Exmouth @ Xmas/New Year

[Tony Ong]

More pics from Christmas.
The usual suspects were all around. Not many but a couple of nice queenies were had this trip. Some of the other boys got into nice golden trevally. Steve and I didn't manage to get into any. Fluffed casts, spooked fish, you name it, we did it with the goldens this trip.

[Dave Bailey]

Nice fish, looks close to a metre

[Spencer King]

Did you catch that one Tony and get the hand model to hold it for you?

[Tony Ong]

The hand model is allowed to catch some fish once in a while Spencer. Pretty sure it measured 99 and a half cm Dave.
Well, after looking at the weather forecast, if we were going to get across to Tent Island, today was to be the day. Well, the weather didn't quite cooperate. Launched from Exmouth marina and started heading due east. Wind was chilly to say the least. I made an executive decision to head for Exmouth reef. The ride going with the wind and swell was a lot nicer. We've fished Exmouth reef quite a few times on various trips, but have never managed to catch it on a good bite. Well, today was no different. Just the one trev for a couple of hours fishing.

Wind dropped down, and the plan was to head as far south as we could so we wouldn't cop it as bad on the return trip. We left Simon at Exmouth reef and headed towards Y and Eva Is. Nearly made it to the islands, when we saw bait getting hammered on the surface. The culprits.

Classic tuna tactics. For once the tuna co-operated. Managed to get in front of the school, and drift onto feeding fish. Double hookup mayhem ensued. Had a bit of a Rovex moment, when the handle of my reel came loose, and I had to stick a finger in one of the ports to spin the reel. With a whole lot of luck, managed to get the handle back on the spool and back to the job at hand of getting tow tuna into the boat. Longtail sashimi that night tasted good. We somehow alerted Simon and his crew that we were onto fish at this stage. I must have accidentally leant on the radio whilst the fish was going on it's first run.
Delvin and Albert wern't as panicky, as they had been getting into a few fish. I think Albert even managed a longtail on a 6 weight.

[Tony Ong]

Part two of a long day across to Tent Island and beyond. The wind was still kind, and we decided to keep heading south. The plan was to head as far south as we could looking at new grounds that we had never fished before. We were pressed for time, so didn't really spend much time fishing. Rather, we spent the time taking mental notes of places that we would like to come back and fish.
Well, the wind came up and we were never going to out run it. We were in for one nasty trip home. Average of 8 knots, and we never got over 12. Had the bilge pump running the whole trip home. Took just under 3 hours to complete the run home. At one stage we looked across to the boys in the other boat. Albert just crossed himself and offered up a prayer.
This was to be the last of our days crossing the gulf. Arnold and his crew had found bait stacked up in front of Bay of Rest. Five minute run to the spot, in the lee of mainland, it was a no brainer where we were all headed the next day. With the amount of bait around, you'ld think that we were in for the time of our lives. Unfortunately, there was probably more bait than preditors around. We still had to work hard for the fish. Charging into the schools just seemed to put the fish down. We all opted on long drifts, with fingers crossed that we would happen onto a bait ball when the preditors found them. Feeding were goldens, giant trevally, gold spot trevally, mack tuna, longtail, school mackerel, and the half dozen other species that I've probably forgotten to mention. Some of the school mackerel were reasonable.

Delvin found some funny wrasse looking fish on a flat. He managed to hook and land one. Would need some help with fish id. More to come.

[Tony Ong]

Another photo of the Mackerel. Anyone care to id?