Eagle hawk Neck here we come smileyes
The excitement had been building for weeks about a boys fishing trip on the June long weekend and the multiple tuna and reef fish we were going to catch. There was originally a flotilla of 5 boats in our party who were going to pillage the seas of the Peninsula that weekend but in the end only ended up being the good vessels of “little pig” and myself.
After dropping the wife and kids off to the airport on Friday morning and hoping the Jetstar flight was not running behind, it was down to the old blokes to pick up the gear and boat. With 5m SouWesterly seas still pounding the southern coast we left the long-line gear, nets and pots at home intent on catching our bag of SBT’s.
We were launched by about 12:30 and off we went down the coast to Fortescue Bay and the The Lanterns. There was a reasonable SouEasterly swell rolling which was expected to drop out over the weeekend. Well we stuck our nose round the tip to wander down to “red dirt” and bang the wind hit. Was blowing a good 25knots up Munroe's and had a good wind chop on top too
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There were a few boats working the northern end of Munroe’s. Also managed a brief chat with Big Pig as he went past and they had caught a couple earlier in the day but nothing in the last hour or two. We continued working the area for the next 2-3 hours all for nought which wasn’t what we’d hoped for this early in the weekend no:(. After watching a couple of other boats hook up we decided 4pm was late enough for us and headed back to the ramp and to our digs for the night.
Accommodation was booked at Port Arthur Caravan Park after having a fishing weekend there last year. From my perspective it’s a great facility and with the upgraded shower block is a top spot to base yourself especially if the weathers Northerly for the run to Tasman.
We pulled in there a bit deflated and keen to get a beer or two drunk1 and a hot meal into us. No sooner had we got out of the cars did we meet young Joe who was down for the weekend too. After a bit of unpacking and placing the beer on ice it was time to get the fire going and some grub on the stove. For the uninitiated fire wood is expensive down there at 50c/kg so through a couple of bin loads in the back of the boat.
“little pig” arrived about 7:30 that evening and we promptly gave him the task of cooking our dinner before he got to comfortable.
Saturday seemed to come around way to quick after the night before and after a brekkie of egg & bacon sandwiches we were off to meet “the man” at EHN at 6:45am. We arrived, launched the boat and waited, and waited and waited, watching “little pig” and his crew heading off to set the lines as well as every other boat that was there. We had a bit of mis-communication with “the man” who thought we were launching at Fortescue Bay. We managed to get a bit of phone coverage and work out what was happening and ended up leaving the ramp about 7:45am.
The weather still wasn’t that much chop with a light drizzle, 10-15knts of SE and a 2-3m swell. About ½ way down to Fortescue “the man” noticed fish break the surface out around the 70m mark but after a bit of circling and nothing on the sounder it was off again. We caught up with “little pig” down around The Lanterns and still neither of us had had a strike.
With the swell lessening we headed down the shoreline looping down to “red dirt” and back up to The Lanterns without a hit but watching Big Pig and a couple of other boats hook-up over water we’d just passed. After and 1/ 1/2hrs of this we’d had enough of this and decided to head off to the Pillar. Suddenly Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzing goes the rod just north of “red dirt”. So with much excitement I grab the rod and watch 60-70m of line run off and then nothing.......the fish dropped it. Gobsmacked we marked the spot, re-set the lines and did a few loops only to continue finding nothing on the sounder, no birds working to any degree and even no seals...a really dead day.
Getting a bit annoyed at the lack of fish we headed down to the Pillar looking the work the shoreline of Tasman but with a decent swell and wind we pumping through we decided to do a couple of short runs across the gap and then headed back up towards the Lanterns. Just north of “red dirt” we’re watching the lures when a schoolie blue has a swipe at it but just won’t latch on. Dumbstruck this time we watch it have another swipe and again no hook-up. The skipper
hit the GPS to mark the spot but after a couple more loops and runs through we came up with nothing again.
Things were desperate by this stage, it was after lunch and still no fish and from the chatter on the radio there wasn’t much else happening anywhere. We decided to head out to the Rock and try our luck where Sammy Seal lives in plague proportions. Big Rock, Little Rock, Big Rock, Little Rock over and over again for nothing so we decide to try our luck back at the Lanterns. Did this for the next couple of hours, burnt more fuel, washed the lures really, really well and got comfortable in the seats as there was nothing else to do. The odd change of lure and position but we just couldn’t entice them :)rant.
4:30pm comes and we have nothing to show for a 100lt of fuel and nearly 9 hours on the water so it’s time to head home into a nice sunset. My only wee pleasure is that “little pig” caught nothing either but got drenched in the constant drizzle without a lid badday.
Dinner that night wasn’t the freshly caught SBT steaks we’d planned but the emergency supplies....sausages and mash....oh and of course more beer drunk1
Sunday morning saw us up a little later than expected and slower off the mark too. Apparently I have a habit of snoring when I have a few grogs onboard and after having one of the lads shove a torch and his iphone in my face to record all this he moved out lmao
Sunday was the best day so far weatherwise with a flattish sea and low cloud. We ran down to Yellow Bluff before setting the lines today and had decided to work the Lanterns area to catch the fish we missed out on the day before. Well there we were just off the Lanterns when the call comes through from “little pig”....1 on board....thinking he was pulling my leg I told him I’d already boated 2.
Well to cut a long story short, cause all we did was burn more fuel and give the lures a good washing AGAIN...a nice little 20kg SBT was held up by the crew of “little pig” back at the boat ramp. Need I go further.
All in all a good weekend with the lads and the old man, a few more hours were put on the boat, I wasn’t mowing lawns at home and I didn’t get wet like others pokefun
Suppose I’II just have to have another crack in a month or so smileyes
