WHACK a MAC!!!

The old saying, 90% of fish are caught by 10% of fisherman, is arguably very accurate. Yet why? …well I’m certainly no expert, but I reckon the 90% on the wrong side of the quota can be split into a few groups.

Firstly, a big part of the group would be made up of those of us who enjoy the water, and use fishing as an excuse to escape the daily grind of the working week, it’s got bugger all to do with scales and gills.

This ‘excuse’ can involve an enjoyable blend of a few traditional Aussie ingredients, all readily available in every, well most, Aussie households. These can include; much piss taking of mates,… the cosy glow resulting from the supping of several cleansing ales,… more piss taking of mates (particularly when one of them has turned green…note order of enjoyment!), and…with a bit of luck…successfully bagging a couple of keepers for the plate and sometimes a few extra for the freezer. Most of the time this group have had a ball, are still nursing a hangover, and haven’t brought home a feed for the last 6 outings.

The next split from this 90% are the ones who take it a bit more seriously. They’ve generally done a bit more research, read a few more mags, enjoy a few less frosty beverages, take the piss out of their mates, and pursue their quarry a little more ardently. Unfortunately, this group too, invariably return home with little more than the anticipation of their next outing.

The last part of the above said 90% who miss out, are the ones who do OK. They also enjoy a sense of humour, have got a few more outings to their local ground under their belt, enjoy a couple of cold ones, take the piss, bag a couple of fish, and return home thinking they got lucky (in the fishing kind of way!)

The one thing that separates the 90% from the “lucky 10” is this…the 10% that catch most of the fish do all the things that the other 90% do…plus one more thing…they have asked the question why??. Why did I get ten Spanish this Saturday morning when last week I fished the same ground and didn’t get a touch?…Why were the Jacks smashing baits today, when normally I bang ‘em on lures?…why did the boat sink when I didn’t put the bungs in? (proper care and maintenance (PCnM) is a standard!!).

The point is, the ones that whack ‘em have always tried to understand why they did well, and conversely why they didn’t. One way to do this is to start a diary, far easier is to steal a mates who had diligently kept one for the past decade!!

A big part of this process is deciding on what fish that you want to target. Demersals, reef fish for example, will love soft plastics, live baits, jigs, strip baits etc. Pelagics, such as Mackerel, Queenfish and Trevally etc. will take slices, livies, lures, fly, poppers, dead baits etc. The $64 question is what to use and when.

Thing is, when your dealing with nature there are no set rules, everything can work in any situation. For example, my favourite lure colour/style, can be totally the opposite to yours, yet both ‘favourites’ work for the individual. The point is, if you want to expand your fishing horizons consider this…be open to all options, opinions and theories, because at some stage they have all worked.

This brings me to the point of this article…a few ideas that might help in your pursuit of a favourite North Queensland local, the mighty Spanish mackerel.

The Spano can be a worthy adversary. It generates high speed, has a set of teeth any dentist would be proud of, a mouth armoured like a tank, exceptional vision and to top it off, are a favourite of the men in grey suits. The successful angler is rewarded for their efforts with a cracker photo for the ‘pool room’, and two magnificent fillets (Spanish yield approx. 2/3 of their body weight in fillet). As an added bonus they taste excellent, possess high levels of Omega 3 (which is critically important to the average Aussie bloke!?) and freeze/store very well.

Some days, you can’t miss them; they may even jump into the boat!! But when the going is harder, it helps to specifically target them. How and where to target them, will depend on a variety of variables, the combination of moon phase and the associated prevailing weather conditions, will have a significant impact on where, when and how Spanish can be subdued. Jigging, spinning, live baiting, balloons and even bottom bashing can and do produce quality fish. However, trolling would have to be the best ‘all weather’ method of targeting these silver bullets.

As a charter operator in an area of high currents and massive water convergence (Torres Straits/Cape York) Spanish mackerel are my bread and butter fish. That said, what worked today may not get a ’touch’ tomorrow, and I am always trying to figure out what the critters are doing (something I will never master!!), both on the good days and equally as importantly, on the bad days.

As I’ve discussed in past editions of Fish and Boat, where to fish is paramount. Pressure points, where currents push onto structure, e.g. reef edges, and isolated pinnacles, are a favourite of Spanish mackerel. In my opinion, areas of ‘dirty’ water are a no go zone, as mackerel will generally line up their prey well before they consume it!!

Once you’ve decided where to fish, you’ve got to decide how to target your quarry. Personally, prevailing weather will determine this. In calm conditions spinning slices, jigging and floating live baits under balloons are very productive. However, when the gods of weather turn the dial up over 15 kn, holding a steady drift, or hanging on the pick is not so easy or comfortable, so personally I prefer the trolling option.

A lot of people view trolling as a hit and miss affair, driving a boat randomly all over the shop, with no particular method to the madness. Sure some days are slower than others, but anyone who has enjoyed success on the troll with someone who has an idea of what they are doing, will agree, trolling can be a very effective method for chasing pelagics.

Trolling is not a matter of throwing a couple of lures out the back, dragging them around for hours and hoping to get a fish. In fact trolling is a bit more like hunting. You move to a likely location, select your weapons of choice, and begin your search for where bait is holding. Typically bait will hold at the apex or leading edge on the current side of the structure. Once the bait is found, you refine your search patterns, so that your gear is in the ‘strike zone’ more often than not. If you can’t find the bait at your first location, move on to your next.

What if you find the bait and the fish aren’t biting? One of the hardest decisions to make when fishing, is when to leave an area that you know is holding fish. Several factors can contribute to this, in particular water temperature, the amount of flow or ‘push’ the area is getting relevant to the stage of tide or tidal stream and also the amount of bait an area is holding.

Experience on your favourite ground will come to the fore when trying to determine when the bite may start, relevant to flow. No area will be the same as the other when it comes to flow. Depth, bottom structure and prevailing conditions will all have a bearing on the bite. By keeping a dairy and correlating your ‘data’ you can get an idea of when the bite will start. Failing that, put in the time and note when the fish come on. If you don’t have a dairy, your next trip is as good a time as any to start one!

If the bait is thick in an area, try to determine what it is. Normally it is prudent to try and match what is about, and rightly so. However, in a situation where bait is on mass, I’ve had success going the other way, and trolling something completely different on the outside edges of bait aggregation. For example if you’re looking at a tonne of fusiliers, try dragging a rigged Garr adjacent to the mass.

Water temperature is a critical factor. During July and early August, the water temperatures on the Cape are relatively low, effectively reducing the window of opportunity to get the bite. This can be both time consuming and frustrating. A way of combating this is to look for temperature variations in the given area. A change of 1 degree Celsius can be all the difference between success and failure. If your sounder/transducer is not equipped with temperature, look for thermoclines. A thermocline is an area where temperature change in the water column is more rapid than the water both above and below it. Typically it will show on a sounder as a solid line located between the surface and bottom. If this occurs, attempt to place your lures or baits above and below the depth of the thermocline, as this change can be an area where the fish are more active.

If nothing works move, you can only bang your head into a tree for so long before you knock yourself out!!

What gear works best? Should you use lures or baits? Personally I believe a good spread should cover a few bases. With regard to lures, my rule of thumb is fairly simple. On a dark day I use darker lures, and on a brighter day I use brighter lures. Also, by trolling a variety of lure styles it’s possible to cover a range of swim depths. Successful mackerel lures include Halco Laser Pros, both in the 2m and Crazy Deep styles, Halco Scorpions, Gaden F18’s (particularly the blue colour), and the humble Troll Craft pelagics have all enticed many a Mac. With regard to the Halco Scorpion, it’s designed as a Barra lure, but its tight action is prime for pelagics. That said it’s a good idea to beef up the trebles to 6x strength. Also the Gaden F18’s require upgraded split rings as in my experience they tend to let go a bit too easily. At the expensive end of the market, Rapala X-Raps and Yozuri’s are also excellent, but sometimes even 140lb single strand won’t be enough to save your $30-$40, which generally excludes them from my tackle box!

Skirts are also excellent for Macs. Tropic Angler skirts in a lumo or purple colour are a favourite of mine. Generally mackerel will hit skirts on the fly, which while being spectacular to watch, can also make hook-ups difficult. To combat this I generally rig them with a trailing ‘stinger’, a single treble swinging just behind the tail of the skirt on single strand wire. The stinger is a wonderful thing, and has been responsible for success on as many as 50% of strikes. Skirts are a great teaser, particularly in water with clarity that’s not ideal, and can be dragged in any part of your spread. For me, the shorter the better down the middle. If weather allows, I’ll run a skirt down the middle as short as 2-3m off the prop! Believe me, it works. Some days a skirt won’t get a look in, but having it as part of the mix, I reckon can lead to more work for the remainder of the spread.

Swim Baits should also be part of your arsenal; I reckon they are a must. Some day’s fish will only take lures, some days only skirts, but without doubt the most consistent strikes are taken on swim baits. Swim baits can include pilchards, slimy mackerel, whiting, mullet and even barracouta. By far the most successful for me are Garfish and Wolf Herring (ribbon fish). As for rigging swim baits, it’s a case of each to their own. The most important factor when rigging baits is to ensure they don’t spin. A spinning bait will generally not get a touch, and worse still will give your line no end of jib. The best way to do this is to break your baits back (for the greenies out there, don’t worry the baits already DEAD!!). By doing this it will help to give your bait a flat profile, i.e. No spin. Any kink in a bait will cause spin. Hook arrangement can also be critical. Many people run ganged hooks, something I avoid. The reason again comes back to bait spin. A kink or ’knock’ in a set of gangs will create spin. For this reason I recommend doing things a bit differently.

For garfish I run wog heads on a single 8/0 hook with a trailing size 1 treble as a stinger. I purchase the lead head separately, tie my own firetail to my favourite colours, and use 240v copper wire to knit my own nose cone (see pic). I use Erskins Tackle World in Cairns for my gear, but your favourite local tackle shop will sort you, and making your own can save you a few bucks on each rig. Regarding hook placement, I personally place an 8/0 through the side of the gar for one good reason. As you know, Spanish Mackerel have, to say the least an extremely bony head, particularly on the roof and base of the mouth. The best place to set a hook is without doubt in the cheek or corner of the mouth. By side hooking baits, your chances of a solidly set hook are definitely increased. Each to their own, but not too many fish will throw a solidly set 8/0 from the corner of its mouth!

If I had the choice of only one bait or lure to target Spanish, without doubt my first choice would be a Wolfy, (Wolf Herring or Ribbonfish) as Macs just love ‘em. Obviously you can bridle these baits, but the easiest way to get them swimming is with the use of a chin guard. Not only will a chin guard hold a wolfies alignment, but the extra weight will also hold it a little deeper. How you rig them is again a personal preference, but personally I run a series of size 1 trebles each swinging on individual 140lb single strand wire (see pic).

How you run your spread is without doubt a personal preference. What an individual feels comfortable with will always do better than one they don’t. When setting your spread you are effectively creating a mini school of bait. That said, consider what attracts predators to the bait. In nature a bait ball will create several things that attract hungry fish. At the top of the list is bubbles, next is flash and to a lesser extent noise or vibration. With lures the noise/vibration component is covered through the use of an internal rattle, important particularly on dark days with low viz. The flash component is covered by the pretty colours that the manufacturers bombard us with, and from a swim baits natural colour. The final element is bubbles, which to me is the most significant. A natural bait balls bubbles can be mimicked by the wash from your prop. Because of this, I prefer to run my spread reasonably short, so that the longest rig in the ’shotgun’ position runs no longer than where my wake dissipates. The reason for this is simple. If a predatory fish is drawn to your prop wash to see what’s about, it’s no good to run your gear long, as the predator will have a gander, find nothing and continue on its way. By running gear within the wash, you hopefully strike the searching fish.

As I’ve said, fishing is about enjoyment away from the stresses that life can throw at us. Also it’s about doing what works for you, and that said everything I’ve mentioned above is just my opinion, not a steadfast rule. Hopefully something I’ve said might help you in the right direction to whack a Mac or ten!

Cheers.

 

G'day all,

Thanx for taking the time, and having a gander at the web site. Hopefully I might be able to give you some ideas for your next trip out and about in a boat.

The plan is to come up with something of interest for everyone about once a month. This month was an article I wrote which was in the Oct. edition of Fish n Boat magazine.

I don't want to pretend I know the whole show, but hopefully I might be able to point you in the direction of somewhere to start, when you guys/gals get the chance to be on the water.

I will send a second email with the most recent newsletter.

Please feel free to contribute any feedback, either on the website, or on the newsletter. Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated. If you have any ideas or questions, go your hardest. If I can help, it will be a pleasure.

Remember, advice is free!

Take care, and most of all, enjoy your day on the water.

Cheers,

Bat

Hello to you all.

I trust that this message, has come to you through a blurry vision caused by much enjoyment. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! As I sit here, I am wondering where the last one went, but I'm sure I enjoyed it. As for the fishing, it was hard but it was good.

The one thing that fishing on Cape York has in its favour, is the fish. Sure, some days are better than others, but 99% of the time, provided you fish the right changes, you have a damn good chance of hooking into a scaley critter or two.

October through early December were true to form. The fishing was excellent. If you were to holiday on the Cape, and fishing was your mission, these months are the go.

Jay Arnold, of Cape York Penninsula Fishing, has said the same of the estuaries. Big Barra, solid Jack's, and a variety of other piscatorial delicacies.

The down side for the bluewater has been the sharks. I was fairly lucky through the Torres Strait all year, up until early Dec. One morning I saw $250 worth of gear chewed from the depths, all taken by a variety of solid sportfish, and all lost to the men in grey suits. To say we landed 8 -10 solid Mackerel is proper good, but considering we lost three times this, is down right heartbreaking, and shit hot fun.

As for the weather.......better me than you!! At last it has done what it should, and I am now experiencing what fishing Cape York can be. At worst 5-10kn, considering the occasional line squal. The water temperature is through the roof at 33-36 degrees, and the surface action is starting to slim off. It' time for me to start looking at the creeks! and that is what I'll discuss with you next time.

Until then, may your New Year be a beauty, and all your fish be in the right baskets. Hopefully I will have the pleasure of your compny fishing Cape York in 2009.

Cheers to you all,

Bat

 

I hope this first newsletter of the year finds you in good spirits. So far 2009 on Cape York has been a busy. Boat maintenance, some work in town (back on the tools...hmmmm), maintenance to my little shack, a cyclone and of course a bit of fishing, has kept me mainly out of mischef.  All this between rain squals, and the odd refreshing brew. In summary all is good.

This afternoon I plan to go for a dive and chase a few crayfish, and hopefully not be harrassed by anything with large teeth! This said, I am putting together a video, including some underwater footage, of life up here during the wet, and hopefully will have it finished by the end of April. When its done I will forward by post a free copy to all subscribers of  this newsletter. For me to do this, I will need for you to drop me an email (bat@ifishalot.com) with your postal details, so any interest would be welcome. As I say, it\\\'s still a few months in the making, so when you get the chance drop me a line.

On the subject of the newsletter, I am still having trouble adding images to it. I\\\'m not sure if this is a result of my incompetence with all things technological, or because of a glitch in the system. With some luck, the next one will include some images of the wet.

Since september, I have been a contributer to NQ Fish & Boat magazine, and this to has kept me on my toes. The following is the article I wrote for the February edition. I hope you have the time to read it, and enjoy what I\\\'ve come up with. Until next time, I hope you manage to get out on the water, and whack a few fish!

Cheers,

Bat

Article from NQ Fish & Boat: Feb '09:

With the Xmas / New Year break / madness (?!) behind us, 2009 is already moving at full steam ahead. Happily, so too is the fishing. The movement of the monsoonal trough south brought welcome rain to those in north western Queensland, the bottom of the Gulf, Cairns and Townsville areas. The beginning of a good ‘wet’ is a welcome prospect, not only for those on the land, but also for all of us who spend our spare (and not so spare) time, wetting a line across Northern Queensland.

A decent wet season has many benefits to the humble angler, keen to test the goodies delivered by the fat bloke in the red suit. The impoundments will get the much needed top up they have long been waiting for. The estuaries benefit from a much needed ‘flush’, and the reefs offshore will come to life, as the pelagics and demersal species move inshore, to pick through the goodies flushed from the creeks. Indeed, a good wet will see many a tall tale over a frosty brew, in the year ahead.

With higher water levels in the impoundments, the anglers’ options will be revamped. The run-off from the surrounding landscape or catchment will literally feed the system. Not only will water levels be replenished, but nutrient and other edible critters will be washed from the adjacent banks. After such a prolonged dry, the tangle of snags that were once exposed in the main body of the waterway will now be all the more fishable. Rather than being a tackle stores delight, these once foreboding areas, will now be open to trolling, and spinning options will be that much more inviting, seeing more fish brought to the boat.
 
In the creeks, more water will equate to more spawning fish able to move further upstream. The result will be more fish land-locked in the billabongs as the water levels drop. When water levels subside, the fishing will be that much better, with mobs of hungry fish eager to examine any new offerings.

Gutters spilling into larger tributaries will be alive with fish, as various species, including the fabled Barramundi, wait in ambush for food carried from the flats with the associated run-off. Rock bars too will fish that much better. These fishy ‘7-11s’, are always a good holding point for transitional fish. With bigger flows, more fish will pull up in the calmer water provided from eddies created by these structures. As the fish take a breather they take advantage from the endless supply of tucker washing past. In fact these types of structures can see many hours of productive fishing, as often an area vacated by one fish, will be taken up by the next, looking for a spell, before they too move on.

Not only are these benefits attributed to a solid wet, the ‘flush’ itself offers another significant bonus. The larger the volume of water moving down stream, the greater its capacity to ‘clean’ the area of older snags (and rubbish). When the flow begins to settle, so too will new trees etc, creating new snags for the following dry season. The resulting scramble for new territory can mean exceptional fishing. This when combined with food supplies stirred up from the ‘new’ bottom sediment is a perfect scenario for the prudent angler.

The areas around creek mouths also present excellent angling opportunities. All of us have seen the definitive colour change where the fresh meets the salt. These areas can bring explosive action for the fisho casting poppers and slices, or trolling baits, skirts and hard bodied lures. As the bait/prey appears from the murky cover of the tannin stained fresh, pelagic predators often lie in waiting. By mimicking the food supply immersed in this run-off, fisherman can enjoy a session to remember. Species such as Mackerel, Queenfish, Trevally and even Cobia will be lurking in these waters, as well as the ubiquitous bastard sharks.

This brings us to the inshore reefs. The bigger the wet, the further nutrient and other food sources will be pushed offshore. With the increase in food supply, greater numbers of both pelagic and demersal (bottom feeding) fish will move into these areas. The concertina effect from this extends offshore, as larger predators will follow the movement of their preferred ‘meals’.

In short, the better the wet season, the better the fishing in the year ahead. For the past several years our wet season, particularly in the northern areas of Cape York, have been relatively lean. At the time of writing this article the monsoonal trough had moved as far south as Cardwell, then slowly progressed northward after the breakdown of Cyclone Charlotte. At present it is across the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) of Cape York, and has started to dump reasonable amounts of rain across the region. With any luck the beginning of much more to come.

The transition between the ‘dry‘ and ‘wet’ seasons, is something all residents of the NPA and islands of the Torres Strait look forward to. This season lived up to my expectations. After a year of persistently strong SE winds, the change of wind direction was keenly anticipated. The two seasons of the year, the wet and the dry, have typical wind patterns. During the dry from the SE, and the wet from the NW. During the change between these two prevailing winds, the waters around the cape experience what is described as the ‘doldrums‘. This can occur between October and January, depending on the movement and intensity of the monsoonal trough. The strength and proximity of the trough, will determine the duration of these conditions. During this time the winds become ‘fluky’. 
In the duration of a day, it’s not unusual to see the winds swing from SE-N-NE-NW and back to SE. These light winds and glassy seas, combined with increasing water temperatures, can see some exciting fishing.

Typically the best conditions offshore are experienced during the neap tides, when the tidal stream and tidal height changes become minimal. In 2009, the winds began to drop in November. On the neaps at the beginning of December, the doldrums began to kick in proper. With water temperatures around 30 degrees C, ocean conditions like grease, 5kn S’Easterly winds, and water clarity that was unrivalled in the 8 months previous, conditions could not have been better. Unfortunately the critters with large teeth and a cranky demeanour, also found the conditions to their liking. The mornings of the 1st through to the 3rd were mind-blowing and expensive. In these three sessions we managed to nail some solid Spanish and GTs. What we landed was a fraction of what we hooked. The sharks were in abundance and the end result saw us down about $500 worth of gear over the three days.

Higher water temperatures bring on the breeding season for the occupants of our waters. Sharks included. It stands to reason that with an increase in fishy activity, so too, is there an increase in toothy activity. So it is in our piscatorial pursuits, that it’s very rare to have everything in our favour. For this reason, along with a few others, the memories of the perfect day on the water remain with us for a lifetime.

Although the higher water temp’s of Oct-Dec can bring on some hot fishing, pardon the pun, it can also present a few new challenges. With the mercury rising weather patterns can become more volatile, and unpredictable. A beautiful calm morning does not necessarily bring the same for the afternoon. During the build up in North Queensland, attention should always be paid to the developing weather conditions. This is all the more important the further off shore you wander. Sure, if you are lucky enough to be fishing off a 50’ game boat, bristling with 1000hp of ‘go‘, you can push the limits a little. If, however, such grandeur is a distant lotto dream, the sea keeping abilities of our smaller tubs in comparison, is as relative as the fuel bills. For this reason a backdoor plan should always be foremost in the mind of the skipper. Being caught in open water 60nm offshore in a complete white-out, with a raging 40 knot squall bashing into your mid-ships, is not a happy place to be. By keeping an eye on prevailing conditions, and having a plan before you get caught out, can help to prevent the worst from happening. After all it’s better to make up your own stories in the pub at the end of the day, than it is to be the lead story in the paper the next day.

Regular maintenance of your boat and safety gear should always be a priority for fisherman, and at this time of the year it is that much more critical. The introduction of the new 406 Mhz epirb is an expensive, but critical investment, the old 121.5Mhz network having shut down on Feb 1st. However with proper planning, regular maintenance and a watchful eye on the prevailing conditions, with any luck you will never use your new and very expensive purchase.

The next couple of months should be present some awesome fishing opportunities. Check your gear, plan ahead, communicate your intentions with some people before you go, and most importantly enjoy your fishing, and keep safe.

Cheers.
 

 

Gday,

March was a very busy and enjoyable month. Once again the 'wet' season ended prematurely, and once again I have a couple of water tanks that want some water, but hey - what do you do!? More importantly, March was highlighted by two very good fishing trips, one that was play, and the other which was supposed to be work - but turned out to be play. The work trip was aboard The Tropic Paradise, guiding for Seafaris.com (check out the website), and to say the least I had a ball! The yarn that follows is about that trip. In the next week or so I'll post the story of the other trip. Till then, live large!! Cheers.

What Lurkes Beneath - GBR, March 2009 :

Living at the top of Cape York has many positives. The people, lifestyle and piscatorial opportunities are just a few, and the wet season is the best time to enjoy them all.

March 2009 was no exception. It was a brilliant month for being distracted from my ever increasing list of chores and ‘dragged’ (kicking ‘n screaming I might add) away from my little shack to fishing grounds 80 - 100nm east of the tip of the Cape. Unfortunate I know, but let’s face it, someone had to do it - and I did, not once, but twice!

Unbelievably my lovely wife, Niki, gave me two pass outs in the space of two weeks. I wasn’t even required to pull the ‘research and development’ card. Like I said, March was a brilliant month!

The first was a spur of the moment decision to take advantage of good weather, while the second in mid March was planned months earlier.

This trip was aboard Tropic Paradise, a 64’ Cairns Custom Craft, and the mother ship operated by Carpentaria Seafaris. The platform is a beauty, marginally more comfortable than the trusty Merkin, our vessel for my first outing, and equipped with everything you would want to make a 7 day trip one to remember.

This trip was slightly different to the one I did earlier with Nobby, for a start I was guiding (not guided), and our crew of 7 were hosting a group of 11 Americans. This was my second trip with Seafaris to the outer barrier, and I was looking forward to it. When the clients finally arrived at the boat it was quickly apparent these blokes weren’t your typical Yankee tourists. In fact they turned out to be the type of fellas anyone in the industry wishes they fished everyday!

Hailing from California, plus one New York detective, the make-up of the group was as diverse as the fish they hoped to catch. From a butcher to a chemical engineer who worked in the aerospace industry, it promised to be an entertaining week.

With the weather looking favourable we left Seisia jetty and commenced our 11 hour steam for a region south of Triangle Reef, approximately 103nm east south east of the tip of Cape York. The trip to the outer barrier gave us the chance to get to know each other, and sort through their seemingly endless supply of tackle. Indeed tackle supplies in Cairns had taken a severe beating.

The first meal set the standard for the week to come. Chef Troy is the bomb. How a bloke can turn out 18 meals of such a high standard from a small galley and still find time to catch fish, should be featured in an episode from the ‘Twilight Zone’.

After dinner the boys set the rules for the week ahead. They pooled their coin and established the rules for their own ‘Grand Master Baiter’ awards. This left me confused as the winner was obvious, but how could Bubbles win, sitting in his donger at home? Thankfully, Al shed light on my dilemma when he explained the award was for fishing.

When the anchor was set at around 11.30pm, the boys were asleep, the weather was calm and the vibe was good. All the ingredients were there for a good week of piscatorial pursuit.

When I lifted my head from my swag at 5.30am day two, I was greeted with what can only be described as ‘happiness and joy’. With the sun bristling to break the surface of a completely glassed out Coral Sea, and being so far off shore in the ’paddock’, it was a moment that was trapped by the minds eye forever.

Over a coffee we; the three other far more astute guides and I, discussed the mornings plan of attack. My associates for the week included; Al Simson - fly fisherman extraordinaire, photo journalist (see his work at www.kettafly.com) and Canadian spy; Shano - qualified vagrant, and past winner of ‘Survivor-Turtle Head Island` Season 13; and Phil - aka Shaggy, an unflappable character - with the demeanour of Humphrey B Bear, but with pants! In company like this, the pressure was on!

Considering the conditions and our location, I suggested we fish Vanuatu - only to be quickly silenced by Al, who reckoned the 760 metre drop-off from the reef, half a click from our anchorage would probably do the job. I concurred, (well I should have been a doctor!?) and by 7am all four boats and eleven clients headed out to find some mischief.

On this first day I was accompanied by Tommy (aka Tommygun) and Dave (now known as Chester). With the sun rising steadily we started our morning trolling, waiting for better light before we started our assault with poppers. At this point Tommy’s mind started to race, as he realised there was opportunity to sell more skylights to the land down under. Our first fish was a lovely Coral Trout, which weighed in around 20lb, not a bad way to start the day. Over the morning we cracked a few Green Job Fish, several Shark Mackerel, a few bastard sharks and dropped a few. At lunch while sampling another of chef Troy’s amazing creations it was obvious everyone was having a ball, as tales of fish landed and lost were swapped amongst the punters. It was at this point that Chester’s new moniker stuck and his new career in chicken was established, the details of which cannot be published here.

With

With lunch behind us our plan was to toss some poppers at the myriad of bait balls peppered amongst the reef, prior to heading over the edge in search of some Dogtooth. Results were mixed, with a few small fish coming to the boat (mainly Green Jobbies) and some better fish lost. When we heard Al and Phil discussing some solid hook-ups outside, we pulled the sticks and headed for the gap in the reef. Unfortunately the sharks enjoyed themselves more so than us, as fish after fish were pilfered by our toothy friends. The other boats faired a little better, with some prime Spanish landed, although they too had lost some good fish. The opportunity was there, as Al had lost two solid Doggies at the boat and Phil experienced the same scenario. All in all a great day and we still had five days to go.

The second day on the water, and this time I fished with Nick (aka Champ…watermelon chewing they reckoned), Justin (aka Right Wing due to his political swing, which I never enquired about!) and the masterful Michael (aka Dr Fong, a dubious character with fond memories of South America, in particular Argentina?!). This was an excellent mix of characters for a day on the water. The morning produced the first whole Spanish I had seen for the trip, which gave me hope we had evaded the sharks. Once again the water was amazing and fishing slightly north of the day before brought new promise. Trolling produced some good fish, a few Spanish and shark Mackerel, a couple of big Coral Trout, some Green Jobbies and a few ever present ’Cuda.

We changed to poppers before lunch and instantly had some action. Rosy Job Fish, and a few more ’Cuda before we moved to some new ground. Popper fishing out here is like a dream come true when the weather behaves. The water boasts 20-30 m visibility, prime bottom structure smattered with coral bommies and a myriad of fish species. As the boys refined their popper skills the fish responded. At one point Nick had a solid hook-up on a cracker GT which played with him long enough for Right Wing and the Dr to land a couple of Red Bass and be teased with a few follows. Finally the Trevally was over it and headed for the bricks and his freedom, leaving the Champ sore and not so champish. Them’s the breaks and it was time to sample another of Chef Troy’s masterpieces. I should note at this time, that because of the chef, my normally lithe figure had blown out to 94 kg, and I’m still cursing him and his plethora of gourmet delights!

With lunch behind us (and hanging in front of me) we set out for the arvo session, which proved to be a beauty. Numerous double hook-ups for all the boats kept the punters on their toes.

Al and Shaggy (Phil/Humphrey) both had a couple of doubles on Dogtooth, while Shano and I were kept busy with doubles on Spanish, Red Bass and Longtails. It was a truly excellent session which was finally topped off with a memorable Dogtooth capture.

It was to be Justin’s moment in the sun. Looping over some likely looking ground, Right-Wing scored a proper solid hook-up. With the ground below disappearing from 35m to 300m the fish showed all the hallmarks of being our first Doggy. The way these fish peel line it’s little wonder they‘ve become a premiere sportfish, and so much is written about them. After a reasonably light strike, Justo set the hook, and his Shimano Twin-Power mounted on a 2-piece Nitro went to work (this combo was outstanding and stood up to all kinds of abuse spinning, trolling, and jigging - a truly versatile set-up). By the time Champ and Doctor Fong had retrieved their gear, the fish was still heading for home, some 350m below. In fact with the drag fully cranked up, this critter had taken all of the 80lb braid available and was down to just 10 wraps of mono backing when I knocked the boat into gear to give chase. Justo had given up at that stage muttering something about some left wing political views. The situation required some encouragement and I happily obliged, screaming every Aussie profanity I could muster! Like magic, amazingly he began to recover some line. As he pumped and wound I continued my onslaught and slowly but surely he forgot about the blister on his pinkie, and managed to turn the fish. After 15 minutes and an improved grasp of the Australian language, Justo landed a beautiful Dogtooth Tuna and had earned himself a name change to Justintime!! I was a mammoth effort, being seriously under gunned, and one I will never forget.

The following morning we were greeted with a 10 knot sou’ Easter and a few threatening line squalls on the horizon. It seemed this could be the last day of calm weather. Today I would fish Justintime again and his father Ralph (aka snake charmer, so called after a near death experience wrangling snakes in Costa Rica. Bloody nutta yanks!!) The morning was a slow one in comparison to the previous two, though we managed a few nice fish. The highlight was the mother of all Coral Trout, jagged on the troll as we came through a gateway from the shelf back to the inside. Now Ralph aint a small bloke, and if you see the picture you’ll notice he’s holding the fish close to his body. At a guestimate of around 35 lb, it was truly a magnificent fish and after a photo was returned to the water.

The charmer was rapt as he was clearly out fishing his boy and Justintime seemed to have used up his luck the day before. It seemed he had become a shark magnet with every hook-up operating like a currency converter. He had once again earned a new name to the mirth of his compatriots. Every time we passed another boat, cries of Shark Boy and the accompanying piss-takes, could not be avoided. So good were the ribbings that at some point later Shark Boy started to drop his lip and even remarked he wished he was known as ‘Mackerel Guy’…poor bastard!

Again we headed back to the boat for lunch and it seemed everyone was doing it a bit tougher. Al noted that the barometer had dropped, and it seemed the fish were starting to shut down.

Having completed lunch and looking more and more like Jabba the Hut (if I can ever move again…I will kill that chef) we headed out again. Shark Boy had copped it at lunch and even his father got amongst it.

Being a dental technician Ralph opted for bribery. Since I have a set of teeth that would make a glue nag proud, he promised he would work his magic on my mouth if I could find him a Doggy. The deal was done and we headed out to the drop-off. Initially the going was tough, but the conversation over the radio suggested the other boats were fairing a little better than us. On cue, Shark Boy was true to form and hooked another Oceanic White Tip.

Not to be discouraged we continued on only to experience a few more big bust ups, mostly sharks but one or two showed the familiar peel of a Doggy.

Without a sounder in the boat I began a systematic grid pattern, trolling over the ground where we had experienced some success. As we came closer to the reef edge we got the result we were hoping for. As the line peeled away Ralph assumed his fighting stance and went into battle. Somehow he beat the sharks to reveal a handsome Dogtooth, not quite as big as Shark Boys’ but a solid fish nonetheless. His happiness was only overshadowed by mine as I began to plan for my new mouth! At this stage I’m thinking of something that would make Snoop Dogg proud, especially since the Charmer is footing the bill?! Diamonds are a given, but I just can’t decide between white and yellow gold.

The next day I was once again fishing with Shark Boy and Nick (the Champ) and a new companion Ed (aka CTH…can’t tie hooks) a butcher/fishing and hunting guide. To me, Ed resembled an outlaw from Americas Wild West. With a glint in his eye and an impressive arsenal comprising his mates best Yozuri blue water lures, he was sure to strike fear in the heart of any finned creature. The morning troll presented some decent Spaniards, a nice Big Eye Trevally and some memorable bust-offs, but with the wind increasing and the water becoming a little lumpy on the outside, we decided to move to the shallow reef to toss some poppers.

It proved to be the right move, with some good bait balls holding on the inner reef. With the boat in position for a silent drift, results were instantaneous. Not surprisingly the fish were holding predominantly on both reef edges, inside over the deeper bommies (3-5m) and on the opposite side near the break-line in shallow water.

All of the boys got amongst the action with a variety of fish missed, lost and landed. While the guys were bringing fish to the boat I managed to snap some of the underwater shots you see here. Amongst our catches were Red Bass, Blue Fin Trevally and footballer (or tiger) Trout.

Admittedly none of the fish landed were monsters, but with this kind of fishing, size doesn’t matter. Every cast carries the anglers’ anticipation. If you haven’t been big on poppers in the past, give it a crack, after your first fish you’ll be hooked (pardon the pun).

The arvo presented new opportunity moving north to some ground the boys had called ‘The Granuers’, named after an angler who scored 7 doggies in one session. The area showed promise but luck was not to be with us. After three good hook-ups, all of which were lost, the area shut down. The other boats had similar reports, though had faired better with some nice Mackerel and GTs landed. With the light fading Shark Boy, who today had landed at least a couple of Macs told us of his love for Christine, a beautiful teacher from home. Being Shark Boys’ cousin, Nick kindly offered some advice regarding his methods on, of all things, eating watermelons. At this stage I was in a state of confusion, racking my brain for my next guiding option. When Shark Boy mentioned his distaste for women with odd sized index fingers, and the fact that Christine was a sufferer of such an affliction, I knew it was time to get back to base and clear my mind with a stiff whiskey.

Sunrise on our second last day looked bleak. The wind had increased and the seas had changed accordingly. Today I was rostered to fish Ed the outlaw, and our resident defrocked priest, Mark (aka Wink). I had enjoyed a few beers and a few cigars with the Priest over the past few nights, and was looking forward to a day on the water with him and his disturbing sense of humour.

At around 7am we headed outside to chase some pelagics. The start was positive, smacking and losing a few Spaniards and then our luck changed. A large Bronzy was brought to the boat and when attempting to retrieve the lure, I lost my pliers (and nearly my hand) down the beasties gob. Thankfully, with reflexes like a Black Puma (pronounced Pooma) I managed to avert disaster, and retrieved my hand from the abyss. With a quick re-rig we were back in action, only to be duped by the manufacturers claim that the lure was ‘tank tested’. Hmmm. As I endured the challenge presented by tangled braid the wind gradually increased.

This morning was by far my worst effort, and it seemed I couldn’t turn a trick. Thankfully my crew were great and my spirits were quickly lifted with the sermons offered from the Priest, and the straight shootin’ outlaw. After a couple of slow hours my mojo returned and we once again started hooking fish. Spaniards, Sharkies and GTs gave us the results we were looking for.

On our return for lunch Greg, our skipper, decided to pull the pin, and steam west to Wap reef for our last mornings fishing.

Initially the punch into the strengthening sou’ westerly was testing, but as the hours passed the wind slowly abated. When we dropped anchor, around six hours later, conditions were good and dinner was served. With a few beers behind them a few of the team decided to try their luck jigging, with no real aspirations for success. Ed led the way dropping a luminous jig to the depths and was smashed within seconds. After some initial torment, the critter revealed itself to be a small but feisty Spaniard. Steadily the chaps emerged from the saloon and treated themselves to an unlikely session of night jigging. With each drop the fish got steadily bigger and so too did the anticipation for the morning ahead.

The final morning of the trip was as beautiful as the first. Calm winds and mild seas were a refreshing change for the day before. Joining me were Larry (aka Gunner and leader of this motley crew), Dave (DC) and Greg (Aka East Coast, the only foreigner of the group and New York detective). With their gear loaded and beers on ice we left our base for the last time, three boats heading south and Shaggy moving north, and typically it was Humphrey/Shaggy who found the honey pot! Spanish were on the boil. Cigar in hand I motored to Phils’ vicinity with instant results. It was Greg with the first hook-up and sure enough the Macs were on song. Every pass produced, with double and triple hook-ups the norm, both trolling and spinning. After hearing so much about Gregs’ poppering ability, I was keen to see him in action. The King of Poppers was true to form, nabbing the only strikes of the session. Perched on the bow, stoggie in mouth, it was hard to imagine this mild New Yorker busting heads in a crack house. In fact, I hope he’s here on exchange the next time I get arrested!? With a mob of Spanish and Longtail Tuna successfully landed and released it was time to pull stumps on what had been a magnificent week.

For the record Ed won the honour of being “Grand Master Baiter” closely followed by Tommygun. Never before have I fished such a large group that kept me smiling from start to finish, and on behalf of the crew I’d like to thank them all. That said, I should also say cheers to Greg Bethune, the skipper and owner of Seafaris, for having me on board for the week. To the other guides, it was a blast and I look forward to our next excursion. Finally, to Chef Troy, wow!

If you’d like to experience a week like this, check out the web site www.seafaris.com.

Cheers.

This article was usedc in the march NQ Fish & Boat Magazine. The exteme weather patterns along the east coast of Australia in Feb. inspired me to find out a bit more on the effects of the Monsoon Trough on our entire continent. Albeit a very basic outline, hopefully it explains a little in laymens terms, our Summer weather patterns. I hope you enjoy the read. If anyone has any suggestions for future newsletter topics, please email me with your ideas, and hopefully I can come up with something of interest.

Until next time, take care and happy fishing!

Spring Tides, Monsoon Troughs and the 18yr Lunar Cycle:

February was a month most Australians would rather forget. The tragedy of the Victorian bush fires has left all of us speechless, the sheer enormity of the fires unimaginable. The toll on human life, the destruction of livestock, and the devastation of wildlife and their environment will have ongoing consequences for years to come. To think that some of this was caused from arson is unfathomable.

While the southern states were suffering the results of a drought too long, and record temperatures, north and western Queensland were underwater, and being hammered by the onslaught of continual monsoon rains.

In the far north too, the weather gods were showing their hand, with massive king tides swallowing the islands of the Torres Strait.

So it is with our Australian climate that such extremes can be experienced at either end of our eastern coast line. Unfortunately, the reality of all this is that it’s not the first, or last time, these incidents will occur.

Which lead me to the question of why?

As we know, northern Australia is divided into two seasons, the wet and the dry, and both of these seasons relate directly to the movements of the Monsoon Trough around its equatorial plane. If there is any benefit from the flooding rains the trough brings with it, it has to be for us, the humble fisherman.

So, other than the fact that this trough brings with it rain, the odd cyclone, and hopefully a good year on the rod, what else do I know about the Monsoon Trough?? To be honest, not much. So I asked some smarter people than I, and they too couldn’t tell me a whole lot more than what I already knew.

Short of asking the only professor I know, and being totally confused by his detailed and no doubt accurate response, the only solution left was to go to the internet. Ironically, I had ample time to look into it, when, said trough, decided this week would be a good time to park above my shack, and cut all access in and out. Go figure!?

Firstly, for us fisho’s the dry or winter months are typically associated with south easterly trade winds. These SE winds are caused by the west to east movements by bodies of high atmospheric pressure (Highs) moving through the centre of oz. And didn’t 2008 give us far too many examples of this!! Conversely, the wet season (summer) is characterised in the north by nor’ westerly winds generated by low atmospheric pressure systems (Lows) moving east to west. The circular movement of these systems, a low clockwise and a high anti-clockwise, generate the wind directions we experience.

The formation of weather patterns world-wide are all inter related. The changes in ocean currents, and changes of season in the northern hemisphere, have a direct effect on the weather patterns we experience here in Australia. This correlation of seemingly unrelated systems is why at the moment the northern regions are swimming, and in the south the fires are burning.

In fact the monsoon season is thought to be born above The Himalayas. In September/October a body of high pressure is formed in this region, and remains in place through to March/April, pushing cold dry air to the south. This event signals the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter. The air flow from our ‘Dry season’ highs to the NW, meets this cold air mass, is blocked, and basically stops, creating what we know as ’the build up’. The calm waters and rising sea temperatures increases levels of evaporation, feeds the building system, and eventually becomes our ’wet’.

As this occurs, the path of the sun moves to the south with the change of the season. The sun heats the large and generally arid area of land in north Western Australia, until the temperatures finally peak around December. The resulting mass of hot air rises above the land, leaving a void of low air pressure below it. This void is then replenished by cooler air flowing from the sea to the north, which in turn drags the once stationary and now moisture laden system with it over northern Australia.

This convergence zone between the moist tropical lows and the drier sub-tropical highs forms what we term the Monsoon Trough. The weather the trough generates depends on where it lies. Over the wet season the trough will move backwards and forward, becoming ‘active’ over land and ‘inactive’ as it retreats north back over the ocean.

When active, the north experiences dense cloud cover and heavy rains, combined with moderate to strong NW winds on the northern side of the trough. These active periods are the breeding ground for tropical cyclones. Inactive periods see calmer weather in southern areas, with isolated showers and storms. A typical wet season will experience two or three cycles of active/inactive periods, with a cycle lasting between 3 and 8 weeks. 

The highs which are a feature of central Australia in the winter months, are pushed south by the monsoon trough. During summer, the passage of these high pressure systems moves below the Great Australian Bite. The anti-clockwise rotation of high pressure draws hot dry air from the middle of the continent, leading to hot dry conditions in South Australia and Victoria. Conditions conducive to extreme fire danger.

Hopefully, this helps to explain the radical climatic differences we experience every year between November and April. However, one question still remained; particularly as I watched the largest tides of the year remove far too much of my front yard. Why is it, that in the last few years, from the islands of the Torres Strait to the beaches south of Sydney, that the king tides seem to be getting higher every year? The obvious answer is of course ‘climate change’. That one, I’m not touching, and personally it seems too easy to blame everything on climate change. That said, I will concede it’s directly responsible for me being in strife with the missus.

What I did know was that the occurrence of spring tides in January/February was directly related to the moon and its proximity to the earth. Then last Thursday afternoon, while listening to the ABCs’ Fish Talk, I heard local guide and fishing legend Gary Wright make reference to the 18 year tide cycle. Once again, it was news to me, so back to the internet and a lot of big words.

In fact the cycle occurs every 18.6 years, and is based on the path of revolution taken by the moon around the earth, and the earth around the sun. Fortnightly, we experience what is known as ‘Perigee’ which in layman’s terms, refers to the proximity of the moon being at its closest approach to the earth. This has a direct effect on the levels of our high and low tides. The 18.6 year tide cycle is based upon the alignment of the earth, moon and sun. This alignment or unity is referred to as ‘Syzygy’.

Confused?? Well so was I. Basically, the tidal cycle peaks every 18.6 years when the earth moon and sun are all aligned (syzygy) and the earth in relation to the moon is at its closest point (perigee). This year, 2009, is said to be the peak of this lunar-tidal cycle. Looking ahead to the King tides of next year, and those of the last few years, would suggest this to be the case.

The next question is what will be the effect of this cycle on fish? Well if there is truth to the adage, ‘no run-no fun’, bigger tides means more run, and could possibly bring some good fishing. It may also contribute to the unusual occurrence of many mackerel being caught off Cairns and Townsville at the moment!? It may also have something to do with the billions of liters of fresh being pushed offshore at a rate not seen for a few years.

Hopefully now my explanation has made things clear as mud?!, Admittedly this is not specific to just fishing, but relative to what’s going on in our back yard at the moment.

One thing is for sure though, it will be difficult to blame the tide cycle for my continual run-inns with my wife, and for that reason I am sticking with climate change!! …although, come to think of it…humans are 70% water…

Cheers

The good fishing from the end of May was decent enough to carry through to June. The weather for this time of year has also been sensational, especially so after the continual pummelling of 2008. With the good weather, so too were there some truely amazing sunsets.

 

G day,

First of all thank you for your interest in the newsletter section of my web site. Secondly, sorry for the delay in getting the first newsletter out. As is with me and technology, it took a little longer to get the site properly finished, but we are almost there, with only a few tweaks here n there, ande the completion of the photo gallery.

Hopefully this weekend, she will be done and dusted, and i hope you like the finishede product. Over time the site will evolve, with some additional pages, and eventually some video footage of the action.

In the mean time, I will try to get a newsletter out every couple of weeks, to keep you posted on whats happening out on the water up here.

This first edition, is an article which appears in the October edition of NQ Fish \\\\\\\'n Boat. Hopefully you find it interesting. Any feed back on the article, or the web site would be welcome and appreciated.

Hope you enjoy the site, and the fish are biting in your neck of the woods.

cheers,

Bat

Mackerel Tactics: Tips from 'The Tip':

For anyone who loves blue water fishing, the scream of a ratchet as the drag struggles to keep up with a 20kg+ Spaniard, is truly a beautiful thing. An explosive strike, followed by blistering runs, will always get an anglers adrenaline flowing. And when the battle is won, the fillets of clean white meat are always a welcome prize on any dining room table.For me, consistently finding mackerel for clients, is critical to my business. Some days are certainly better than others, but there are some simple things to consider which will hopefully help to narrow the search. Having fished with Mr Gomes (editor/fisherman/dubious looking character) and a few of his mates last month, he asked if I would like to share my thoughts on chasing solid mackerel.

At this point I should point out, that most of what I know I’ve learnt from listening to wiser men than I, and this is the best tip I could give anyone. Local knowledge is gold, and plying some of this experience can be as simple as an ice cold beverage. Here is tip no. 2. Consume less beverage than experienced local, as this will assist in remembering golden advice the next morning.

Methods of mackerel fishing are varied. Live baiting, trolling dead swim baits and lures, jigging, spinning, suspended baits below balloons and even bottom bouncing a squid, can and will produce Spanish mayhem. Which method to use will be determined by the prevailing conditions of the day. Water clarity, wind strength, sea conditions, current flow, tidal levels and range, and light quality on the day, will all play a significant role in determining mackerel tactics.

Location - no matter what kind of fishing you enjoy, putting yourself in the right spot will always help. Mackerel are a high speed predator which rely heavily on their eyesight to catch a feed. For this reason, areas with dirty water and low visibility are poor when hunting a Big Mac. From the same principle, fishing a structure up-current/tidal flow will generally show better results, as the maccys will be sitting in an area where they have a good view of all the bait moving past a pressure point. Use of a sounder will then show where bait is holding, thus narrowing the search.

An ideal situation is a reef edge or prominent headland which has flow pushing up onto the structure. Water that has visibility of around 6m is ideal, and if you can find a current line holding some nutrient, you have the makings of a good session. These pressure points will generally be revealed by a patch of rougher water, and can be a good place to start your search for some activity on your sounder.

Method - This to me is determined by the conditions on the day. For example there is no point jigging through a bait ball in 25 knot winds while an 5.5 knot current is pushing you onto a reef. I’ve tried it, and it is not fun. In fact it can be quite stressful!!?? On the other hand, jigging in open water over a gradual lump on the bottom which is holding bait, can bring on a bite hotter than a fat kid in a wetsuit! If the water is calm, and the current moderate, jigging, and live baiting are a proven winner for big Macs. If the wind is blowing, trolling lures and swim baits across aggregations of bait off pressure points, is probably more appropriate both for your own comfort and getting your baits/lures closer to the bite. The point is what you do depends on the day your doing it!

Balloons - If your fishing a pressure point from the rocks, or bottom fishing for reefies, floating a suspended bait from a balloon is a beauty. Ganged garfish or squid/calamari rigged with two 8/0 hooks and a light weight, drifted into the current, can provide appropriate entertainment.

Jigging - Now I must admit, I’ve only been using jigs for the last 12 months, however when the weather has allowed, the results have been grouse. Find your bait in the appropriate conditions, move up current, and set the boat for a drift, that will allow the punter to drop at the bait ball. When the jig hit’s the bottom, crank like a crazy person, and hold on.

Jigging requires a bit of a specialty rig also. A quality reel with a retrieve ratio of greater than 4.5 / 5 : 1 loaded with 50 lb braid is appropriate. Also, jigs don’t have to be expensive. On-line auction sites have cheap jigs. As long as the jig has some flash, and some quality tackle hanging off it, a $5 jig will work as well as a $25 jig. When the drift is fast try using jigs of at least 120 grams plus. If the wind and current are slighter, try your weights at around the 60-80g range. A softer flutter to the bottom can bring some terrifying hook-ups.

Trolling - Let’s face it, the weather this year has been about as accommodating as your ex mother-in-law, just bloody horrible. Now, if you have been desperate enough to venture out and about, more than likely you’ve had to do a bit of trolling during the day. For me, the majority of the year in the Torres Strait, other than maybe 4 of the last 180 days, has been blowing 20-30 kn from the south east. To do anything but troll in these conditions, is really going to cause some dramas. As it is, trolling can still have its moments…

All this being said, trolling, using some basic guide lines, will still produce fish, in some “I wish I was at home…“ conditions.

As mentioned above, look for your pressure points for a place to start. Once you’ve found the bait, mark it, and set up your spread. Depending on the number of crew, I run 3 - 5 rods. As a minimum, a three rig spread will have a deep diving lure short in the prop wash to the inside corner, a mid-water lure in a opposite longer corner, and a rigged bait, a wolf-herring or garfish, running shot-gun long down the centre. If I was running 4 rods, I would also use a Tropic Angler skirt short off the prop. Running 5 rods can be interesting, but when the opportunity presents itself, I will run a skirt short, the next corner from the skirt a deep diver, such as a Halco Laser Pro Crazy Deep, the next inside corner a Garfish rigged on a Wog-head, Outside opposite corner a wolf-herring on a chin guard, and finally a Classic Bluewater F-18 running as shot gun down the guts. In my opinion you should use your prop wash to your advantage. In nature a bait ball will create flash, some noise and most obviously bubbles. Use the wash from your prop. I never run anything longer than where my wash begins to dissipate, keeping all the baits / lures in the bubble trail. As for lures, some are better than others. Having said that, what is successful for you, will be different to what your mate uses, also with success. In short each to their own. For me, I have great results on RMG Scorpions (minus the centre treble, they wear through, and beefed up heavier hardware), Halco Laser Pros, particularly the 8m crazy deep, Classic Bluewater F-18 (Split rings must be beefed up), Tropic Angler skirts, and when I can get them, Bounty Hunter lures. Lure colour choice is a personal thing. For me, when it’s a bright day with reasonable water clarity, and I use darker colours near the surface and brighter, flashy colours swimming deeper. On a darker day, I do the reverse.

Live Baiting - will produce the best results in virtually any fishing situation. This certainly applies in bluewater when fishing for mackerel. If you can anchor up, up-current and drift a live bait down a current line towards a pressure point, rarely will you be waiting long for a result. What you use will depend on what bait fish are available. I’ve had great success using Stripies, small nannygai, small Gts, Fusaliers, virtually anything can bring on a good strike. The most important factor is to manoeuvre the live bait to the edge of where the bait fish are holding, where hopefully it will draw the attention of Mr Mackerel.

Spinning - slices will also produce some great hook ups. 20 g slices, with heavier trebles and split rings, tied with 100 lb single strand wire, will produce the goods. Again, find the bait activity first, position the boat with the wind in your favour, and cast to the bait ball. By letting the slice sink through the natural bait, then using a fast retrieve, this can produce awesome fishing, particularly on light gear.

All things being equal, all these methods of fishing have been successful for me personally. Admittedly nothing I’ve mentioned is revolutionary or remarkable. It is meant merely as a starting point, and an overview of some basic techniques. The bonus for this type of fishing is the by-catch. Coral Trout, Fingermark, Small mouth Nannygai, and large GT’s can and will be caught using all of these methods of chasing mackerel.

Most important of all, is to enjoy a day on the water, and to pay some attention to what is going on around you. Simple observations can pay large dividends. Finally let me say this, if there’s fish around, there will also be baitfish. Keep your eyes open and look for what bait is kicking around. If you can, try to match your artificial or swim baits to what is about. Then hopefully, hold on and enjoy the ride.

Gday all,

I hope the weather in your part of the world is treating you better than it is I, with a constant 25-30kn SE, still blowing like there is no tommorrow. In the 7 yrs I've lived on the cape, I have never experienced the likes of this. It must be caused by the same thing that makes my wife (Niki) cranky, GLOBAL BLOODY WARMING!!! Jokes aside, it is typical to expect 15-20kn during the dry season, but this yr has been nuts.

On the fishing front, other than the weather, the fishing has been great. For the last 4 weeks, the run of solid 15kg+ Spanish Mackerel has been hot, and with the water temperature up, catches on various Trevally, Queenies, and a few Tuna have been good. Due to the weather, I havn't even bothered to try any jigging or bottom fishing, though the sounder has been showing good numbers of fish in the deeper water. With the warmer water shark numbers also seem to be down, which is always a beautiful thing!

This months newsletter covers the difference between tides and currents on the Cape, and hopefully may be of help even in southern waters. If it helps to just get a few more bites, I've had a win. If you have any questions regarding the subject (or anything else for that matter) feel free to drop me a line, and hopefully I can be of some help.

If you havn't looked recently, the photo gallery on the website has a lot more photos added, and I will continue adding in the coming days/weeks. I think I've still got another 180 or so to add. Bare with me, it's a slow process.

Well I hope the southern winter is well and truly behind you all, and you are managing to get out on the water a bit, and enjoy the sun. If youhave any questions or suggestions, send me an email, it would be good to hear from you. Enjoy the article, and I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Cheers,

Bat

Fishing Cape York: Current vs Tide

Fishing across the top of Cape York is like anywhere. Some days can be pandemonium, as you bathe in piscatorial delight, while others…well, shall we say, are less spectacular.

Yep, contrary to what most glossy magazines claim, the fish up here don’t regularly leap over the gunnels of their own accord, and land squarely in the big orange Tropical Ice Box!

The blue water play ground of Cape York has a few extra things to consider when planning a fishing trip to “the tip” of the peninsula. That being, the currents which converge across the tip, and the Torres Strait. The bodies of water east, west and north of the peninsula, all have their say in how the fish will bite, and what type of fishing you can do.

These currents, like tides are effected by moon phase; full moon, big current, high tides. Now your thinking, “no shit mate…!?!?” And fair enough. Thing is, at the top of the cape, the current flow doesn’t necessarily match up with what the tide is doing. An easterly current on a making tide today, may be a westerly current on a making tide 4 days later.

Where I grew up on the east coast, fishing was a bit different. The bigger the moon, the more tidal flow, and generally on the reef, a bit more activity from the fish we were chasing. We would fish the tides, from when the tide topped/bottomed, went slack, then moved in the other direction.

And that is the difference in the Torres Strait. The top of the tide, does not mean that the current will go slack and move in the other direction. I should point out, that this refers to the blue water in the Strait, and not the estuaries of the Cape, or to the same extent in the blue as you move further south.

The currents, or tidal stream, are critical when deciding which ground to target, at different times of the day. Lucky for us, the many groups of islands on both the east and west coast, provide excellent options, when weather must be factored into the fishing equation.

Many times I’ve had a beer with travelling fisherman, and of course have talked about their trip. Often these conversations involve too many beers, and a few exaggerated stories of past fishy exploits, but the story of their trip to the cape, has a typically common pattern…. “The fishing in the creeks was more productive than what the blue water had to offer.” What these guys had missed, was the extra influence of the tidal stream, and the pressure points created by these currents.

At this point I should say when I first started fishing up here I made the same mistake. Lucky for me, a very wise man, Gary C (cheers mate… I owe you a scotch or 12), indicated the importance of the tidal stream. A lot of research and development over the years since, has highlighted the importance these different currents can have, in different situations.

All anglers, in all types of fishing environments, will always be looking for the bit of structure or water movement which will give them an edge. The pressure point created by the movement of water past a structure, in a creek, impoundment, reef, or deep blue water situation is a prime place to start your search for fish.

In the Torres Strait these pressure points are where the pelagics, and often reef fish will be congregating.

The next question is where do you find this information. Well that’s the easy part. The tidal Stream for the Torres Strait is measured at Hammond Rock, north of Thursday Is. The predictions for these tidal streams are available in the state government tide book, and also on the BOM website. The information available will give the angler an idea of what time is slack, and equally important, the forecast maximum rate of flow (kn), the time of this max. flow, and the direction the stream is moving.

On the full moon, it is possible to have a max. flow of 8 knots in open water. On a pressure point this flow could be exaggerated up to 12 kn. The possibility of getting baits or jigs to the bottom with this amount of flow in 20+m of water can be quite a challenge, and the lead required can all but eliminate any feel for the bite.

Flow like this will also diminish any water clarity, particularly in shore where the bottom is considerably stirred up. The abundance of weed will affect the days fishing, requiring constant vigilance when trolling.

The neaps around the quarter moons on the other hand, will generally have a maximum flow of between 0.2 kn to around 2.8 kn. This type of current is a much happier window to fish. On the slack, and either side, jigs and baits can comfortably find the bottom, and water clarity / clutter is far better, and more conducive to trolling.

It’s for these reasons that before a fishing trip to the tip is planned, the moon phases, and subsequently the Hammond Rock tidal Stream should be considered right at the beginning of the planning.

Another consideration is the relevance of the flow to the proposed area to fish. A slack at Hammond Rock at midday will be different to a slack 30 miles to the east. To cope with this it is important to be on the grounds well ahead of the forecast change. Heaps of times I’ve been on the spot 45 minutes ahead of a proposed slack current only to find I was ½ an hour late. The Cape can be like that, no matter what your doing, on land or sea!

It should be noted also that this change can occur rapidly. On a full moon the window of slack current can be as little as 5 minutes.

With regard to how much flow is good, or how much flow is bad, it depends on the type of fishing you want to do. For dropping jigs or bait fishing, any more than 2 ½ - 3 kn is about the limit, even less if using mono to get to the bottom. Again this would depend on the location, the depth you’re trying to reach, and even the amount of windage the boat is effected by (if drifting).

For tossing Poppers or trolling adjacent to drop-offs on reef edges, a flow of

2 - 5 kn can be great as bait is pushed onto and past a pressure point, while not diminishing water clarity too much. Any more than this, and bait may not hold as well, and visibility is reduced. Any less, and the old addage “no run - no fun” comes to mind.

Finally I should say one last factor to consider before hitting the water, and choosing a destination. Tide. Now I’m not trying to confuse anyone here, just trying to point out one simple thing. There are times when the tide will correspond favourably with a particular currents direction and speed.

To give an example, considerer this. Lets say we are bottom fishing 20 metres in open water, anchored over a depression or rise. On this day the tide only moves 1.2 metres. In this situation the importance of tide is less than the importance of timing the current change. Hopefully the change of flow will bring on the bite while baits can find the bottom.

Now consider a different situation. The area you are fishing, is a reef drop off, with an easterly run pushing neatly onto the apex of the edge. The effect of the tide on the ground here would be significant, and more relevant than the current flow. The amount of bait fish holding here will be proportional to the amount of water above the reef.

The Cape is a beautiful place to enjoy your fishing. Even when the going is tough. The scenery, range of aquatic life and even the lack of boating traffic, makes it very easy to enjoy your day on the water. I would recommend it to everyone.

But if you really want to have a crack at the blue water fishing the beautiful Torres Strait has to offer, I reckon you should definitely consider the effect the moon phase will have on both the currents and tides, and plan your trip relative to the type of fishing you like to do. Hopefully you can maximise your indulgence, both on and off the water and make a great holiday even better.

 

G'day to you all. The following is an article I wrote for NQ Fish & Boat, January 2009. I didn't originally post it here as it wasn't a dedicated fishing story. Now however, with the drastic change in the worlds' economic climate and more Aussies looking at domestic travel in the year ahead, I figured it might be a little more relevant now.

I hope life is treating you well, and that you may find the following of interest. In the next couple of days I will post two more newsletters, one on our weather, and another for those who are yet to travel to the Cape. Hopefully you can take the time to relax and enjoy them.

Until then, happy fishing,

Cheers

Bat

Cape York 2009:

To say the least, 2008 gave the northern part of the Queensland coastline, a bit of a hurry up. Alternatively you could describe the majority of the years weather as a proper shit-fight. Prevailing Sou’ Easters, 20-30 kn were a familiar sight, and believe me, the top of Cape York was no exception. As a bloke who earns his keep fishing the spectacular blue water of the Torres Strait, I can tell you that 2008 was a bit…‘breezy’. The bastard !!? Never did I think I would open my eyes each morning, hoping with earnest, to be greeted with what would be a day of 15-20 kn. This year was the year, and it didn’t happen ‘till November.

Having said that, all reports on the fishing for the year, were very similar…“the fish were there if you were prepared to work for ‘em !“ It seems that even with adverse conditions, and this year had them all, the top of the peninsula still produced quality fish, and can cater to a mob of angling tastes.

A fishing trip to The Cape ranks pretty high on most fishos’ wish lists. The fresh water maze of billabongs and creeks in Lakefield National Park, the reef and game fishing options out of Cooktown, or the sports fishing opportunities that Weipa has on offer, are all featured in the dreams of southern anglers, and rightly so. However, for the more adventurous punter, the track to the north can present some piscatorial memories that will last you a lifetime.

For the fisherman of the far north, the cape is right on your doorstep. The improving road conditions, more frequent air services, and range of excellent accommodation options, means that what once required a lot of thought and planning, is now a much simpler process.

The hardest part is to decide what type of fishing you want to do, how your going to do it, and what time of year suits you and your preferences best. Happily there is an option to suit everyone.

Many will always prefer to do it themselves, towing their own boats, with a couple of well stocked ice-cold eskies, and enjoying a favourite location they’ve been visiting for years. Others will try areas they heard about from mates, such as The Pennyfather or Virilya Pt, where they can exhaust the many inshore and estuary options associated with locations like these.

Alternatively, for those who are chasing the feeling of remoteness, but want to benefit from local knowledge, the cape can cater. Experienced operators such as Warren Strevens of Cape York Rod and Rifle Safaris, and Greg Bethune of Carpentaria Seafaris offer extended charters down the west coast, between Seisia and Cullen Pt, north of Old Mappoon.

Warren runs an excellent bush camp, based at the McDonnell River on the west coast. From this central location he can fish the fresh and saltwater options, both to the north and south. The food is good, the company great, and the fishing spectacular. Greg operates the live aboard vessel Tropic Paradise, a beautiful alloy 62’ catamaran, purpose built to provide guests with air-conditioned comfort, amazing chef prepared meals for the duration of your visit, and world class fishing. Which ever your budget allows, both these guys know their stuff and will provide a trip to remember.

The NPA, (Northern Peninsula Area) is the region to the north of The Jardine River. This area is home to the world renown Jacky Jacky and Escape River systems, both a maze of mangrove lined wilderness emptying into the Coral Sea. These estuarine systems are home to an amazing array of fish species, and it is not uncommon to catch as many as 10 species when out and about for a day. Due to the expanse of both the Jacky Jacky and The Escape River, a guide is recommended, at least for one day (though that is not nearly enough) so that you can try to get a feel for how these amazing areas can fish. Both are so large and diverse that you could spend a lifetime in either, and still be finding new ground, when your ratchet screamed for the last time.

Jay Arnold, the owner/operator of Cape York Peninsula Fishing, is in his element in these systems. Born and bred in Nth Qld, estuary fishing is his passion, and the amount of time Jay devotes to research and development (aka fishing when not working), shines through when others are finding the going tough.

Another great option available to those who don’t have their own boat, and would prefer to do it themselves, is to hire a boat for a day or two. Cheryl and Bully own and operate Cape York Ice and Tackle, and hire a variety of surveyed vessels, at very reasonable prices. Not only can they help you with a boat, but it’s a one stop shop where you can top up your tackle box, grab your choice of fresh baits, and they will happily point you in the right direction where the fish are biting.

As for the blue water fishing, the Torres Strait, and the northern part of the Coral Sea, is a world class playground. Thumper GTs, oversized Spaniards, line burning Longtail Tuna, metre plus dancing Queenfish, are but a few of the delights an angler can expect. On top of this, the scenery and aquatic life are worth the trip on their own.

Like I say, the options are many, there are several other charters operating from Seisia, and all are reputable operators. The operators mentioned above I can personally recommend having fished with them all on several occasions.

What can you expect? Unspoilt wilderness, no phone calls, no traffic (on the road or the water), mild weather, oh and some good fishing. The year that was, produced some good catches. As a rule the cooler months are the slower fishing times, particularly when chasing Barra etc. When the temperature starts to climb, the fishing just gets better.

In my humble opinion, the best time to tackle the cape is late September through to December. Not only does the fishing go nuts, but the weather can be more predictable, and there is bugger all people about. The false impression given by some publications that the wet starts in October, is enough to scare many away.

October thru December 2008 delivered on all accounts. Some of the Barra and Jacks caught rival those seen in some of the glossier fishing publications. As always, the fishing will peak on the optimal tides and current changes, but some reports were saying the estuaries were boiling with fish.

Personally, the blue water is my niche, and I can tell you, the fishing on the back half of the year was memorable. The wind finally backed off, and the pelagics seemed to just get bigger and bigger. On some occasions so did the sharks, but that’s just the way it is. Some of the Spanish hook-ups were phenomenal, as were some off the feeding frenzies these hook-ups provoked.

All in all, the Cape is somewhere any angler should at some point experience. In the future the accessibility to the area will only get better, and with that there will only be increasing numbers of people, and consequently more pressure on the environment, and therefore the fishing.

No matter what your fishing preferences, whether you camp or stay in 4-star air-conditioned luxury, eat in a restaurant or cook on a camp fire, charter for a week or bring your own tub to explore for yourself, the top of Cape York has something for everyone. Like any fishing trip, check your moons and tides when planning your holiday.

There is no better time than 2009, to enjoy your own Cape York adventure.

Cheers

Fishing with Nobby

March was kind enough to produce some great weather, and the chance to indulge in two of my favourite pursuits; fishing and a couple of icy beverages while fishing. As I mentioned in my earlier yarn, I was blessed with the chance to enjoy two piscatorial expeditions. The first of my outings came about after far too many cleansing ales with my mate ‘Nobby’ (aka Phil Edwards).

After several beers celebrating my wife’s birthday, it was 2am when we noticed the trees were silent. In fact the only breeze we copped was from the continual hum of mosquito wings as they sort to join the celebrations by sampling our alcohol laced blood.
After the last 12 months of abuse from Hughie, the god of weather, we decided this was an opportunity not to be missed. With the shake of her head and a roll of her eyes, Niki (my boss…sorry, wife?!!) gave me her blessing and our plan was hatched.

Due to the short planning time frame (24 hrs, half of which was affected by a hangover), and the limited space on our mother ship, our gear was to be kept to a minimum; 4 rods, two Tropical Ice Boxes, ample fluids!?, very little food, two swags, some tackle, more fluids, plenty of ice for fluids, a change of clothes and a sense of humour. Oh, and some fuel. All was packed and stacked for what would be a fishing expedition based from Dugong Island approximately 40 nm east of the tip.

It should be mentioned at this point that Phil is an idiot with a penchant for eating thongs and a liking for doing his own stunts, mostly unsuccessfully! It was therefore an easy decision to put Nobby in charge as skipper, and use his awesome mother ship ‘Merkin’, a 4.9m Hooker side console, as our spacious vessel of choice.

We left Seisia the following day with a calm 5knot NW at our backs. A cold beer in hand and my trusty skipper at the helm, I didn’t have a care in the world as we eased into a relaxed 2.5 hour steam east to Dugong Is.

Our plan was simple. Arrive at Dugong, unload the ‘Merkin’, and catch some fish. Simple enough, although the fish apparently weren’t aware of our schedule. A few hours and a couple of beers later we had accounted for a couple of fish, a decent GT and a modest Spaniard. More importantly we had solved many of the world’s problems including; the current economic crisis, North Korea’s penchant for being a little cranky at everyone else, and why the Russians wear funny hats and dance while squatting.

The next morning we awoke early, happy to see the mighty Merkin bobbing comfortably at anchor. The plan was to blast out to the shelf, 60nm east of Dugong, toss some poppers and troll for some Dogtooth Tuna. By 5.30am we were away and praying for the favourable winds of the day before. Unfortunately as the sun began to rise, so did the wind. We motored east for about half an hour, but with the wind hitting 15kn we re-evaluated our plan and decided to turn around and fish the bottom around Dugong. The results were average, with plenty of small Coral Trout and Tricky snapper to keep us entertained, but they were a far cry from what we were hoping for further east.

Miraculously at around 10am the gods were smiling, the wind had abated and Phil made the call to have another crack. One thing I will say about Nobby, the bloke can fish and having done many trips east of the Cape both guiding and skippering for Carpentaria Seafaris, he had a few strings to his bow. With the wind backing to 5-10kn away we went again, heading east another 40 nm, not quite to the edge but still to some prime ground. The opportunities out there are untapped. The area we were heading for Phil had fished before, but future trips are sure to unearth some amazing fishing grounds.

On arrival to our first spot, a rubble bottom adjacent to some reef, the first drop produced a pair of solid Coral Trout at around 12lb. Things were looking good. On the second drop, another Trout and a decent 10lb spangled Emperor. This was what we were hoping for, good fishing, calming weather, great company and icy cold beer. This was the first time in a long time that I was fishing without being responsible for the boat. There I was 80 nm east of the tip of Cape York, not another boat in sight, catching good fish in a 4.9m Hooker. Life is good!

The third drop produced another 1 ½ good trout, and as you guessed the sharks had moved in. Nobby was not happy. Another drop and we were both cleaned up by the men in grey suits. A look over the side into the crystal clear water below and we decided to move. The several large shapes circling 10m below had their elbows on the table, and were awaiting their next course.

We tried a few more spots with similar results and were yet to see a red over the gunnels. Nobby, the last of the great white hunters, was becoming irritated. I, on the other hand was loving life. Comfortably numb and losing fish left, right and centre, I wasn’t helping his cause. When my ‘guide’ (as I now referred to him) shook his head as I dropped another fish, I considered waving my rod tip in his face so he could attend to my baiting requirements. Thankfully before I had the chance, Phil decided to try one more spot.

The bottom here was spectacular. A pinnacle rising from 90 odd foot of water with a mob of rubble icing its peak and loaded with arches. I was wondering if Nobby had switched the sounder to simulator mode, the ground looked that good.

Our baits descended with great anticipation. If I managed a nice Red, my trip was complete. For me, fishing means being out and about with some mates, if you get some fish it’s a bonus. Admittedly it’s a little different when I’m guiding, but on this day I didn’t have a care in the world. Sure enough we hit the bottom to be greeted with some thumping enquiries. Several times we were both baited before we had a chance to flick over the bailing arm. Some not so fresh squid was not helping the cause either with the fish below having no trouble removing it from the hook. Finally we both had solid hook-ups. Phil with a beautiful Gold Spot Rock Cod, and me on a considerably smaller but still tidy Tricky Snapper. The next three or four drifts had similar results, but on our 5th pass I felt the nibble I was hoping for, the familiar sucking of a Red some 90ft below. With a little patience I gave the fish some line and struck, successfully setting the hook. Sure enough it was my Red Emperor. No record breaker, but a perfect eating size fish resplendent in its display of juvenile coloration. In North Queensland we are extremely lucky to have such a large and diverse number of fish species available to us. Not only do most of them taste good, but the variety of colours and patterns which adorn these fish is something this angler will never get sick of.

After another couple of drifts, I managed to drop a few more fish and Phil landed a colourful juvenile Chinamen Fish. The bite was slowing and the sun beginning to drop, so we decided to head back to Dugong.

Along the way we managed a few castes at some Longtail Tuna, with no success, mainly due to my comfortable disposition. Amongst the flighty schools was a pod of Pilot Whales which were looking for a feed. The systematic approach the whales use to herd their tucker is a marvel to observe, and was a perfect way to end a great day on the water.

We arrived back at around 6.30pm with enough light to fillet our catch and start the fire. While Nobby was doing my chores, I was happily playing with a small white tip reef shark that was interested in the off-cuts from the filleting. After a brilliant day we dined on the finest Coral Trout I’ve ever had, fresh fillets fried in butter. Mouth watering! A few beers later, I read a bed time story to Nobby and it was lights out for another day.

When we woke on the final morning we were greeted with the weather we wanted the day before, glassy seas and no wind. Our limited fuel supply dictated it was not an option to head east again, so we were limited to some bottom bashing around the island. By lunch time we had bagged our fair share of Trickys and small Trout, all of which we released to fight another day. Thankfully our Spartan camp took only 10 minutes to pack and around 1pm we started the trek home, in what can only be described as sensational conditions. Too often we fisherman get the weather we want at the end of a trip, but with Murphy on the roof what can you expect.

This trip was a great prelude to the next, and I should say thanks too my mate Nobby for putting up with me for 3 days. Our next one will definitely be longer, and with more fuel, but I gotta say I had a ball.

Cheers

Gday,

Well May 2009 certainly lived up to its reputation as being mixed up. As I sit and type this now it's raining and the winds have dropped back to around 10 - 15 kn. May has had it all! Eleven inches of rain in the first 10 days of the month made life interesting early,.This last week has had plenty of wind and sloppy conditions, and the balance of the month was pretty bloody good. Over the last eight years of Cape York living you would have to say it's been a typical 'mixed up May'!

The first week was one of the harder weeks of fishing I've seen while living here. The continueing rain and squally conditions made the going tough. The flow of fresh into the Straits saw the water the colour of mud. The tannin spewing from the creek mouths stretched kilometers out to sea, and even then the colour change lines went from black to brown!

This first week I fished with the Field brothers, Danny, Andy, and John the optimest. Wetspank banking guru Devo was the ring in and joined the boys for the week. The 7 days of fishing had everything. The weather was all over the shop, and the fishing followed accordingly, from indifferent (read crap) to some spectacular moments.

On one day out to the Wallace Islands, we steamed a total of 100 nm to land nothing but a crocodile garr (similar to a long tom). That was the week at its worst, but as the rain eased the fishing improved. Thankfully the last 3 days provided some good action, with good hook-ups on Spanish macs,  various Trevally, Barracuda and the ever present sharks.

 

As the weather improved so did the fishing. Jim, Chris and Laurie 'the plumber' joined me around the 15th of May, arriving bang on perfect bottom fishing conditions...currents running at around 0.5 kn. One of the most frustrating elements of Cape York fishing is the prevelance of strong currents for 75% of each month. Even then when the currents are good, you are then at the mercy of the weather. The first day we fished was a beauty. The good currents were accompanied by 10-15 kn SE, making life comfortable swinging on the anchor. Using two Tropical Ice Boxes, we put 'the T' processing system into full swing, processingt at the base of the T, and sliding the finished product into the top of the T. A mixed bag of Tricky Snapper, small and large mouth Nannygai (Scarlet Sea Pearch) and fingermark was landed in the morning prior to a few hours chasing Spanish in the afternoon.

The afternoon gave us another decent session trolling for Spanish mackerel. Garr fish combined with a  paravein gave us instant results. After an hour or so of fishing we dropped a few and landed a couple to round out a good day on the water.

Day two with the same crew started with some difficulty. After steaming down the east coast towards Albany Island, we spent 4 hours trying to hold bottom with the anchor. The wind had increased by about 10 kn compared to the day before and the chop had increased with it. The boys loved it...especially the fact that we were in 30-40m of water, and we attempted the drop at least 15 times. It seemed every time we would grab bottom, we drifted past the spot we wanted, every time seeing mobs of fish on the sounder. In the end we pulled the pin...to say the least I was a little frustrated (OK I spat the dummy a couple of times!!) The boys were happy enough anyway after the day befores results, but I was not going to conceed. I decided to head back to 'the tip' of Cape York and try our luck there. Thankfully the anchor grabbed on the first drop and we were treated to a solid two hours of  Nannygai and Tricky Snapper. In fact this session proved better than the day before and once again the Tropical 'T' swung into action.

The following week played fair with sensational weather a good tides. the result was some excellent fishing trolling for pelagics. To put the icing on the cake, it seemed the sharks to were happy to play nice, only taking the first hook-ups of the day for almost five consecutive trips. A lot of people normally move on from an area if the sharks turn up early, but in my experience it's alwys worth the risk (loss of gear) to persist for a while at least to see what happens.Sometimes clean hook-ups will see good fish coming to the boat amongst schools of sharks. Foul hook-ups on the other hand can see trebles lodged in gill plates, the result being a blood trail in the water followed by the inevitable 'chewing' by the men in grey suits.

The remainder of the day proved no different with the boys landing some proper good fish, including a couple of double and triple hook-ups.

 

The fishing was excellent towards the end of May, with decent weather, and good numbers of fish and bait holding in virtually all the locations we dropped in on.