Great fishing trip

[Travis Heaps]

Well everything made for a great day except for the fishing...awful.

Weather ws spot on and we made good time to our spot 65km or so away I think it is - having to bypass one of our other favourite spots as it was inside the out of bounds area that is currently shut down for the US-AUS Talisman Sabre operation.

I'll keep the popping short - not a strike, follow or flash to be seen...and we were on the water from 530am to 630pm.  Thats three fat duck eggs in a row for me...never mind.

Anyway what made it a great day was the site seeing we had, landing on an island in a secluded little anchorage, cliff diving, rock climbing, seeing a jet take off the USS George Washinton, jets, chinooks and blackhawks flying around, flying fish, friendly dolphins and at times that hissing sound and velvety feel you only get when the water is glassy calm.  A few pics attached.

[Brandon Khoo]

Travis, that was a great post!

One thing I have learned in the past is not to bother to go fishing anywhere that the armed forces are conducting military exercises. I don't know what it is be it the pinging of the sonar or whatever but anytime they do this, the fishing is completely FUBAR. Last year, one of the groups in Perth reported some great samson fishing until the exercises started and then that was literally the end of the fishing. They didn't catch a fish after the exercises started.

[David Clumpner]

I'll keep the popping short - not a strike, follow or flash to be seen...and we were on the water from 530am to 630pm.  Thats three fat duck eggs in a row for me...never mind.

Hey, that sounds like fishing in Japan!

Good to hear you enjoyed all the other reasons we like to go fishing.  If I didn't have quiet solitude, interesting beach combing, great camping, sneaking up on turtles in my kayak, and beautiful scenery then fishing here would old fast.

[Greg Burt]

You

Travis, that was a great post!

One thing I have learned in the past is not to bother to go fishing anywhere that the armed forces are conducting military exercises. I don't know what it is be it the pinging of the sonar or whatever but anytime they do this, the fishing is completely FUBAR. Last year, one of the groups in Perth reported some great samson fishing until the exercises started and then that was literally the end of the fishing. They didn't catch a fish after the exercises started.

You've had the 'no fish' problem in Cyclones and Earthquakes as well Brandon 

[Brandon Khoo]

cyclones are definitely a write-off but earthquake still had some fish!     

[Travis Heaps]

Interesting to hear that Brandon - the GT's and spaniards certainly weren't anywhere to be seen...on the other hand it must drove the long toms into a feeding frenzy, they were thick!

[Brandon Khoo]

I have no idea whether it is right or not - just an observation
obviously, no impact on the long tom!

[Scott Williams]

Great pics mate, awesome trip by the sound of things, even if the fish didn't play the game.
That anchorage is pretty spectacular, how far north did you end up going? I didn't think much would be accessible up there with the exercise on without going a fair bit further?

Scott.

[Graham Scott]

Hi Travis,
That Island doesn't look as flat as I remember it. It is an extremely rare day to get into that Cove. Don't think I have ever seen it that FLAT. I'm hanging out for the end of the exercise to get back up north.

Brandon,
I'd add military exercises into the same category as westerlies and bananas. We caught some awesome reds about 2 miles from the KittyHawk 2 years ago when she was out here. In fact she was near that Island Travis was standing on, and from a mile or so out Kittyhawk was a lot bigger than the Island!....make an unreal artificial reef, any ideas?

[Scott Williams]

Thanks Graham, I have never noticed that cove before, not that I spend much time up there anyway. Will pay a little more attention next time....
Scott.

[Brandon Khoo]

It isn't the presence of military vessels alone. If that was the case, I'd agree it is nonsensical as that would mean an impact is caused by all boats. It's if they're conducting anti-submarine exercises and using their sonar actively and continuously.

I've been reading up on the impact of sonar as used by the military for detection of submarines this evening. It's always hard to say with so much information from different parties and interest groups but it does appear to have some impact. A couple of tests I read about show that fish were startled by the sounds. Some claim that fish and marine mammals can be severely injured while others claim minimal impact.

http://www.bigmarinefish.com/sonar_notice.html

I'd say that if the Kittyhawk became an artificial reef there for some reason, the red fishing would improve significantly! Considering that the US navy decommissioned the Kittyhawk a few months back, they could have given it to us as a reef

[Graham Scott]

Hi Brandon,
Yeah, I think you're right about the sonar. I don't think they use any up here as the water is generally shallower than the top of a sub, less the 30m mainly.So wouldn't need sonar to find the subs!!!

Kitty hawk would be the same I think we'd have to call it an artificial Island rather than a reef.

[Brandon Khoo]

I loved that bit about the depth - half the subs would be above the surface if that was the case!!   
Considering the deck of the aircraft carriers are something like 100m above the surface of the water, it'd become an artificial island - but it'd be a fish magnet too! I actually don't knwo what they did with the Kittyhawk as to whether it became a floating museum or they simply took it apart.

[Nathan Cefai]

that is one outta control cliff jump mate!!

[Travis Heaps]

Hi Travis,
That Island doesn't look as flat as I remember it. It is an extremely rare day to get into that Cove. Don't think I have ever seen it that FLAT. I'm hanging out for the end of the exercise to get back up north.

   

that is one outta control cliff jump mate!!

There were a lot bigger options but that was enough for us!  Best part is that you can free climb back up the cliffs because if you fall you just land straight back into deep water