Family camping trip to Exmouth
I thought it was time I added a report....
Straight after work on Friday the boat and car got packed, and at 6:15pm we hit the road for a family camping trip to Exmouth, staying at the Ningaloo C'van park in the middle of town, instead of the normal trip to Ningaloo. With a 4 and 6 yr old it was going to be a long drive. At 2:30am we pulled into Galena Bridge for a few hrs sleep before we hit the road again..._0.JPG)
Arriving in Exmouth around 1pm we set up our site for the next 8 nights..JPG)
The next couple of days were blowing a strong southerly wind, but it was Neap tides, so we put the boat in at the Bay of Rest and went for a spear in about 1.5m, with clear water and some big sea snakes
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When the wind stopped we launched at the marina and speared at the islands on the other side of the gulf - the kids were over the boat by now, but still enjoying it when out there. I heard a strange noise when I started the boat 17Nm from the marina, so I didnt turn it off again, even though I found some nice bommies. When back at camp I rebuilt the started motor (turned out to be loose mounting bolts, but I rebuilt it for peace of mind...)
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The next day we drove along the beach to Learmonth Jetty, flicking lures at small GT's and giving the girls a chance to bring in a fish and play instead of being stuck on the boat. The rocks out front of Kailis provided great fun on the light gear. We also went for a drive up a track to the top of the range from the west side near Sandy Bay.JPG)
With the weather looking great we headed to Tandabitti to mix it with the big boats. Having never fished there before, we trolled for a bit, then found a lump a few miles south of the passage in 38m, and pulled up some great fish in amoungst the sharks. We had a big hammerhead come up the the back of the boat, and I broke my Penn 850ss trying to get fish up too fast to beat the sharks..JPG)
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And that was about the end if it - time to hit the road and head home. Overall it was a fantastic trip, especially to be able to do it with the family - I am very lucky to have a partner who is keen to come out in the boat, catch good fish, and do a huge variety of different things (we even drove to Coral Bay for the day, and came back along the coast). Most days we werent on the water until 10 or 11, giving the kids a swim in the pool before we headed out, and were back by 4 or 4:30 so they could swim in the pool again before sunset. We had a great meal and pizza at Pinnochios restaurant, and had Gelatti there most nights once the kids had gone to sleep. Now I just ned to upgrade my Penn 850 (any suggestions), and get ready for a boys trip to Dampier in July school holidays...
Thanks for reading...
Drew
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tim-o
Posts: 4657
Date Joined: 24/05/11
Nice report, plenty of good
Nice report, plenty of good eatin there. I wanna do the same now I found a new rig. Good thing about the gulf, always somewhere to fish with a wind blowin.
I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
moondyne
Posts: 33
Date Joined: 02/03/13
looks like a great trip!
looks like a great trip!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8655
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Mossies
Its a wonder you got to Exmouth after spending a few hours with the mossies at Galena bridge, the buggers nearly carry you off they are that big and plentiful.
Top report and some good fish caught.
ctan1968
Posts: 141
Date Joined: 12/04/13
Catch up
Great to catch up with you Drew. That is a ripper of a Red from shallowish water. The weather gods certainly looked after us after the first weekend and I see its still good. I caught up with "Meersey" in Exy as well who had good success with billfish.
Hope you had an uneventful trip home. You were screaming past us just before Northampton.
Looking forward to another trip next year.
In the mean time, start crossing off the days for term 2 - I know I will.
Chris
petervb
Posts: 447
Date Joined: 18/12/09
Some killer fish there, what
Some killer fish there, what was the vis like at bay of rest when we speared there it was like diving in soup
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15639
Date Joined: 29/11/05
slayed it
Think I saw your boat down there last week, looks like you guys slayed it. We had trouble with the big tides and sharks, just didn't work for us unfortunately, still got a couple but nothing too impressive.
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Wannafish
Posts: 158
Date Joined: 20/05/12
Thanks for the comments
Thanks for the comments guys
Carnarvonite, we didnt get bitten once - I slept in a swag (with my 6 yr old) and was covered by the mesh, so they werent a problem. The flys were starting to get busy around sunrise though!
Chris, it was good to meet you. Yep - one of the benefits of towing a light boat with the cruiser is you can cover some distance at a decent speed... We decided to drive through to Perth, and arrived at my sisters at about 12:20. The last 100 or so k's were pretty slow (down to 70 or 80) due to the number of roos - especially just out of Wanneroo. I hope you got back with no roo encounters!
Petervb, I found small areas of clear water where it was blowing offshore - 4 or 5m of vis. I was diving right up to a dirty water line, which was very spooky whenever I drifted into it (images of big tigers and hammerheads in my mind...). The neap tides helped with the vis. We did get bogged on the way in there....
Adam, the thing that I liked most about the holiday was that we got good fish on a trip with the family that wasnt inteded to be a fishing trip... The variety of boating was also great - from launching inbetween mangaroves, to the islands on the other side of the gulf, and then to Tandabitti. As well as some good 4wd trips around the cape... It is very similar to Karratha / Dampier, with there always being options no matter what direction the wind is blowing with a smallish boat..
milsey
Posts: 1462
Date Joined: 22/08/07
Love the set up, good report
Love the set up, good report mate.
Wannafish
Posts: 158
Date Joined: 20/05/12
Thanks Milsey, it all works
Thanks Milsey, it all works pretty well but the amount of gear needed when taking women and kids does get a bit out of hand!
milsey
Posts: 1462
Date Joined: 22/08/07
Not wrong, the only reason
Not wrong, the only reason you need to take the boat is to carry all their gear hey
bod
Posts: 2319
Date Joined: 03/05/06
great trip
looks like a great trip, bet the kids will be hanging out for next holidays. Good variety of fish caught too.
Wannafish
Posts: 158
Date Joined: 20/05/12
Yeah - it is either take the
Yeah - it is either take the boat or a trailer....
Next holidays the kids are staying home, and it is me and 3 mates straight through to Karratha....
I forgot to add - the amount of fish at the filleting tables being butchered by people with little filleting skills was horrifying!! Good Trout, Spangleds, etc were being reduced to a couple of bream-sized pieces of shredded meat!
terboz123
Posts: 1358
Date Joined: 13/04/11
everyones gotta learn some
everyones gotta learn some where mate! im sure you were once one of them!
but nice report exxy is a beautiful place
a hard days fishing still beats work
PGFC member
GCGFC memberRob H
Posts: 5784
Date Joined: 18/01/12
yeah your a bit like me I
yeah your a bit like me I guess!
At Coral Bay I often end up filleting others fish, not only for the fishes sake but when I see someone trying to fillet straight toward their other hand-ARRRGH!
Great pics mate, good report.
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RobertMc
Posts: 326
Date Joined: 19/01/09
sounds like a awesome
sounds like a awesome camping trip to me mate well done
ctan1968
Posts: 141
Date Joined: 12/04/13
Roos
Ah yes - Skippys.
We counted 97 one night coming from Tantas to Lighthouse Park (20Km). 48 were in the first 3 Km to Yardie caravan Park. Hit number 29 but we were travelling at about 60 and it was just a graze. He hopped away like nothing had happened.
My mate who was heading up mid holiday hit a cow 25Km south of Carnarvon. Totalled the car and boat. Happened just after he flicked on his spotties afterpassing a road train. Pity it was so close to his rest stop in Carnarvon.
Michael Yoni
Posts: 601
Date Joined: 02/01/11
I'll need to drug test that
I'll need to drug test that Cray. It's huge. Nice mixture of quality fish there.
Syked
Posts: 37
Date Joined: 04/12/12
great report and looks like
great report and looks like you killed it up there.
cant wait to head that away again soon and excited our little guy (1 year old) will get to experice it as well.
gotta love the good old 100 series, mint 4x4.
syked
Wannafish
Posts: 158
Date Joined: 20/05/12
Thanks again for the
Thanks again for the comments!
Terboz123, I certanly wasnt having a go at anyones filleting skills as I have have hacked a few fish myself!! It is great that people are out there doing it! It is a shame that it ends up in a bin though!
Chris, we saw a dead cow about where you said your friend hit one - it was huge!I also saw more dead goats than I have seen in the past.
Michael, it was one of the biggest Green crays I have ever seen or caught - I swam back to the boat with the cray in one hand and a Trout on the spear in the other....
Skyed, I LOVE the 100 TD! Previous to it I had a 60, then a 80, but the power and long range touring of the 100 makes it my favourite (until I can afford a 200). It clicked over 360000 on the Exmouth trip!
Thanks again
Drew
crasny1
Posts: 6990
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Living the Dream
Just love it. You dont have to have a boys trip to get into quality. Try a Saragosa to replace the Penn.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Webby
Posts: 835
Date Joined: 24/09/08
Hey Drew,great fish mate.
Hey Drew,
great fish mate. looks like your camp was well set up to.
How big is your tinnie?
Cheers
I live with fear every day... sometimes she lets me go fishing.
Wannafish
Posts: 158
Date Joined: 20/05/12
G'day Webby,The camp works
G'day Webby,
The camp works quite well - the kitchen thing (with the Backgammon (or whatever it is) print on the back) is the biggest piece of crap, but it is so handy! The Sandfly proof dome is easy to set up and keeps animals out of the food, and the canvas touring tent is quick and easy to set up, totally water and wind proof, has heaps of head room, and weighs a tonne....
The boat is a 5.0m 1982 Quintrex Centre Console (possibly a Reef Raider??) that I bought off my Dad, who bought it off a professional fisherman fishing for Spangled Emperor out of Ningaloo around 1985. I have since replaced the original 70 Johnson with a 90hp XL shaft Yamaha, the console with one from a Yamaha Banana boat, cut down the original huge bow rails, added a rear boarding step, levelled out the floor, etc. I have also rebuilt the trailer (for about the 5th time) with 1T double eye springs, hilux shocks, Landcruiser Hubs, and bearings, 15" LT tyres, 1.5t Axle, drop down spare for beach launching etc...
Thanks
Drew
Ps Crasny1 - Very keen on the Saragosa! I have been sussing them out since you mentioned it...