Port Stephens - Slow Day

[Berleyguts]

I managed to swing a leave pass from the missus to get out for a fish today. Woo hoo! It’s been nearly 2 months off the water due to a virus that laid me up, plus things that needed doing around home.

I left the ramp at about 5:30am. I forgot it was bloody school holidays - why do people need to put their headlights on, high beam even, to reverse their trailer down a ramp?! Have some courtesy and just switch to your parkers for God’s sake! My night vision was ruined as I reversed down (with just my parkers on)! ??Rant over.

I cruised out through the heads at 23 knots - I’ve never had it so smooth through the heads! It looked like it was going to be a great day! I quickly picked up some slimies at Cabbage Tree and took off for Broughton - at a comfortable 26 knots!  Surely today was to be a snapper day!

Alas, I could not get the snapper to cooperate and I struggled to turn a scale! There was not much current, so I guess it was a case of “no run, no fun”. ? I tried plastics, I tried bait - to no avail, only a rock cod and a trevally. I then tried to troll up a bonito, tailor or salmon - again, zilch, so I turned towards home. Stopped at a reef halfway home and tried a drift but, again, not much current and no action. I headed over to the kingfish pens to see if there were any stray kingies around but it was quiet there, too. I then fell back onto my old standby - the flathead drift. It hasn’t let me down much... until now! I only managed one blue spot at 36cm. I released 3 at 33 - legal size, I know but I prefer 36 up. I did drop a nice flathead at the boat while I was reaching for the net. It would have beaten my PB blue spot of 50cm by another 5, I reckon. I got a foul hooked whiting and a shovel nose - that was it! Tried trolling around the inner islands - again, for zilch. Back at the ramp by 1 and home to clean the boat and all the gear - I probably don’t really need to carry 7 rods, do I?!

When you’re tired from a long fishless day on the water and you’ve still got the boat to clean and gear to put away, you sometimes find yourself wondering if it’s worth it. ?

Then you remember, the awesome sunrise over the island, the sea lion that came up for a close look at The Sisters, the whale that cruised by just 30m away, the sea eagle hunting (with better success than me) around the inner islands, and the garfish skipping around you on the cruise back in (at 26 knots ?) and you realise that, yes, it really is worth it and you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else! ?

Edited July 19, 2018 by Berleyguts

[GoingFishing]

Great report mate....after being marooned on land for 2 months i would have been just happy to get on the water ! 

At least u got a few for the table. If ur foul hooking whiting try downsizing the hook and have one rod out for flatties another out for whiting....i usually find that produces a few more whiting.

[tyrone07]

Hard days fishing beats any good day at work mate. This time of year is always tough with lower water temps and crystal clear water with all those westerlys.

[wazatherfisherman]

5 hours ago, Berleyguts said:

I managed to swing a leave pass from the missus to get out for a fish today. Woo hoo! It’s been nearly 2 months off the water due to a virus that laid me up, plus things that needed doing around home.

I left the ramp at about 5:30am. I forgot it was bloody school holidays - why do people need to put their headlights on, high beam even, to reverse their trailer down a ramp?! Have some courtesy and just switch to your parkers for God’s sake! My night vision was ruined as I reversed down (with just my parkers on)! ??Rant over.

I cruised out through the heads at 23 knots - I’ve never had it so smooth through the heads! It looked like it was going to be a great day! I quickly picked up some slimies at Cabbage Tree and took off for Broughton - at a comfortable 26 knots!  Surely today was to be a snapper day!

Alas, I could not get the snapper to cooperate and I struggled to turn a scale! There was not much current, so I guess it was a case of “no run, no fun”. ? I tried plastics, I tried bait - to no avail, only a rock cod and a trevally. I then tried to troll up a bonito, tailor or salmon - again, zilch, so I turned towards home. Stopped at a reef halfway home and tried a drift but, again, not much current and no action. I headed over to the kingfish pens to see if there were any stray kingies around but it was quiet there, too. I then fell back onto my old standby - the flathead drift. It hasn’t let me down much... until now! I only managed one blue spot at 36cm. I released 3 at 33 - legal size, I know but I prefer 36 up. I did drop a nice flathead at the boat while I was reaching for the net. It would have beaten my PB blue spot of 50cm by another 5, I reckon. I got a foul hooked whiting and a shovel nose - that was it! Tried trolling around the inner islands - again, for zilch. Back at the ramp by 1 and home to clean the boat and all the gear - I probably don’t really need to carry 7 rods, do I?!

When you’re tired from a long fishless day on the water and you’ve still got the boat to clean and gear to put away, you sometimes find yourself wondering if it’s worth it. ?

Then you remember, the awesome sunrise over the island, the sea lion that came up for a close look at The Sisters, the whale that cruised by just 30m away, the sea eagle hunting (with better success than me) around the inner islands, and the garfish skipping around you on the cruise back in (at 26 knots ?) and you realise that, yes, it really is worth it and you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else! ?

Sounds like nice day out to me- 7 Rods- you can never have too much fishing gear! If anyone complains just tell them golfers carry more clubs

[Scratchie]

Unlucky baz! At least you got out. It’s been a while for me too! And don’t feel bad, Broughton has been a massive struggle for all over the past 3-4 weeks. When it’s like that and little current, try fishing deeper like the V, 21 and Air Force reefs. 

Cheers scratchie!!! 

[Guest Guest123456789]

Great report and awesome pics ? 

‘Expectation is the mother of all frustration’ - Antonio banderas. Just remember a lot of the successful reports here come after a few slow sessions as well. Same goes with the fishing shows. 

[rickmarlin62]

I was dissapointed on the weekend too baz   but as you say just being there is enough  waking up on the nth side watchin it crack first light with a hot coffee in your hand doesnt get much better....rick

[Berleyguts]

1 hour ago, Scratchie said:

Unlucky baz! At least you got out. It’s been a while for me too! And don’t feel bad, Broughton has been a massive struggle for all over the past 3-4 weeks. When it’s like that and little current, try fishing deeper like the V, 21 and Air Force reefs. 

Cheers scratchie!!! 

Thanks Jeff. Yeah, I tried the Inner V. I was going to move over to the main V but the drift was so slow, I thought it would be the same everywhere. A 1/2 oz jig head was all I needed to bounce a jig along the bottom behind the boat. I’ll keep the other reefs in mind in future, though. All the other boats were fishing close to the islands but I didn’t see them getting any action.

Edited July 19, 2018 by Berleyguts

[big Neil]

Now that's the sort of report which I really like. Not the fact that the fishing was on the lean side but that you're appreciating your time on this planet, in the space which you occupy. It's more about the feelings of the anticipation not being met, The lack of adrenaline, when the necessary task of cleaning up after such a day, presents itself. Yet like all good anglers Baz, you'll keep doing it (good or bad) because it's special. Cheers, bn

[Berleyguts]

45 minutes ago, big Neil said:

Now that's the sort of report which I really like. Not the fact that the fishing was on the lean side but that you're appreciating your time on this planet, in the space which you occupy. It's more about the feelings of the anticipation not being met, The lack of adrenaline, when the necessary task of cleaning up after such a day, presents itself. Yet like all good anglers Baz, you'll keep doing it (good or bad) because it's special. Cheers, bn

Yep. I was in my happy place, that’s for sure! Sometimes, I just want the solitude!

[AlwaysLearning]

Hey Burleyguts, we met at the soldiers point ramp last year.

If you are keen to try again tomorrow I would love to tag along. We drove up from sydney yesterday, the boat is fuelled up and i,m just waiting for this wind to die down to get amongst it.  

Edited July 21, 2018 by AlwaysLearning
Missing information

[Berleyguts]

1 hour ago, AlwaysLearning said:

Hey Burleyguts, we met at the soldiers point ramp last year.

If you are keen to try again tomorrow I would love to tag along. We drove up from sydney yesterday, the boat is fuelled up and i,m just waiting for this wind to die down to get amongst it.  

Hi mate. Yeah, I remember you! You were catching squid and yakkas at the ramp. I’m working all weekend, sorry. I tend to mostly only fish weekdays anyway. I may get out on Wednesday, weather permitting. I’ve got someone coming to fit a new skylight to replace one damaged in a hailstorm a while back. It I guess they can just climb up on the roof without me there. The insurance company is covering it.

[AlwaysLearning]

6 hours ago, Berleyguts said:

Hi mate. Yeah, I remember you! You were catching squid and yakkas at the ramp. I’m working all weekend, sorry. I tend to mostly only fish weekdays anyway. I may get out on Wednesday, weather permitting. I’ve got someone coming to fit a new skylight to replace one damaged in a hailstorm a while back. It I guess they can just climb up on the roof without me there. The insurance company is covering it.

That's me! No worries mate.  Wish me luck. I wish I could hang around till Wednesday and tag along but alas i have to head back to sydney tomorrow night. 

As for the skylight, sounds like they should be ok without you. Hope you find a few good fish this time. 

[Peter Nelson]

Good to hear your getting the boat wet again Baz ?

[Berleyguts]

54 minutes ago, Peter Nelson said:

Good to hear your getting the boat wet again Baz ?

Yep. Getting back into it! ? But it’s amazing how you lose touch if you haven’t fished for a while... I did remember to take the tie downs off the boat this time... and put the bung in... but it’s little things... like winding your line in too far so you can’t just grab the jig/hook etc. as it swings in... and forgetting to put the rod with the  live bait jigs away when you’ve finished catching slimies, like I said I must do last time... I keep catching my jacket on the jigs.. there are so many holes in it now from cutting the hooks loose! ? The other things is, somehow I have lost a whole heap of soft plastics I wanted to try. When I fished out of Fremantle in May, the charter skipper gave me a few bags of plastics from Halco to try. I know I put them in the boat because I still had one rigged on one of my rods after the only trip I’d fitted in after WA. It was an 8” plastic in pink and I caught a rock cod on it on Thursday. When I lost the jig on a reef, I went to rerig and couldn’t find any of them. Strange... does anyone else have poltergeists in their boat?! ?

I really wanted to give these jigs a go, so I might have to order some from Halco. As soon as I do, I bet I’ll find the missing ones! ?

[sam bros]

Nice work Baz

You couldn't have said it better. Even if the fishing is slow, just being out on the water is enjoyable

[Oscarthebeagle]

20 hours ago, Berleyguts said:

Strange... does anyone else have poltergeists in their boat?! ?

 

No ghosts in my boat, but i do have 2 & 4 year old boys that love to get in the boat and play. Moving things and claiming things as theirs, particularly soft plastics (safest thing).

Nice report, sometimes just being out there is reward enough.

Ash

[Peter Nelson]

On 7/22/2018 at 9:01 AM, Berleyguts said:

Yep. Getting back into it! ? But it’s amazing how you lose touch if you haven’t fished for a while... I did remember to take the tie downs off the boat this time... and put the bung in... but it’s little things... like winding your line in too far so you can’t just grab the jig/hook etc. as it swings in... and forgetting to put the rod with the  live bait jigs away when you’ve finished catching slimies, like I said I must do last time... I keep catching my jacket on the jigs.. there are so many holes in it now from cutting the hooks loose! ? The other things is, somehow I have lost a whole heap of soft plastics I wanted to try. When I fished out of Fremantle in May, the charter skipper gave me a few bags of plastics from Halco to try. I know I put them in the boat because I still had one rigged on one of my rods after the only trip I’d fitted in after WA. It was an 8” plastic in pink and I caught a rock cod on it on Thursday. When I lost the jig on a reef, I went to rerig and couldn’t find any of them. Strange... does anyone else have poltergeists in their boat?! ?

I really wanted to give these jigs a go, so I might have to order some from Halco. As soon as I do, I bet I’ll find the missing ones! ?

I know what you mean by loosing touch, went out the other day and forgot to tilt up the jockey wheel. I was wondering what the vibration was, got about 500 m up the road and stopped, found it smoking, still sort of works, ha ha

[Berleyguts]

52 minutes ago, Peter Nelson said:

I know what you mean by loosing touch, went out the other day and forgot to tilt up the jockey wheel. I was wondering what the vibration was, got about 500 m up the road and stopped, found it smoking, still sort of works, ha ha

Yeah, I flat spotted my jockey wheel once! ? Also, soon after I moved to the new home here, I towed the trailer up our steep driveway with the motor down - left a white mark up the middle of our black driveway! The funniest thing, though, was leaving the transom straps on the boat... I remember I couldn’t budge the boat off the trailer. It normally floats off well but it had been so long between trips I thought the rollers might have been a bit seized. I drove back up the ramp and reversed down twice, hitting the brakes each time to try and force it off before I realised the straps were still on! It was a good thing I was the only one at the ramp! ??

[rickmarlin62]

Legendary

[back cruncher]

Hi all...lol

[Berleyguts]

Also, I knew the trailer brakes needed a bit of adjustment. On Wednesday, I took the boat to my local dealer to get the nav lights looked as they’ve been playing up and I thought I’d get them to adjust the brakes while they’re at it. You guessed it... I’d left the brake on! ? Anyway, the adjusters we’re rusty and the cables started to rust too, so I’m getting them replaced with stainless steel. ?

Edited July 27, 2018 by Berleyguts