Well its been a quiet 4 days off here for me at Groote. They shut the boat ramp for dredging, but they finally opened it on saturday. I had nighshift Sat nite, but this is no excuse, when there is fishing to be done.

Got down the ramp at dark. No wind at all, we slowly made our way across to a spot at the top of Bickerton Island. I have been doing quiet well fishing half hour before sunrise, and today was great as well. Sounded around for a while, to find where the fish where handing out..and then set for our first drift. Well the first drift missed by miles, but just as we where about to pull stumps....a fish came a knocking ! I let some more line out, to give the fish a chance ..as goldies like to play with your bait a bit, before they will suck it down. After a few more bites, i slowly lifted the rod tip..and i was on. After a quick tussle, a goldie was landed.

We did one more drift, for another goldie.. Wade had 2 runs on the board, Claire didnt even have the pads on yet!    The sun by now was on the rise, and also brought the bait fish back up to the surface.  We fished a few more spots, for bugger all. But a few times we did get smaller fish, we were getting hammered by something half way up. I was thinking Mackies where doing the damage, so i quickly thru the bottom bashing rig in the holder. I had a rod rigged up ready to go with a Raider silver slice. I lowered it half way down, and began to get jiggy with it. I more a less had two small hits straight away, then bang...rod was loaded...yee harrr!

After 3 good long runs, 4 loops under the boat...we had the fish on the surface. Claire with an almost precision like gaff shot, done what any deckie should do, and we hauled the big boy in.  This one went around the 120cm mark, perfect eating size. He was quickly bled, and put on ice..destined for my smoker!

It was only around 0730 by now, all was good. The tuna where starting to bust up all over the place, so it was time for Claire to catch her first one. After chasing a few schools around only for them to dissapear, i finally got the boat in the right position. Claire fired the raider slice out in to the bust up, and after some quick winding, was hooked up.

Well she had a ball, fighting the tuna all the way to the boat. After two passes just past the motor prop, he was on the surface, and Claire had her first tuna.

After a few blow by blow remarks of her fight, we headed in close to the island..to start cleaning the mackie.  We tried a few more spots on the way home, but by now the current was strong, so we called it a day, and where home by 10am...just in time to watch the first grand final!