Ambition report 24th.March’23

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 .

It was a real pleasure to go to sea the other day with Jack and his friends. The weather actually played ball which was a pleasant change from the last few days out. Reports were varied off Sydney but there was a good bite happening to the South and listening to channel 82 was quite frustrating not just because of the chatter but because the bite was just that bit too far for me to get to. However, we headed off in the general direction of the Southern Canyons after putting the lures in at the shelf. I was surprised at how much cooler the water was compared to the previous time I was out and the current was pushing up from the South. After a few hours of nothing, hardly any bird life and only some scattered bait, I moved out to deeper water where the water temperature slowly rose and went that beautiful blue that we want to see. Some life showed up in the form of dolphins and the occasional mutton bird and small patches of bait. Anyway, to cut a long story short after frustratingly listening to the reports now just a few miles South of us the ‘Lumo’ on the rigger screamed off with a good-sized Striped Marlin heading East. After the usual turmoil of getting the gear in order the fish was dutifully released and we set off again looking for another. Sadly though we did get another strike we didn’t hook up. The bite was continuing South of us with a few Blue Marlin taken amongst the Stripies. I also heard there were a few fish taken around ‘Browns’ and further up the coast near the ‘Bait Station’ however South was definitely the place to be. **hidden content** Tight lines, Ivan