There were several pending state and national records, some by junior anglers, which was great to see. There was also a tag section for sharks and billfish and one shark, two marlin and two sails were tagged on 6kg line. The boat that tagged the billfish saw ten billfish on the first day, so there’s no shortage of these species through the colder months or on the wet days!

The results from the comp were

HPS fish on 1kg line- Winner junior angler Riley Smith with a 1.4kg barracuda.

HPS fish on 2kg line- Winner Junior angler Braden Cooper with a 5.6kg golden trevally.

HPS fish on 3kg line- Winner Jo Decker with a 9.8kg Spanish mackerel. Junior angler best was Michael Wunhym with a 7.5kg golden trevally.

HPS fish on 4kg line-Winner Ben Knight with a 12.3kg Spanish mackerel.

Junior best was Tayla Clatworthy with a 9.3kg yellowfin tuna.

HPS fish on 6kg line- Winner Ben Knight with a 16.5kg Spanish mackerel.

Junior best was Tayla Clatworthy with an 8.8kg wahoo.

Most tagged sharks went to Team Loaded Dice thanks and junior angler Trent Gregory, while the most tagged sailfish went to team Awesum, along with most tagged marlin. Junior Ozflex winner was Tayla Clatworthy. Congratulations to all! 

Thanks go to Exmouth Fuel Supplies as the major sponsor and also to the many other sponsors, volunteers and committee members who helped make the event happen, plus on the presentation night Mike from EGFC Nemo’s, who played music on his guitar and sang to everyone as they enjoyed a roast dinner cooked by his partner Kat: a great team effort by all involved!

Squid have come back in thick and fast this week, with reports of them grabbing the jigs so hard that rods have broken! The favourite colour is still the natural by all reports and apparently there have been a few cuttlefish about as well. If you can’t get out in a tinny to target these cephalopods, then shore based options include the area on the southern side of the marina, Learmonth Jetty, and south of Bundegi Jetty on a high tide.

The next few weeks should be amazing for those anglers walking to fishing areas along the west side. After all the rain we have had we expect the wildflowers to be in full swing and this adds to the wonderful experience of fishing the access roads and enjoying the outdoors along the Ningaloo Coast.

Trent

I have a Boston Whaler 255 but it is based in SA so long drive?

If there is a boat looking for an extra crew member during Gamex 2011 I would be interested.

Ben Wilson
bw@wilsonpeople.com

Are you a keen Spearfisher? Or would you like to be? Apnea Australia are holding freediving courses on August 20th,21st,22nd here in Exmouth. Learning how to freedive is a great experience and opens up a whole new world to people, whether it is for spearing or simply enjoying the scenery. It’s not often we can get opportunities like this in Exmouth, so if you are interested, pop in to the store for more details.

Meanwhile, pictured this week is a sweet tasting bluebone, or black-spotted tuskfish that was speared off Exmouth last week by Matt Gates. The fish was one of many in the area and was enjoyed for dinner by all. Other species seen while diving included some coral trout and chimanan fish. The waters have been clear and great for vision. Spearfishing is selective and often misunderstood. The EGFC will be holding a Spearfishing comp in December and aim to show how enjoyable, controlled and selective it can be for divers willing to make the best from their day in the water and what they catch.

If you are boating about this week, please be careful of the speed humps…by that I mean the humpback whales. They have come in in droves and skippers should take extra care for themselves, crew, boat and whales!

Fishing is a good escape, especially from things such as politics: and haven’t we had a lot of that lately! There has been countless emails sent out regarding what the likely outcomes are for recreational anglers, depending on who gets in. This is important and could mean massive closures without consultation. If you do not know, then it is worthwhile finding out. If you’re not sure, call in and see the print outs at the tackle shops in Exmouth.

Anyone is welcome to attend the clubhouse this coming weekend for the Ultra-Light Fishing Competition. Come down to the EGFC clubhouse at the marina and see what has been caught or tagged and enjoy a meal or social catch-up while you’re there. Briefing is Friday the 20th, fishing is Sat and Sun and presentation is Sunday night. It’s a bit like a mini-Gamex, with great opportunities for kids to be involved.

Matt's speared Bluebone

Nemo’s Cafe

Private Functions

Past Tournaments

AIBT/Gamex Boat Pens

Tag Cards

Upcoming Events

Download the August 2010 newsletter.

We have had some great winter weather this week with calm conditions and clear skies. Kim McIntyre from Albany has been out in the deep water chasing ruby snapper using local squid. He was successful on day one with a couple of beauties weighing 11 and 16kg. The fish were filleted up and frozen, while the frames were cooked on the bbq and even the heads were cooked up in a pot for a hearty winter soup! A charter operator from Perth observed the filleting process and was impressed with the small amount of waste which consisted of just the offal and skin. Kim went out a second day, but the rough seas turned a few of the anglers green and they returned.

He then thought he have his first attempt at catching a billfish. He reached a depth of about 50m off the tip of the cape and started to put the gear in the water. They set the first lure and turned to reach the other when the reel began screaming as a 75kg black marlin danced all over the ocean. The fish was successfully tagged and released. How lucky is that: to get a billfish in your first 2minutes of trying! The next day Kim caught another black marlin and his first sailfish. He says it was one of the best holidays he has ever had.

Fishing is Fishing, some days it can be firing in one spot and the next day not. In fact it can be totally different in the one day. One angler was advised to go to a spot this week that was working well the day before and was bitterly disappointed when he had no success. I guess it’s a bit like the weather, no guarantees.

Jim Dumas was trolling off south passage at Tantabiddi using an array of lures including a 190DD Laser Pro in the famous Red Head colour. It didn’t take long for the reel to start howling as a 158cm wahoo grabbed the lure. Ben Green speared a massive mangrove jack using a 60yr old hand-made spear gun. The jack measured 83cm. Meanwhile, Wayne Carr caught a 10kg queenfish on fly on his birthday this week around the west side. It was such a big fish that someone had to help him land it.

Kim with Brett's Trout

Anglers enjoying the sunset on town beach have been lucky to see some great evenings this week with glass conditions and a high tide with a few bream cruising the shoreline. The relaxed atmosphere of people sitting on their chairs as boats cruise back to the marina, the sun sets and people walk their dogs along the beach is one to enjoy: catching a fish as well is purely a bonus.

Early morning has been the optimal time to chase mackerel lately. You have to be keen though and ensure you are well and truly on the grounds with lures in the water before dawn. Once it reaches 9am, the mackerel tend to sit deep and not be interested in the lures as much. If you are not an early riser, then berleying up with mulies and sending out a floating whole scalie mackerel works well to bring the fish to the surface.  The mulies will attract the species such as mackerel, but it is advised not to cut up fish baits, as that will attract the sharks.

The Exmouth Game Fishing Club has got the Ultra-Light fishing Tournament coming up very soon in August. If you are good at patience, skill and light line fishing on 1,2,3,4 and 6kg line, then this is the event for you. Juniors and women (no offence to others intended!) tend to be good at this style of fishing, so come on girls and kids, jump onboard a boat and get involved with this fun week-end competition. There are plenty of prizes up for grabs including Maui sunnies, Anima prints, vouchers from businesses and all sorts. For further information drop down to the club, into Bluewater or check out the website www.egfc.com.au

Lane Golden Trev

The weather has been fairly ordinary for anglers through these holidays. Of course, if the weather is really bad, there are plenty of good fishing DVDs these days and servicing your gear is always a good idea, not to mention getting rigs ready, particularly if you are reef fishing. Different options such as fishing the marina and the creeks in the gulf for shore based anglers can result in new species to add to your list of encounters as there are many different species in this area. If you’re not sure of what you’re catching, it is best to release the fish. There is a basic free guide that the Department of Fisheries produce available at the local tackle shops. There is also a comprehensive book on identification of the species you are likely to catch in Exmouth and the North-West. 

Jack and Jasmine Murray are on holidays with their parents from Kalgoorlie. The brother and sister have been busy catching charlie court cod, bream and whiting and they told me they caught a 37cm dart. They are trying to get some photos of their catches to enter in the monthly fishing competition, so we may see some next week.

We have had some reports on sad wasting of good fresh fish through bad filleting at the marina. If you’re not too flash at filleting the fish, don’t forget that you can cook up the frame on the bbq that has all the missed pieced of flesh on it. The meat close to the bone is sweet and wings hold a lot of meat also. A quick dusting with herbs or brush with soy, honey and ginger turn it into another meal or two. Fish heads can be boiled up on the outside bbq to use for all sorts of dishes including seafood chowder, fish cakes and seafood sausage rolls with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Plus, the water that you have left over from the cooking up of the head can be used as stock. We are lucky to get fresh seafood and have a great resource that is often overlooked by people who only ever relate fish to fillets you can purchase in a cryavac pack at the supermarket. 

PICS: A few shots of queenfish caught in Exmouth that were released.

Roosta popper, treble barbs crushed

Releasing one of many queenfish found around Exmouth.

Queenfish

If you would like to get in to the trevally inside the reef, a good berley trail and patience is recommended. If you prefer to be on the move, then ensure you are wearing a good pair of polarized sunglasses to spot the fish as they move through the shallows. Soft plastic lures and small C’ultiva shads work exceptionally well. You can also pick up spangled emperor doing this. This style of fishing is not limited to a boat and shore anglers can attract these species as well. If you prefer to sit and wait for the fish to come to you with bait, then squid is recommended.

Shark mackerel have been making raids on the baitfish schools at the end of the northern marina wall of an evening. There have also been mack tuna and the odd queenfish amongst the mayhem. Patience is the key to an amazing sight. The sun sets and then like a switch the water erupts as the predatory species have a last effort at eating before darkness sets in. The odd fish have been swimming by all day, but this sight on dusk is a must-see. If you are lucky enough to see it, you won’t forget it.

If I say that the weather is good one week, it seems to turn, so, this week I will say that it has been bad. HOPEfully next week it will be good! It has been a bit drizzly and windy of a morning, but there is always something fishy to do here. Winter time can bring other species into the area and one such species is pictured this week. Suze Gerovich caught this sweet pink snapper using a soft plastic south of Coral Bay. You can catch these fish in the Exmouth gulf and off the west side through winter. They are good eating if you want a feed, and picturesque if you want to release them after a quick pic.

Suze pinky

An elderly regular visitor to Exmouth last year made a promise to himself (and the fishery) that any spangled emperor over 65cm was being returned to fight another day. One morning this week whilst fishing low tide along the beaches down wreck road he landed a spangled emperor measuring 74cm: a great catch from the beach. He proudly kept his promise and released the feisty spangly.

If you’re looking for something for the kids to do these school holidays, then getting them out in the fresh air away from computers, TV and out of phone coverage is a positive step. Fishing has many benefits for individuals and families. If you’re not sure where to start, drop in to the store and ask what is biting where, what the winds are doing and work with the tides to improve your chances of catching a fish and keeping the kids enthusiasm high. 

The news on the funding for the construction of the new Tantabiddi Boat ramp has been well received by all boating enthusiasts. The new ramp will have two lanes and reach further out to launch boats in the shallow waters at the existing boat ramp. There will also be facilities for alighting passengers, which will make it much easier for charter vessels during whaleshark season. The congestion through peak times has been frustrating for many and this will be a welcome relief for the community.

Pictured this week is Taygen Dray with a small trevally caught on a soft plastic from the shoreline. This is a typical species you can find all along the coast here that respond well to small lures. Setting some berley in the water helps bring these species into range. These hardy fish are great for catch and release and usually swim in schools, so be prepared for multiple hook-ups if you’re down on the beach with a few kids.

Golden golden