Sydney Offshore - 4-2-2015

[Scent Blazer Lures]

Finally managed to get out there on Tuesday, with reports of marlin getting hooked all over the place and the BOM forecast of 1m seas it was looking good.

1m seas my arse, it was horrible, easily 20-25 knots SE winds with a 1.5-2m short swell, we got knocked around all over the place, to make matters worse we lost an engine about 1m out from Sydney Heads. Anyway, thought f*cK it, we were already out there so we decided to push on with one engine hoping the wind would drop at some stage.

Water was 24, electric blue one mile off Sydney Heads, so we put the lures straight out and trolled SE. We caught a Dollie around 40lb around 3pm, had 3 shots at it with the gaff before sticking it, bloody hopeless, I think I took my stupid pills that morning J. Hooked another bigger Dollie about an hour and half later, but he threw the hook right near the boat which was perfect because we would have released it him anyway having landed the 1st one.

We got another hook-up about half an hour later, it peeled off a crap load of line in a few seconds, I checked the lure and leader for marlin scuffing, no scuffing but the hook had been bitten off, guessing either a Wahoo or another big Dollie. Very fishy out there, saw heaps of flying fish, big bait schools in close and water as warm as 26.7 around The Peak. All our hook-ups were on a red and black lure and the other a pink and blue lure, both lures had squid inside them.

At about 5.30 headed back and enjoyed the soft ride downwind back to Sydney Heads, hooked a few really small Dollies on the way back, but none of them stuck on the larger lures, then the slow ride back to the marina on one engine. Anyway, all good , turned out to be a pretty good day despite the conditions and engine problems.

Got video of landing the fish and the knock downs, will post it later. Good luck to anyone heading out.

Peter
SB Lures

Edited February 4, 2015 by Scent Blazer Lures

[chocolate]

Hello Peter, Nice report keep them coming buddy.

[Moonshine]

Well done mate!

[GH1952]

Well done there seems to be more big dollies around this year than the past few years

Hope the engine dramas are only minor

[plankton]

Very nice Dollie mate!

[Scent Blazer Lures]

Well done there seems to be more big dollies around this year than the past few years

Hope the engine dramas are only minor

pretty minor, just the alternator, I replaced one alternator about 6 months ago, should have changed them both at the same time it was bound to go as well, might change the name of the boat to "The Money Pit" or "This boat is putting my mechanics kids through university"

yeah a lot of fish around this season so far, some big dollies and good marlin already, we have been getting decent Dollies since September and we dropped 3 really big dollies this season as well

great season so far

[Billy2014]

Great dollie Peter! I hope everybody is heading out this weekend, it's looking pretty good so far.

[Scent Blazer Lures]

Great dollie Peter! I hope everybody is heading out this weekend, it's looking pretty good so far.

Yeah weather is looking great for the weekend. We will probably be heading out tomorrow for a afternoon session. Taking out a mate and a whole heap of kids, hopefully we can put them on a marlin or a big dollie to make it exciting. We will probably go about 5 miles east and then head north along that line, there is a break about 5NM miles out that goes from around 24 to 26, we will run that line north then ride the NE winds back to Sydney. Might venture a bit winder at some stage to the Bait Station, see how we go. Might not have to go wide to get fish.

[Billy2014]

Yes I think you are right, you may not have to venture out too far this weekend, combined with good seas, great time to take kids out. I'm stuck unfortunately this weekend, no way to get out.

[Scent Blazer Lures]

Yes I think you are right, you may not have to venture out too far this weekend, combined with good seas, great time to take kids out. I'm stuck unfortunately this weekend, no way to get out.

Got out today in the arvo for a late start around 2pm, all we got were small dollies and we lost one small stripped tuna. On the radio we heard one boat getting small dollies around the Terrigal Fad but nothing else. Tonnes of bait fish out there. We saw big schools of slimey mackerel feeding along the surface but nothing busting them up. A couple of the dollies we got were just legal a little over 60cm, they're guts were full of really tiny bait fish around 2cm. Good current lines out there about 5 miles out and water temp up to 26, conditions were great.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Scent Blazer Lures

[Billy2014]

Wow! Look at that water. The kids would have enjoyed that. With so much good water and bait in close, could mean a change in tactics.

[Scent Blazer Lures]

Wow! Look at that water. The kids would have enjoyed that. With so much good water and bait in close, could mean a change in tactics.

my kids were asleep most of the trip I think the sea sick tablets make them sleepy, yeah great water out there