Restoration Island (FNQ) NOW WITH PICS

[Rhet Tainton]

First trip report so take it easy on me.

Fished at Restoration Island near Portland Roads in Far North Qld a couple of weeks ago and landed my first ever decent GT of about 27-28kg (complete guesstimate) on a Stella 8000 and Saltiga Dorado 80TN with 60lb and a YoZuri Bull. What a blast!!!
I know that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will write only a hundred whilst I await the pics to be emailed to me and then post them up.

Having never used this kind of gear before, it took me quite a while to adapt a rhythm to get the YoZuri  to work well. I soon renamed it the YoZuri Spazio as I couldn't get the hang of getting it to bloop consistently with out it 'jumping' clear of the surface and the leader tangling in the trebles. Anyway, after quite a few casts I eventually got the hang of it and it produced for me. What an awesome sensation! With 4 people in a 4.5 Polycraft it certainly made for an interesting time trying to play it around the boat after drifting out from a rocky point into a 2-3ft chop. But when it was finally boated, the relief of months of build up was realised and that one fish made the whole journey (from Brisbane) for me worthwhile!

I also landed queenies at Chapman Island (out from Lockhart River)  that were about 1.5m on the same lure before I then swapped to a Nomad skipjack 90, and was blown away by something in some shallow reef on about my 3rd cast. What a fun way to blow $40 in about 10secs!

Thanks to the fellow I bought the rod and reel off (I bought it second hand off this forum before I was informed I didn't 'have enough time up') who sold me a fantastic setup. If I was allowed into the classifieds section, I would be able to look up the advertisement myself and thank him personally, but seem as there is that little rule in place for the non-genuine types, I am unable to access it yet......................

Cheers, Rhet



A happy face

A not so happy face

Hooked up

The acrobatic master

Pity these are full of ciguatera, I got quite a few

Chapman Island

Has anyone seen where Griz left his lure........................Thankfully they weren't ST-76's.

[Dave Hudson]

Great work Rhet, sounds like a blast

I'm heading up there in November and looking at taking the same setup.
Looking forward to getting past 20 posts also, so I can buy some gear!!

Bring on the pics
Dave

[Rhet Tainton]

G'day Dave

Presuming you don't know the area, sing out if you want some info on where I was and where we targeted. I was originally heading to Princess Charlotte Bay/Bathurst Head, however there was still too much water around so we diverted a bit further North.

Likewise on the 20 - although it will be healthier on my wallet if I never get there!!

[Dave Hudson]

Thanks mate,

Did you find the 60lb was generally up to the task or would you recommend a
heavier setup for that area?

[Travis Heaps]

Gday Rhet - good report, i got a chuckle out of it and some good fishing action to boot.  Looking forward to the photos.
Travis

[Mark Harris]

Well done Rhet and welcome to the addictive world of popping for GTs .

[Rhet Tainton]

Dave

I found the 60lb suitable for what I put it against, it was more the point that it was on the setup when I bought it...............and the line suited that combo really well.
I wouldn't be looking to throw anymore then 100g with the rod so I think the slightly lighter line (compared to what alot of others use) assisted my casting as well.

Cheers

[Mick Rowley]

Hey Rhet,
great work mate, really nice queenies mate but the trebles in the face look like they would have came keen, ouch!!!!!!!!!! you know what they say, pain is such a personal thing!!!!!!!!!!!
Mick.

[Rhet Tainton]

Having never experienced hooks embedded before this incident, I always imagined that it would be a lot more painful than what it was.

It felt like a solid slap across the face that smarted for a while, and even pulling them back out it was no more painful. I think if you tried to slowly pierce yourself it would be very painful, but when it happens so quick, it wasn't too bad.

Funny thing is, when I showed my missus the photo, the first thing she said was "oh your eyebrows look terrible". Priorities I guess!

[Peter Morris]

ouch..!!...Those trebles in the face look nasty.

I can imagine it didnt hurt when it happened but it just looks really bad..!

Some nice fish there though mate.

Pete

[Mick Rowley]

Rhet,
were the hooks barbless?
Mick.

[Rhet Tainton]

G'day Mick

No they weren't.

It was another blokes lure, so it's his prerogative, having said that............I don't crush mine either.

Cheers

[Mick Rowley]

Hey Rhet,
you're one tough guy, if that happened to me i would have been squealing like a stuck pig!!!!!!!!! after hearing that the first thing i'm going to do is make sure all my brothers trebles/hooks barbs are crushed, just in case that get a bit loose on their cast and i wear one!!!!!!!
Mick.

[Jason Chiu]

Glad the old combo stood up to those fish. I can vouch for Rhet, he is really nice and the transaction occurred trouble-free.

The lure in the side of your face... ouch. Lucky it was only the cheek. Awesome pics btw! =D

[Rhet Tainton]

Mick, I'm not really tough mate, I'll probably cry watching the royal wedding tonight...........................................NOT!

Jason, I couldn't have been happier with the gear I got off you. Thanks!

Dead right I was lucky it was only the cheek, the sun had just dropped and I only minutes before had taken my sunnies off. As  soon as my brain computed what had happened, and then computed I could still see out of both eyes..............I didn't really care about what had occurred, I was just so relieved.