Central Queensland - Capricorn Bunker Group 01/09/2011 - 04/09/2011

[Chris Webster]

01/09/201102/09/2011http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remora

[Graham Scott]

Hi Chris,

Just for the record, did you actually get beyond the Keppels, out to Northwest and places like that?

and seeing it was such a bad trip.......it wasn't one of our charters.

This unfortunately is the problem I tell a lot of people about our area, its basically unfishable in strong winds, unlike say Bugatti or the Swains where at least on low tide you can work the reef edges.

You wouldn't have done any better up towards Shoalwater, only thing would have changed would have been the size of the waves...normally double.
Could have popped a few whiting and small queenies off the beach at Keppel??? The whiting don't seem to go  for full scales or ahdeks though.

[Chris Webster]

Hi Graham,
No we didn't get beyond the Keppels.
We did try small poppers off of the beach but same again, no action.
Would have thought the Whiting would like poppers bigger than them! ha ha.

What charters are yours?

I am thinking of another trip just unsure where yet. Maybe NC.

Cheers,

Chris

[Dan Konig]

Bugger - that's always the fear with a charter!

You can plan as much as you like, and buy all the best gear, but if the weather turns sour it can ruin it all!

[Warwick Joyce]

Chris, I'm pretty surprised that the boat left the harbor   Surely they had some idea of the forecast?
As for the kepples all the best popping spots are exposed and with 30kn wind none of them would have been fishable!
We just cancelled our 4 day trip due to winds above 15knotts. A 6m tide run and any wind makes for wild water.
I think the best thing to combat bad wind on charters is travel insurance and get the charter company to cancel due to high winds that way you might get something back on the expenses.

Better luck next time!

[Chris Webster]

We discussed cancelling but due to the fact that no high wind warnings had been issued they would not cancel.

[Robin Loi]

the weather, what a bummer! like what Dan posted, gear+knowledge-wise, you can have the best in the world but when mother nature acts up and literally restricts one from fishing, it's all gonna be downhill from there.. but that's fishing.. we win some, we lose some.. tightlines chris..

[Gary Prerost]

I ran charter boats for a lot of years the name of the game for me was to get customers back I always told them the truth about my expectations weatherwise and fishing wise.It worked for me and I could sleep at night knowing I did the right thing.In saying that I always had anglers who wanted to go no matter you do your best but at some stage I would have cut my losses.This case in point you have reached many anglers who rightly so will be cautious about charter boats.Even more so if its an overseas trip I have read plenty about good operaters cancelling for another time these are the guys you want to source. I have fished the north west area and it turned on some monster fishing. Dissapointing I know but you have spread the word Gary

[Graham Scott]

Chris,
We run Keppel Bay Escapes, but not doing much now. We cancel at 15 knots with an 11m cat. I don't take bookings if people have to fly in as I won't call a trip until 2 or 3 days out.
Send me a pm with details as I am in the local tourism goup and what you experienced is poor form. Stick to operators like Nomad

[Chris Webster]

Hi Graham,
Mate i would love to use Nomad but like a lot of people i dont have thousands to spend on a fishng trip, or the Mrs wont let me anyway.

Better luck next time hey.
Chris

[Peter Childs]

Hey Chris, I hear you buddy!  The weather over the last 4 weeks has been crap.

We left Newcastle (NSW) in our own boat on the 16th August bound for the Kepples, Island Head and Pearl bay for a spot of popping.  We got stuck at Coffs in that low for over a week on the way north.  Crawled up the inside passage between the Gold coast and Moreton bay to avoid the weather before deciding to make a run for it up the outside of Fraser to Lady Musgrave on the same day as the start of your charter.

We were forced to turn back into Harvey Bay after rounding Break Sea spit in appalling conditions.  25 - 35 Knot SE.  We broke a furler on the headsail, two awnings on the boat and lost our engine due to fuel blockages from all of the stirring up, right on the tip of the spit!.....It was a long way back to Urangan under half sail.

Having lost most of our planned 6 weeks break just getting here, we were forced to start heading back a couple of days ago (having only just finished repairing the damage).  As I write this, once again we are sitting in Tin Can Bay at the Southern end of the Sandy Straights, waiting for the SE to die down so we can cross Wide Bay Bar and continue our journey home........not a popper thrown in anger!

2 Days ago we were nearly knocked flat by a 55 knot squall that uprooted a lot of the trees on the beach upwind from us, and broke neighbouring boats away from their moorings. 

You gotta love Nature don't you!  What do they say about best layed plans.   That's 6 weeks worth of long service down the tubes, not to mention 12 months of planning and logistics.  Nuthin for it but to start planning the next one hey!

Cheers.

[Chris Webster]

Hey Chris, I hear you buddy!  The weather over the last 4 weeks has been crap.

We left Newcastle (NSW) in our own boat on the 16th August bound for the Kepples, Island Head and Pearl bay for a spot of popping.  We got stuck at Coffs in that low for over a week on the way north.  Crawled up the inside passage between the Gold coast and Moreton bay to avoid the weather before deciding to make a run for it up the outside of Fraser to Lady Musgrave on the same day as the start of your charter.

We were forced to turn back into Harvey Bay after rounding Break Sea spit in appalling conditions.  25 - 35 Knot SE.  We broke a furler on the headsail, two awnings on the boat and lost our engine due to fuel blockages from all of the stirring up, right on the tip of the spit!.....It was a long way back to Urangan under half sail.

Having lost most of our planned 6 weeks break just getting here, we were forced to start heading back a couple of days ago (having only just finished repairing the damage).  As I write this, once again we are sitting in Tin Can Bay at the Southern end of the Sandy Straights, waiting for the SE to die down so we can cross Wide Bay Bar and continue our journey home........not a popper thrown in anger!

2 Days ago we were nearly knocked flat by a 55 knot squall that uprooted a lot of the trees on the beach upwind from us, and broke neighbouring boats away from their moorings. 

You gotta love Nature don't you!  What do they say about best layed plans.   That's 6 weeks worth of long service down the tubes, not to mention 12 months of planning and logistics.  Nuthin for it but to start planning the next one hey!

Cheers.

Hey Peter,

You poor bugger. Mate i thought i had it rough up there.
Would not have wanted to be out there in a yacht thats for sure.
Hope you have better luck on your return journey and get a few fish.

Cheers,

Chris

[Graham Scott]

And September is our best weather of the year....apparently.

Anyway sounds like more GT's for us locals...and you southerners have been warned, the fishing gods are not happy with you two.

If you ever want to come back (and I understand if you don't) give me a bit of notice and I'll see if I can organise a day out.

[Alex Jordan]

I do feel for you - just come back from Cape Cod ... not one day Tuna fishing due to the weather so being land based I came back home early to the UK ... gutted but all the weathers fault!

./damn hurricane

[Luke Anderson]

I done a week out there in early january a few years ago & other than one calm sunny day it was driving rain & wind and so topwater fishinng ended before it started. I forgot to mention how hot & humid it can be - even in the rain & wind!