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Warwick Joyce

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Did someone say island head?
May 22, 2008, 07:50:38 AM
Hi all.

Another adventure Travis and myself went on the other day. It started with a mostly rough, wet and incredibly cold 100k trip up the coast at 4:30 on monday morning. We arrived at Island head just after sunrise and after thawing out in the sun and rigging up it was time to see why the place was so good for popping. After a quick motor around it was hard to decide where to start! So many prime spots! No wonder the GT's love it there.
Anyway It seemed they didn't want any part of what we had to offer that morning, and after a few hours and various spots the tide had slowed and we stopped for lunch. After that we dropped some baits over to get some fish for home and it wasn't long before we found fingermark and grunter in plague proportions, one fingermark went 72cm. A couple of grassy sweetlip and we had plenty for the freezer, we certainly could have filled the esky twice but there is no need to catch the limit.

Sunset was approaching so it was out to the clara group to find some monsters of the deep, and once again so many prime gt spots and no action, not even a follow!
The next day was a little different tho, back at island head I launched a popper into a tight spot in the rocks and second bloop and I was on.... only briefly and I had a catastrophic knot failure :'(
It was all queenie action after that, Travis with the first landed



It was time to blast home then before the southerly's get too wild, with a stop over at a secret spot on the way there was furious queenie action with 6 or so landed. A double hook up and one that went on a blinding run which nearly pulled me out of the boat!


The we finally found the monsters we were chasing, putting a nice curve in the new T Curve



Not long after Travis was on as well




Over all a really awesome trip, and maybe next time the island head gt's will turn it on for us!

Cheers
Last Edit: May 22, 2008, 07:57:04 AM by Warwick

Graham Scott

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Re: Did someone say island head?
May 22, 2008, 09:16:22 AM
Hi Travis and Warwick,
Good to see you guys got your trip in. I thought Monday/tuesday would work.

I recognise your spot at Island Head, it's the same as where we caught Queenies. The spot on the way home is where we caught more queenies, but we didn't raise any GT's. Well done. We also didn't get much at your secret spot on the way home until the sun was very low. Good to see fish in the middle of the day. I'd keep your secret spot very quiet as you are within range of all the little boats and we have been struggling to convince some locals that you don't keep big GT's. At least 6 or 8 were killed at Man and Wife last month.

You might have to send me an email for a swap on reef fishing, I have a couple of good Fingermark spots in IH,basically upstream, turn right, but that thing you caught is a monster. I can swap you coral trout heaven if you like.

Good stuff, can't wait to get back. I think i will go up for 4 days mid August.

Warwick Joyce

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Re: Did someone say island head?
May 22, 2008, 09:40:20 AM
Hi Graham, Damn that sux about the gt wasted  >:( such a shame to kill such a good game fish, when there are much better abundant reef fish to take. We didn't head up the creek much because we were not sure how shallow it gets at low tide... and it would have been disastrous  to get stuck in there for the low!
I'm back to work for 5, but will definitely swap some spots with you ;D
Cheers

Ken Best

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Re: Did someone say island head?
May 22, 2008, 01:53:13 PM
Well done Warwick, good fish, Island Head and Port Clinton are great areas.
I have caught 1.2m queenies at your closer spot as well as had follows by GT's.
There is a spot there where it seems a resident group of GT's live.
Graham, I was the bloke with the loud Saltiga when we got those 100 or so AJ's last year so if you need a decky in August....

Ken
"Beer makes you feel the way you ought to, without beer" (Henry Lawson)

Graham Scott

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Re: Did someone say island head?
May 23, 2008, 01:06:18 PM
Hi Ken,

The Gt's along the coast are a bit problematic. The trip in August is mainly shallow sportfishing and reef fishing, but I will certainly sneak in some popper work.

I think we should be able to organise a northern trip targetting a bit of a mixture, some GT's, queenies and tuna and maybe have a go at some shallow water trout. It would probably need to be an overnighter.

We might see if those AJ's are still there this coming weekend so will report next week. Are you booked into any of Barra Jacks upcoming jigging trips? Saltiga might need some more work.

Stephen Polzin

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Re: Did someone say island head?
May 23, 2008, 02:50:29 PM
great report Warrick, nice one!

steve
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