JonD Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Wasn't going to post but seeing not to much in the way of reports have come in I will add one. The strong westerly winds meant we not only had the whole car park and ramp to ourselves but also the far south coast ocean seemed void of boats. My daughter had a craving for squid for dinner which once she had her three was ready to move on to try for snapper. We had a couple of other friends onboard who very quickly started going through my plastics, leather jackets Every spot we moved to had plaques of jackets meaning my tackle got a serious hit, funny thing was my daughter's micro jigs didn't seem to interest them at all. Eventually after a few sergeant bakers my daughter scored a small snapper, meaning her menu was complete. Sunday the plan was to fish over some shallow reefs from 8 to 15m with very light gear and small soft plastic grubs. The water was incredibly clear and snorkel gear had been popped into the boat in case of being able to film a little dolphin action. We often carry the underwater gear as we are desperately hoping to jump in and film a thresher which seem to regularly be in the snapper areas down here. My daughter doesn't seem to know the phrase let's give up on this and do something else, every cast for her could be the one that connects. I soon became bored so slipped into a suit to take a look down there to see what was going on. Fish were plentiful and not in that dull sleepy mood they go in when a cold change hits them, they were active and showed far more interest in me than they did in any of the burley which sat on the bottom. I spotted species which would normally fall for the plastics and had my daughter flick lures to where I guided her, the plastic passed so close it almost hit them but they didn't even follow. Dozens of port jackson sharks covered the bottom, some sleepy and others just crusising but not even these normally hungry little sharks took any interest in the burley. Big blue grouper's followed me round in water just about as clear as I've ever seen it, combine this with the sounds of the passing humpbacks and I was feeling I was in a very special place. My daughter couldn't resist and soon joined me in our little underwater paradise listening to whales. So much fuss is made about the barrier reef but what we have on offer on some of our NSW reefs is truly amazing. Every now and then I would hear screams of excitement as my daughter found nest after nest of tiny little rock lobsters, at one point she disturbed a nest and had them all over her wetsuit holding on like little pets, often I can here her trying to talk underwater as she finds the next cute critter. It ended up being a great day without catching a single thing ( apart from catch and releasing some little lobsters for a photo). Please let me know if it's not ok to put the lobster photo and I will remove it. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regan Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 great report jonD it would be hard to beat the big grouper following you around the the sounds of humpback whales paired with some of the clearest water you have ever seen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonD Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 22 minutes ago, Regan said: great report jonD it would be hard to beat the big grouper following you around the the sounds of humpback whales paired with some of the clearest water you have ever seen You can actually see how clear the water is behind my daughter in the little lobster shots with the shades of reef. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 You guys are certainly living the life Jon. You can have a hugely exciting day, even if you (personally) don't catch anything. It's really nice reading about your interaction with the critters from the sea. Cheers, bn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfish Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 I recon its not always about the fish you catch but where fishing takes you. Excellent Jon ..... and Co. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfisho7 Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Great report nice work love the photos 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyFil Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 great story and pics especially the baby crays! You obviously have a wonderful daughter and a close bond with her- nice to see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunc333 Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 excellent report jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaxland Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 Gin clear south coast NSW? would like to visit but probs stay dry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now