Mackerel are on in Coffs.

[hellfisher]

But its no secret. I counted 22 other boats within 1km radius at moonee today.
Got 1 Spanish (about 10kg), and 1 spotty. Water temp was up to 26.1 at one stage. Had 4 other strikes that failed to hook up, saw a few other poeple hooked up, also lost a beast that took a rather large live bonito and bit straight through 80lb wire. DOH!

[frankgrimes]

Nice work mate - Least you can get out..weathers been extremely uncooperative here!

[hellfisher]

Don't worry we have had our fair share of nasty weather too. First time out in about 2 weeks. Hope you can get out there soon.

[Bear001]

Thanks for the report. Looking at Seabreeze I might sneak over in the hornet this weekend. How close in are they? Never targeted mackerel before, any help greatly appreciated. eg, preferred lures/terminal tackle/trolling speed etc

Thanks
Cindy

[hellfisher]

Hi Cindy,
you dont have to go far to get them, looking at the forecast the hornet will be fine. Where we were at moonee, we were no wider then split solitary (im sure you know where that is) there are plenty of other reefs in close where a few are being caught , Mc'aulies ,whitmore, sawtell shoals, ect.
We got plenty of hits trolling live bait slowly, xraps are my preferred lure, or if you dont have a live bait tank you can always try anchoring & floating pilchards (under a balloon) in a burley trail for spotties.
cheers Luke

[hellfisher]

Dont forget the wire trace!

[murf]

top stuff :)

so you are one of the boats I have been watching out off Moonee, visit the mate in the van park there and was wondering what is out there

got a 10kg spanish on a large live slow trolled bonito out near North West on Monday, wish I could have scored a few bigger live baits as the slimmies are only about 20cm long atm

will be out in the morning again to try for a spottie and troll a slimie around off Mullaway bommies so will let you know how I go

Cindy the weekend atm looks fine, if you want any pointers I will PM you. Launch at Arrawarra beach is easy atm although a 4wd would be preferred

cheers Murf

[pickenshovel]

went out yesterday off mcaulies , my live bait tank pump stoped working for some reason , threw a few dead bonito about but after 3 hours with only one strike (which just missed the back hook) went south of the spit and hooked up 10 snapper in about an hour so still went home very happy had snapper fillits on the weber , very nice with a few ales.
at lest the weathers coming good,, water temp was around 25 degrees
lots of boats out for a weekday too , mackeral season brings all the old fishos out of the pub.

steve

[Pete62]

went out yesterday off mcaulies , my live bait tank pump stoped working for some reason , threw a few dead bonito about but after 3 hours with only one strike (which just missed the back hook) went south of the spit and hooked up 10 snapper in about an hour so still went home very happy had snapper fillits on the weber , very nice with a few ales.
at lest the weathers coming good,, water temp was around 25 degrees
lots of boats out for a weekday too , mackeral season brings all the old fishos out of the pub.

steve

Nice to see a few Coffs lads on AF. Park Beach bommie was like a car park on daylight this morning, most boats headed north but some heading towards Bundudgen.
I'm into em tomorrow.
Pete.

[Bear001]

God....I cant get there quick enough.....seabreeze is giving me a hard on....ha ha ha ha ha::) :o

I have prior committments until Sat & I hate fishing Coffs on the weekends....way too many boats........plus last time someone kindly backed their trailer into my x8 ute in the car park and bent all my front passenger guard.....NOT HAPPY!!!!!

Depends on deckie if we try and get over on Saturday till Tuesday. If not, I will come by myself anyhow probably Sunday till Wed.

Need to visit MO to get some mackeral gear! Plus an ident book - wouldnt have a clue which one is which....lol.......

[Pete62]

God....I cant get there quick enough.....seabreeze is giving me a hard on....ha ha ha ha ha::) :o

I have prior committments until Sat & I hate fishing Coffs on the weekends....way too many boats........plus last time someone kindly backed their trailer into my x8 ute in the car park and bent all my front passenger guard.....NOT HAPPY!!!!!

Depends on deckie if we try and get over on Saturday till Tuesday. If not, I will come by myself anyhow probably Sunday till Wed.

Need to visit MO to get some mackeral gear! Plus an ident book - wouldnt have a clue which one is which....lol.......

What Tha??
The beauty of the Mack season is u don't(IMHO) need to go out early as the slimies are shy till after sun up, if u r worried about your car park it opposite the main carpark below the fishing club, plenty of room there.
Mo's have pre made rigs for sale on the front counter if u don't want to make up your own.

Pete.

[murf]

what a top day in a perfect place :)

on the water at 6am dropped down a bait jig at the circle 2.4km out from the beach launch and pulled up a small slimy and a yakka, put the slimy out under a balloon and in 1min flat it was smashed by a small spanish Mackerel just shy of 10kg, put out the yakka and within another 5mins it went off with a small Spottie :)

couldn't get any bait so had to race into the rock and picked up 50 slimmies in no time (some more Fraser Is bait) then back out to the circle, put out a slimy on the 20lb soft plastic snapper gear and it got smashed by a 7.5kg Spottie :)

it was just a top day although I trolled two fairly large Bonito around for a while chasing a bigger Spanish to no avail

water a good looking colour, 25deg and it was heading South

cheers Murf

http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo64/murfgq/102_3285.jpg

[Pete62]

Nice one Murf, keen to get out there tomoz.

Pete.

[hellfisher]

Good stuff murf,
I went out in the arvo after work, plenty of bait a parkys ,back to moonee again bloody mack tuna wouldn't leave us alone. No mackerel. Im off the arvo runs...

[murf]

haven't seen the mack tuna at all yet :)

got out of going to Grafton with the missus today and am going out again now with Nathan :)

cheers Murf

[pickenshovel]

awesome stuff murf ............ ahhhhhhhh why do i have to work this week the weathers awesome......

[Bear001]

awesome stuff murf ............ ahhhhhhhh why do i have to work this week the weathers awesome......

"what he said..."

Bugger, my plans to duck over this weekend have gone to sh**. Bloody work always gets in the way of a good social life. Next time.
Keep the reports coming but guys, great to see.

Cind

[Heath]

Guys,
do the macs come in close at all near the rocky headlands down your way?
Am staying at Arrawarra over easter & wouldn't mind a shot at them.
I know Arrawarra head land is a no no , but what about the other surrounding headlands?

[Pete62]

Quick run for me this morning 9-12, bloody work. Slimies and yackas at PBB then out to Bullocky, conditions were great, 2 hits, one missed the mark and the second pulled hooks half way home.
1 Kingie at Macaulies on the way home.

Never seen so many huge Jelly fish in the ocean.

Pete.

[murf]

Cindy its prob not a bad weekend to miss as the Blue Water classic spearo's are on and there will be boats everywhere, there was a commodore ute launching a 4.75m tinny on the beach too

got out again this morning with Nathan and everything was perfect except for the lack of Spanish Mackerel haha, a few got Spotties but we didn't chase them

water was 25.6 and flowing to the South

Heath if I am around when you are here I can take you for a run in the boat if you wish and to answer your question I have never heard of any LBG for the mackerel around here????

cheers Murf

[FISHAWN]

AWESOME! heading down to minnie waters next week, imagine they be thick there if they just hitting coffs?

[nigelr]

Heath it's a bit of a run from Arrawarra but the front of Grassy Head (1.5hrs south) is a renowned LBG platform. Be there before first light though, and be sure to check the swell.
Having said that, I think guys also LBG the front of Woolgoolga, Muttonbird and Sawtell.
A brief visit to FTA in Coffs would get you the good oil, well worth the effort, the boys are great.
Cheers.

[murf]

Quick run for me this morning 9-12, bloody work. Slimies and yackas at PBB then out to Bullocky, conditions were great, 2 hits, one missed the mark and the second pulled hooks half way home.
1 Kingie at Macaulies on the way home.

Never seen so many huge Jelly fish in the ocean.

Pete.

the huge jellies have been around for months and are a sight to be seen

the Mackerel were very shy today as most boats seemed to only have one or two dotties as we call the spotties under 5kg




FISHAWN AWESOME! heading down to minnie waters next week, imagine they be thick there if they just hitting coffs?

looking at taking the boat and caravan up to Minnie Water NP camp area for the last week or 5 nights or so of the NSW school holidays, have no idea where they catch Spotties there but its not far to North Solitary Is to chase Hoo and Spanish ;)




nigelr A brief visit to FTA in Coffs would get you the good oil, well worth the effort, the boys are great.

I will ask Dags from FTA what he knows

cheers Murf

[pickenshovel]

Guys,
do the macs come in close at all near the rocky headlands down your way?
Am staying at Arrawarra over easter & wouldn't mind a shot at them.
I know Arrawarra head land is a no no , but what about the other surrounding headlands?

seen quite a few lbg fishos off the headland at charleworth bay heard they pull in a few big ones as well
but as nigelr said down grassy head, hat head way is awesome peeps catch marlin down there off the headlands , wouldnt mind a crack at that
steve

[bondy99]

Nice Mackeral,

Great to see the improvement in the weather giving the opportunity to get out and try to get a hold of these speedsters.

Smoked Mackeral, very nice

[murf]

Nice Mackeral,

Great to see the improvement in the weather giving the opportunity to get out and try to get a hold of these speedsters.

Smoked Mackeral, very nice

my old smoker is just about stuffed :( so I have a very old SS small beer keg to try and make into a smoker but yes yum

cheers Murf

[murf]

SO WHERE HAVE ALL THE BAITS GONE :(

could only get one slimy yesterday and turned that into a dotty (what we call a tiny Spotted Mackerel) about the 5kg mark

water a dirty colour and down to 24deg as well as going North

trolled a dead Bonito and a live yakka around for no action other than a couple of bonito teeth marks on the dead bonito

tried every little trick spot for bait to no avail :(

Sorry Roz that we got communications mixed up and I left you sitting on the beach without ya phone :( you didn't miss much though

will be on the beach in the morning with Heath (if he is allowed) and the Easter hordes haha

cheers Murf

[Chanlo]

I went out on Sunday (Pirtek Challenge Day). No wind, No current. Got a couple of yakka's (lost all our jigs) and ballooned near split to no avail. Then near chopper rock (Near South Solitary) to no avail but a family caught a real nice sized cobia live baiting. They thought it was a shark and drove it over to us to ask what it was. Guys on the radio all had spotties a couple of bars but no spanish.
We only got 3 nice pearlies and couple of bonito on troll and 3 golden trevally (which made nice fish cakes).