Pelagic Report - Early March
Apparently the fads were firing for dolphinfish most of the weekend, with Monday being pick of the days. From stories it sounds like they were being caught on everything, even thou there was no real size to them. Out behind the fads there were yellowfin tuna and stripeys everywhere, couple of blokes got yfin that were over 10kg, which is pretty small, but good fun. Streetfighter80 also caught 5 southern bluefin and a couple of stripeys out at the South West Bank trolling the birds. 8 billfish were also raised over the weekend for the Blue Marlin classic, but there were no hookups.
Water temperatures were 24.5 degrees out behind fsc and the water was moving through at nearly 4 knots. The current has picked up its ferocity and hopefully will be moving the pelagics south. There were photos on another website of 6-8kg bluefin tuna free jumping down at busselton over the weekend. Indications of a good salmon season are about as well. Bit unfortunate for us as well trolled the north of the 5 fathom to westend and wider through several schools of baitfish but it appeared the current had pushed the bigger fish wide over the weekend. There were also huge levels of coral bloom and scum lines out from Ocean Reef which made trolling difficult. Reports of 2 spanish mackerel from divers over the weekend, one 12kg fish spotted south of the chicken run and a 15kg fish out from alkimos.
Adam
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Fly
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 04/02/06
Was damn quiet
Was very damn quiet for us Monday Adam.
We fished long and hard (80Nm all up) for not much at all - no birds no tuna's bloody awfull actually compared to the week before!
Funny enough we did see schools of small tailor going off in the Estuary on the way home with birds all over em like a rash - managed a few in a brief stop off..
No birds at sea coz they were all in the estuary going apeshyte!
Saw a school of something HUGE just off the entrance of the Cut on the way home, have no idea what they were...at first I thought Dolphins but no fins and no blowing air - sharks maybe ? no fins..
Really really big Yellowfin?...maybe - but I doubt it in that close...maybe a errant school of spanish macs?...well a distinct possibility, now I think back!
We did manage to get a raider jig across in front and they totally igniored it, boat put the school down and never saw em again...
Still have no idea what they were - put up a hell of a wake tho - like a big boat wake or submarine - never seen anything like it before - maybe never will again!
Wish I knew what I'd seen....
Sorta thing you'd expect to see way out wide with sailfish or marlin bashing up a baitball!
You don't expect to see this at the entrance to the cut - was beggining to think I was hallucinating! Maybe I was!
Maybe one day I'll work it out!
Cheers!
streetfighter80
Posts: 1079
Date Joined: 12/02/06
remember not long ago a guy
remember not long ago a guy hookin spanish macs right out side the cut
Fly
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 04/02/06
Thinking about it
I definitley wasn't hallucinating - but I reckon it was probably a big school of early run Salmon!!
I know I had seen something like this before - but couldn't get it clear in my head, but with time to think about it I reckon it was a big school of salmon with sharks in attendance!
Ok so no ones seen em this far north, this early just yet - but I reckon it was them - I bet someone starts reporting seeing them any day now! That would explain them being so close inshore - it's about all that makes sense to me!
I declare salmon sighted at Mandurah!
Lets see who else reports same in days to come!
Then again - I mightta been hallucinating! ;o)
Cheers!
streetfighter80
Posts: 1079
Date Joined: 12/02/06
good call, thought the samon
good call, thought the samon were going to be late run though.
ya never bloody know these days