(Aussie), no worries mate .... you might even get to put a bend in that tuna poling rod you've got;D

cheers,
Mick