Benyo

Dale, thanks for the tip. I will show my ignorance do you drag skip baits and teasers while looking for fish or only after you find them ( bait schools or fining fish). Stupid question number 2 how big a tuna is too big for skip baiting? 40-50 cm ok or too big. Thanks Rob

Will do Paul Maybe i can avoid this (see attachment)! I guess the thermometer was not off. I don't know if this falls under bad luck or bad captain but I could not have picked a worse place in the ocean to fish if i tried! I If i went 5 miles north or south i would have been in better shape I think. Lesson learned spend more time looking for good water and less time trolling in unproductive water? Rob Temp.pdf

I think my thermometer on the finder must be off I was showing 22-22.5 at best and went 3-4 miles past the shelf? Or maybe that was the problem I was fishing the nexus of cold water and could not escape no matter which way I went. Still looking for my first and running out of season. I plan to be on the water every weekend until I hook one. I may have a few "sick" days if I start running out of weekends. I am usually running 4 skirts Blue silver, Lumino, Green/gold and Purple 6-10 inch size and I am constantly looking at the spread going nuts because it looks textbook smokin and divin and I can see the strike it in my mind alas only tuna and small dolphin. Maybe I need to up size to get the fish to come in? Any advice greatly appreciated I am happy to relay information on the radio if anyone would like? The boat is "On Point" be great to have a chat while I burn fuel. ha ha Rob

Went wide out of broken bay and south to the shelf little sloppy on the way out. Water was unusually cool and green all the way out to the shelf. Ran into a few schools of striped tuna and managed 5 of them over 100 fathoms. Water did not start to lose the green tint until well past the shelf. Burned a lot of fuel looking for better water. No temp or current edges to speak of. Did anyone do any good over the weekend or at least find some decent water? Rob

SquidKing Combo Watch the temp on the way out if you see a big jump fish mark it and come back. I say come back because the first one to fish the FAD will get the fish they spook quickly. I have done my best at "unofficial" FADS that I just happen upon and temp / current lines while travelling to FADS. Also I tend to moved on quickly if I don't hook up after a couple of passes I am gone to find a better spot. My last pass I troll the lures so they go RIGHT next to the FAD and that results in a undersized fish nearly all of the time. I like to troll rather than bait but I know that limits my success but it is waht I like. IMO Dollies are either interested or not and I spend time looking for interested fish rather than tempt uninterested ones but I know there are other ideas and I am not necessarily right that is just how I do it and it works for me. Also the Terrigal FAD is only about 6 miles north of there and there is usually some traps at the 40 fathom range on the way out and all the way north to Terrigal if you see any give them a shot. I am busy this weekend but be there for sure next weekend. Rob

I hope it is a good season. I saw one last year about March 200-300 m north of Long Reef. I have yet to have one come into the spread this year. Rob

Uncle Bo-Bo Good fish I am still looking for my first keeper of the year. several just unders. I have never fished Long Reef Wide always went on past. Sounds like it is worth a shot next time. Cogo44 any tips for success? Rob

Fished long reef Sunday from about 6:30 to 8:30 landed 6 kings all unders. I was trying a new to me setup to find the bigger fish. Used a 3 inch tube jig on a 3/8 oz jig head then a 6 inch strip of squid. Looks like a good bait in the water but no monsters. I was using frozen squid so maybe that was the reason. may upzise to 6 inch tube jigs next time and use fresh squid. picked up and went to the wave rider bouy for 2 dollies both unders. One on a pink skirt and one on a blue. The water was little cool 20.5-20.8 out there. So after a few passes and a few drifted baits I picked up and strated heading back to broken bayand trolled around a bit for zeros on the way. I noticed the water was cool until I was within 3km shore then it started to go back up. I guess the warm water was out a little wider. The current was going pretty good at the wave rider. I was drifting bait and with the current pushing south and the wind blowing from the south I was not moving. Sorry no fish porn. Rob

moonshine, well done mate! were they all on skirts? After Long Reef Sunday I trolled back at 50 fathoms for nothing. Were there any good temperature breaks on the way out? Rob

I made the call to stay in close today and hit long reef with my son. we ended up with 4 just under kings and one bust off. My 11 year old son got his first king. The camera went dead after the first fish so we could not get a pic of his first for mum and it was just under... just. So back to catch another day. 3 fish were on squid strips cut about 1.5 cm wide and 6 cm long on 1/8th oz jig heads drifted about 15 - 20 m behind the boat and one king and one bustoff on a whole squid head unweighted. Most were off the north side of the wall drifting over 20m of water. All fish between 8-10 am then nothing. Went out wide to troll back to broken bay for zeros some decent water but no fish. Good bit of chatter on the radio of marlin near the shelf. No monster fish but a perfect day on the water. Rob

I will decide when i get to the heads if i wil go out or just stay in close to catch a feed. I just keep thinking that someone needs to be first and it might as well be me.

Dale, I have been out to the FAD's a few times wilt no real success. I have 1 at the terrigal FAD on a Pink skirt, 1 at the Broken Bay FAD on a purple skirt and 1 that I saw free jumping on the way back near a fish trap on a blue skirt. None drifting baits or casting lures and all under sized (50-60cm) right next to the FAD so as of last week not there yet for me anyway. I think I am going to give it another go sunday bound to turn up one of these trips. Rob

Dave, I am not sure what type of fishing you are looking for but the fish traps offshore hold good numbers of dollies starting this time of year. I think they are usually in about 40 fathoms. I would also be interested is anyone has advice. Rob

Poacher, I was out north of broken bay so prob not too far from you and ended up with zeros. thanks for the report makes me feel a little better about my zero. Benyo

Framedtrash, you prob think i am crazy but i eat them (i didn't get this figure being a fussy eater) If you cut out the red bit along the lateral line (that is where the very strong flavor is) and wash them in salt water it becomes pretty tasty. If i were ever to see a marlin when i had some i would like to say it would go out the back but i don't know if i could put it together under pressure prob end up tossing the esky at him. Brett, The BB FAD is about 12 miles out (depends on where you measure from) if the weather is ok i can be there in 30-40 min from the heads. Yesterday I was at the Terrigal FAD that is about 5-6 miles further north. Both are in about 110m of water.