Swaines Reef

[fastone]

Looks like Im going on a charter to swaines reef this year, looking for some advice on what rod & reel you would take if you could have unlimited choice! Please be aware what you say will be used as evidence in my case against the missus. Cheers ED

[Tim]

Please be aware what you say will be used as evidence in my case against the missus. Cheers ED

39765[/snapback]

I suggest something ridiculously expensive. Second best just won't do the job!

Where is Swaine's reef? What sort of fishing would you be doing there & what species? I probably can't help, I'm just curious.

Cheers

Tim

[Cameron]

I have been on Swaines Reef charters a couple of times. The gear to take depends on what you intend to do once you get there. On both occasions for me it was bottom bashing for such stuff as coral trout, sweetlip, trevally, turrum, red emperor etc. There was certainly plenty of surface activity which would have been a lot of fun, but I was amongst a majority of bottom bashers, so it was not possible. A lot of the charters only cater for that style of fishing, so if you are into something different, find out more about the charter operator and how he is fitted out and how he fishes. Some of them carry dories with outboards that enable you to get out away from the mother ship and spin/troll for surface fish.

First time around, I just used big handlines (40lb and 70lb), fishing big running barrel sinkers sitting on top of a 7/0 hook, combined with bike innner tube finger stalls (you need them, believe me!). Not very sophisticated, but highly effective, if you are into that sort of thing. At times we also fished with handlines in the shallow water adjacent to the reef from a dinghy using smaller ball leads, for coral trout.

Next time I took along my trusty Alvey snapper winch, on a rod with slightly more flex than your average broom handle. For more sport I had my 15kg game/trolling outfit (Daiwa overhead & self made roller tipped rod based on one of those old Ironglass blanks (showing my age here).

Even if you are bottom bashing, it is possible to troll between spots, with shark mackerel being a frequent catch.

Night time fishing can be pretty spectacular, particularly if you can drop down a livie. I was dragged around the back of the rear deck on a couple of occasions by huge cod on my 70 lb handline. No chance of stopping them , but plenty of fun none the less. Even two or three of us on the line made no difference! Lots of sharks too.

You should have a great time. Its a long way to the nearest bottleshop out there, so stock up well before you go . Can get rough on the way out and back, so take the Quells. I was thrown out of my bunk (top) onto the floor on the way back in a stiff south easterly.

[The Iceman]

Do you know which boat you are going on and from which port

[fastone]

MANY THANKS CAMERON, ICEMAN ITS THE KANIMBLA , & NOT SURE OF THE PORT YET BUT SOMETHING WAS MUTTERED ABOUT GLADSTONE. ITS DOES HAVE DORIES. SORRY I HAVENT GOT BACK TO YOU GUYS , BEEN AWAY AT NELSON BAY . CHEERS ED

[The Iceman]

Kanimbla is a Gladstone boat and does have dories(Im not sure but I think it has webster twinfishers) There is a good article in modern fishing May 2005 issue by Steve Starling worth reading to give you an idea on what to take