Scratchie

Try reading this mate, should help! cheers scratchie!!!

Glad you enjoyed your stay up here D. It’s a pretty special place. Yes mate, you let me know next time and we’ll lock something in! Thanks Frank. Nah mate, no trophy room. The wife let’s me go fishing whenever I want, she doesn’t want to worship it 🤣🤣 and I’m not pushing the envelope. Cheers longy! It’s good to start seeing a few turn up! Early morning is the key! Thanks Skip. Come back up when your ready! 👍

Sure was Rebel, thanks Cool photo aye! Can’t wait for you to get back buddy! We got some catching up to do! Haha 😂 thanks Zoran! I was pretty impressed by the image! Thanks champ. It was nice to get a few runs on the board. They went down a treat yowie! It’s been a while 🤔

G’day raiders, Well it was certainly a busy week last week and I forwent a lot of sleep. The balance between work, family, sleep and fishing wasn’t ideal but I did the best i could with everything. I was trying to tee up a session with @dlvbwbut a lot of things conspired against us and it wasn’t possible. Sorry mate! So on my next available day off, I got an invite to go out on a mates boat and thought I was no chance for a leave pass but the beautiful wife I have said “sure. I have some shopping to do”. 🤔🤔🤔 Anyway, got out early and found bait really hard to come by. Bailed on that after 5 minutes and hit the island. The wind was pushing hard from the south, so that set the drift. Second cast, my mate comes tight and a solid 50 to the esky. Then another that was legal but not what we were after so it went back. We were approaching a bommie and I cast out, bang! This thing smacked hard in 4m of water. It took a bit of pressure and luck but I got him boat side and into the net. (Cracking photo) We had a few more drifts but decided to move about and make the most of the overcast conditions and good drift. Next spot looked good to with promising signs of bait. A few casts later I was rewarded with another nice snapper that really it did its best to use the current and structure! Changed a few locations after that but the wind was now blowing hard from the s/e at 20knots and was rendered useless for casting plastics. So we packed up by 930 and took our time heading home pretty happy with our efforts. The title of this post is not only about my dedication to snapper but I’d also like to dedicate this post to my mate @back cruncher that is in a different type of fight at the moment. I know he is hanging to get back out there fishing and as soon as he is well enough, then watch this space! Get well soon brother 👍 Some snapper coming your way real soon. Tight lines all, cheers scratchie!!!

That’s a great story and good on you @Picklesfor showing true fishraider spirit! Us raiders are everywhere and probably the most generous of time and knowledge of all the fishing communities! Hope you put that wisdom to good use! cheers scratchie!!!

No worries! I’ve been out of foreshore ramp on a busy day and the Gold Coast makes that look like a quiet day 🤔

Never fishing weekends again unless it’s trolling for marlin. Monday to Friday is the go! 👍

100 percent mate!!

Haha! No snapper to be found up there mate. Too many people driving over the drift 🤣🤣 Thanks Thanks Donna. Yep they growing up way to fast! On the fishing side, not sure why it’s so quiet. Hopefully it changes soon. My patience is wearing thin 😩

Cheers BN. Sometimes it’s all about the journey than the result! Gotta love fishing 🤙

Cheers mate! Yeah the effort is there but the fish aren’t! I guess just so many boats and everyone wants a piece of the action. But the etiquette just doesn’t exist. Frank, because I live out of the CBD of Sydney I’m free to travel up there. I picked the weather window well and conditions were glamorous. Just wish the fishing was better!

Gday raiders, After my fishing mate Woodsy moved to QLD about a year ago, we haven’t caught up for a fish. There’s been plenty of texting and phone calls but as soon as the premier opened the boarder, I thought right it’s time to go! We hatched a plan to fish Moreton Island Saturday and Gold Coast on the Sunday. I travelled up on Friday with one of my boys (Brandon) and gave him a bit of a drive along the way! (Learner=Left at few gears at Coffs) Crossed the boarder pretty easy and arrived around lunchtime, to see @Woodsy1making final preparations to the boat. We decided to go down to the marina for lunch and then the tackle store on the way home before getting our gear ready after a nice swim and bbq. Excitement and anticipation was high and it was good to see my mate after such a long time. Plans were made and a 2am get up was the call. Saturday........ Well, we left on time and 5 minutes down the road Woodsy remembers that he forgot the winch handle. No stress 10 min turn around and off we go! We are driving down the freeway and there is a car behind us flashing it’s lights. Oh no, not the police! So we pull up and here’s this young lass saying there’s smoke coming from our boat. Oops, the trailer has blow a tyre! Damn, after spending some time fixing it roadside the call was made to change plans and fish the Goldy. Nothing was going to stop us! So we get to the ramp and it’s pretty busy and it was only 3:40. We put the boat in and I’d put the bungs in the wrong spot and the boat starts filling up. Oh gees! Fix that up and we are finally off! We hit the bait grounds and Woodsy warned me of the boat traffic but I had no idea what I was about to witness! Boats everywhere in the 100’s 😩😩😩 The fishing pressure up there on the weekends is massive. Way more than down here. Anyway, we collected a few livies and moved on! We trolled to the inside fads that were standing room only then kept heading wide. Got to the widest fad that was still packed but managed a drive by and hooked up first pass! We then worked the area and managed to squeeze in a drift and out went the livie that was demolished in seconds and woodsy lands another. We tried a few more drifts and some flybys and then moved on to find our own patch. But there were no more takers and considering the start we had to the day, I’d call that a success! Sunday........ After some more research and feedback from some locals we made the trek to Moreton Island. We’d seen some reports of wahoo during the week and the fisherman we are, our confidence of getting a decent fish was high. On the trip (31nm out) we were nearing our spot and there were bust ups everywhere. We stopped and threw a few metals about but to no avail. We kept pushing on, and got to flinders shoal and set the spread. Outriggers out, 2 x 2m divers 1 x 6m diver and 2 x skirts. With all bases covered the wait was on! Once again, I was surprised by the amount of boats working the area such a long way out and the pressure continues. Sad to say that after 5 hours of trolling, not a single hit. And we didn’t see anyone land anything either. So it was lines in but we couldn’t leave without having a bite to eat and a beautiful swim in the crystal clear water at 26deg. Headed home Monday still contemplating what could have been but hey, that’s fishing! It was great to catch up with Woodsy and his hospitality was second to none. We both know that I can’t leave it there and will be back ASAP! tight lines all, cheers scratchie!!!

Yewww 🤙🤙🤙 Great report there. Always nice to get a PB and with a mate. By the sounds of it you did well not only to hook it but to land it. Well done 👍 cheers scratchie!!!

Nice Jew yowie! Good feed from that one! cheers scratchie!!!

Great report! Well done Brendan 👍

Nice work champ! Who’d of thought a decent snapper on pike? Maybe a king or Jew but not a snapper. Well, your instincts paid off big time! Well done lads 👍 cheers scratchie!!!

Haha 😂 I reckon they’ll work on the lizards. Good luck! cheers scratchie!!!

I wouldn’t be able to get it on the plane in the first place! Haha 😆

LOVE IT 😍

It’s a nice marlin! 👍 Pic to come. Just have to pick up my new fish tank first! 🤣 Whiskers will be mounted over the bed 🤣

Thanks for all the comments guys and gals. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. The wife has let me put it in the lounge room! Makes me want to go fishing every time I walk in the door! Haha 😆

G’day raiders, Today I went and picked up my snapper mount. Something that I’ve wanted for a long time and the wait has been pain staking. But what a job this guy did. Every scale is hand painted and it takes 50 hours or more to create this master piece. Add in the 50,000 plus casts it took me to catch the bugger, it’s a lifetime in the making! If you ever want to have your fish immortalised, then send me a pm and I’ll pass on the info! cheers scratchie!!!

Yep it smashed us! Missed your call Rick. Hope your ok? Longest I’ve seen it hail in a long time!

I reckon your right Dieter! Sydney Harbour will have a few new car parks! 🤣

Hey raiders, Got sent this today,........... Any truth to it???? Don’t you make me move back to Sydney! Lol 😝