pure spirit

Hi All I'm head out (few mile) with the family to try and spot a whale or two for the kids, was thinking I'd head out then run north to longy then head back. kill two bird with one stone if you know what I mean you think there's much point ??

Great my wife heard this yesterday and is all freaked out about "whale attack" !!! we (the family) are planning on heading outside tomorrow to show the kids a whale (hopefully) and run a few lures. Had one surface next to me off longy last year which was pretty amazing and would love to share that experience with the family..

hey mate heaps of post have info on rigs check out some of mine for my tips. as for cooking i've been doing them two ways first thing is preparing them make sure you get all the silver off them I use one of those scotch pads that you use to clean pots and pans works pretty well heaps faster than a knife. As for cooking easy way is just to cut them in steaks to the length you want wrap in foil with butter pepper and lemon cook in the oven 180 for about 10mins or so. For the bigger ones i've filleted and pan fried with butter and i made some chive and lemon butter to serve with them did this for a dinner party last week which everyone loved. Going to defost some for tonight and mince them and make fish cakes in a thai style which i think should rock best of luck noah

still don't understand why he'd get bail they found him with stolen P should be locked up till trial problem with our system way to soft !! if low lives like this had to face harder laws crime would stop or at least slow down pretty quick... if he knew he'd go away for 20 yesrs for sealing a boat he'd think twice and most likely not do it giving police more time to go after the ones who do

not sure what happened there... but i was suggesting that the 2nd ones have no neck support to float you upright, think those 2nd ones are ski vests, but i'm no expert

Great stuff, good to hear you nailed them and happy to help

would that be browny by chance he pm me today about going out i gave him a mark and my number to call for more info but figured he saw the wind warning and changed his mind...

well done it's a great feeling ticking them off the list.

nice work, well done friday night had a big moon and clear skies as well

thanks guys . and a huge thanks to Geoff for going to the trouble to include photos.

Hi all Got a small (ish) problem, running a 90 hp Yammie 2 stroke with digital dispay the trim is working find (ie it goes up and down either via the trottle control or the button on the side of the engine. But the display has stop moving and just showing two bars it was working during my afternoon out but i raised it clear of the water for my nights fishing and noticed the problem on the way back to the ramp !!! any suggestions. PS i'm also finding the my speed reading port is always getting fouled any suggestions ( i know how to clear it but it's a pain when your on the water to fix I can rely on my GPS so it's not the end of the world but nice to have everything working the way it should. Thanks noah

Mate I fished in the bottom third of the water column but never on the bottom. as for rig i use a 20lb wire trace about 10cm long with a few glow beans on it with a two hook rig the bottom looped to the trace and the top one floating. one rig a had a smallish sinker above the trace to drop it down to fishing level fast and the other (which was on a bream stick)just a small split shot which i'd cast out to distance i wanted it to settle at ie if i'm in 10m water i'd cast about 8m. Not sure if it makes any dif but i run a lot of lighting over the side of my boat as well gotta love two battery setups. As for cold think it was but i was fine, just rug up for it and take a thermo and have a few cupa soups....between beers.

Here are a couple of shots the one with the fish and the net was the first fish i took in the afternoon around 4pm !!! I'm calling it a daytail ! The other one with the boat on the trailer if you have a keen eye you will see the catch on the gunwall of the near corner

got a shot of the first one i caught during day light to prove it to a mate, will put it up tomorrow

you know it's time to worry when... (I did this yesterday) .....you are preparing your berly mix, you've chucked it some old bonito fillets, some frost bitten yakka, old pillies from last trip, a whole sambo, half a loaf of bread and a good splash of tuna oil and as your munching it up you catch yourself licking your lips !!! It was really windy and my lips were dry..... plus it was a blood good mix !

another option is to go to a good tackle shop and they can load it up for you off their bulk spools works out cheaper by the metre as well. I'd recomend fins for my 2cents... I back all my large volume reels normally 250-300 metres braid then backed with as much as it takes to full the spool...having said that my penn international 50 is backed with braid and topped with mono

hey mate great to talk to you last week...gotta chuck the small ones back (they are next years big ones)... and more importantly only take as many of the big one as you need which is something that scares me when they are on a run like that knowing what some people are like.

Went out last night ended up in waratah bay because of the wind which was whipping down jb was not able hold an anchor. Which end up being a good way too go got heaps (thanks for the tip RAY) I'm talking at least 40 maybe as many as 50 kept 4 big ones 1.2m and a few smaller ones that took the hook deep and were to badly injured to be released. got my first ones at around 4pm on the western side half way down but then moved to a mooring at the end of the bay.. heaps of other boat up the opening end not sure if they got much. most were 90-100cm with a few above 120cm. but nothing else in the bay had a jewie/ flathead line out all night with no takers..... not even a nibble went to sleeps about 10pm and left a whole gar floating 4-5m below a float pulled it out at about 6ish still in perfect conditon !! then went on to catch more hairtail just off the bottom... it was all too easy so if your after them get out now cheers noah

hey Ray nice to hear you nailed them, did you get any on the mark I gave you ? thinking I might head out later this week

Thanks, you'd be right just rug up.... having said that I had planned on spending the night out (as i did last year many times) but once I had fish in the boat and it went quiet I headed home for a nice warm bed and a hot meal. The secret for me is thermals and a couple of rums ! not always in that order which is also the bonus of dropping anchor and staying the night.

Hi Mack,, to many place not enough time !!! I know the area (the Cape) quiet well worked as the operations manager for one of the larger tour companies up there for the last three seasons, just never made it into Weipa could have gone in a few times but was always rushing from one place to another and wanted to wait till I had a couple of free days to fit in a fish.

Great stuff well done, was hoping to get upto Weipa for a fish this year but changed jobs so next time i'm on the cape I'll have to pay my own way but seeing your report has me thinking about my credit card

Hi All Went out yesterday mid morning from Bobbin head, head out to west head to get bait but could not be #%^$ putting up with the swell so spent a lovely couple of hours fishing in the basin, got one big sambo about 60cm(on a 4lb hand line that i was using to catch yakka) got the cuts in my fingers to match . Caught heaps of under sized snapper and flatties but i was just nice and relaxing. About 2pm figured i should have a crack at something to take home try Barrenjoey and flint n steel with no luck so by 3.30ish headed to Jerusalem bay. As the sun set I picked up a nice little snapper around 40cm and a good flattie around 50cm plus another sambo (always fun on light bream gear. About 6ish i set a hairtail rig on a heavy rod with a red glow stick in mid water and a middle weight setup on the bottom. Was about to change spot at around 7pm when the heavy rod went which resulted in my first hairtail, berleyed up more and started using a light beam rod with a unweighted pilly as well which i would cast let sink and repeat on my 3 or 4 cast hooked up boy did it give me a run for my money but landed it. Got two more on the light setup one thrown hook and the 2nd busted the line at the swivel just as i was trying to get it in the net and a couple of hits but no hookup on the heavy mid water rod. After that things went really quiet at about 930 headed to Waratah bay but only stayed there for a short time and headed home. I know there are a few raiders after hair tail and I'm happy to shared the spot P.M if your interested. THe light rig was set with two hooks (2ns hook sliding) on 20lb wire about 10cm long with a couple of fluro green and red beans on a beam rod this rig out fished the other two. All fish were caught on pillies Neither are the biggest fish just over a metre but nice to tick them off this list... have invested more than a few cold nights chasing them so nice to be rewarded, ging to put them in the FOM and see if I'm lucky there as well.

hi guys lots of get ideas on how it keep your boat safe but i suggest you check your insurance details and you may well find that you unless you have a wheel brace style lock you may not be cover regardless of the other measures you take.

I'm thinking I'll keep mobile and try a few spots till about midnight Going to give the pillies more of a shot this year, used mainly live yakka last year to keep the nibblers away and in the hope that the panic from a hooked up live bait would bring in some hairtail coupled with the glow sticks but you know what they say about the best laid plans. Didn't berley for them at all last year with the view that it just brings in the tailor and other small stuff but might give that a go as well....mix things up and see if i can crack the hairtail code...