Dewy's Rowley Shoals Trip
All of the sailfish we got on the trip put on an awesome arial show. It was common place over the week to see fish not necessarily hooked, tail walk along the surface for 100 plus meters. We had a few jump clean out of the water inside 25 meters of the boat while eating breakfast a couple of times.
This place is certainly one you will not forget for fishing. Its not the place you get to go every day so remember that when it comes to looking at the prices.
I hope to return but unfortunately as of next year and onwards the lagoons will be off limits to fishing. I did not get any great fishing sessions in the lagoons this trip but some of the other fellows really got into it catching really good coral trout and heaps of other stuff. You will certainly see some awesome fish in amoungst them though.
I did not have a video camera myself. Bugger!! But still got plenty of happy snaps. :)
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Adam Gallash
Posts: 15609
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Rowley Shoals
Here is the short cut link to view the rest of Dewy's Rowley Shoals trip. There are more photo's coming, stay tuned. Hope you enjoy some of the magic fish and moments of Dewy's trip.
http://fishwrecked.com/image/tid/82
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Ewan
Posts: 271
Date Joined: 15/05/06
Ewan
Looks like a great trip Dewy!
What time of year were you there? I wonder if the billys go nuts there at the same time as they do say off Exmouth and Dampier etc...
You guys were mostly trolling around the outside of the reef?
Did you get a chance to do much snorkelling? I just got back from a short trip up there, luckily for work hehe, and it was amazing, saw heaps of stuff Ive never seen before, crystal clear water, colourful coral etc etc, was so good. I dont reckon I saw that much that I would bother fishing for in the lagoons, I mean sure there were a number of trout but i didnt see any spangleds (dont think they get up there?), did see a few other 'NW Snappers', mostly the littler ones, heaps of Red Sea Bass but mostly parrotfish and such. Oh and HEAPS of barracuda!
But nothing I would travel all the way out there for - you can catch those readily aorund Ningaloo or mid-west coasts. The lagoons would be protected but much of the outside the reef would be open to fishing. I think this is a pretty good situation, you can go fishing outside and get blown away by the big pelagics, drop a bottom rig where you can to get some dinner and then go for a sunset snorkel off the back of the boat anchorage in the protected lagoons in the evening - wicked. Theres nothing like snorkelling/diving somewhere you can tell is not impacted by fishing or whatever, being close to big trout, cod etc is pretty cool and you can learn alot about their habits...alas it is difficult to find these places (well accessible ones) for much of the rest of the state. If you've ever dived the Navy Pier at Exmouth you know what I'm talking about!
But i reckon you are right, its definitely a special place. I cant wait to go back with a bit more time, and troll the outer edges - Ive heard some crazy sailfish stories! And it looks like you have plenty of your own! Hate to see big sails pulled out of the water and held up like in these photos though - you could get some killer photos from the flybridge when they are in the water?
Ewan
Dewy
Posts: 85
Date Joined: 16/02/06
Rowley's
Ewan
I fished Rowley Shoals late July just passed. It was only the start of chasing the Sailfish in the area, I think that we were the 2nd charter this season.
Mate, when the lagoons fire up it is supposed to be as memorable as the best fishing on the outside of the reef. We saw heaps of mauri wrass, trout,red bass, bluefin trevally and GT's in the lagoons. We waited for the tide to rise just over the reef and moved in through the channels which is just awesome to see. We were casting to sighted fish in the shallows and even though the fish did not fire up for us at the time it was just fantastic to be there.
We did some snorkeling in the lagoons and then off a big cargo net of the back of the cat. What a sight!!
Novemebr is supposed to be great for the 40+ KG GT's which would be a treat!!! Maybe next time.