Bluewater Tackle World News for September 25th

If you have a boat in a pen, you'll be familiar with the problems of birds trying to fertilise it. But spare a thought for the tenants of Newport Harbour, on the Pacific coast of the USA. Migrating sealions have decided it's the ideal summer stopover, and of course they need somewhere to lounge around on while they're there. Check out the pic.

Fortunately for the boatowners, the sealions will be continuing on their migration next month.

***

Thailand is a popular holiday destination for Australians, and amongst the myriad of offerings that the country has, Phuket is probably the most popular of the getaways. We've had a bit to do with Dan McGatha, an American who now runs Thaioneon (Thai-one-on) Sport Fishing Charters out from Phuket, and it's evident his operation is very professional.

He has a comprehensive new website. If you're travelling to Phuket or longing for an exotic fishing holiday, study it up - there's something for everybody there. The guys are IGFA orientated and the boat is fitted out with all quality gear, so it won't disappoint.

***

We had a chat to Australian Monofil about their Platypus Lo-Stretch nylon monofilament product earlier this month. It's picking up in popularity, particularly amongst people who have used braid but find it too unforgiving for their style of fishing; but still don't want all the stretch of regular nylon. They tell us Lo-Stretch extends by about 13% before breaking, compared to their Platinum at around 22%, and everything else above 25%. So we got around to putting it on the site; still have the 1200m spools to add. See it at here.

***

This week's Bluewater Tackle World special is Berkley Gulp! Alive! buckets of Berkley's biodegradable soft baits, normally $29.95 now $19.95 - save $10. See them and all the other specials here.

***

Here’s a preview of this weekend's Sunday Times fishing news, with a bit of extra stuff...

PERTH METROPOLITAN

Despite the nastiness of the winds, many anglers were still able to find some action, with tailor from beaches such as Yanchep and further north the highlights. Boaties trolling close to shore along the northern suburbs coastline also picked up some nice tailor. Skippy, garfish and herring were worth chasing along rock walls and reefs, again the northern parts doing better. Skippy are abundant on offshore reefs like the Three Mile, and there are some gear-busting samson fish in the same areas.

Joff Weston of Bluewater Scarborough admits to a few tense moments when heading back from an outstanding day’s fishing about 16km out, inside but towards Direction Bank. With a 3.5m swell and 18-23 knot winds, Weston and mates caught pink snapper with heaps of them around, fishing shallower parts in the 40 to 80m of  water and also trying the back of drop offs they could find. Some king george to 50cm added quality to their bags, and Weston took a 68cm snapper on a Taikabura jig. The hairy parts of the trip were as a result of passing through the gaps of the reefs on the way in with the big seas running.

Graham Stewart caught a near 15kg jewfish out from Two Rocks and Peter Jasinski, working from his boat nearby, brought some great king george aboard. Monster samson fish made for enormous excitement in these northern suburbs areas, Weston suggesting some were unstoppable, guessing at the weight of some of them about
40kg. 

Pink snapper were welcomed at a few land based spots, from North Mole, a half-dozen pinkies were landed, Floreat and Mindarie all registering snapper catches.

Squid numbers have improved around reef spots in northern metro, where they are generally of terrific size.

The Canning River is holding numbers of flathead.

WEDGE ISLAND

Josh Thompson, another Bluewater Scarborough staffer, has been making lightning trips to Wedge Island where he has enjoyed success landing tailor and mulloway.

JURIEN BAY

A couple of decent mulloway highlighted Jurien jetty activity, and a school of salmon created mayhem when they hit the mouth of the marina. Tailor to 48cm featured in beach fishing with Island Point and Hill River hotspots, skippy prevalent from Hill River to Jurien. Smaller species were the major part of catches at Sandy Cape, sand whiting and flathead among them.

Pink snapper to five kilos made 40m-deep water their home territory while plenty of baldchin around 3-4kg boosted catches, jewfish in the 8-10kg range a bonus.

MANDURAH

Strong winds kept a lid on fishing with just a few reports of herring and tailor, bream fishing good in the Murray and in the Mandurah Marina. Neil Grant hasn’t let the weather get the better of him, by fishing the freshwater around Harvey and Waroona, catching some big brown trout and wild rainbows, and of course heaps of redfin.                                                         

KALBARRI

Murchison River fishing was excellent with plenty of bream about, Brett Bain catching a 1.25kg bream and some whiting, Gary Ivey catching and releasing some good bream and a tarwhine, Cheryl Eley including some fine tailor in her catch from the river.

Big swells made beach fishing tough, with just the odd mulloway caught, Karen Hartig’s mulloway weighing 3.5kg.

EXMOUTH

There's a new Exmouth-only newsletter on the site here, with a ripper mackerel. There'll be another newsletter up soon.

***

Got a 4WD? Please join us on Convoy for SIDS and Kids Day, October 12th 2008 - see you there!

***

Bluewater Tackle World News comes from Bluewater, 21 Scarborough Beach Road, Scarborough, Western Australia - phone 08 9245 1313 - www.bluewater.net.au

***

Please feel free to forward the web address for this newsletter on to friends who might appreciate it.

You can receive this news as an email the moment it's available (usually well before it appears on the website) by registering on the ‘create an account’ page. You don't have to buy anything, we just want you to get the info when it's most current.