murchisonboathirefishing2012: December 2012

Email: lasue@wn.com.au www.murchisonboathire.com.au

Fairly quiet start this month, but turned frantic over the Christmas Break, which woke me up!

I have been quietly enjoying going out each morning pulling my cray pots and doing kinda average.

It has been patchy with us getting a few crays one day and lots the next for no apparent reason.

Mackerel and tuna have just arrived with most hirers landing one or two after Christmas.

The swell before Christmas creating dirty water has kept them inactive until now.

Short Day Out

Steve Wilson and Jeremy Webb had a quick session and lesson on snapper fishing just north of the Sand Patch before Christmas this month.

They don't have a lot of fishing experience, but after a bit of trolling without so much as a sniff, they set anchor in the 7.8m boat in 18 metres of water.

The baits went down with a handful of chopped mulies to create some interest. Within minutes Steve was hooked up to a nice snapper, followed by

another, and then another, while Jeremy landed a small morwong. Another hook-up for Steve, who was fishing right next to Jeremy and now

letting them go with a big smile on his face, had a pocketful of jokes aimed at Jeremy. Jeremy then stated that he was fishing for quality fish such

as baldchin and dhuies and was trying to avoid snapper! Yeah right! Not long after Jeremy had his day landing a fair size baldchin.

Bagged out by 8.00am and delighted, they made a slow troll home, but alas no pelagic action.

Thevenard Island

Word is out that there are still some cabins available on Thevenard Island until March 2013.

The fishing would be very good as it has been rested for the last 6 months.

You have to ring the Island Manager: Ash and partner Jade, 9184 6444 and see if you can get one.

bookings@mackerelislands.com.au

Check out the website: www.mackerelislands.com.au

Ashburton Resort

Ashburton Resort. Phone 9184 6586 email: admin@ashburtonresortonslow.com.au

Website: www.ashburtonresortonslow.com.au

Cray Season

It has been a funny cray season this year. very patchy, with some pots doing well and others poorly.

We have had the pots in 15 days starting with the first pull on the 10th December. This year the rules have

changed a bit and we are allowed 8 crays per licence and 3 licences per boat. So we had 6 pots in the water

and this year I fished with Lui Palamara and Sue, my wife, who rotated with Lui's partner Karen Hartig.

First pull and we got 5 crays, then 13, 2, missed a day due to big swell, 13, 7, 5, 6, 11, 7, 1, 6, 1, 24 and last day Christmas eve, 14.

This year I am making a cray fishing movie with my new GoPro camera. Soon to be on Youtube, will post the link in a future newsletter.

Quite an amazing HD Video Camera.

Goes underwater to 60 metres, wide angle and can take great pics as well.

I have been putting it down the cray rope to film the pot on the bottom. You can see the shots taken and the small fish around the pots

We got a lot of berried crays to begin with, that is with eggs, they have to be returned,

and a shot of a couple of crays in the pot

Underwater shot of the pot coming up with crays holding on, and gauging them for size.

Have now pulled my pots in and finished cray fishing. I would like to continue as the whites continue to run,

but this time of year all my boats are booked so no way to get out and get to my pots.

Unexpected Great Day Out?

We are currently on holiday at Kalbarri in our caravan, which means we had to leave our boat at home in Perth. After looking at the

costs of charter boats for a family of four, we could hire a boat for three days for nearly the same cost.

We own a boat building business in Port Kennedy, called ‘Outlaw Boats’. To be honest I was not expecting much in a

hire boat, but was pleasantly surprised with quality, condition and ride. We hired the boat on the 28th December, my oldest son Zac’s sixteenth

birthday with the hope to catch some of these big fish we had heard about. With the GPS loaded with waypoints, the advice given to us by

Laurie and his wife, Sue, as well as a couple of lures, we set off. We had a great day with a lot of firsts.

Zac got a Mackerel and a couple of Snappers.

Jake, my youngest son got a heap of Snappers, including a ‘double-header’.

Also, my wife Peta caught a Dhuefish and a few Snapper.

This was the first time we’d caught any of these fish, and here we were catching so many we were throwing them back. I’m sure we did better in the

hire boat with waypoints than we ever would have in our own boat. Thank you very much Laurie for your boat and your advice.

We had a great day and Zac had a birthday to remember.

Brian Sims

Thanks for the kind words, Brian, and glad you got into some good fish!

Brian and Peta's boat building business specialises in aluminium cats and mono hulls.

I had a look at their website: www.outlawboats.com.au, they have some very nice looking boats!

Rate Rise

As from next year we will be having a small rate rise.

Unfortunately everything is still going up so a small increase as from 1/1/13 will occur. To be fair on those already booked

and paid their deposit/bond they will get the old price for next year.

2013 Hire Rates

Recent Catches

Here is the first mackerel of the season caught from any of my boats. Landed by Pete Doyle in the 6.1m boat.

On hire with Craig Rolls and a couple of mates, they had a 2 day hire and picked up this mackerel on the 27th December.

Danny Barrett had a great time as well landing a yellow-fin tuna around 10kgs the same day. Sorry no pic came through.

The second day saw them land another yellow-fin about the same size amongst a few bottom fish.

I was out on the same day as Pete Doyle above, with a couple of mates and picked up this yellow-fin around 10kgs before

heading off to try a bottom fish that ended up hard work as the fish were just not on the chomp. We landed 5 keepers in the end however.

On the way back a school of small tuna were busting up and a chrome slice cast to the school resulted in my first mackerel tuna or kawa kawa I

have ever caught. We don't get them here very often so it was a surprise to see it surface at the boat.

Last Minute Booking

Nick Scaffidi and Carlo Talenti called in looking for a boat and found one day free for the 7.8m boat on the 31st this month.

A fair bit of trolling the Sand Patch, outer reef and the usual spots resulted in nothing, so the anchor was set not far from

Bald face, a spot 20km or so from the river mouth. Fishing was slow but a couple of snapper were on board, when the

decision to move was made.

It was at that point when Nick's rod got a severe bend in it and he could feel the line

rubbing on the reef but managed to get this great coral trout to the boat.

Carlo got a couple of pink snapper after a move to another spot

and Nick's girlfriend Keisha shows off her snapper

Carlos partner Lana Talenti got her fair share of pinks

while Nick shows his contribution.

A mulie under a balloon out the back resulted in a spotted mac for the group as well.

Bagged out with 7 snapper and a coral trout and back by lunch time!

Unfortunately there was a finger print smear on the camera lens resulting in the poor quality pics!

Sues Tips and Suggestions

Girls Rule!

No, I don’t mean Rule number 1, etc. I mean girls really rule! Just take a look at the photo of me and Lui with our bag-out haul.

Laurie was otherwise occupied, so I went out with Lui Palamara (Parmigiana to most) and his partner, Karen Hartig. Driving

the boat and pulling the pots might not be on the agenda for most women but, when I have to, I can rise to the occasion, as I did

on Sunday. Having anticipated Laurie’s absence for Sunday, we made sure that the floats were changed over to Karen’s and

Karen came along to do her duty. We had been having a bad run (one cray on Saturday) and weren’t confident that it was going

to be worth pulling the pots. Oh ye of little faith! Lui has been fishing with plastic pots all season and Laurie has been ribbing him

that they are kakka catchers. Well Sunday was the day those pots were truly blessed. First pull was 13 crays, second pot was 17 crays – both

the plastics. But we hit a snag. Laurie was a bit too efficient cleaning the boat and left us without a gauge. We decided to seek

assistance from a nearby boat and they were more than happy to lend us a spare and we were away. Thanks guys! After the sort out we were still

way ahead with 14 sized keepers. The other pots were not in the same area, so we still had some doubts about them. One of my pots came up totally

empty! We also lost one of Laurie’s pots on Saturday, so we were down to pulling 5 pots on Sunday.

The next pot was full of cray feelers as it surfaced and produce 6 more keepers. Last pot was also crawling with crays and,

as luck would have it, there were 4 keepers. That gave us our bag limit exactly on the nose.

Karen and I decided it was the balance of female power on board that brought the bonanza of crays. But secretly I can’t help feeling

that Laurie’s pot placements should be given due credit. Just don’t tell him or I’ll never hear the end of it!

Remember, the quality of your bait is going to be one of the most crucial factors, as for any fishing… Good bait, good result.

By the way, the last time I took over from Laurie for the morning, I pulled this monster sized cray from my pot, which

Laurie admits is the biggest he has ever seen. So maybe there is something in “girl power”…. Girls still rule!

Sue

Bite of the Month

Nick Scaffidi landed this big coral trout anchored on a ledge in 18 metres of water about 19kg north of the river mouth

on the 31st this month. Just scraping in to win the Bite of the Month for December.

Nice fish Nick!

See all the previous Bite of the Month winners on my website.

Up Coming Events In Kalbarri

The Kalbarri Sports Fishing Classic

1st, 2nd & 3rd March. A Game, Bottom and River Tournament.

Australia Day Fireworks in Kalbarri

Kalbarri put on a 30 minute firework display across the river. No need to fight the traffic,

just wander down to the foreshore and enjoy!

LeisureCat Ultra Light Kalbarri

We have a Naming Rights Sponsor for this new tournament.

Please welcome LeisureCat Australia, retailers of very nice Power Catamarans.

Check out their website: www.leisurecat.com.au

Date is the 4th and 5th May next year, when the weather is much better.

A Game Fishing comp only for lines 6kg, 4kg, 3kg, 2kg and 1kg.

Need a boat for up north?

Remember I will deliver a boat out to the turn-off for free for those heading north.

Just ring me from Geraldton and I will meet you there.

Popular Northern Destinations

Thevenard Island

Island Manager: Ash and partner Jade, 9184 6444.

There are a few cabins available up till March 2013, just ask and see if you can get one. However Direction Island is still a good option and bookings can be made.

bookings@mackerelislands.com.au

Check out the website: www.mackerelislands.com.au

Ashburton Resort

Ashburton Resort. Phone 9184 6586 email: admin@ashburtonresortonslow.com.au

Website: www.ashburtonresortonslow.com.au

Gnaraloo Station

Gnaraloo contacts for accommodation:

Barbara: 9315 4809

Email: bookings@gnaraloo.com.au

Website: Gnaraloo.com.au

Steep Point

Steep Point Ranger for booking campsites.