dodge69
12-04-2009, 09:32 PM
Hi guys
Just a quick report from a trip last week while on holidays in Mooloolaba. As I had arranged for 6 mates to come with me, I was not able to take a charter with Smithy, instead I booked a 3 quarter day charter with Adam from Odyssey Charters.
After reading many reports on this forum I had agreed with Adam that I wanted to go to The Banks which he agreed would be best. On arrival at the boat I was told we were still heading wide despite the largish swell. I was really excited and probably had expectations a bit high, but I was in Qld after all.
On the morning of the charter there was myself, my 5 other mates and another full paying customer. We travelled for just over an hour and stopped on a small show on the sounder which Adam told me was Pearl Perch. It was 68 meters deep and we were using a 1 hook rig with a pound sinker.
We dropped down and things were a little slow. There were all 7 of us fishing, along with the decky and the skipper (who was using and electric reel in the back corner of the boat). The bait on offer was soft pilchards, squid that the birds at the back of the boat would not eat, a fresh bonito and some salted slimeys.
Well after drifting off the original mark for about 30 minutes and with the only fish in the boat being a pearl perch the skipper caught, we decided on a move. Not long after this I was told we would try another spot on Coloundra Wide, when I asked why we were not heading to the Banks, I was told it would be a too rough a ride bank against the swell on the way home!!!
Anyhow, we hit the next spot and same story, this time one of my mates pulls up a pearl perch of decent size. We continued another long drift with the Skipper and Decky continuing to fish. Still in 70 meters and I could not even feel if I was getting a bite.
Luckily on the drop, one of the boys hooks a good sized dolphin fish, we continue to catch two more before they disappeared. All of good size.
We move then to 100 meters and I can still not feel the bites. Four of the six anglers are yet to put a keeper in the box!
With no luck at 100 meters we move back to the 70 meter marks and pull up a snapper, which I had to remind the decky to clean after it had sat in the slop bucket for over half an hour, he was busy fishing during that time.
One of my mates pulled up the biggest cuttlefish I have ever seen, was well over a foot long, as I go to grab the net to pull it in for some of the best fresh bait, the skipper cut the line and said it would have been too messy!!
Time was running out and the call was made to hit a small wreck in about 50 meters. Again we drifted and the 7 paying customers took turns fishing out of the one side. Two beautiful undersized reds did come aboard, but no more keepers hit the deck. One of my mates tied on a small plastic and got a good hit but pulled the hooks shortly after. But he kept flicking while the others fished the bottom. On the next drift, before my mate could flick his plastic out, the skipper popped out the back with a rod and soft plastic and started flicking around, leaving little to no room for my mate to continue to fish. No more fish were landed and we headed home.
Final tally
1 snapper, 1 pearl perch, 3 dolphin fish. Barely enough for all of us and our families for a feed.
Two of the customers (experienced fisho’s) did not catch a fish at all.
Anyhow, I have not written how I really feel but rather shared our experience from a factual point of view. Hope it helps others.
Cheers
Dodge
Just a quick report from a trip last week while on holidays in Mooloolaba. As I had arranged for 6 mates to come with me, I was not able to take a charter with Smithy, instead I booked a 3 quarter day charter with Adam from Odyssey Charters.
After reading many reports on this forum I had agreed with Adam that I wanted to go to The Banks which he agreed would be best. On arrival at the boat I was told we were still heading wide despite the largish swell. I was really excited and probably had expectations a bit high, but I was in Qld after all.
On the morning of the charter there was myself, my 5 other mates and another full paying customer. We travelled for just over an hour and stopped on a small show on the sounder which Adam told me was Pearl Perch. It was 68 meters deep and we were using a 1 hook rig with a pound sinker.
We dropped down and things were a little slow. There were all 7 of us fishing, along with the decky and the skipper (who was using and electric reel in the back corner of the boat). The bait on offer was soft pilchards, squid that the birds at the back of the boat would not eat, a fresh bonito and some salted slimeys.
Well after drifting off the original mark for about 30 minutes and with the only fish in the boat being a pearl perch the skipper caught, we decided on a move. Not long after this I was told we would try another spot on Coloundra Wide, when I asked why we were not heading to the Banks, I was told it would be a too rough a ride bank against the swell on the way home!!!
Anyhow, we hit the next spot and same story, this time one of my mates pulls up a pearl perch of decent size. We continued another long drift with the Skipper and Decky continuing to fish. Still in 70 meters and I could not even feel if I was getting a bite.
Luckily on the drop, one of the boys hooks a good sized dolphin fish, we continue to catch two more before they disappeared. All of good size.
We move then to 100 meters and I can still not feel the bites. Four of the six anglers are yet to put a keeper in the box!
With no luck at 100 meters we move back to the 70 meter marks and pull up a snapper, which I had to remind the decky to clean after it had sat in the slop bucket for over half an hour, he was busy fishing during that time.
One of my mates pulled up the biggest cuttlefish I have ever seen, was well over a foot long, as I go to grab the net to pull it in for some of the best fresh bait, the skipper cut the line and said it would have been too messy!!
Time was running out and the call was made to hit a small wreck in about 50 meters. Again we drifted and the 7 paying customers took turns fishing out of the one side. Two beautiful undersized reds did come aboard, but no more keepers hit the deck. One of my mates tied on a small plastic and got a good hit but pulled the hooks shortly after. But he kept flicking while the others fished the bottom. On the next drift, before my mate could flick his plastic out, the skipper popped out the back with a rod and soft plastic and started flicking around, leaving little to no room for my mate to continue to fish. No more fish were landed and we headed home.
Final tally
1 snapper, 1 pearl perch, 3 dolphin fish. Barely enough for all of us and our families for a feed.
Two of the customers (experienced fisho’s) did not catch a fish at all.
Anyhow, I have not written how I really feel but rather shared our experience from a factual point of view. Hope it helps others.
Cheers
Dodge