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Stephen Polzin

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 26, 2009, 06:30:58 PM
Yep that fish is a big mutha.  Nice one.

cheers,

steve
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chris harrison

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 26, 2009, 06:53:28 PM
I haven't posted before so i may need to apologise in advance.
As previously posted by Brandon we were due to go on the first week fishing at Shoalwater and even with the best efforts of Nomad trying to organise a boat pick up from Hamilton island and a localised tour around the Whitsundays the weather gods prevailed with 85knot gusts and eventuated in the first cancellation of a trip.
i was fortunate to pick up a spot on the third week
With the weather reports looking good i was comforted with the sight of calm conditions as we flew in to the Percy group.
As Brandon has mentioned there were 6 guys from Jakarta, three from Brisbane,one Finnish native and a New Yorker (Long island)who i had the pleasure of meeting up with.
The Thai guys were in fact there to catch Marlin and had very little experience in both casting and jigging.They have as brandon mentioned already re-booked for the 
Day One
The Nomad crew did their best for the Indo boys in organising a long distance run for trolling which resulted in a couple of decent Spanish mackerel,
For our boat Glanville was the guide it was me, Lenny (from Long island) and Folke who if you forgot his name (unlikely) kindly wore his name tag for two days.
If you ever thought this sport was fair forget it! Glanville was giving a casting lesson to Folke short of our intended spot, he fluffed the cast which went some 15 feet away from "Tight Stick" and a Gt which had no right to be there swallowed his cubera,to be lost after a explosive run.
We ended up this day having a triple hook up with the two new Gt boys each landing a 33-35 Kilo model.I dropped mine on the first run, but ended up with a couple of smaller models for the day
Day 2
Brett as Guide
When things run well you can do no wrong- everything stuck i ended with 5 for the day three 30-33 kilo fish and a couple of smaller ones
I managed to catch one on a prototype 100gm stick-bait, kindly sent over by Jon keep an eye for this in the marketplace its a sinker with plenty of movement and casts a dream and the finish i think is more elaborate.Hopefully the photo comes out OK bit mangled though courtesy of the GT.I know Malcolm will be testing its big brother (125 gm) in Bugatti
Day 3
Tim as Guide
Next day the mothership moved some 40 miles we all fished ahead of it again a good day with me holding on to three with the bigger one being the standout it was as Jon has mentioned 139cm from snout to fork it took some 10 minutes to cajole it to the boat with the new custom build carpenter SP78UHL SHP being put through its paces. I think there are 3 of these in Australia i know Brock has one and Malcolm the other (Thanks Jon for delivering and Brock for driving the demand) In between the tides in the last two days there were enough long tail tuna to keep us happy..
Day 4
Glanville as Guide
R.I.P Lures
Had a host of follows on the boat "Tight Stick" and we explored a previously unfished island Glanville had identified from the charts which with the tides looked promising, if the run ins were producing the strikes the run outs seemed to create a lethargy.
The island produced,I lost a lure to a rampaging GT had another run and spit, Folke produced (who i might add is 61) but a alpha male had hunted most living things around the world and eaten them! was introduced to a testosterone charged GT Aussie style which dragged him nearly through the bowspit of "Tight Stick" (We worked out Folke must have meant figurehead as he spent all the time at the
front of the boat!)back to the run... by 50metres he had dropped to one knee with the ripple fisher bent at a crazy angle across the top of the rail with line screaming out under it, how the rod didn't break i don't know but mercifully the line parted as the GT reached cover. That evening (Saturday)saw the mothership surrounded by day old turtles fresh from hatching,wasn't sure that was why the Gt's went off the bite!!
Day 5
Tim as Guide
The change arrived with a confused sea and rain there were two options stay on the mothership while we moved or fish over, Lenny and i chose the fish option, the contenders deep v hull was fantastic and whilst we didn't boat any big Gt's we had runs, a couple of smaller ones to the boat on light tackle, a Spanish mackerel.The Indo boys left about 4 pm as they had organised the plane which left the six of us on 4 boats

Days 6 and 7
The water conditions had deteriorated with a green sea and debris from the floods
Lenny caught a 25 Kilo fish in an amazing drain that was flowing at 8 knots (or that's what the boat was doing to hold position)Some queenfish strikes but not much else to report.
I ended up with 12 Gt's (4 decent) for the time ,Lenny would have caught 2 good ones and two to three smaller ones and overall the rest of the group would have netted another 6-8.

Thanks Guys....

Scott Maybury

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 26, 2009, 07:53:06 PM
Glad to hear the change in location was able to bring about a few more fish, sounds like a great trip Chris

by the way I am sickly jealous of you guys who talk about going fishing for GT like I talk about going fishing for flathead "Oh I will just duck out this weekend for a few GT and queenies"  :o :o
Last Edit: February 26, 2009, 07:56:44 PM by Scott Maybury

John Campbell

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 26, 2009, 09:50:19 PM

    nice report there chris sounds like you had a good time and got some big fish too

    hey scott i am sure you can downsize the gear and throw some poppers at flathead if
    you wanted too  :D :D   dont worry not long to nc now

   
   


Neale Bird

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 26, 2009, 11:53:23 PM
The GT's are stil haunting my dreams ::) cheers for your report it makes me feel like im still there!  ;D

Great bunch of guys and i can't wait to get there... good to hear the contender was back is buisness

Off to the Abrolis island in a months time but sadly i dont think ill get any GT action  :( Just bulk Snapper, Dhuies, Baldies and Trout... maybe a few bruiser Sambo's if im lucky 

Andy Rowe

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 27, 2009, 01:43:49 AM
Great Report Chris,

Congratulations on the good sized GT's as well.

Very bad news about the earlier cancellations for Shoalwater, good to see you could get out there in style though.

Does anyone recall the low pressure system that battered SE QLD end of December 2007?

We had a Nomad trip booked for Fraser Is. and the Break Sea Spit GT's, 10 foot plus swells saw a cancel on that!!

So maybe Shoalwater this year is second ;)

I must add that Nomad were were very helpfull and understanding and gave us a full and prompt refund.

Looking forward to my first trip with them in early May.
Set the ray to GeeT

Brock Arifovic

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 27, 2009, 06:55:37 AM
Chris,

Thanks for the mention, glad to help, & like you said "Thanks Jon"

Andy, bummer about Fraser, maybe next time mate.

Scott Maybury

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 27, 2009, 09:52:16 AM
Hey John we get flathead, whiting etc on poppers down here a fair bit mate...but yeah the gear used is slightly different, and it is not quite the same strike action ::)

New Cal is coming....please fishing gods send me some good weather and hungry fish!

Hey Neale I am pretty jealous mate the Abrolos are supposed to be awesome for shallow water reef fishing...you gonna hit the plastics hard or what?

Neale Bird

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
February 28, 2009, 10:43:59 AM
Thats the plan, id say ill be the only one tho but that wont phase me.
got plenty of time to stock up anyways! go the gulp just need some big ass jig heads :)

Matt Harvey

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
March 01, 2009, 11:09:29 AM

Great in depth report and some cracking photos.

What more could one ask - TFS!

Matt

Mick Cunningham

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
March 02, 2009, 06:12:04 PM
Welcome Chris to this forum

glad to see you back into the action .

nice report and Congratulations on your big fish .

i like the new stick-bait colour

i just notice that you got a nice custom SP78UHL rod there .
but the colour is not my type  ;D ::)

Brandon Khoo

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
March 02, 2009, 06:38:00 PM
Mick - I'd have thought you'd be grateful just to get one!
If it swims; I want to catch it!

Brock Arifovic

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
March 02, 2009, 06:46:04 PM
Anyone should be happy just to get a custom Carpenter, looks like your not destined to get a Carpenter Mick

Mick Cunningham

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
March 02, 2009, 07:30:38 PM
yeah i sould be happy to get a custom rod but it got to be blue not red

but it still look very nice . i knew there was a one from jon as i was told i guess that chris has brought it .

i believe it,s my lucky colour  ;D ;D ::)
Last Edit: March 02, 2009, 07:33:24 PM by Mick Cunningham

Brock Arifovic

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Re: Shoalwater - from Chris Harrison
March 02, 2009, 08:09:22 PM
Mick,

One thing that you must understand is that there was alot that went ito the planning of the Custom rods, it wasn't just a matter of talking to Jon & all of a sudden he has a Custom rod there waiting for someone to ask for it, & Chris was the lucky one to grab it, there was alot of patience from a few people to get these rods.