March 2008

PO Box 63 KALBARRI WA 6536 PH/FAX (08) 9937 2043
http://www.murchisonboathire.com.au/

The fishing has been great with plague numbers of small yellow-fin tuna with a couple of
mackerel amongst them. The river has stopped flowing but the water out the front of the mouth is still
very dirty making the mackerel fishing difficult, but the tuna are making up for it. The big run of
mulloway has stopped as the river is slowly clearing up but still the odd one is being landed, all good sizes too!
When you see the birds sitting on the water as shown above, that means that the tuna and mackerel have
shut down and the bite is over. Turn your attention to bottom fishing and pick up a snapper, dhuie or something.

Ian Steve Pickering, Brian McGinnis, Andy Coles show off their catch from the 6.1m boat
earlier this month. They were here just as the river had stopped flowing.
You can see the dirty water in the background.

On one of the evenings they anchored just off Black Rock and soaked baits for mulloway.
The major run of mulloway was over but there was still a chance.
The only bite for the evening came for Ian landing this beautiful coloured fish.
Theory
A couple of weeks after the river flooded there were thousands of these oyster, scallop, bi-valve sort
of shells washed up on the beach. It made me think! I suspect that the fresh water killed them all
and it is these that the mulloway and sharks that are so plentiful at the river mouth are probably
gorging themselves on. As they die they come loose from the cracks in the reef and are an
easy meal for all sorts of fish???

Bite of the month
Daniel Kwek comes up every Easter, usually booking the 6.1m boat but couldn’t help himself and took the 7.8m
for the 4 days. He comes up with different friends and regulars, always picking up good fish.


Day 1, dhuie, snapper and baldchin. Day 2, mackerel, baldchin, tuna among others

Day 3, tuna, tuna, tuna Day 4, dhuies, coral trout and snapper among others

Tony’s dhuie weighed in at 13kgs, while Daniel’s coral trout, at 5kgs is the biggest caught from any of
my boats was the fish of the trip. I have also put you up as “Bite of the Month” Daniel.

Triple hook-up on tuna. Tony shows the new garfish teaser that they were using. Big bait big fish.

These guys take their fishing seriously. They catch fish. The reason that they catch fish is that
they use only the best gear, best bait, best lures, best teasers, and dare I say it, best boats.
Above is a couple of shots of their gear, 2 x Salt Water Stella 20000’s, Ryobi Safari, 2 x Van Staal’s, Accurate spinning reel,
Shimano jigger, 2x Penn 50TW’s, 2 x Saltiga spinning reels. Nothing under $800.00 each and some little change
from $2000.00. The rods were all off the shelf but quality stuff. They bring their own bait up from
Perth, human consumption quality squid, mullet and mulies, kept in top condition.
They start early, do the miles, fish hard and pray, it seems to work!

Did you know?
Trolling small “skirts” and “bullets” at high speed (10+knots) is a very effective way to get into the tuna.
You cover a lot more ground and you can keep up with the tuna schools if they are moving fast.
Blooded the 7.8m Walkaround
Sometimes I get out to fish myself. I did just that just before Easter in my new 7.8m boat when Sue was back from the mines.
We shot out to the 3 mile and there were tuna all over the place! They were so thick that in one spot
after a hook up and release the tuna were jumping all round the stationary boat. I grabbed my 6lb braid flick stick
and shot out a chrome slice, hooking up immediately. Sue had a go and she can’t cast far and made a mess of
it but still came up tight!

Sue watches the line peel off the 6lb braid outfit, and the result.

I struggled with one that might have been bigger than the rest and got bust off, but this very pretty and chunky striped tuna was a bonus.

7.8m Thunderbolt Walkaround
My new 7.8m boat is proving to be quite popular with bookings for Thevenard Island, Exmouth, and
Gnaraloo where it will be operating over the next couple of months.

I have worked out some rates and they can be viewed on my “Hire Rates “ page

You don’t have to catch a lot of fish to have a good time! Here is what Peter Hughes had to say!
Laurie,
It was a great weekend. Despite not feeling 100% and being the
worst fishermen to visit the region, we had a lot of fun. Thanks for all your help.
The following is a short paragraph on the fish and the weekend…
Well we did it. After threatening to head north from the ‘mind numbing’ drone of the
big smoke for some time, we finally took the plunge and headed for the sanctuary and promise of
where the big fish play amongst the majestic coast line of Kalbarri. It was worth it.
Despite the fish coming away with the bragging rights, young Stuart Bain from Geraldton,
landed a nice pink snapper just as the sea and the wind suggested we turn the
‘Roller’ back to quieter waters and awaiting iced cold beers.
It was a miracle we got away with that fish however, as just as he started to wind it in,
the reel decided to give up the ghost. Some quick hand line work and a handy new net helped save the day.
Anyway, much to talk about over a cold one in the local as the sun bled away the day’s proceedings into the big blue.
It was a great weekend. We have vowed to return and have already started the count down,
but will ensure we come armed with a couple of decent reels…
Stuart Bain with the only fish for the day.


My next door neighbour and his father in law were out in the 5.3m picking up a
couple of fish. Nice one George!

Kalbarri Offshore & Angling Club, Local comp 22nd March 2008.


Paul Maindok landed a nice 11.9kg dhuie, while Kylie Martino holds her 5.45kg mac caught on 3kg line.
The first mac she has ever caught! All the bream caught in the river are tagged and released.
New Bag Limits and Closed Season
The newly released draft paper of the new bag limits and a closed season recently released by Fisheries Minister
Jon Ford has prompted a lot of debate among anglers here in Kalbarri. Cutting the bag limit of snapper to 2 and
increasing the size to 50cm is going to make a difference helping to increase stocks of pink snapper but closing
the fishery for 4 months is not going to make much difference. The resident dhuies, snapper & baldchin are still
going to be there waiting to get caught when the season opens again. You can still go out fishing during the closed
season and catch other fish such as mackerel, tuna, cods, red-throat emperor, blue-lined emperor, red emperor,
trevally & sharks etc, but I think a lot of the tourism will now head further north or put more pressure on other species.
You can still hire one of my boats & tow it north so it won’t affect me too much, & it is still a draft paper
& you have until the end of April to send a submission to the minister & tell him what you think!
Thevenard Island
Last year the 6.1m boat spent a lot of time up at Thevenard Island in the Mackerel Islands group off Onslow.
It is also up there this year.
Helen will take your accommodation booking if you would like to visit. Phone her on 9184 6444
bookings@mackerelislands.com.au
Check out the website: http://www.mackerelislands.com.au/

Gnaraloo Station
I will be up at Gnaraloo Station for 10 days or so in June trying out my new 7.8m boat.
I take over the boat from Brett & Roger Simm who will have it the week before me.
If anyone wants to take the boat after me, I will finish with it on Sunday 8th June.
It will save you the tow all the way up.
The 6.1m boat will also be up there and the hire finishes on the 28th May if you want it after then.
It will save you the tow up as well.
Gnaraloo contacts for accommodation:
Barbara: 9315 4809
Email: bookings@gnaraloo.com.au
Website: Gnaraloo.com.au

Game Fishing Action
These links will take you to Youtube showing some great action video clips taken from
my boats and also a very good mulloway from the beach.
Triple tuna hook-up
Dhuie and snapper
Beach mulloway

Last year's bloggs

http://www.murchisonboathirefishing2005.blogspot.com/

And from January 2006 to December 2006 with photos at
http://www.murchisonboathirefishing2006.blogspot.com/

And from January 2007 to December 2007 with photos at
http://www.murchisonboathirefishing2007.blogspot.com/

Noel and Robyn are willing to accept bookings for my boats at Port Gregory
I will deliver the boat down there for 2 or more days hire for free.
& return it to Kalbarri for you.

Remember if you rent our accommodation in Kalbarri you get big discounts on our boats.
Have a look on my website for the details, and check out the savings.

5-day weather forecasts, http://www.buoyweather.com/ go to virtual buoys, pick the location you want.
This is the one I go by!

Big bait – big fish
Laurie