Offshore Ballina?

[JEWIENEWIE]

Hi all, i am gonna start heading offshore from ballina in the new year and have a few queries.
I have a 4.2m runabout 30merc l/w. FI will be sticking in fairly close to gain more confidence and have to untill i can buy a new epirb, i think i dont need one if i stay within 2nm lor about 3.5 ks of shore is this correct?
Most of all am wanting to know from some other Ballina area fishos of spots fairly close to shore between say lennox and south ballina, that would be worth fishing. Would like to target some Mackeral, snapper in winter, cobes etc etc.
Have crossed the bar before once or twice and will be picking my days.
Getting a bit bored with fishing the river all the time.
Thanks guys
Jewie

[Lancair]

Hi Jewie,
I cross the ballina bar fairly frequently in my 4.2m tinny. (3 times in the last 3 days) Black head reef is the closest by a few miles. Avg depth 15-18m, No snapper there now but in winter they are about. Lennox point is also good but you need to watch to dont stray into the marine park. I suggest a GPS and plotting the co-ordinates of the boundary so as to stay legal. North Riordans Reef is about 8 miles south of the bar and good for snapper and mackeral when they are about, but deeper than Black head, avg 18-25m. Just watch the northerly winds as an 8 mile run back into the northerly chop in our small boats can be very uncumfortable and wet. On a really nice day the FAD isnt too far out to be dangerous, again just watch the weather. I went 11miles out this week with a mate to find the warm blue water. Caught one lousy skipjack tuna but had a great morning. Was cool watching a bulk tanker go past, inshore from us. :D

I always log on with VMR Ballina and tell them where Im going and only EVER go wide on REALLY REALLY nice days. Had great fun last summer catching small Mahi Mahi on spin gear at the FAD.

Andrew

[onerabbit]

Hi Jewie,

when I first started fishing out of Ballina it was in a 15' Quinnie & did much the same as you describe, just stayed close & tried to pick the good days.

It all came to an end for me when the weather changed suddenly one day,
& I wasnt out that far, but the Bar changed it's mood VERY fast........

Long story short, a hairy ride to the Bar & nearly rolled her half way through the impact zone. That boat went onto the trailer & never went across again, I bought the white Seafarer that I know you have seen a few weeks later.

I know that plenty of people take small boats out off Ballina, I have even seen 1 old bloke out on the 32s with a small tiller steer.......but never under-estimate our Bar, it is definitely female.

On the bright side........there is a good gravel patch off South Wall in about 35 mtrs that will produce decent Snaps, Moses Perch, even the odd Groper, come in to about 25-29 mtrs south of the bar to find some reef that works well too, from there you can find scattered reef most of the way in to nearly level with Sth Wall.

Good luck with it & I hope to see you out there one day ,

Muzz

[JEWIENEWIE]

Thanks for the input guys. I am eagerly waiting good conditions on a sunday morning::) , my only day off at this stage. Not asking to much am i.:-/
And by the looks of the swell in byron this morning it wont be tomorow:(
Looks like the river chasing soapies again for me.
Jewie