Autumn/Winter 2024 Newsletter

View this email in your browser Autumn/Winter Newsletter 2024 What a mix of weather we have of late ! We have had some beautiful days on the water with guests but we have also experienced a few bad periods of wind and rain.  For now it looks like we have some more consistent winter weather ahead with south west winds and clear skies.   On the fishing front, we enjoyed some cracking Autumn fishing with a wide range of species being caught into winter. Golden trevally great fun for all ages  Big longtails like this are a Hervey Bay Special  Longtail tuna were fantastic this season and gave us a great run right through to June.  Now our bigger winter longtails will be a target species deeper in the water column, and they are even better on the table than the autumn fish.  They have a much higher fat content giving them better flavor and texture. School size longtail  Bonefish were another stand out with some great sessions on the bones with double digit days on quality fish. Bonefish fight hard on spin tackle and resemble a snapper fight when hooked - amazing similarities during the fight. Guests enjoyed catching them on a range of lures with mustard jigs being the standout lure of choice . I also got an opportunity to catch one on saltwater fly tackle - a rare chance in Hervey Bay waters.   Cobia are another exciting species this time of year!  The big brutes move in a little more inshore and are a great capture in the calm waters of the bay.  Big cobes to 35kg have already been boated this season and are a highlight for guests when we come across them. Sultan with a monster cobia  Queenfish, golden trevally and the humble mac tuna have been keeping sportfishers happy and are always fun on light tackle. On the inshore reefs we have had a few opportunities on the right tides to target big sweetlip.  For us, big sweetlip inshore are 50 cm - not as big as the offshore versions but on light tackle and around structure they pull very hard and put up a great fight.  The best thing is that they are great on the table with winter guests usually opting to take a few fish home for a feed. Other captures on the inshore reefs have been cod, coral trout and blackall. A few Spanish mackerel have been caught although we don’t actively target them in Platypus Bay waters due to ciguatera risk.  Outside of those waters, they are fine to take home. Sailfish Capture A first for us and a very rare event inside Fraser Island, guests were treated to the fight of a lifetime when we sight cast this huge sailfish, landing it after an epic 3hr battle.  The fish was released unharmed and swam off to be caught another day! The Season Ahead  We still have availability for August!   For those after some winter sportfishing on our fantastic calm waters and with the whales arriving it sees for some magic encounters with marine wildlife. Our spring season should be a cracker with good rainfall throughout the year we should see a bumper spring pelagic season . Our Small black marlin is one of the highlights in Spring with the waters of the Fraser Coast one of the best locations to target the juvenile black marlin. All of our sportfish will be on offer as water temps rise and a influx of smaller bait enters the bay. Sponsor Highlights  We have fantastic brands that help us along with local business’s we thank all of them for their ongoing support. Below is just a few snippets and stories of a few of their products in action.   Only the best in imaging!  Check out these screenshots from some recent charters!     Minn Kota - Raptor  We recently installed a Raptor on our fly vessel 'Scaleforce'. The raptor is a shallow water anchoring device that allows us to anchor the boat from the stern at the push of a button.  This gives us great opportunities on the flats to give our guests the best shot at shallow water fish.     Deck Armour - Fraser Coast Marine Flooring We recently had Deck Armour installed by Fraser Coast Marine Flooring on our 680 Hooker 'Deceiver'. Eddie and Ruth did an amazing job for us and we couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Anyone that has been in our Hooker knows its amazing ride and it is the most used vessel in our fleet. The Deck Armour really has given it a birthday and has brought it back to life. Thank you to Deck Armour and Fraser Coast Marine Flooring! You can follow their pages here https://fccustommarineflooring.com.au/ https://deckarmour.com.au/     Wilson Fishing   MEZASHI casting jigs have been used this season with great results. Casting to schools of bonefish as they move across the bottom while using our side scan technology is deadly and these jigs also work great on a range of other species.  Check them out on the Wilson sight here or ask your local tackle specialist about the range.   Guide Life  A few windy periods saw the guides tackle some freshwater barramundi and a few personal bests.  A great change of scenery for the guides.   Full day Sportfishing charters 630am - 330pm From $400 Book Full Day Charter Half Day Sportfishing Charters 630am - 1200pm From $275 Book Half Day Charter Full Day Boat Hire 6am - 4pm Extras available From $320 Book Gotcha Boat Hire New Merch! Check out our new 'Grand Slam' fishing jerseys, available in grey and blue. Click here to purchase! And our new Kiritbati 'Christmas Island' Grand Slam hooded jerseys and shirts, feautiring bonefish, triggers, milkfish and giant trevally, all species synonymous with CXI.  Please email us for purchase details, stocks are very limited. Thanks for reading our newsletter! From Chozza, Beno, Sunny and Liv, stay safe on the water and tight lines everyone!   Copyright © 2024 Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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