New Years Eve Kids Trip to Seal Island and Nice Breaksea
Took the Mrs and the kids for a scenic trip on the morning of New Year's Eve.
Launched at Point Peron (Had to park out on the main road at 6:30am was so busy!) and drove around the point and into Seal Island to look at some Seals.
They put on a good show, me and the Mrs got in the water with them and they were darting around like clowns, coming up really close in the water and then doing big barrel rolls and racing around.
We anchored up there for probably an hour and the kids started to get a bit bored and wanted to go for a fish, straight out the back of the island found same sand and dropped some long shank red hooks with lamb heart (couldnt get oxe heart) and with one drift we had managed 14 nice sand whiting, that was enough, motor back to Point Peron and back home.
Got little miss to clean her first fish which she actually loved doing! Yes!
I finished up the filleting and the kids went down for a nap, then fish wraps for dinner.
I would highly recommend for anyone trying to get their young ones into enjoying the boat and fishing, we were on the water for no more than 3 hours and they loved it!
It can be a little bit dicey getting to the East side of Seal Island from the West but from my Sea Rescue days I remembered to get close to the North Side of the island and there is a rock that sticks out of the water on most days, to the North of this you're good for abour 50m wide I reckon.
Over the break also managed a couple of fish, got my old man out for a fish and got him onto the biggest black bum I've ever seen! Managed a couple of sized dhus too but I think the breaksea was the highlight for me (and possible for the old boy too).
Francis
Posts: 326
Date Joined: 17/06/08
Beautiful ! I parked up @
Beautiful ! I parked up @ seal island with my daughter (3 year old at the time) and had lunch a few months back. We didnt get in the water, but she loved them swimming around the boat and what a way to spend the morning !
Now that she is starting to get better and better with swimming - it might be a good time to go again, thanks for the reminder !
Did your kids go in for a swim with them ? I've been wondering if the frantic paddling of some kids might stir up some aggression ?
P.S. How did you cook up the b'bum ? I've promised myself to cook the next good one I get whole instead of taking the fillets of it.
BigJevans
Posts: 92
Date Joined: 07/09/18
Not Keen
Kids werent keen to get in the water this time, theyre still a bit precious about swimming off the boat, complain that it is too cold haha but i keep leading by example jumping in every chance I get and every now and then the eldest (4) comes in.
Haven't actually eaten the black bum yet haha, just filleted and still in the freezer. When I filleted this one though I did notice how nice and soft their skin is and thought it would be a real treat to leave the skin on the fillet next time and do it skin down in the pan.
BigJevans
Posts: 92
Date Joined: 07/09/18
Silly Seals
In regards to the seals being aggressive I think you'll be fine, we were splashing and darting around with them as I've been told before the more you play the more they play, theyre like puppys in the ocean.
In saying that I have been bitten by one up off Beagle Island near Dongara, this was a big bull and came up in my face after a group of smaller (females?) came and had a swim with me, got right in my face and gave me a nice grin to which i curled my legs up to get some separation and he then took a nice bite into my fin. Straight back to the boat after that :)
Francis
Posts: 326
Date Joined: 17/06/08
Whoa how lucky (unlucky?) is
Whoa how lucky (unlucky?) is that ! Imagine it could of done some damage if it got your leg.
I recall hearing that all of the seals on Seal Island are female. Not sure how true that is tho... I've seen some pretty big, bull looking one's lazing on the beach there before.
Enjoy the bbum
BigJevans
Posts: 92
Date Joined: 07/09/18
females
that would make sense that theyre all females, seeing the males on the beagle islands i recall thinking "jesus they get big up here compared to rocko"
ar_elbers
Posts: 20
Date Joined: 27/09/13
Great Idea for the Kids
Thanks for this info Jev,
I have two sons 5 and 6 that would love this, especially the five year old. Will definitely be heading out there in the next week or two.
It sounds funny but we recently did a fish of the ammo jetty with them... even though we have just bought a boat! Old habits die hard and the lure of good easterlies and warm water had us sending out ballons for some mackies and sharks at 3am! not much luck on this ocassion, could hardly get the scalies to bite, however, the pod of dolphins kept the boys entertained for the first couple of hours. They are still asking us to do another early morning trip!
BigJevans
Posts: 92
Date Joined: 07/09/18
Keen
They sound keen if theyre willing to get up for those early missions!
We did the same thing, did a sunset beach fish out off long point a few days before this little boat trip to feel the waters for how keen the kids were to get out for a fish.
I bet the kids would have been extatic if youd actually managed a shark haha mine would have been going nuts!