Im staying at the caravan park would be great to get a day out with FW member

PM me for a beer if your here  

phil

 Hi again lads,

as some of you know I live in Darwin  NT, I also work in the construction industry which lets me meet a lot of interstate  crews,

one such crew are a bunch of concretors out of Adelaide,  and being the friendly fellow that I am ... after much nagging from them I took them out for a fish to one of my spots.

Darwin has had a month on onshore winds that have chopped the water up a bit making it dirty.... not my favorite conditions. 

With a 7 AM start on the rocks we got into casting  the topwater gear with some half hearted follows from some rather large  Skinnys

( Queenfish )... but nothing solid on hookup.

the south aussies wanted a bit of a slow down as the humidity  was getting to them so we started tossing the bait which kept them entertained  for sevral hours as the Blue salmon schools cruised through...

All in all the guys had a good time and kept only the throat damaged fish, more pics as I get them .

enjoy the pics Cheers Syd 

 Planning  another road trip down to Exmouth. .... can anyone tell me if squid are still there at Christmas  time?

kinda enjoyed  chasing them last trip..... to the point I got some handmade jigs made up 

Cheers 

Hi All,

Heading to Dunsborough in late October for a family holiday, have a couple of youngens so we are hoping to do a bit of beach/jetty fishing and pick up some whiting, herring and a couple of crabs to hopefully get them hooked on fishing.

Can an amateur some advice?

I have heard there is a stretch of beach around Quindalup that might be what I am after?

Any tips are appreciated.

Cheers

Hi

Will be spending 2 nights in Coral Bay - 18th and 19th November. Does anyone have any suggestions as to best value, reasonable accomodation for 4 adults for this period

Thanks for any suggestions

Eric

sometimes you get away with it , in a brake in the rain 2day I rode my 1934 rudge down the rocky forshore 2 day on the way home I was cranking it and would have been hitting 65km coppers went past me and just gave me a thunbs up

Well home from holiday after safe drive. Not happy with the weather here cause it,s freezing and raining. We had great weather at Coral Bay with sunshine and not much wind. Caught up with Cruise Control and I would like to thank Bruce for helping out with the fishing, we caught some good fish and had a great time.
Managed to take our women out on a perfect day for whale watching,dolphins and turtles as well because it was not all about the fishing hahaha.(we managed 6 trips out)
Coral Bay seems very relaxed and the marina was a pleasure to use and our accommodation was an easy 3 minute walk to the shops and tavern.
A return trip may be on the cards.

Hey Guys,
heading up to lucky bay and a bit north of kalbarri mid sept.
Has any one been up there around this time? whats the fishing like onshore?
ive been told good fat sized mullaway and taylor are around early mornings and evenings.

Cheers

Fishing the Mighty Zambezi

I have seen many David Attenborough wildlife documentaries over the years and one thing I always remember him saying was, “Africa… the world’s greatest wilderness … the only place on earth to the see the full majesty of nature”. Having travelled across a few continents, I made the decision to add Africa to the list and cross it off my bucket list. Work and time constraints meant that I had to limit my travelling to a very small area of Africa, the east coast, specifically Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, so I was going to make the most of that valuable time.

Being able to be amongst the amazing wildlife was a definite priority, but the chance to fish on another continent was certainly up there. In making plans to visit the mighty Zambezi, it was not difficult to find a likely target, the Tigerfish, (Hydrocynus Vittatus) known for their distinctive razor sharp teeth and excellent sport fish qualities. “Hunting Tigers on the Zambezi River”, has a special ring to it - it was an easy decision. Planning the two weeks holiday was also not difficult. Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the World promised new experiences from the Falls themselves to a microlight flight, wild white water rafting, a flying fox experience and the ultimate safari adventure.

After a week in the Victoria Falls area, I chose a tour package with Imvelo Safari Lodges, which comprised two nights in luxury five-star woodlands accommodation in the Hwange National Park which was a true safari experience, three nights Tigerfishing at Sidinda Lodge 80km downstream of Victoria Falls and two nights at Gorges Lodge, stunningly situated on the edge of the Batoka Gorge, 220 metres above the Zambezi River. The Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa stretching over 2500 kilometres starting 1500 metres above sea level and gathering speed as it undulates through winding gorges over the Victoria Falls and out to the ocean. I had no doubt from perusing their website that this was going to give me the best chance of seeing Wild Africa and doing it in style and comfort. But back to the Tigerfish.

I was then at the important part, how do you fish for them, what do I take, what are the requirements and what time of year is my best chance for success? I was informed that late September/October was the best time and I needed light tackle, anything between 6 and 20lb with there being equal debate as to mono or braid among the local web forums. The one non-debatable was steel trace. Again, the lighter the better, but it also depended on whether you planned to use lures or live bait. The choice of rod and reel is completely up to the angler, but I enjoyed a fast action 6-10kg rod on a 4000 size reel. Driving into Sidinda Lodge, our fishing destination, we saw snippets of the real Zimbabwe, undulating roads through sparse hilly countryside littered with small communal huts, roaming animals and rarely another vehicle to be seen. It reminded me of the remote outback Pilbara many, many years ago in the middle of summer, and it did provide me the occasional reminder of how lucky we are to be living in Australia. The final hill into the lodge marked a significant change in scenery with lush green trees, shrubs and palms lining the banks of the river. The anticipation was well and truly building with the sight of fastflowing water pushing through the gorges and several bass-styled boats waiting on the nearby shore.

After making ourselves comfortable, we began to set up the rods for the first eagerly anticipated afternoon session. Our brilliant Imvelo Safari fishing guide, Brian, had his helpers pack the boat with our gear and an esky full of refreshments as the Zimbabwean sun definitely packed some punch. Brian informed us that the stretch of water we were fishing was 16 kilometres long, Zambia was on the right side of the river and Zimbabwe on the left, and had two impassable rapids during the dry season which meant we were the only ones that were going to be fishing it. We zoomed up to the first rapid and Brian told us that the river often drops from 6 feet to 140 feet within a few metres and there were a couple of successful techniques he used for fishing for Tigers. Fly fishing, casting a variety of lures with a fast retrieve either on the surface or with divers, casting bait strips with a fast retrieve, dead baits in the current, or trolling lures. His preference was for casting lures or using strips of bait, but commented it was best to change up depending on what the fish were hitting. We began to prepare the weapons for battle and my lure of choice was the 1 oz peacock blue coloured blade whilst Brian prepared a weightless strip of bait to be cast and retrieved. The river varies in its speed as it runs through the narrow corridors and has etched itself into the landscape as the water level varies approximately 10 metres between the wet and dry seasons. This has caused the river to have lots of nooks, crannies, eddies and deep spots that just scream fish, each requiring a cast just to check what may be lurking in the shadows. It didn’t take long to find the action and on the fourth cast I was on. T

he one thing I learnt very quickly about Tigerfish is their speed and ability to jump and throw a lure. Brian estimated the first fish to be well over 10lb and a solid ‘river dog’, being a resident fish that hasn’t migrated up or down stream. Over the session we hooked fifteen fish with only three coming to the boat. Brian told us that a strike rate of 30 % or lower was pretty common and we would need to work hard to stay connected and get the fish to the boat. The following morning we decided to change tactics, using strips of very lightly weighted Tigerfish on a single 5/0 hook to cast and retrieve quickly from the edges of the river.

We found that early morning was the best time to fish as the mayflies, one of the Tigers’ favourite foods, were often on the surface hatching as the sun rose. It was essential to be ready to fish as the Tigers’ bite would start to slow as they filled on the mayflies during the morning. For the next two days we used a combination of lures and strip baits, with the bigger fish coming on 1 oz switch blades worked feverishly through the water column against the water flow. The most successful spots we found were little eddies where the water pooled and small amounts of debris and insects would give the perfect ambush opportunity. There was one spot called Chaos Corner which lived up to its name, producing small but lively fish every session until the last day when a small fluoro pink spinner took the fish of the season, a solid 17 pound river dog. The fish came up from the depths with an extremely visual take and proceeded to jump and strip line from one side of the river to the other trying to throw the hook.

The fight of the Tigerfish is in my opinion a cross between a Barramundi and Giant Threadfin - extremely speedy bursts combined with lively aerobatics against the most stunning backdrop. Whilst the fishing was exceptional, the highlight had to be the location. Crocodiles, hippos, bush bucks, cliff springers and a variety of eagles and birdlife often made it difficult to focus on the fishing. Sidinda Lodge is nestled into the banks of the Zambezi, so another option when not fishing was to relax while sipping on an icy cold beverage, watching the Zambezi make its way through the gorge and listening to the bellowing of the hippos.

Don’t think twice about adding Zimbabwe to your bucket list. The sheer magnificence of the Zambezi, and for me the adrenalin rush of boating the season’s biggest Tigerfish - with the expert help of our provided fishing guide - plus the absolute comfort and convenience of Sidinda Lodge made for an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend it!!  For bookings and further information visit www.zambezisafaris.net

Stay tuned for more

 Arrived here at 3.30 pm after a very smooth and economical run up. So for all those JEEP owners, all I can say is Yes !!! Average travel speed 100kph pulling 3.5 tonne, 15.3 litres to the 100 Km's - very happy

However on arrival, a major downer. A mate who is already here had his boat cleaned out by some stealing scumbags. They got all his rods, reels including Stella's and electrics, lures and even took leader and line. They even took his Navionics card out of his GPS. Farken unbelievable. Silly of him I know, to leave gear in the boat but seriously. Cops not really interested but believe that it's a local.

So, be warned, if you are coming to Coral Bay, secure your gear inside your accommodation. All I have left in the boat are sinkers.

hopefully the next report will have fish in it. 

 there is only so much a bloke can take.  with all the talk of fishwreckers going on trips away ive made a few calls and organised a mini trip up to jurien this weekend.

heading up sparrows sat, fishing then into the swags for the night with another day of fishing sunday, head home into the dark back to perth. 

ill be heading out north passage as its my first time in those waters, doing all research now.

dont all rush to PM with awesome ground to fish ahaahah 

good luck to all that get out on weekend 

I got some work there in October, what's the chance of finding some shore-based lure fun. Doesn't have to be big and not looking for a feed but would love to land some small queenies, trevs, jacks, whatever... Cheers in advance

Arriving in Coral Bay on Saturday,can hardly wait.2 shifts left at work and leaving around midnight Thursday to stay at Carnarvon on way up.Hoping to catch up with other fishwrecked crews for a chat and beers.Caribbean Belmont with an opti on back,named To The Max.Hoping for good weather and a few fish and laughs. Cheers and hope everyone has a safe trip.

 I am thinking of booking a trip with this lodge next year

Has anyone been there and have any feedback postitve or negative to share?

Pm please

Thanks

R

 Hi,

I live in Adelaide but haven't fished the Eyre peninsula since I was a kid. I'm heading to coffin bay with a mate at the start of October for a week of fishing. We'll have a 4.8 metre boat and so will pretty much be in the bay unless the weather is perfect.

having never fished coffin bay it'd be great to get some suggestions where/what to fish for. I've got gear light enough for gar, heavy enough for king fish, a surf rod and a few crab nets.

Any tips would be awesome!

Thanks

Hi Gang,

Part 2 of my Zimbabwe trip with Zambezi Safaris.  This time was visiting Victoria Falls from the Zambia side, going for lion walks and going on a safari in Chobe National Park in Botswana (amazing!!)  Will let the pics do the talking, feel free to ask questions.

I took the Zambezi Safari guys on as site sponsors and didn't really have any idea what to expect, like I said above, epic hardly even describes it and will be fond memories for life.

http://www.zambezisafaris.net/

Part 1 can be found here:

http://fishwrecked.com/forum/zimbabwe-part-1-zambezi-safaris

Cheers,

Adam

Heading up to Coral one month from today so the countdown is on.

This time taking the eldest boy and his mate for 2 weeks in piscatorial paradise, hopefully the taxman will stay away. Just finalising the final plans before we start getting it all together for an early start. First long distance test for the new diesel Jeep and hoping for a trouble free trip. Getting twitchy already. . . . .  . anyone else up there at that time ?

Hi guys is anyone going to be at steep point between the 1st and 5th july? im heading up for a few days on my way further north will be in a gold cruiser with a perth weather live sticker across the rear stop in for a beer and chat if you see me! 1st time there so any tips advice would be appreciated

Hi Guys,

I have been a bit remiss lately in posting this up, but thought it was about time I did.  Last October I did a trip with Zambezi Safaris to Zimbabwe to see what all the fuss was about, tiger fishing and seeing wild Africa.  I have submitted an article to Western Angler for the fishing, but thought I should show you some of the wild life that was the bonus to the trip.

I will do a running description as I post the series up and explain the photos.  I have travelled the world extensively with South America and Russia being the major places I haven't been yet so have seen a fair bit out there.  To say Africa was the best I'd seen probably understates how epic it really was.  I took three thousand photos whilst I was there for the 2 weeks and the chick I took with me was a professional photog and killed that number and I think we still didn't capture everything.  I will let the photos do most of the talking and let you guys ask questions along the way.

I took the Zambezi Safari guys on as site sponsors and didn't really have any idea what to expect, like I said above, epic hardly even describes it and will be fond memories for life.  I'm now seeing a chick from Zimbabwe, so hopefully gives me a reason to return soon!!

http://www.zambezisafaris.net/

Adam

Rocking up in the afternoon, straight to the backpackers and out for a quick walk for tea to find local entertainment giving us a warm welcome.

The Vic Falls backpackers was cheap as chips and suited our needs perfectly, great location to setup your activities.

First day was walking around Vic Falls and taking in the Falls in dry season.  Dry season is the best time to go for Tiger Fishing.  It is also said to be the best time to visit the falls as when it is wet the spray from the falls makes it hard to see them.

Plenty to see walking the falls, some wierd bird life.

Nice little spot

Friendly little dude

Great spot to chill and take in the view

More friendly dudes, still plenty wild though as we found out, lol.

Loving it!

Some of the woodwork was just awesome.

After checking out town in the morning, we decided to do a sunset cruise on the Zambezi.  Now these guys know how to make sure you get the best of everything, 3 course meal and unlimited drinks, surrounded by hippos, crocs and elephants.

Don't mess with the locals.

First of many elephants for the trip.

Sunset on the Zambezi, won't be forgotten anytime soon.

Lots, lots more to come.

http://www.zambezisafaris.net/

 Hi all

due to have a bub in a few months and got a couple mates in the same boat or have just had one so we are thinking of having a quick land based long weekend somewhere roughing it prob 3-4 days we are thinking of heading north somewhere due to it starting to get cold down perth way now can anyone recomend any places?? we are normally heading up to steep this time of year with boats but due to pregnant wives its not happening.

Cheers

Rod

 Hi everyone,

Myself and a few other members on here (Bodie) and a close group of mates have been privelaged enough to share some awesome fishing trips together. From towing 8m long boats for week long boys trips in Exmouth, to a recent Abrolhos trip, trips to Augusta ect. We really have been very fortunate. All of the guys work very hard and love the chance once a year to collectively get away from it all somewhere remote to tackle some tough fighting fish, drink some beer, have a laugh and above all attempt to lose most of the good tackle we buy to unstoppable fish. 

I wanted to seek some advice from others on here where some of the best offshore live aboard fishing charters / or even charters in general may be? 

Budget per person $3.5-$4k max

preferably a week at a minimum

our most preferred fish species is red emperor, coral trout, rankin cod, ect.

are there any standout charters anyone has been on for about a week they could highly recommend? Usual crew numbers of about 8 blokes. Looking to book for going either late this year or early next year

scwno

Headed to the island on the back of last weekends shit weather with a mate, weather was pretty windy the whole time except when we got home last night.
Most time 20-30 E-SE

Still got a few fish in and had a cruisy time

Glory boy holding up my fish

Second biggest cobia Ive ever seen, hard to weigh but around 17-20kg and 1.4 meters

Will chuck up some more pics next week when I get to work and get the rest of them.

 Not really a holiday as I live here.

Just finished my weekend of fishing jaunts down the road from my farm, 

With the cool weather set in I drove down to one of my shorebased spots for a lure only assault of my stones.

Wind was up and the water was dirty ...... Not ideal as I like it clean and clear, but to my surprise it turned it on...

As the tide was dropping big Queenfish and Barracuda were smashing my lures and with the bung arm was having a hard time landing fish on the rocks...... dropped everyone of them.

Dead low tide and the shallow flats went nuts with tiny bait fish getting smashed by small footlong trevs and little Skinnys,

Redeemed myself today ( Sunday ) managed to get  a good skinny up on the rocks...

So at home making numas now... enjoy the pics 

Just got back from a week and a bit in Darwin. Was the wife and mine Anniversary Trip and second honeymoon (first trip without our Daughter in tow). So what to take – fishing rods of course.

Spent much of the time looking around Darwin and mooching by the pool, walking around Darwin and also went to Litchfield Park and catching up with friends up there.

On Friday booked myself in a trip with Anglers Choice at Dundee Beach. Was a windy and rough day unfortunately and Span Mack were not playing ball, Saw a free swimming sail come up under the boat however he did not want to play ball and come to the teaser to be switch baited. Later on the winds dropped a bit allowing us to get onto some longtail and Mackie tuna schools before heading home. The reefies did not play ball on this day either (weather was pretty crap most of the day).

Re booked again for the Tuesday following the NT long weekend – thankfully this time perfect weather. Got out and onto the reefies early with red snapper, small mouth nannies and red throat etc coming aboard early. Just had to wind quick to beat the sharks wanting a free meal. Would have loved to downsize the gear from 15kg but the need to get them up quick was crucial. Those 8-9ft sleepy sharks are on the ball if you’re not and do wicked things to your groin.

Around lunch the tuna schools had started busting up more regularly so out came the 8kg gear and small metals. Racing up to schools and pelting the lure into their midst was great fun. Only small compared to our Bluefin in SA but on light gear those mack tuna and longtails are good fun. Caught heaps went back to catch a few more reefies and then back onto the tuna.

Had two takes just on the surface that did not fight like tuna – surprised when got colour and saw a mid sized GT and tea leaf trev pulled out from the tuna schools – couple more ticks off the bucket list. Heaps of other stuff including heaps of turtles popping up around the place. All in all was a great few days fishing.

Also had a land based flick at east point to have a couple of midsize GT follow but no takes.

Can’t wait to go back next year

Cheers

Here's a few pics - didn't take that many but have heaps of Go Pro footage to sort through/edit and will post it later

 Hey Guys

Heading to Carnarvon in 7 weeks for the annual trip, I need to get my Honda 90 4 stroke serviced does anyone know of any decent mechanics north of the river that dont charge an arm & a leg? appreciate any help

Kelvin

 In the early stages of planning our yearly trip to Gnaraloo and to say I'm a little excited is an understatement. It's still 3 months away but I like to prepare well in advance to make the trip as drama free as possible. So wondering what  tips etc you might have for a trip away. Mainly things  that streamline the trip, I'm always up for suggestion and what a better place than the forum to get it. One thing I do is pre cook a few dinners and freeze to save precious filleting and drinking time. Anyway fire away!

 Hi All,

Headed up to monkey mia for the july school holidays and taking my 3.5m tinny, just wondering if anyone had any advice on which way to head out/ what kind of water i should be looking for to catch a feed for the family. 

Thanks for any advice :)

 Hi all

Family holiday to Coral Bay 18th to 25th April and as this will be my first visit I would like some advice. I have searched and read all the posts here on Fishwrecked that I could find and have a reasonable idea of what to expect.

Weather and swell permitting I would like to get my boat outside the reef (via north passage) but am unsure if my 4.8 m side console Stacer Nomad is up to the task. Could those that go regularly/know the area well advise please? Would I be better off staying inside the reef and fishing inside the south passage, five fingers etc?

Anyone willing to share some rough locations to try? My girls think that the fish will literally be jumping into the boat ....:/ 

I know about the Bateman and Maud sanctuary zones, any others to know about?

The area to the south of the south passage looks like a place to chuck some poppers around for GTs, am I correct in thinking this.

Really excited to get to Coral Bay and hope to find some fish

Cheers

Matt

After almost a year of planning our trip up to Nanga in SB if finally approaching. Plan to leave next Monday at some unholy hour and hopefully get there in the mid arvo.

Towing up an 18/20 foot ali tub that is set up for pure fishing. Would love to give you technical types the make, model, engine type etc but i just dont know. Can tell you that it has a peeling blue paint job and is called Omega, owned by Dazza and a crew of mates who are all FIFO.

Dazza's parents used to own the Nanga station but it has been bought out by the government. They sold the caravan park, camping area and just kept the homestead with a few shacks for tourists so we will be staying in the homestead for 10/14 days. As the boys have been going there each year for decades i think the fishing spots will be covered but if anybody has any suggestions then please put in a comment as you are never to old to find new spots.

Target species will be Pinkies (obviously), bluebone, black snapper, red throats, whiting, taylor, flathead, squid, mackies and anythig else that looks like fun. 

If the weather is good to us a trip up to Dirk Hartog island will be included but it is a long way from Nanga, which is way south of Denham. If we can get up there then that opens up those open water species also.

If any FW crew are around that area then we would be more than happy to catch up for a brew and chat. There will also be a spot or two available on the boat if you happen to be LB. I'm sure a trip out could be sorted out. 

The only challenge we have is the station and boat launch ramp fall in the Freycinet Eastuary protection area. The 3 of us went in the lottery and all got our 2 tags so we can land a total of 6 pinkies at the ramp for a 2 week holiday. Actuall we can only catch 6 pinkies in total in the Freycinet area but luckily we will be only a few Km from the northern boundary and this i'm told is a very productive area.

Man i'm excited.

Merv

My jobs coming to an end so thought its a good time to see what the northwest  has to offer,we will be leaving from exy and heading up through to darwin and back towing my 5 meter tinny with a 60 fst on it. Can anyone recommend  some places to see and fish to hopefully  make this a fishing trip to remember cheers for any input we need  all the advise we can get with this one.