After weeks of pestering from JF, am finally around to getting a writeup done for the 2021 boys tip to Exmouth. We've been heading up to Exmouth for the past 12 years, with some new comers coming into the mix over recent years and now having a fantastic bunch of blokes to spend 2 weeks a year on a fishing trip with and we fish hard!

Last year was a bit of a flop due to covid, so we intended to make up for it this year. 3 large boats and a tinnie in tow with 8 blokes.

Other than a small trailer issue departing on a Saturday morning, the drive up was completely uneventful, just the way they should be. We had decided to stop a few hours short of Exmouth somewhere and swag on the side of the road. This is usually a lead in to the next 2 weeks of drinking and as always, settled into a few cans (maybe more than a few) around the camp fire.

Next morning, up reasonably to trundle the rest of the way into Exy. The weather was looking pretty good, so made good time so we had a chance to fish half a day

Our trip starts the same way every year. We Dump all the gear off at the house and straight to the water for an arvo jigging session not too far out, mostly chasing a few rankins. This year we decided to try some stick baiting first for mackies. Whilst there were no pictures taken, 2 mackies were landed before heading out for a Jig.

It was pretty quiet on this particulr jigging ground, over the years the number of rankins seemed to have reduced, but did manage a couple for dinner that night, top gong went to Scano on day 1

The next few days are a bit of a mixture, with the weather being very good, we headed up to the Islands for a day in the deeper water, with great success, with the Fury bagging out on Goldband and the whalers having a half reasonable day on Goldband and a few reds

I think it was Day 3 we hit up the gulf chasing some prawns. Changed it up a bit and took the Fury down into the gulf for a day whilst 2 took the tinny down into the gulf and 2 went out jigging and plastics out in the deeper gulf waters.

John handed over a mark he had in the gulf (which he probably regrets!!) and we managed to hit this up first. I think it was drop 1 on the mark, nice slob of a trout in the Gulf on jig!! lunch sorted

It was a little windy in the morning, but the weather turned it on as we headed down into the gulf. Having not ever been down that way, I had no ground what so ever to fish, but did come across this in shallower

Needless to say it was covered in BIG fish. Running PE2 and PE 3, we were getting monstored with multiple dustings on big fish. Did get up a couple goldens and a big Estuary cod, go hard in 11m of water!

Moved down and fished in close to a couple of islands and found some more BIG fish, goldens, other types of Trev's, Queenies all in very shallow

Ended up right down in the gulf watching the boys prawning, was a great arvo with the boys getting 15-20ltrs of pawns in a couple of hours.

Worth noting at this point, before the trip started we had decided to add a little more fun into the mix this year, and created a few different comps between the group. From memory there were 4 new ones and our regular skipper V Deckie day...Skipper dont get scared!!

The comps

- Man lines...as it sounds we bought 8 large hand lines, loaded them with 80lb mono and you were into it, biggest fish wins.....what could go wrong??

- Pink combos - 8 kids pink combos from BCF were bought, loaded with PE 2 braid..again biggest fish wins...again what could go wrong?

- Best and worst jigs - Everyone was to put r buy the best or worst jigs they had or could find between 120-200gms and was drawn out of a hat who got what (needless to say all Jigs were shit). But the suprising part and as a report goes on, the fish caught on the 'shit jigs' was amazing

- Skippers day - As it sounds, the 3 skippers get on one boat and the other 5 on the acrss the 2 other boats for a day...to date this has been a 1 sided event... simple, skippers dont get scared and skippers don't lose!

There are limited photos that i have of the comps but someone did comment on the tinny photos in Johns post, yep thats a pink combo bending!

1st Day chasing bills was a disaster...we didnt chase bills. Prbably shouldnt say it was a 'disaster' as it could have been a hell of a lot worse. I'd picked up my new VX Landcruisers a few weeks prior to the trip and 2 days before hand i had suspension air bags put in the rear suspension to support the heavy load on the way up...well lets just say the install a local Perth shop did was not great.. Doing 100kms an hour, with 4 blokes in the car and a 3+ tonne boat on the way to Tanta's and this happens

Th rear trailing arm suspenion bolt on one side comes out (luckily it was the rear bolt) and drops to the deck. After pulling over and on close inspection, all 4 bolts front and back were loose, and one of them only just holding on....the Bolts had not been tightened up on any of them. Not sure how i got 1,300kms from Perth without an isues. Luckily no major accident but it would have easily been that. A few of the guys are handy bush mechaincs, so a bit of on the side of the road work and i was able to limp back into town, but it did write off the day.

Moving on from that, the next week was sensational, perfect weather and great fishing. We spent a few days up around the islands, stick baiting for Mackeral, Tuna, Trevally and everything else, along with some stella days out deeper. The fishing was as good as I've seen in Exmouth. It's up around the islands the shit jigs got a work out. Plenty of fish caught and plenty lost. Cracking days fishing, with Rankin, reds, Goldband, Saddletail, Trevally, Spangles, chainman you name it, we caught it. Weather was first class

 Yep Johns Comp jig was actually 2/3 of a jig, bloody funny

Saddletail / largeouth Nanyagui?

Surface Long tail in the morning

Now with the shit Jigs comp, there was a clear winner on the day out Jigging in the 70's... Daryl retreiving his horrible looking green Jig only to have a saily follow it right to the boat...he quickly free spools and this little saily goes tearing off after it and was hooked up in a second.. after some aerial work and a lot of laughing, the little saily was boat side for a quick pic and released pretty green. We were bloody amazed the hooks stayed in!

Whilst up around the islands we spent a bit of time in the shallows, with some good sized trout hitting the plastics.

We did manage to fit in 2 days of bill fishing and given the reports in town were not great due to the cyclone only 10 days or so earlier, we had a cracking time. Over the 2 days we went 6-5-2 then 8-7-3 (From memory) Along with a few Hoo flying through. On the 2nd day we had only seen 2 fish all day (and we started early), we were holding out for that Arvo bite, and did it happen, going 6-6-2 in the last hour of light. Struggled to get the lures in the water!

Now on th 2nd last day of the trip, it was decided this day would be Skippers V Deckie day. Both John F and Troy lumped onto the Fury and we decided to head out for some deeper jigging given the weather was absolute magic. Needless to say, this turned out to be the day of the trip. After fishing a few known spots early with very little to show for it, oh and this was an 'artificals only. day we headed out wider chasing some Pearlies (we had caught a few earlier in the trip in other areas). What a cracker of a day we had, jigging Pearlies like they were a school of herring ina burley trail, just very deep! Couldnt hit the bottom without multiple hookups. Ended up with our bag of pearlies and calling the deckies over to have a crack who also scored some good fish! (skippers did have to give them a spot tho!!!)

All in all, cracker of a trip. Heaps of fish, heaps of laughs with a bunch of absolute legends. I didnt touch on the drinking, but we definitely gave it a nudge!!! there were a lot of sore heads many a mornings!! including one night where 6 bottles of vodka and atleast 1 bottle of Gin dissappreared! 

Stopped at a station on the way home for the night, great little stop over to break up the return trip

Bring on 2022, if 2021 is anything to go by!! took all of 2 days for everyone to re-commit, house booked, cant wait.

Couple more pics

Cheers

Bodie

Image Upload: