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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
With a distinct mildness to the air temps sporadically over the past few weeks, Winter is closing down as the new Spring arrives & with it will be a steady increase in all of our favourite species. Not the least will be everyones favourite 'Snapper'. For many reasons this single species has created a huge increase in the marine industry over the past 30 years, although it's during the past 10 years that has seen their status skyrocket as Melbournes Premier Bay & Port BIG! Fish to target.
Think Big! will be out in search of these Early Season Snapper very shortly & will be reporting on this as the season unfolds. There is still time to book now & save for your Think Big! Snapper Charter with a 10% saving if booked between now & 15th September. These early season Snapper are generally a lot more shy on the bite than Snapper later in Oct-Nov & can test any anglers patience, especially when you know your sitting on a hot set of marks you've sounded up !! Fresh bait & patience is the key to landing these Snapper in Western Port, just two of Think Big! Charters items to success.
Since the last report, We've had some very consistent charters on Gummy Sharks of all sizes ranging from 6kg up to 17-18kg & also quite a few med to large sized 7Gill Sharks around the 45-90kg range. As the title suggests we have had some memorable charters both during the day as well as during the darker hours.
Squid too have moved in in reasonable numbers & have been found in many areas from Flinders all the way up to the Quail Bank off Warneet. Good weather patterns are the key to better succes on these cephalopods. The next few weeks will see huge numbers move inside to Western Port proper & with it will be an influx of many other species that all go hand in hand with Snapper fishing.
There is still also some very good quality Whiting- aka Spotted Bones or 'Fumphas' as we call them available in the lower reaches of the Western Entrance. At over 45cm's they are very popular when found. Not always available in large numbers at this time of year, it's more a thing of quality over quantity. There's also been some large colorful leatherjackets mixed in that also make for great table fare.
Here's a run down on recent charters with some quality fish landed.
Clint from Altona was pretty suprised when his turn came along and a nice Gummy raced off into the night.
Clints pretty stoked with his first Gummy Shark from Western Port
Close up profile of a night cruising crab hunter
Matt 'Squiddy' who's recently admitted a serious addiction to night time Gummy Shark fishing holds another fine Gummy landed recently.
Nick, 'Squiddys good friend' also had a bit of fun with this smaller model the same evening.
Benny Lo & co recently chartered Think Big! for an extended 8 hour trip on all facets of Gummy Shark fishing. After bait collection we set off & had been at anchor for around 45 mins when we had this terrific girl of 17kg plus engulf a bait & race off as fast!!! A good team spirit amongst the clients had them share the rod around throughout the fight. Eventually we land this girl and after this pic it was soon safely back & swimming strong after a short revival boatside. These guys were so happy with their initial success that spirits were quite high for a while.
Later as night moved in they also had some fun on solid Gummys of 8-9kg rounding out a top charter.
Cliff 'The Boss', with a good Gummy Shark.
Benny Lo with another night time Gummy Shark.
Davey & work mates from CMV Trucks in Westall booked a trip recently and had the best of both worlds with perfect weather conditions & some quality Gummy Shark fishing also.
This solid fish of 10kg plus was a good way of opening up Michael's experiences with Tidal Gummy Shark fishing in Western Port.
Megan added Gummy Shark to her list of preferred captures recently on a windy and chilly day on Western Port.
Here's something I'd not seen until recently, Client Edwin here is locked in battle with a big gummy of 17kg's or more, the rod he's using is a 'GIPANG', a high end Japanese rod capable of serious fishing, although its rated way above what is required for Western Port, it was a good test for this lovely tough little rod.
Quick Pic before gentle release.
Swimming into current to ensure proper revival.
Kelly & Sien also had a great charter recently & hold aloft a darker kelp hugging Gummy prior to release.
2 weeks ago we had Winga aboard with Youfish TV fan Sonia Lawford celebrating her 50th Birthday as a suprise present by husband Jim, & funny too, as Winga was celebrating his 40th Birthday also.
After securing fresh bait, we set off in search of a great grey & found what was required...
Here's a short vid of rough quality, taken quickly with a mobile ph in some windswept conditions recently. If you turn up speaker volume you'll hear the braid racing from the spool as this Gummy raced off. This fish was around 17kg and had the last laugh by rolling from net & off the hook, still it was to be released at any rate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbAlbOvo2CU
Squiddy with another solid fish landed recently while out on Think Big!
Another recent Gummy addict is Matt Leeson who has had several successful charters.
Yep those huge grey bait stealing Sharks the 7Gills drive everyone a bit loopy!! This one was released soon after pic. Some folk reckon these dont give much of a fight, Having asked this to all clients recently who've just landed one, they seem to disagree.
Yes there is still a few good sized Whiting to be caught in Western Port, traditionally at this time of year with temps just starting to rise after pretty much bottoming out, the lower reaches of the Western & Eastern entrances are prime areas to have a go for the spotted bones. As these fish are nearing their maturity & will soon depart the bays & ports for an oceanic existence, they are often of a good size.
45-50cm is normal for these fine fish and they really go well on light tackle. Best baits at this time of year are tenderised Squid, the fresher the better & also Pippi's, however with the current price of Pippi's still sky high, I'll stick to using Squid. Depth from 12mtrs on slower tides down to 5mtrs during the runout tide have seen the best results. Ventnor through to the small bays inside the Knobbies are likely areas to try for these excellent fish. Calm conditions are also a pre requsite for safe fishing here as ocean swells can be hazardous after strong winds offshore cause rising swells to build.
Patrick here holds a quality Spotted Bone landed amongst a mixed bag recently.
Benny Lo with another good example of Winter Whiting on tenderised squid strips.
Often in these areas there is also a fair bycatch in the form of very good sized Leather Jackets of many varieties & colours as well as the prized Blue Throat Parrot Fish. In recent years these fish have been seen as a sought after species that not only fight well but also are very good on the plate.
The next Think Big! report will have some fresh new pics & news on Snapper so stay tuned for it's going to be a very good season !!
Check out our Charter Booking Link for all the latest Snapper charters available in coming weeks.
Cheers & Thankyou to all recent & ongoing Think Big! Charter Clients.
TBC
This Fishing Report was submitted on 11/2/2012 4:21:39 PM by Seamus and last updated on 11/2/2012 4:21:39 PM.
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