Location
| Date: | 25th Jun 2005 |
| Time: | 6:15am - 9:45am |
| Tide: | High at 10:43am (Gold Coast Seaway) |
| Launch site: | Southern end of Seaway Rock Wall (Southport) |
| Water temperature: | n/a |
| Lures/baits used: | Soft plastics and Pilchards |
| Report: | Despite it being a cold and windy morning, five hardy souls set off to try their luck at the Gold Coast Seaway to fish the rising tide. |
| With the wind strengthening from the South/Southeast and a stream of charter boats heading out and leaving behind huge wakes that threatened to toss us into the wall, we quickly decided to paddle a kilometre or so further and fish the calmer area North of Wavebreak Island. | |
| We trolled and drifted this area in relative comfort and, in spite of the extra fast drift with wind and tide going the same way, we managed to score a few fish on Soft Plastics. | |
| I started with a baby Flathead and Stu followed with two Bream and a Tailor. Nick chipped in with his first ever Flathead and was pleased to have done it using his newly discovered Soft Plastics technique. Stu finished with a small Queenfish and the only other activity was from me losing a large Flathead close to my Kayak. Apart from myself, Gerard and Glen also didn't contribute any "weighers" on this occasion. | |
| With the wind increasing and the chop starting to stand up against the incoming tide we decide to call it quits while the conditions still allowed us to paddle back to the launching area. | |
| It may have been a wet and blustery morning but we got some good exercise and had a bit of fishing fun in doing so. | |
| Submitted by: | Ross C. |
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| Date: | 22nd Jan 2005 |
| Time: | 5:00am - 7:00am |
| Tide: | High at 6:43am (Gold Coast Seaway) |
| Launch site: | Palm Beach |
| Water temperature: | 26°C |
| Lures/baits used: | Pilchards rigged on gangs with plastic squid skirts. |
| Report: | In comparison to our last outing, conditions this time were a bit more challenging. Two weeks ago it was windy, but we only had to get through three waves and we were in the clean water. Today there wasn't much wind but a 1.5m swell was giving us 10 or 12 waves to negotiate on launching. |
| I was first to start paddling and Nick was immediately behind me. One wave threatened to get me sideways, but before it had a chance I was sliding down the back of it and was able to straighten up for the next wave. Nick overtook me and was several metres ahead when I watched a vertical wall of water about 1.2 metres high hit and flip him. I had time to back paddle as the wave broke then paddle forward as hard as I could into the broken water and got through without any drama. | |
| Coming back was a different story. After Ross and I both had swims in close, we stood and watched while Nick timed his run. When he was in about as far as I had managed I saw a wave building and thought "this is the one that will get him". But the wave didn't build as much as I expected and Nick rode it like a pro, landing on the beach unscathed. | |
| Unfortunately, like last time, all we got was exercise. Talking to one of the Palm Beach regulars while we were packing our gear away we were told "You should have been here during the week, the mackerel schools were going off everywhere!". How many time have you heard that! | |
| Submitted by: | Tony |
| Date: | 8th Jan 2005 |
| Time: | 5:00am - 6:45am |
| Tide: | High at 6:23am (Gold Coast Seaway) |
| Launch site: | Palm Beach |
| Water temperature: | 21°C |
| Lures/baits used: | Pilchards, feather jigs, metal slugs. |
| Report: | With the forecast not looking promising, Nick contacted a Palm Reef regular late Friday and was assured that the conditions on Friday had been calm, and that the swell was not expected to start building for at least another 24 hours. Nick, Ross, Gerard, Guy, and I decided to head for Palm Beach and if the conditions looked too rough when we arrived we had the option of fishing in the sheltered waters of either Currumbin or Tallebudgera Creeks. |
| Saturday morning arrived and we could see about 30 boats and several other kayakers already fishing the reef. This was the first time launching through the surf for a few of us, but it was uneventful and we were soon trolling our way the the reef in search of Spotted Mackerel. | |
| The boaties we spoke to were having a very quiet session and we only saw a couple of small fish landed. It seems that the colder water brought in by the south-easterly which had been blowing for a few days had shut the fish down. Apart from three or four of terns, there were no birds suggesting the presence of fish. | |
| The strengthening wind together with the swell increasing to over a metre by 6:30am meant it was becoming uncomfortable on the water, particularly given the absence of fish. | |
| Our surf landings were a little different from our launching. Apart from Ross, whose "Debu" is designed to surf the waves, we all felt it our duty to provide light entertainment for the onlookers by capsizing in the surf! | |
| Submitted by: | Tony |