Rotto Easter - Piscatorial Platter
Well, my love affair with Rotto continues......5 brilliant days on the island with my wife and 3 kids, mum, dad, two sisters, brother in law, neices, nephews, two mates and a partridge in a pear tree......
Weekend started off with some nice sand whiting with the kids, dinner for the first night. Always good!
Next day, finallly got to take my missus out for a proper metro days fishing offshore. Rach got onto here first jigged dhu only 2 minutes into her first ever jig effort, wielding a salty fighter, Tierra 3000 and 80 g jig.....top stuff, then she hooked a much bigger model on PE2 that ended pulling the hooks after several classic dhuie determined runs. Followed up with a horse nor west blowie also on jig........dissapointed but good fight! I got a my best baldie on jig....happy days! After a little over 2 hours, we were done as we had our bag limit (only 1 liscence) and more than enough for dinner. The 46 cm baldie and 55 cm dhu were whole baked in the oven, my sister adding some secret herbs and spices for a truly memorable dinner for 10. Dhu just pipped the baldie in my opinion, both were top shelf!
Next day Langa picked me up at 6 am sharp in his 285 Boston Whaler for a FADS and jigging trip. Awsome boat, but could have gone out in a 12 ft dingy the conditions were that good. A bit of a jig on the way out for a few undersized red bight fish, which may have been a mistake as by the time we reached the FADS, there were two other boats there. We left them and chased a few tuna schools but they were too flighty, so I threw a stickbait at the FAD and after some big boils and follows, bang, it was on. The Tierra flick rod and Tierra 3000 reel screemed, and after 5 great jumps and several determined runs both high and down deep, a nice metro dolly was had. These little suckers fight as good as any fish on light gear! We also had 4 others fully lit up surrounded my fish, but Matt was not rigged up so he missed his chance. As Dollies do, they then went quiet and within 20 minutes there were 12 boats around so time to go.
Headed for a deep jig on the wrecks, after a fair few drops me and Matt both hooked up.......and both got sharked quickly.......seems the men in grey coats are now resident!!!!!!!Moved immediated to search for some dhu ground.
In 45m and after several hits, hooked this great dhu on a 100 g jig. Went 75 cm, and was at the limit of the little salty fighter and Tierra 3000......was almost outgunned several times and thought I felt reef twice, and after landing it, the leader was shredded and very lucky I was not busted off....
Great day, and ended with a big fry up. Dollie, dhu and my mate Troy's daughter caught a nice 47 cm KG on the way over to Rotto so it was a pretty hot culinary contest that night as well. Dhubanger came out just ahead of the dollie, with KG third but certainly not disgraced!
Ended today by anchoring up in Geordie and having a swim with the kids before heading back to reality this arvo. Great Easter, as good as it gets.
My mistress awaits only 18 km away for the next fling......
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
great time had then John.
great time had then John. very nice.
couldn't get over the weather on monday. one of those days you drive the boat at 30 knots without a hand on the throtttle.
So surprised you rate dhu ahead of dollie , baldie and kg tho.
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
scottland
Posts: 3039
Date Joined: 10/05/10
very nice
great work mate
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers
JohnF
Posts: 2838
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Grayzee, despite what others
Grayzee, despite what others have said, the big ones dont taste anywhere near the small ones. Between 55 and 75 best, under 55cm they just dont have enough meat and over 80cm, breeders that do much better work making other little dhuies. Once over 80 cm, they definately get coarse and dry, a 98 cm we could not get to release was average at best on the table, a real shame but no choice, as they real big ones just dont seem to release well after a hard and long fight on the light gear we normally use.
A 55 cm dhu is about as good as fish gets in my book. 10 out of 10 Rotto taste testers agreed, but fresh dollie was a VERY close second, and baldie and KG...well,they are pretty darn good and you would never turn them down. I have definately had baldie back to back with dhuie and it has been better before.
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
fully agree there. the big
fully agree there. the big ones are just too chewy meaty.
got a 60cm one on monday and it ranked along side red snapper , which surprised me.
dolly is a personal fav
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Nice dolly John, must say I
Nice dolly John, must say I rate the dollie over dhu myself and Andrea won't let me oput them in the freezer over 10kg, talk about spoilt!
JohnF
Posts: 2838
Date Joined: 07/07/10
Fresh Dollie a VERY close
Fresh Dollie a VERY close second. Splitting hairs!
Boston Whaler 235 Conquest......getting the flogging it was built for.
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
Great Easter
Great report John, looks like the weather was doing its part to make the weekend just perfect. Can't do any better than have all the family together.
Nice fish, too. Saw a dolly being cleaned at the table yesterday (Coral Bay) and the guy had the biggest grin on his face...obviously pleased with his catch.
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18055
Date Joined: 11/03/08
sounds like you had a blast
sounds like you had a blast over there. well done on the bosses first jigged dhuie.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
kane
Posts: 1752
Date Joined: 07/12/08
Nice one john
Bloody good times!
Gooooone Fishin!