We ventured to the notorious Break Sea Spit Bommie on the weekend, only managing to get one good session on the reef due to strong NE winds.
3000km round trip was well worth my first shot at the Bommie - will be better prepared next time which hopefully will be next month.
What can I say about this place? I had no idea what to expect...the Sandy Cape itself is such an awesome place and I was wondering how it could get much better. The bar crossing was rather pleasant, take it slow and keep focused - ignore the sharks surfing a wave higher than your boat 20 metres parallel! I was watching the GPS waiting until we got to the bommie - little did I know that a mere kilometre away that the bommie would light up with azure water and patches of coral gutters and bommies comparable to any tropical reef, atoll or lagoon I have been to. Someone please pick me jaw up from the ground?!?!?!?!
A big swell raised the boat to give an awesome view of a section of reef that was about to get smashed by a good wave. A 50m squared area of tuna suddenly chromes - flashing their bellies as an array of sea birds dive upon the hordes of baitfish trying to find safety somewhere on the famous reef. The swell was pounding the fringe of the reef, so much so that it made working bloopers difficult - but not impossible. A mighty cast later and CRRAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKK, a massive 40kg class fish belly-slaps a big swell as the Hammerhead ICUP submerses through it's face - my heart pumping - he missed and didn't come back for seconds. What an introduction to one of the famous Big GT reefs in the world - I was chuffed and honestly could've gone home then content with not catching a thing. Oh well - time to keep casting!
The next half an hour went quiet - so we ventured onto the bommie itself. You need a good skipper as we were surfing swell and the occasional breaker just like Kelly Slater - keep alert and make sure you are wearing a life jacket (note for next time!). The new moon obviously brought a lot of current and it was going to prove a perfect environment to really turn the fish on. No run, No fun! Naturally, fishing such an environment meant stability and footing was a big issue. And as luck would have it, the GTs started to strike only metres from the boat. A 30 kegger made a meal of my popper as my eyes were distracted elsewhere at the end of the retrieve - already on the backfoot I didn't like my chances of landing this fish in 25 feet of water. Luck was on my side, along with some handy boat work - our first decent GT of the Spit graced us with her presence on board "MV Moisty".
Some of the boys wanted to try their hand at popping but found it rather difficult to wind south-paw! It was rather hilarious to watch Jason hook up to a solid king and not be able to wind the thing in. Next thing we know, the king is screaming across reef, with Jason fighting the fish from the otherside of the cat (line under the hull). As luck would have it, we didn't get reefed and we eventually got the fish in. Another victim to the Watermelon ICUP.
Out of no where, a jet black GT fiercely tail slapped my popper creating one of the biggest holes in the water I have ever seen. You need to keep your composure in this situation in order to keep the lure working properly to induce further strike. She not only hit it again throwing the lure clear of the water but then hit it for a final time during the same retrieve mere metres from the boat. She spat the hooks after a 10 second dive. Definitely a fish that would've given the record a nudge - definitely well over 60kg. We will never know how big she was. We had just drifted into an area where the GTs were patrolling the gutter's edge. The next two casts got nailed but our monster was no where to be seen. I will be waiting for her next time.
Other highlights included reefings by big AJ's, a massive 45kg Cobia taken on the jigging grounds (bait) and plenty of other fish willing to smash a surface lure.
