hookerbruce

Good result. Fish were caught and fish to eat. We usually end up using bait to catch the yakkas near the mouth of the hacking, and take a block of pillies as back up. Small sweep etc will work as live bait. Sunrise and sea conditions look good. Doesn't take much to get hooked on FAD fishing. bruce

Went out again this morning and headed north instead of South yesterday. Only managed four pearlies and a nice blue spott flathead no marlin or surface activity . Water is a nice 25deg which makes for a nice swim Haven't seen or heard of any mackerel. Think the lack of baitfish could be the reason. Bruce

The forecast was good and the bar flat so headed out the macleay to catch a feed things were a bit quiet so decided on a bottom bash. Ended up with a morwong a flathead and 5 pearl perch. Then went for a troll after about 15 min the rod with the small lumo pusher started to scream. And the ocean out the back of the boat turned to foam with a very angry marlin about 60-70 kg out of the water more than in it. The battle only lasted 3 min before the line fouled around the fish on one of it's charges. I was just at the point of working out how to get a photo when the line parted. Would be easier if I hadn't been on my own. Will try again tomorrow.

Great fish You have your fish of the month so you don't need to go fishing at Wanda for a long time. Me and other fishraiders will fish your beach for you. Bruce

Nice jew from the Hacking. The size looks good to me about twice the size of my jews from the Hacking. When the xmas settles down I have to make a few night tine trips in the Hacking. Bruce

Intended going out to chase whiting in the Port on Wed but ended up with a crew to " HELP " me. I only managed 2 keeper whiting and 1 crab.8 yo grandson started the day and pleased with a new specie porcupine toad, then a small red bream then his fishing was a bit quiet.Next he got pulled all around the boat by a rat king which we landed measured and released was smaller than his PB of 63cm.Heading back to the ramp with clouds building it was decided not enough fishing yet so stopped on a small sand bank. He then landed his fish of the day. A nice 36 cm bream on 2 kg line a new PB. 6 yo grandson managed a steady stream of tarwhine, red bream (including his new PB of 25 cm), mullet, bream and finally a just legal flathead. Grand daughter 3 yr old caught her PB fish the first fish ever a 49 cm long tom . By this stage the southerly was blowing fresh, the 8 year old managed to winch the boat halfway onto the trailer while I steadied it at exposed Gray's point ramp. A good day had by all. Thanks Bruce

The boat is hooked unto the back of the car ready for tomorrow. The whiting look like the target specie and I'll have to get my feet wet. Couple of solid ones in that group and a good feed overall. Bruce

Yes they were tasty. Sent most fish home with grandson. Having the last of what I kept for dinner tonight. Looking at the weather forecast for another trip soon. bruce

They are there to catch just got to find the right drift. I prefer them in the shallower water but they don't always co-operate. Bet they taste as good as mine did from sunday. bruce

No legal flatties till we got to 35 meters only fished to 40 m. The 8 year old was working hard at this depth. He was very pleased to score 2 new species a bango ray which performed and a morwong. Bruce

With good conditions due today, took the grandson out in Bate Bay fishing stayed in close for quite a while for 2 flounder but had to move out to deeper water to find some flatties. Ended up keeping 12 with the largest going 53 cm. Definitely more activity than on thurs. bruce

Nice Jew from the hackjng I'm yet to get a legal one in the port. bruce

With a break in the weather headed out in the Port yesterday. Pumped nippers then fished Lilli Pilli sand flat for the first 2 hours of run in tide. Only saw one small whiting moving around Fish were quiet kept 2 bream and 2 blue swimmers. Headed out into Bate Bay drifted for flatties kept 3. Swell was up a bit but with light wind was quite comfortable. Back into the port and fished various sand flat areas. Managed 2 more reasonable bream and 2 more crabs. Called it quits at lunchtime. Fishing was quiet caught only 1 undersize whiting and saw almost none. I'm sure Yowie will go out and catch a boatload of fish. Thanks Bruce

Hi We have been going to Weipa for the last 16 years. Different guys come and go. This year we have a spare spot. Trip is on the house boat with a couple of tenders, we usually head south from Weipa and fish the beaches, reefs and bait schools. We have the boat booked 28th April till 11th May cost is approx. $1200 per week plus your airfare, alcohol and any thing other than the group food. We only have 6 on board for a bit of comfort and buy our own alcohol to keep costs down. We just divide the costs 6 ways food prawns fuel and boats Fly up 25th, 26th or 27th April fly back to Sydney when we get off the boat on the 11th of May. Could split it into two separate weeks if need be. Check out reports on my old postings as Hookerbruce. We are all mature gents who go to fish and have a few drinks we don't go to drink. We stay in the campground a night or two before getting on the boat. If your interested send me a PM and I can give you more details or even meet up with you fill you in on what gear we take. Bruce Still have a vacancy for at least 1 week

Okay soap for shrimp. What is the best bait for red claw ? Hope to catch some next week.

Glad you had such a great trip out we all deserve that magic trip once in a while. Broome is a great place to visit. Pity it is so far away, but that's what makes it good.

Hi Phil Got GTs, cobia, big queenies, fingermark and other good fish on outside of Pera reef in 15-20 m of water. Also sound around up to 1km west of pera reef some little peaks and broken reef produced if you could beat the sharks. 3 mile was rather dead but did jig up big sharks. Only saw your pm yesterday will reply. Hi Scratchie Like a lot of other places it doesn't fish as well as it used to, but for ease of access and cost it is still the best I can find. Planning my next Weipa trip now. Sept I'll be around Burketown somewhere and on the way home by Oct. Hi Dave Heading off probably next wed up to Narrabri (Lake Yarrie no fish don't even know if there is water this year) then up to St George (on a river about 20 km out), next on to Quilpie, Windorah (Coopers Creek) and down to Birdsville Then north to the Gulf. Naturally having a fish in any river we come to. That is plan A. I've seen you anchored up in port a couple of times, kept away didn't want to scare the fish early in the morning. My son bumped into you a few weeks back at mainbar pumping nippers and said hello. Will come and say hello next time. Get bent The Norman fished dead but the mouth did produce jacks and heaps of golden trev,queenies, dart etc not big fish about a kg. I fish the beach areas with 10lb braid on a 2-4 kg 7 ft graphite rod and have a ball with a fish a cast on small soft plastics. The mouth comes alive with the run in tide over the flats at the mouth. Also about 1 km north of the norman big area of broken reef in about 2-4m of water well worth trolling over.

Got back from Weipa last weekend. We went on the house boat had some very good days and some days the fishing was very quite. Have been up there around the same time other years and found the fish better. Fished south Westminster, Redcliffs, Boyds, Pera, 3 Mile and The Norman. Landed 10 barra for the trip all undersize (some by an cm), Didn't see any giant herring and only caught 1 blue salmon. these are usually in good nos along the beaches. Had a few good beach sessions with a fish almost every cast for over an hour queenies golden trev, dart and small GTs. Also had a few with 2 fish in an hour. Tuna were the thickest I've ever seen them, and the sharks were just as thick. landed a couple of new species and a new pb GT. Took up a new 50lb braid outfit which I pushed to the limit, breaking hooks, swivels and other gear trying to stop some of the unstopables, Even managed a couple of feeds of squid so make sure you take a couple of squid jigs if you go. Usually I manage a GT around the 70 cm range this year I managed a few around 70 cm, a couple of 80 cm and finally a metre GT. A new capture for me was a manta ray on a soft plastic cleanly hooked in the mouth. Was only 65cm across but had me guessing what it was till we saw it in the water. Also landed queenies to 1 metre and tuna and bream and a good gold spot cod. t The fishing is still good up there probably needs a good wet. Been busy this week getting the van and boat etc ready to go north for the winter. The gulf and Darwin and places via Birdsville the inland rivers. Anyone else going to be up that way in the next 4 months.

Makes me very toey I'll be there on Friday for two weeks.

Butterfly them and smoke them the soft flesh takes up a lot of flavour.

You didn't miss anything out there yesterday. We did 120km for two legal dollies. Very very quiet. Had a quick bottom bounce to get a feed. 2 flatties 2 pinkies 1 morwong 1 tarwhine 1 big flounder and kept a mado to show grandkids the striped fish, they insisted eating it and it cooked up ok. bruce

Went out from botany Bay on fri and found it as you've said cold uninteresting dirty water did manage few striped tuna but nothing even showing on the sounder anywhere. bruce

Took grandsons out in the Port yesterday I think it is the first time they have not caught a legal size fish each. Even had trouble getting small fish. Went out with eleven poddie mullet released 9 when we got back to the ramp. Very busy boatwise very quiet fishwise. bruce

Nice to know the spotties are there. The reds are a nice addition to the catch. What general area were they ? Will be there tomorrow give them a go if the southerly doesn't get up to much on tues. Anyone what a ride. bruce

Was the current still running up hill ?