Well we made the annual pilgrimage to Hervey Bay for some micro blacks. The plan was a three day trip and the weather was supposed to be rough the first morning, glass out that arvo then blow hard the next two days but from the south and it would be blowing across the island so we should be protected.
First day was blowing hard. We launched an a guy coming off told me it was “horrible out there”.
We set off and once we got protection from the island it was nice.
A quick 35 mile run and we set a spread out and started trolling amongst the crowd as the wind died off to a beauty afternoon.
We missed a few marlin strikes and then the little man brought us in a little mackerel that we knocked on the head for sashimi
We then started hooking the marlin but for one reason or another he lost them. Some to slack line, some shook the hook while jumping, one he piled the line up and jammed the spool and when it took off the line let go.
Eventually he managed to land one which was number 7 for the day.
We then rolled around the corner for a snooze in protected water as the wind was supposed to kick up that night.
The next morning we started at 04:00 and didn’t have any luck until about 5:30. We then dropped a few more through various mistakes. One got wrapped around the motor, one broke the 4kg line when I thumbed the spool as I was handing the rod to Nolan after retrieving it from the rod holder, one even broke the hook while I was leadering it and trying to plant the tag
Eventually he landed another one
Amongst the billfish we managed another five mackerel of which we kept two for the neighbours. We saw a ton of these things
I wonder what it’s like to be fishing in your 35-40’ game boat and have to troll past a 60-70’er
The wind had kicked up so we popped around the corner for a swim and some lunch. Nolan flicked a lure around while I was cooking
We then got back into it while a storm brewed up over the island. We then caught one more which I landed and then we came back around the island and the wind was nasty. It was kicking up some mad whitecaps and looking like rain
One of the proper game boats with radar and cellular service said it was meant to continue on through the night and be worse the next day. It was about 16:00 and I told Nolan we better pull the pin and get home. If we made it 10 miles to the part of the island that was providing protection from the south east wind we would be able to run home quicker. So we pulled the gear and made a run for it. The first few miles I could only manage 6-7 knots but once we got some protection it was good and we ran hard
We rolled into the boat ramp well after dark and it was disappointing to have to give up a day early but we couldn’t fish in the wind chop that was blowing. Also disappointed the number we lost but all up it was a good trip with a few tagged and a lot learned. Final tally was 12/8/3 on the billfish.