Memorable Mackie
The promise of fair conditions from Willyweather (pathological liar) prompted an early morning launch from Woodies with the west end of Rotto in mind. After a very lumpy one-hour trip and with a very grumpy wife we eventually made it to the calmer waters on the west side of Rotto.
We decided to do some drift fishing as the south easterly allowed us to remain in contact with a couple of reef structures for extended periods. Our plan was to start off in 12m and use the wind to push us to about 30m before moving closer to shore and repeating the same method on a different line. It was during our second drift that a humble mullie which was being towed behind the boat was gobbled up by a very hasty and hungry predator. As Gail sunk the hook, this sprinter peeled off about 100m of line within a couple of seconds and thoughts of loosing all the "not so cheap" YGK braid came to mind. My first call was tuna or shark as it remained high in the water column. Sambo, pinkie and YTK tend to look for opportunities to break you off in the bricks below and therefore they were scratched from the mental list of possible culprits. After the initial heart wrenching run, Gail turned the fish and it came in relatively easily until next to the boat, where it spent the last of it's energy trying to escape being captured by the Nikon. When the fish came within view I initially called it a shark, then a YTK and finally realised that it was a decent Spanish Mackerel. Trying to land it with the net proved impossible and I eventually grabbed it by the tail and brought it onto the boat.
Gail and I were both ecstatic and my hands were shaking like a school boy landing their first ever fish. I was also instantly forgiven for bringing her across the "treacherous seas". We quickly removed the hook which was fortunately pinned to the side of the mackie's mouth. As we were not fishing with wire trace Gail was very lucky to land this fish. We had two runs during our first drift with both traces bitten off and although initial thoughts were shark, it could well have been mackies. The fish was placed on the measuring tape and it proved a whopping 134cm. Now that may not seem large to the seasoned boat angler, but for somebody that has no mackie to their name - it is BIG. Incidentally - I have now officially put four anglers onto mackies without landing one myself. We took about 10 minutes trying to revive and release the fish, but unfortunately it's days were numbered. Our first mackie fillits turned out to be yummie!!
For the rest of the morning the only notable fish was a decent snapper which Gail landed before the sharks became too much of a menace.
Once again another fantastic day on our Metro waters!
YouTube video - https://youtu.be/ii0X5KSm2K8
Fisheagle Ed
Cruise Control
Posts: 973
Date Joined: 03/11/10
That's a great metro Mackie.
That's a great metro Mackie. Well done.
Septimus
Posts: 146
Date Joined: 14/11/10
AWESOME
Awesome catch.
Always enjoy your posts mate.
holth
Posts: 812
Date Joined: 09/10/06
Rippa mackie.
Rippa mackie.
Brock O
Posts: 3221
Date Joined: 11/01/08
Great fish and write..well
Great fish and write up..well done
Hutch
Posts: 2221
Date Joined: 21/04/13
Very well done, shows there
Very well done, shows there are still a few mackies hanging around
tot
Posts: 1159
Date Joined: 31/01/10
Great report and catch
Wow super itchy to wet a line now
Reverse cycle a/c supply and install - Ducted and wall splits
Stevo81
Posts: 1278
Date Joined: 16/04/12
Top fish and pics as usual
Top fish and pics as usual mate!
•••••••• Electrical Contractor NOR ••••••••
Meeuwissen
Posts: 755
Date Joined: 29/03/13
fantastic work
go Gail!
the wind mind have helped you land the mackie in order to try something different
Down the Line
Catch the Experience
JohnF
Posts: 2836
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Top stuff. Release a
Top stuff. Release a maccie......no way, I rate them up with the best table fish.
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
Ashen
Posts: 1042
Date Joined: 22/03/13
Nice work
Fantastic effort. Thanks for sharing!
A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!
Deleted
Posts: 6265
Date Joined: 26/04/14
impressive
impressive
rob90
Posts: 1526
Date Joined: 06/02/13
Awsome stuff! Think you've
Awsome stuff! Think you've stumbled over a valuable area there, winter mackie thats awsome
Hi my name is rob............. and I'm a........... fishaholic
sea-kem
Posts: 14957
Date Joined: 30/11/09
You never fail to impress
You never fail to impress Eddy
Love the West!
aussiejoe
Posts: 93
Date Joined: 01/03/14
July Mackie
Water temps at 17 to 18. Wow!!! That is an amazing July capture off Perth. Hard to believe. Well done.
Fisheagle
Posts: 349
Date Joined: 04/02/12
Water temp
Not sure how well callibrated my Raymarine is, but it displayed 20.8 degrees.
Fisheagle Ed
https://www.youtube.com/user/fisheagleed/videos
Darren253
Posts: 570
Date Joined: 23/07/16
My Simrad was 21deg bang on
My Simrad was 21degC dead, off the west end of Rotto on Sunday also. Warmer in the water than in the boat!
Guardy
Posts: 381
Date Joined: 09/08/12
Gail grumpy
Never!!!! Especially after landing that winter Mackie. Well done Gail, your turn next Eddie. I thought the waters might have been a bit too cool for them at this time of the year. Surprise surpise. Well done both of you.
joelborg92
Posts: 101
Date Joined: 11/03/12
winter macks! good stuff
winter macks! good stuff
www.instagram.com/joelborgers/
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
Well done Gail
The smile says it all on the photo of the Mackie and the snapper.
Great write up as per usual, thank you pics and write ups are much appreciated.
Diggedy
Posts: 67
Date Joined: 08/01/17
Mate that is frikn
Mate that is frikn awesome.
Yesterday at the boat ramp some guys were saying they had spotted mackies swimming around with skippy in their burley trail, now I believe them!
joycey
Posts: 251
Date Joined: 28/05/11
Great fishI headed out
Great fish
I headed out Saturday arvo and think passed you in the Sound on your way in, around 1.30pm
Fisheagle
Posts: 349
Date Joined: 04/02/12
About right
It was about the time that we were returning. Wave us down and say hi next time.
Fisheagle Ed
https://www.youtube.com/user/fisheagleed/videos
gruntre69
Posts: 533
Date Joined: 15/10/16
Great fish, photos and
Great fish, photos and video....
Marine trimmer NOR (available for clears, tops, carpet, upholstery, custom equipment covers)
Simo_
Posts: 1843
Date Joined: 13/11/06
Epic capture. Well done.
Epic capture. Well done.
Bring on April
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18018
Date Joined: 11/03/08
well done. gotta be happy
well done. gotta be happy with the end result.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
azza1
Posts: 199
Date Joined: 30/04/11
That's a awesome catch mate.
That's a awesome catch mate. Congrats.
Krusty
Posts: 714
Date Joined: 27/11/15
You two always seem to do
You two always seem to do well and that mack is just superb.
Thanks for the write up and as always a quality vid.....well done
My fishing spots are so secret........... even the fish don't know where they are !!
Chinbald
Posts: 317
Date Joined: 21/02/09
Double Jackets and Mackies
As said before. You get some great fish. And yes the wind on Sunday was cold and created a washing machine.
Fisheagle
Posts: 349
Date Joined: 04/02/12
Not only double jackets....
.....she had the blanket and hot water bottle on board
Fisheagle Ed
https://www.youtube.com/user/fisheagleed/videos
dw72
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 19/02/15
memorable
for sure wont forget that one for a while!