If there is one thing about fishing, then that is the unpredictability of the outcome of this pastime enjoyed by millions around the world.  Fish behaviour is determined by so many variables which include air and water temperature, current strength and direction, moon phase, air pressure, wind direction ….. and the list goes on.  Seasoned anglers take decades to learn the patterns that determine fish behaviour, and even then they are not guaranteed that they will return successful.  

Enter the occasional angler like myself who only has the opportunity to get out on weekends and then only if the weather permits.  The point here is that a lot of my success is being at the right spot at the right time even though unintentionally and unknowingly.  Such an occasion occurred this weekend when mate Xavier and I decided that it was time to stock up on snapper fillets (I am starting to scratch the surface of this fish’s behaviour).

We took off from the Woodies ramp at first light with the plan to fish the West side of Garden Island until the wind settled and then to head off to a new patch of ground which I recently discovered South of Rottnest Island.  We have a few snapper spots on the west side of Garden Island, but the Raymarine told us that there was nobody home at the time that we passed over their regular feeding grounds.  There have been some good reports of snapper being taken in shallower (less than 10m) water recently, so we changed our plan to look for some promising indications at this shallower depth.  It did not take long before the sonar reflected some good activity below and the pick was summonsed to keep us on the spot.  A few handfuls of burley made it clear that these fish were not the snapper that we were hoping for, but in fact a large school of skippy.  I never turn my nose up to a good fight on light gear, so we spent the next hour plus being entertained by these willing trevally, with the occasional curious herring mixing it up for us.

Around mid-morning we made our way to Rotto in somewhat sloppy conditions resulting in a painfully slow trip.  Xavier and I had not fished together since PC (pre-Covid) which meant that the chinwagging made the trip across more bearable.  A number of drifts over the designated grounds resulted in no more than undersized pinkies (47 - 48.5cm ouch!).  Around mid-day Xavier suggested that we head off to the West end of Rotto to a spot where we had pulled baldies from the depths before.  Loaded with bottom baits we were soon drifting over the caves below trying to entice a baldie or even better a dhuie to take our baits.  Whilst on the first drift we noticed some good bird action closer to shore, not too far from some breaking surf.  I suggested that Xavier change his bottom bait for a stick bait while I manoeuvre the boat to within casting distance from the action.  At this stage we were convinced that the action was a school of tuna smashing the baitfish.  Xavier hardly had a chance to put two turns on the Shimano before we sighted a decent mackie come up and smash his lure.  The first run was hard and long with at least 40m being stripped from the reel in very rapid time. Xavier’s first comment was that he was not going to land this fish today, especially not on the 3-5kg rod and 20lb leader with no steel.  I spoke some courage into him and said that I would follow the fish with the boat and all that he had to do is keep the pressure on his end (I too was not convinced that this fish was coming on board).  At least these macks are clean fighters, unlike the kingies and sambos that run you straight down into the bricks below.  After a decent fight we eventually gaffed the shark mackie and had it on board, celebrating with high-fives (what Covid?)

By the time we bled the fish, we had drifted a good few hundred meters from the action, but the birds were telling us that there was more to come.  Xavier took the wheel and I quickly tied a 120mm Fish Inc sinking stickbait to my now favourite combo - loaded with 30lb Pandora X8 (thanks Luke Ryan from Tackle West) and waited in anticipation for my turn to get into my first - yes first mackie.  I need to digress for a moment and confirm that I have put half a dozen others onto mackies without being able to catch one myself - the confidence level was not too high at this stage.  Xavier skilfully lined me up and I put in my cast.  My hands were shaking and the mind was running through all the checks to ensure that I did not stuff up this opportunity that has been eight years in the making.  As my lure hit the water I witnessed at least three mackies jockeying for position as they raced to engulf my offering.  I am not sure that I even turned the handle before the PE4 Oceans Legacy bent over donating line through its guides at a speed that I have only experienced after hooking an angry kingie.  

After what felt like an eternity I eventually had the fish next to the boat so that Xavier could put the gaff into it and bring it on board.  After more high-fives (sorry Hon Roger Cook) and real smiles for the photos, and we were ready for another round.  Unfortunately three other boaties noticed the action and raced right into the middle of the school of fish.  Now this does not take decades of experience to understand that type of behaviour will chase the fish straight down and turn off the switch.  Oh well, I had my first mackie, we had two on the boat, and both without steel - let’s not push it. 

We decided to call it a day and made our way back to Woodies with smiles that were impossible to erase.

YouTube video - https://youtu.be/K47sFbMVqYk

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