nightstalker Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Just came back from a magic trip on the north coast. We do this trip annually and have a ball every year. This year we went for two weeks with a week off in between to match up with the tides for crossing the bar. As it turned out we picked the weeks perfectly for weather and ran the bar 20 times over the course of the holiday fishing heaps of arvo sessions as well as the mornings. We are traditional floater fishos and throw a plastic for fun but reckon bait kills plastics by a long way. Out of 2 boats we scored a heap of snapper with the best going 7.3,4.0,4.0, 4.0,3.88,3.77,3.58,3.33 and 3.30 and another just over 3 to make 10 snapper over 3 kilo for the trip. Bycatch included a 22.7 kilo longtail that took me 45 minutes on the snapper gear with a first run of about 40 seconds and 250+ metres, a six kilo longtail, 5.8 kilo mack tuna, a 5.24 kilo bonito which rates a mention for being a beast of a bonito as well as a heap of pearl perch and other reefies + one day on the tailor that had 46 out of the 2 boats in a couple of hours. Have put a few piks up for your enjoyment and might throw a few in fish of the month and see what you think. Ran out of room will put a few more pics up if i get some interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kikila Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 some nice fish there, what was the location? and please post more pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tan the fisherman Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 great report mate - well done on the catch!! you'll be eating fish for a while!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garth0_7 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Well done lads. Great time for reddies up north. The long tail would have been interesting on light gear. Top effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abiasin Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 awsome work mate, i reckon there will plenty of interest for the remaining pics going on those ones. well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspin Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 How far North is North ? That bonnie is a cracker ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 looks like a great trip, plenty of big fish penguin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YRELAX Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 nice catch on the reds. Hope there are a few big ones like that down here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh88 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Sounds like an awesome trip mate. Theres some great fish in there, can't imagine you would've gotten bored getting that many. Whereabouts were you fishing? Cheers Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diver1 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 where @? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olitay Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Mate where were u fishing?? is that South West Rocks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray R Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Mate what a great fishing holiday, they are great reds and one hell of a horsie.. I'll be up Broughton in 2 or so weeks and hope we can get some of that action.. Cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug43 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Great Fish, I wouldn't mind an annual trip in those waters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Boukaseff Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Tell us where Nightstalker, because I am going there next fishing trip. Great report, excellent fish, well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishhunter76 Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Great catch boys. The reds are HUGE. . Seems like a great ttrip congrates. Cheers LALA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inhlanzi Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Those are great fish nightstalker Well done looks like and amazing trip. Put more pics up and tell us more !!! cheers inhlanzi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightstalker Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 Those are great fish nightstalker Well done looks like and amazing trip. Put more pics up and tell us more !!! cheers inhlanzi Thanks for the comments everyone, I would get killed if i actually stated exactly where but a few of you have got it worked out, its not that hard but to be honest you could get this sort of action anywhere between Port Stephens and Brisbane if you are talking North Coast Snapper fishing in pretty shallow water with a lot of great fish and the ever present chance of getting smoked by a beast. Our best three are now 8.3, 7.3 and 6.0 but we have been smoked by bigger fish. One day we will get a 10kilo beast and one was caught there in the last couple of weeks but there was one of 13 at Sawtell a couple of years ago so take your pick of coast and work out the system. Will throw up a few more pics later in the day when i get a minute. Work calls now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightstalker Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 A few more pics. More to come later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soft-on Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Geeezz! Some nice fish there bud. There are some solid reddies there too, that bottom set of snapper photos those fish look in top condition too. The bottom snapper has a pretty full belly Cheers Cam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR@ZY OS@M@ Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 that has to be a trip that i have got to do,what more could be better that the fishing that you had. top stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightstalker Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 Geeezz! Some nice fish there bud. There are some solid reddies there too, that bottom set of snapper photos those fish look in top condition too. The bottom snapper has a pretty full belly Cheers Cam East Coast snapper are amazing fish, they dont get that long they just get taller and fatter - unlike the SA or NZ reddies that get long and stay pretty skinny. And the bumps ... oh the bumps - they have to be the best looking snapper in the world. I am truly a snappaholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportfish Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Excellent fishing !!! I only dream of catching reds that big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickb Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 jesus Nightstalker, they are some real nice reds, if I could hazard a guess I would say you were off old bar or harrington, we got in to a heap there last week. It's gods own country up here for reds and pearl. great fish ,good on yah. cheers rick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 some great fishing mate.. but sometimes we dont wanna just know about the brags... thought this site is 2 help all members out.. no point in saying between pt stephens and brisbane.. y dont we all just say pacific ocean! we arnt asking 4 gps marks... just a location... once outside the heads there is a vast amount of water there.... we arnt the police u dont have 2 hide everything from us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightstalker Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 jesus Nightstalker, they are some real nice reds, if I could hazard a guess I would say you were off old bar or harrington, we got in to a heap there last week. It's gods own country up here for reds and pearl. great fish ,good on yah. cheers rick. The point is your not getting the point. I could tell you exactly where but the truth is its about the system which i will tell you about any day and putting in the hours to work a reef system finding out where the snapper travel thru and hang out at a particular time of year - in this case their inshore spawning run. It has taken us over ten years to get to this point and I'll happily answer any questions but i aint gonna name an exact spot. We fish 16-21m, are about a km offshore and we look for the edge of the reef and anchor based on current - if its strong fish will be stacked up on either side - if its weak we like to anchor on top 20m or so from the edge and use berley to bring them up off the sand, shale bottoms. We are on the spot before first light berleying so when they come on to the reef they come to us. if no action at all we move to the kelp beds in 21m by sunrise. unless its a very cloudy day all action is over by 8am - cloudy maybe till 9.30. As i say the spot doesnt matter - come and anchor in our boat if you like but you are much better off going to a town you like - a bar crossing you are comfy with - (our choice has eaten 18 boats this year so maybe you dont like this one) - find some reef in close and work out your own system. I think thats being fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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