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Travis Heaps

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CQ Weekend Trip
March 09, 2010, 01:05:33 PM
Got out over the weekend for an overnighter up the coast a tad.

For the weekend I was taking a mate from work out who was into his fishing but had not fished for GT's before.  The plan was to do some popping but also explore an estuary up the coast for some barra and muddies and also jig some marks on the way home for the chance of a putting a feed or two into the esky.

Weather when we left was spot on and we didn't touch the throttle until 50 minutes later when we stopped and commenced GT Casting and Retrieving 101 at a practice spot rather than our main destination.  Jay clued on pretty quick and we headed on north.  Tides were very small which didn't help and the first exploratory casts revealed no interest but we moved on to where I knew we were in with our best shot.  Straight away we missed a big slashing strike from a GT and this was quickly followed by a queenie hookup and release.  Jay then came up solid on a GT but dropped it.  We were getting consistent follows but no GT's in the boat as yet.  I then got a bit dangerous and lobbed my new Bigfoot over to the other side of the rock bar  ::)...immediately knowing it wasn't my brightest move to date I commenced a flat out retrieve to get my baby back...this only proved to excite the biggest GT in the area into smashing it about 1m this side of the rock bar :o  As Jay was fishing as well and he was new to the game the boat didn't move and I attempted to lock up a fight him while stationary.  It wasn't long before I felt that tick tick of line on rocks though and it was all over as quick as it began.  We then mucked around a bit more before I again came up tight on a solid fish - I could feel the weight in the strike immediately.  Unfortunately the same happened but at least this time I managed to get my lure back.  That strike was a good lesson affirmed as it came on an identically placed cast as what Jay had just done except maybe 2m off the edge of the bommie rather than the 10m off the bommie where Jay had cast just 15 seconds before...he got no interest and I managed to get the strike.   

We then moved north popping as we went but the distinct lack of current meant usually good looking spots were dead.  We had some nice scenery though and the good weather was hanging around.  We then continued into the estuary with high hopes of a mud crab dinner.  It wasn't to be though, the whole area was suprisingly dead and we managed a tiny moses perch and some strikes from long toms but that was it.  We did see some dolphins over a shallow mudflat though which was interesting - there has to be some good fishing to be had up there but it seems we need to do some work to get it sussed.

We then camped for the night, not a bad spot and with a prime GT ledge out the front.  The whole estuary funnelled past this point and the water jump from 16m to 1.6m almost instantly...which was a bit of a suprise as the water was murky and we couldn't see the rocks, just a faint current line.

Next morning we had some nice weather again and headed off in anticipation of some Gt action.  We had a new plan for our spot from the previous day and this time we were fishing very heavy drags stright off the bat and only one person casting, the other stationed on the throttle of the boat.  We were into it straight away with some solid queenies to the boat.  Then Jay hooked up on his first GT - he did a good job and got a fat fish to the boat, my guesstimate was 22kg or so.  We then had more Gt and queenie strikes before I repeated my dangerous cast of the day before and came up tight again :) We were ready for him this time though and Jay motored around perpendicular to the bar and we coaxed him out.  He came suprisingly easily and made me exclaim that it was only a smaller one.  This was followed by ZZzzzZZzzzzzzZZZzzzz of the drag.  He was a dogged fish, i haven't had a GT fight so hard within such a short distance of the boat, he just sat there and couldn't be budged.  We got him up though and took some photos.  I was stoked as it's the best fish i've caught for some time and he gave me a good working over.  The lure was an ebipop 120.  I'm not sure on a weight but i'm thinking 32-33kg?

We then played with the queenies on some light gear, they were thick, and then took off for some jigging.  We hooked a few denizens of the deep but were busted off at one spot and the other had some sneaky mackeral that made short work of most things sent down.  So we went home feedless but it didn't worry us at all, was a great trip.

Damien Phillip

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 09, 2010, 02:36:38 PM
Now that's how to spend a weekend - stunning scenery, good company and a few fish too! Very jealous mate and great report.

On a side note, how do you rig the Ebipop 120?

Damo

Travis Heaps

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 09, 2010, 03:12:33 PM
Thanks Damo. 

Ebipop was rigged on a 200lb single strand FG'd to 80lb braid, baker rigged SJ41 11/0s on the belly and an SJ41 11/0 on the tail.  I think the new extreme range from FCL labo are the way forwards rather than these older style ebipops, as is expected the wiring is decidedly 2nd hand after catching both of those fish...the wire at the tail is bent 90 degrees to the body of the lure  :o

Andre van Wyk

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 09, 2010, 05:28:10 PM
Superb report Trav, what a way to spend the weekend, certainly beat the hell outta mine!

Fantastic write up, and great pictures mate well done! Jealous as all hell in a hand basket!
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Graham Scott

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 09, 2010, 08:31:57 PM
Hey Travis,
Great work,
I was wondering when the queenies would come back.
 Give me a pm about that estuary if you want to find a fish. It's a lot bigger than it looks.
 Did you get home before the wind kicked up on Sunday?
 I did a charter on saturday but stayed out wide.

Mick Cunningham

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 09, 2010, 10:10:33 PM
hi travis ...

thank,s for the report . great to see some action again ..
well done to jay to his first GT.
i,m sure he will want to go back for bigger fish :D :D

i can,t wait to head out again  soon ::).
got some new toy to test out  8).

hey graham
do you think you have some spare time to go out again ??  :-X ::)
then sent me a pm. 

Travis Heaps

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 10, 2010, 08:13:19 AM
Hey Travis,
Great work,
I was wondering when the queenies would come back.
 Give me a pm about that estuary if you want to find a fish. It's a lot bigger than it looks.
 Did you get home before the wind kicked up on Sunday?
 I did a charter on saturday but stayed out wide.

Gday Graham, yeah the queenies were thick, big suckers as well.

Didn't quite beat the wind home on Sunday.  Was heading to a mark about 40km NE of Rosslyn Bay when it got a bit lumpy.  Fished and then settled in for a long ride home but after about 10km or so heading back in it abated a bit and was ok - still not great by the time we got home though.

hi travis ...

thank,s for the report . great to see some action again ..
well done to jay to his first GT.
i,m sure he will want to go back for bigger fish :D :D

i can,t wait to head out again  soon ::).
got some new toy to test out  8).

hey graham
do you think you have some spare time to go out again ??  :-X ::)
then sent me a pm. 

Hey Mick - new toys huh...come on, don't tease us  ;D

Graham Scott

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 10, 2010, 11:01:35 AM
Mick,
If you have any more new toys you will need a bigger truck to carry them in.

I would love to go out and have another fish with you and Travis.  At present the weather is very sus with small gaps between monster South easterlies. Should be OK by mid May??

Nathan Cefai

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 11, 2010, 12:02:44 PM
Good work Lads..

Robert Palcak

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 12, 2010, 04:45:56 PM
Nice Trav... not too shabby for a weekend get-away.
How cool is it when a newbie gets their first?  8) 8)
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Travis Heaps

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 12, 2010, 05:46:04 PM
Nice Trav... not too shabby for a weekend get-away.
How cool is it when a newbie gets their first?  8) 8)

Hey Rob - yeah i've always liked hooking newbies up to their first.  I believe Jay's first words as I pulled it into the boat were "holy F%$&"  ;D

Robert Palcak

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 12, 2010, 05:58:08 PM
I believe Jay's first words as I pulled it into the boat were "holy F%$&"  ;D

Newbies all seem to speak the same language... come to think of it... I think they were the 2 words I managed to gasp out with my first. 
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Brad Bell

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Re: CQ Weekend Trip
March 30, 2010, 11:55:17 PM
onya boys, nice trip, always good to crack the g code on your own hey