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rando
19-01-2006, 10:51 PM
Hi Everyone.
I thought Id let you know about our #2 weeks in Iluka. We had a great holiday, though not quite what we had anticipated.
Let me first say, i am aware that many of my fishing reports are a bit negative, its hard to put a good spin on not catching anything, but please dont think I moaning I will one day be beating the chest.

My holiday plans #took an unexpected turn when my office manager went into labour a month early and delivered a healthy baby #girl on january 1st.
Our plan was to be in Iluka on the 2nd. #A quick scramble and plan B was devised and we departed on the 3rd.

On the 2nd, in the middle of arranging #a contingency plan to keep the office running I got a call from Roz saying she had #"just taken the turnoff to Iluka and what directions to our camp site?"
Sorry Roz!! I hope the rest of your trip wasn't mucked up.!

I went down stairs early morning on the third to hook up the trailer ( Id left myself two hours packing to do in one hour) & found the car wound'nt start. Flat Battery!!' Must have left an Interior light on while packing last night, BUGGER.

Went to the next door nieghbour for jumper-leads ( the jump starter battery pack was at the bottom of the trailer). Car starts , cant back up to the tow ball,I'd parked the trailer in a convenient covered possy for packing but cant get the car at the right angle to pull it out.
Tried to push the trailer out but one wheel is in a divot and the bloody thing wont move( Im feeling like one of the Keystone cops about now )
Spot the other next door nieghbour on his back verandah and he lends me a pound or two, we're hooked up.
Bit more packing and we are driving out the gate and the mobile rings. My brother down at Nobby's " Can I please drop off the camp stove he gave me as his son wants to go camping"
I dont need it so a detour is factored in.

Arrived at Iluka four hours later than planned and stopped at the office to sign in & pay. Returned to the car,
Car wont start!!!!
What The???? The battery proved to be dead as a doornail, hadnt charged in three hours driving
call NRMA , wait 1/2 hour #to get going , drive 200 metres to our site and begin setting up camp, just as the thunder begins to roll ominously , lightning too.

Now this is where the holiday starts to get good!!!. Nieghbours on three sides rush to our assistance (6 in all) One of whom, has a business erecting commercial Marquees for wedddings and things. #Up goes the tarp, up goes the tent (I go down in a screaming heap #literally, when the floating piece of cartilage in my knee #pops out the side of the knee joint when i squat down to drive in a peg). Down comes the rain and wind ... everything stays put,
no problem,,, out come the coldies" thanks guys Im Rob, Happy New Year!!!"

Well it rained and blew for another 10 days, Revs57 was going to catch up with me down at Minnie Water, but the weather defeated our plan.

Too much wind and sweep to fish the beaches, The seas were up so the rocks were #too dangerous. so the breakwall was the only option.

Suffice to say I didnt do too well. Unlike last easter, there was no bait anywhere on the wall, and any one that I spoke to while fishing #had little success, a lot of catfish and Rays seem to predominate.

I met a bloke at the camp groud from the Gold coast,(James) and we had a couple of good weather fishing days towards the end. James #was prety good at his craft, and managed to hook three good sized school Jewies #but he couldnt land them on light line in the rough water. he lost them all in the rocks.

So my plans for lots of fishing turned into, reading three books, playing 500, and just hanging out with the family . IT WAS GREAT!.
Number two daughter(5yrs) #was #persuaded to abandon her trainer wheels & is now gaining confidence and control,,, and ,lost her fear of waves and now has to be watched every second #as she tests her new limits in the surf
We are booked in again at easter maybe thats #when I'll catch a whopper.

The total for all my fishing effort was 2 dart, a gummy shark & an undersize cobia,(releasd) and one run(jewie) on a live dart but no hook up.
I hope you all had a nice christmas/ new year. Sorry to #rabbit on so long.
See Ya
rando

finga64
20-01-2006, 07:49 AM
Look on the positive...it can only get better (fishing wise) next time ;)
And any time spent with the family is a good time #:)

revs57
20-01-2006, 07:57 AM
Great Story Rob,

Dissapointing to not catch up...blasted weather...never mind...the way the Banks are firning I'm sure it wont be long before I'm up your way again and it'll all happen and make up for lost time.

Glad you had a great time though and hope you are refreshed and ready to tackle a new year

cheers

rhys

bidkev
20-01-2006, 08:27 AM
That story's good enough to be a film script........Mr Bean as main character ;D

Never mind Rando. It can only get better. Best of luck for the next trip mate.

kev

Laws are like spiders' webs which, if anything small falls into them they ensnare it, but large things break through and escape. ;D

fish2eat
20-01-2006, 10:21 AM
Hey Kev,

love the quotes......did you get a new desk calendar for 2006???

they are rippers though.....looking forward to many more

now to the topic, sorry Rando......fishing mortality happens to all of us

bidkev
20-01-2006, 10:31 AM
No mate I've just rediscovered 'em on the 'puter. I used to comntribute to a certain newsletter and I had a free proggy that'd just randomly generate 'em and drop 'em at the end. Lost the proggy though and am having to do it manually atm.

kev


Don’t wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself.

Commodore
20-01-2006, 01:13 PM
Hi Rando,
Were you camping at Woody Heads??, sorry to here about the weather and the fishing :(, but there is always next time. Weather can be unforgiving down there :-X. I’m heading down for 4 days next week; hope we get better weather and same for the fishing. ;)
Cheers,
Chong

rando
20-01-2006, 09:46 PM
Thanks for the kind words everyone,
Yeah the break was great, and Im back at work now and cleared the back- log at about 1pm today.
Already thinking about the easter break, I want to break-in my new LBG outfit. ( Gary Howard 7fter with an Avet JH 4.1 loaded with 600 mts of 30 lb braid) Didnt really get a chance this last trip.
The fish will come, I just need to get enough time with a bait in the water.
Kev , those quotes are great.
Chong, I had a short session last saturday at Frasers , tried just about everything, SPs, pilly, squid, slugs, popper.
An old bloke over on straddie once told me " Son, you cant catch fish, if they arnt there" So thats my mantra now.
Hope you have a successful trip, its a great part of the world down there.

Cheers
rando

roz
20-01-2006, 10:19 PM
Hi Rando,

Sorry I missed you on the way back, I simply ran out of time, well at least I tried!!!

With a bit of luck we might catch up sometime in '06.

All the Best

Roz

rando
20-01-2006, 11:02 PM
Thanks Roz .
how was your tip?
maybe we will catch up in march at the M&G,,,, bit difficult now my right hand girl is out of action, but Ill see what I can cook up between now & then.
Cheers
Rob

rando
20-01-2006, 11:11 PM
Revs.
You made the right call, the weather was ordinary right through till Wednesday 11th , it would have been nice to have a beer and a chat , and "ride the 'tide"! maybe next time
Cheers
rando

revs57
21-01-2006, 10:59 PM
Well get the diary out!!!

rhys

theoldlegend
22-01-2006, 07:15 AM
Hi Rando,

Loved your report; it was starting to sound like an episode of "Some Mothers Do Have 'em" with you as Frank Spencer !! ;D

Anyway, you managed to have some quality time with the family while you were down there. The fishing might be better next time around.

TOL