SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SPRING FISHING

Its been a while since my last report for many and varied reasons not the least being weather and breakdowns, well not so much breakdowns but the time taken to get parts, thankfully all good now, except for the cost of fuel. Anyway, I went out yesterday with Alvin and his partner who wanted to catch Marlin and Yellowfin, on an absolute stunner of a day. On checking the charts you could see a good temperature break and around the Southern canyons some eddying also some interesting water to the North, so, which way to go ? On the way out I heard that Ali on ‘Finfinder’ had caught a Yellowfin of around fifty kilo’s wide of the Southern Canyons which motivated all on board and made decision for me. We found heaps of bait on the way out and when we reached the temperature break we could see Gannets diving in over a wide area on the bait. Continuing out and down to the canyons the temperature went up to 24.5C, we were expecting to see a big Blue come charging in at any moment but sadly it never eventuated and neither did the Yellowfin. After several hours of frustratingly unsuccessful trolling in what appeared to be ideal conditions it was time to head for home. I trolled back up towards Browns and in towards the shelf in the hope of finding a Striped Marlin. The bait was still there as were the Gannets and as before no results either. The frustration on board was palpable, so we pulled in the gear and headed in. On the way a friend, Paul, on ‘El Pirata’ called to let me know that he’d tagged a Blue Marlin as well as taken two fifty kilo Yellowfin North of Browns. I can’t tell you how it made us feel. I’d made the wrong call, should have gone North instead of South, but that’s fishing, didn’t make me feel any better though. For a moment I thought about turning around but good sense prevailed, it was far too late. To add to the frustration as I sit here listening to the radio there is a good bite going on North of Browns with several Blue Marlin and Yellowfin being taken. One could so easily be forgiven for giving this fickle, frustrating game away, but then what else would you do. Tight lines, Ivan

Yesterday was an interesting day to say the least. A not to often weather event, a sea fog, shrouded the whole area off Sydney. Usually these things lift as the sun warms the area or the wind blows it away but this one hung around for what seemed like forever. Being quite a visual sport and with visual range down to a hundred metres at times it was quite hampering and potentially hazardous. Anyway, we carried on regardless. However, probably what caused the fog to linger, had something to do with the VHF signal tunnelling ( a form of VHF propagation), by way of a temperature inversion. On VHF 22 we were receiving radio scheds from Bermagui which apart from being annoying was frustrating because of the numbers of Marlin being caught down there. Off Sydney it seems the Mahi Mahi have taken up residence at all the FAD’s. Mostly small ones but enough larger ones to make it interesting. Usually though the bigger ones are caught while trolling wide for Marlin. There appeared to be a bite around and North of the ‘Bait Station’ with lots of fish raised but from all reports the strikes were half hearted. The boat ‘On Call’ went wide and found good blue water and managed a Yellowfin out there, after having marked others. Also, it seems there are Gemmies and Blue Eye on the mountain. We did eventually raise a Marlin and this one didn’t play around. In fact when it hit I all I saw was a flash and thought it was a tuna. After a short fight it was brought to boat, photo’s taken and released. So that was it for the day. There is some very warm water out wide with fish in it and hopefully it will move in to the plankton rich water we are experiencing at present and get that food chain working. Tight lines, Ivan • All lure used unless otherwise specified are Pakula Lures .

I went out yesterday not knowing what to expect. Prior to the weather last week there had been a good Marlin bite with both Blacks and Stripes along with Blues being found. So, the expectation was high but what affect had the weather had. As we left the Heads the water temperature was good and the water dirty as to be expected. As we went out the colour changed from dirty green to a clearer green but even out at seven hundred fathoms it only got slightly better sadly never going blue. However the temperature did reach twenty-four point six. We put the lures out just inside the Nine Mile to check out the FAD but nothing showed up except some small Kingfish so we headed for the 12 Mile. As we passed over the reef we got a cracking strike on the Brad ‘J’ on the shotgun. I nearly jumped out of my chair, the last thing I expected was a hit in this dirty green water. But there you go, the last thing you expect when you least expect it. Anyway, no hookup. I did a couple of laps with no result so headed out to wider grounds hoping the water would clear. We went out past Browns and headed North not having seen anything of any interest. No birds, only very scattered bait and no blue water but lots of dead plankton lines, what some call coral spawn. In the distance I saw something popping up between swells. As we got closer I could see it was some sort of trap but it was in two hundred fathoms. Whatever it was it made for a great FAD. On the first pass while I was watching the lures I saw a fish leap out from behind the lure and hit it. My first thought was that it was a Wahoo as I’d seen this happen before, and until they brought it to the boat that’s what I thought. However, when it hit the deck it was apparent it wasn’t a Wahoo, it was a Barracuda, a ‘Great Barracuda’ of around twenty kilo’s. Normally found around reefs and tropical seas, what was it doing in two hundred fathoms down here. While we were fighting the C’uda some big Dollies came up to the boat and hung around to watch the fight, but sadly we didn’t have any bait so we just watched, thinking we’d get them on the lures later. Later came and as we passed the ‘trap’ we had a hit but it was only a small Dolly, then as I slowed, the rigger went off with a bigger fish which we all thought was one of the big Dollies. But to our surprise it turned out to be a Yellowfin of ten to twelve kilo’s, dinner at least. I did several more laps around the ‘trap’, we caught a few more smaller Dollies but the big ones didn’t show. On the way in I went past the Botany FADs and though I saw a couple of bigger Dollies they couldn’t be enticed. I know the fish around a FAD can be easily spooked but I’m pretty sure we were the first if not only boat in that area yesterday, so I don’t know why they didn’t come up. The water was definitely warm enough, maybe it was the colour or the algae, but that’s fishing, nothing is for sure. **hidden content** Tight lines, Ivan • All lure used unless otherwise specified are Pakula Lures .