Top Day in the Bay

**blairv70** · 08-10-2016, 08:46 AM

The weather was too good to pass up yesterday so I took a mate of mine for a run out on the bay - he is having a bit of fishing withdraws so needed to get him back in the game.

Left Manly at 4.30 for a very flat run out to the Foul Grounds and an awesome sunrise that followed - really is magic out there when the sun peeks it's head up. We tried for livies but there was little on offer - they were very shut down and just not on the bite a all.

The floating pilchard out the back soon confirmed why with the first screamer of the morning and a nice fat School Mackerel boated before 6am. A few more followed amongst some half hearted hits and bite offs - 2 packs of gangs used by the end of the day between two of us.

They are very finicky and will follow baits and lures but not go for them and they best way to catch them seems to be by fishing light (really light), small gangs (2/0 Tru Turns were the best) and absolutely no weight unless the current is quite string which this time of month it is not.

We also had a welcome by catch of Snapper with some good pan size fish between 37-45 hitting drifting baits not far below the surface. Best thing I saw was two Schoolies having a go at a Snapper when I was winding him in - quite amazing to watch.

Between bites we had a awesome show by at least twenty whales in different groups - cannot believe so many are in the Southern Bay at the moment - some were just chilling on the surface whilst others were jumping all over the place - saw a very large adult in 8 meters of water about 1 km of Green so they are very close.

Final Tally was 6 Snapper and 10 Mackerel - we had a couple of late comers after the photo below before anyone comments :-)

It truly was a great day with sublime weather, great fishing and awesome whale watching - lucky we live in SEQ!