Alarm goes off at 5.15am. Everything’s packed and ready to go. I just need 2 quick double espressos and were off to the Marina which is only 5 minutes away from Bathers Paradise caravan park.
When we arrive the captain tells us 3 people have pulled out which puts us under the 5 person minimum but one of the 3 shows up and pays for 1 of his mates that has pulled out so we’re right to go. This charter is the cheapest in town. The skipper has good morels and will cancell if rough weather is forest where the others won’t! We’ve been on a charter out of Exmouth in 5 meter swell. It’s very unpleasant watching everyone taking waves in the face while spewing overboard. Tomorrows charter is a NO GO as its a 5 meter swell.
We cruze for 1.5 hours around past all 11 beaches we saw yesterday and stop in 50 – 60 meters of water. The gear is cheap and nasty but does the trick. Probably due to people losing rods overboard to massive fish. Heavy mono line with patenosca rigs and large circle hooks. Bait is octopus.
The guy next to me who paid for his mates is a concreter that just poured 160 quibic meter base for a wind turbine. He catches 1st then we start catching. It’s one! The variety is great and there all above size. Even in a 2 meter swell the fishing is lumpy according to the caption which is pretty rough. Can’t imagine what 5 meters would be like. Happy I wore my gumboots.
We all get onto some realy great fish. I think I’m snagged but it starts to move. I didn’t jag at it so I drop it! Think it was a Samson fish which the other guy next to me hooks into 5 minutes later. All in all Jett rates this as the best fishing charter yet.
Tan and Leo meet us at the boat ramp. There is a massive male sealion like the one from Drian Bay. Jett feeds him a fish and we start the massive fish cleaning exercise.
We get back and I’m to tiard to cook so we order fish and chips from fish face. All local fish and beautifully cooked.
Here are the official species types we caught.
