Some of the sunsets this month have been quite spectacular, this one over Chinamans last weeksignalled the start of a very stormy and rain filled week that is still persisting.
The whale that was holed up in the river entrance for 8 weeks 2 years ago is back and has been there for
2 week now and will probably be for the next 6 weeks or so. Easy viewing from the Chinamans lookout.
Gnaraloo Station Trip
Brett Simm and his group have been going up to Gnaraloo Station for quite a while now. They have always done
well and this year was no exception. They had my new 7.8m Walkaround, picked it up from a previous
hire saving him the tow up, loved every moment and caught fish.
Red emperor were on the cards
and the resident big cod that lives in the bay paid them a visit.
When I was up there we looked for it each day even saving some of our catch for it but it
did not show.
Brett with a fine specimen
and a baldchin was part of the catch.
Another hirer up at Gnaraloo about 4 weeks after me was Dave Allen. He had the 6.1m and was lucky enough to
be able to pick it up from a previous hire saving him the tow up as well. Dave and the guys have been there before so
knew the ropes and you can see from the following photos, they did very well.
Dave sent through a short story of their trip, this is how it went.
2008 GNARALOO FISHING SAFARI
During the July Holidays 4 very enthusiastic mates head north to experience the very best types of fishing possible.
They gear up with all sorts of lures and bait techniques in an attempt to be ready for the excitement of Sail fish, spanish mackerel, big
Red Emperor and the fight of the elusive Wahoo.
To put things in to perspective, there were 4 very tired men at the end of the week, all with braid burns and lots of zinging line regathered to
reveal the rewards of good planning and hard work. Things could not have gone better.
With the reliability of Laurie’s 6.1m boat, we had little trouble finding good ground each day. Mornings were spent trolling the many
Tuna schools and reef edges for Spanish mackerel. The thick schools of Mack Tuna and Stripy Tuna are very useful in providing
excellent fresh bait each day. Believe me, you can throw out any lure you want, even dangle a mulie at the back of the
boat while trolling and you can’t miss with these prolific feeders.
The stripy tuna pictured was caught by Frank by sending out a mulie 4 mtrs off the back of the boat. “What the hell are you doing Frank?
That’s not going to catch anything”. ZZZZZZZZZ “Help” Can you believe that? Good work from the engineer. More bait.
A good mornings trolling was usually followed by some bottom bouncing.
We were chasing Robinson Sea Bream, Red Emperor, Baldchin Groper, Pearl Perch, Pink Snapper, Spangled Emperor and Rankin Cod. That’s just to mention a few.
You know what they say, “always have a bait dangling out the back” This is something we always do whether it be a mulie or gardie on a gang, it has proven to be very successfull for us over the years.
This Cobia was a cruising down some swells before it hit a floating mulie. It was a welcome catch for the brand new
Penn 850 reel. At 15 kg it gave a very nice fight taking off four times before being gaffed beside the boat.
We all picked up some very nice Reds; 
Dave had the biggest at just over 10kg
and Joe had some nice ones too
The Station is a beautiful place and has one of the best bays on the Gascoyne coastline.
Look out for the local resident when launching and retrieving the boat.
If you are lucky you might get to see the local potato cod that would have to be the biggest cod we have ever seen. He loves a mulie or two.
The weather was very kind to us over the 6 days, a little windy at the beginning of the week and a fair swell running.
The swell dropped and was as friendly as it has ever been to us over the past 5 years. The smallest I have ever seen.
We had a fantastic week catching just about everything we were after. I was very keen to target some Wahoo.
We have some good ground about 15—20km out for excellent sports fishing. We had been so occupied with the fishing close to
shore that we did not get the time to venture out to this ground, hence no hook ups with any Wahoo.
On the last day we were heading back to the bay probably about 10 km from home and only 500mts from shore.
Yes, the swell was very low. We decided to throw out a couple of Halcos and a skirt in the middle. We also used a bird and a few
other teasers to great effect. Within about 4mins the Penn 850 that was connected to the skirt was in big trouble as it screamed off many meters of braid.
Dave with his 16kg Wahoo. These things go twice as hard as a Mackerel.
The fish had gone a long way away from the boat and the thoughts of a big Mack were in our heads. I had taken the rod as
being the skipper of the boat, you have to be quick to beat everyone else. Joe maneuvered the boat a bit closer to the fish which
helped me regain a bit of line. The fish had come to the surface and we could see it was something quite decent.
After about 10 mins, I had the fish alongside the boat, “Wahoo, it’s a Wahoo” with the yells and yahoos the fish decided to take off
again on one of it trademark runs. It went on 4 big runs before being brought into the boat for some great photographs.
Now the week was complete, a 16kg Wahoo to add to the week’s unbelievable collection of species encountered.
The Penn 850 on a jig stick did the trick again. Wahoo so close to shore was a real treat. As it happens another boat had an encounter
with 2 more Wahoo in the same area earlier in the day.
Joe with Dave’s Cobia. One of three caught for the week. The other two were released.
Sabby, making the 8kg Pinky looking as big as he can.
It is amazing to see the many Cobia swimming under the boat most days and not taking any baited hooks or lures.
Then send down a squid or fillet with no hooks to see the Cobia engulf the offering.
We would like to thank Laurie for his professional attitude and advice. We look forward to booking the boat in the future.
Dave, Sabby, Joe and Frank
I have written quite a lot about “Same Shirt Andy”, Jeff, Gill and the guys and told you last newsletter that they
had bought their own boat now. Well their maiden voyage was here in Kalbarri at the beginning of June. I was
in Gnaraloo so did not catch up with them but Jeff sent trough these pics of the fish they caught.
Mainly fishing for mackerel they bagged out most days.
They tend to troll a garfish behind the lures and this
big pink snapper took the slowly sinking gar when that had stopped for a mackerel strike!
And Jeff holds up a very nice dhuie caught before the Sand Patch.
Bite of the month
This months “Bite of the Month” goes to Dave Allen for his great wahoo catch.
See all the previous Bite of the Month winners on my website.
Kalbarri Offshore & Angling Club, Local comp 26th July 2008.
Di Stewart caught the biggest bream for the year with this 1.3kg fish
While Gavin Penn won the game section with this 7.65kg yellow-fin on 6kg line in my boat.
I got a tuna as well but it was 50 grams smaller!
But I won the bottom section with 6 fish including
this 9kg dhuie a smaller one and a couple of odd fish.
Murray Rantall pulled this snapper past me
claiming the biggest snapper caught in the local comp this year to date.
Nic Bramwell landed this mulloway on a broken rod at frustration to win the beach section.
It went 20.25kgs! Also the biggest this year.
Now for something completely different
The wife and kids were tired of fishing holidays? Yes it was a surprise to me too?
So they picked a skiing trip! I’ve never been in snow let alone skied so I was well out of my comfort
zone when we arrived at the top of Mt. Buller in northern Victoria.
It snowed quite a lot and we had a couple of days of sunshine after the snow, which was quite pretty.
The wife and I hired skis, boots, pants ect, and the kids elected for the snowboard stuff. I had a very short basic lesson the first
day and then I was let loose. Take it from me, it is pretty slippery stuff and very awkward with oversize chop sticks bound to your feet!
Trying to co ordinate this gear, rushing down hill amongst another thousand equally incompetent first timers is down right terrifying!
It was the same for the kids; we all spent most of the next two days with our bums on the ice, but by the third day we felt that
we were ready for an assault on the summit.
Up to the snowy summit in the chairlift
and both sons in an unusual upright position.
The summit was terrifying but we made it and then did a couple of other runs which were just as difficult.
I am sure I would have done better if I wasn’t so exhausted from falling and picking myself up again so often.
Ben making a snow angel,
and about to fall from his snowboard.
In the ski lift going to the summit.
The summit in the background.
I have to admit it was a lot of fun, but expensive. They really know how to charge over there. With car hire, ski gear hire,
accommodation, meals etc, they get you at every turn. (Cheapest menu item: Pie and chips $16.00)
I has made me realise how reasonable my boat hire is and how cheap accommodation and tours are here in Kalbarri.
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
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
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
