Ballina report

[samsy]

We headed offshore on saturday morning with the aim of catching a mackeral. Unfortunatly the water was still and green. So in came the mackeral rigs and out went the soft plastics. attached are couple of pics. we let the big one go.

[nigelr]

Nice work samsy. Have noticed a pool of cooler water in your area on the Sea Surface Temp charts. A degree or 2 warmer down here at Coffs atm, and there have been some good patches of spotties. No doubt that cool stuff will find it's way further south though.....
http://imos.aodn.org.au/oceancurrent/Brisbane/latest.html

[samsy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijD8HQ1HoXg&context=C3ab0622ADOEgsToPDskLPXCRt4gbtv9NQcQ95BWOn

[samsy]

too right nigelr. it seems as though when there is heaps of current out wide, enough to push the fish traps under water, a lot of cool and still water hugs the coast line around our area. We were only drifting at 0.02knots on saturday approx 1-2k from shore.we need a good SE to blow the warm water back to shore.
Unfortunatly for us that means you guys who are further south than us seem to get the mackeral weeks and sometimes months before us. We seem to get them when the warm water returns back up the coastline .

[murf]

top stuff on the snaps, love the belly flop :)

I am at Wooli for two weeks and the weather has turned to shit. we got out in the boat on Sat but the water dropped to 21 deg and the mack's disappeared tried fast trolled lures for a Hoo at North Solitary for zip then tried live baits for kings for zip so went to the FAD but it was gone and nothing hanging around a fish trap out wide either. so went another 24km NE to a few marks given to me by a king AFer and sounded around only to get one snapper and a trag in the raging current then a quick run back to the bar at 30knots

and yes at least these Southerly winds should bring in the warm water again

http://imos.aodn.org.au/oceancurrent/LordHoweS/latest.html you can see North, South and North West Solitary Islands at the top

cheers Murf

[nigelr]

hopefully they'll be back on the next moon

[samsy]

the way things are going it could be the next blue moon

[Blane11]

Good catch samsy, we were lucky enough to find them a couple of weeks ago at Evans, with quite a few boats getting their bag.

It's funny how at the start of the season the temp plays havoc with their appearance, but towards the end it doesn't. There has been a number of occasions we've caught them late in the season with the temp sitting on 19 degrees. They're half frozen when they hit the deck!!

[samsy]

i know what you mean Blane. By the end of the season they get stuck in the cold water sometimes as they head back up the coast. I think they jump into your boat Kamakazi style just to get out of the cold stuff :)

[Blane11]

Did you find any slimeys?

We haven't caught a single one yet.

[samsy]

not in close but we went a big wider and there were acres of em from metres and out. they were about the size of a pilchard. surely there would have been some pelagics hanging around them. cant wait to get out there and have a troll.

[deepfried]

Nice coupleof fish samsy. I will give you a call about those plants today when i find some one that has them.

[stonecold]

Good effort mate. I was out on that Friday...similar case. Went all the way down to Sth Riordans, baits sat out for a a few hours and came back in looking quite relaxed after their swim. Managed a few squire and as many undersize trag as you would want to catch. Plenty of slimies but as you say, all the size of a pillie, Went out to the 32's and current was raging, had a troll for a hoo with little luck. Had a half hearted strike on a 10inch skirt but the fish missed the hooks . Thinking seriously about starting to tow the boat back down to Evans.

[samsy]

sounds like the shit water was all the way from yamba up. Doesnt look like any of us will be getting out for a while. Big seas and strong winds forecasted for the next week or so. Time to pull the jew gear out this week.

[stonecold]

Dusting it off as I type!