Easter Monday presented Townsville boaties with some of the best weather we have seen in a while. So with predicted kaos at the town ramps we decided to avoid the area and do something completely different. We set off south of town and launched at Morriseys ramp. From there we shot out the mouth and south to Cape Bowling Green. But rather than fish around the Cape itself we headed offshore in search of some shoal marks.
The first patch of fish we found on the Humminbird 998 came about 5km offshore. With spotlock engaged on the iPilot we sent down some Threadybuster lures. Almost instantly mine was hit and racing off. But it turned out to be a small shark that took the lure on the drop. A few more drops and a few more sharks! The sharks were actually consistently taking the lures on the drop down.
We then put a couple of Mackerel lures out the back and trolled the area where bait was obviously hanging. Within 5mins one of the lines was zinging off. Tania took the rod as 30lb braid slowly vanished. Then it popped right at the wire. We think a big Mack that managed to get some teeth just above the wire trace. I only fish 4-6in of wire when trolling lures, and this is the first that has ever managed to bite off. We trolled around for the half hour or so with no more hits.
Further offshore the water was beautiful and blue, but we struggled to find any decent marking of fish or structure on the bottom. Hunting new shoal marks is a challenge. But it can be rewarding when the 'needle in the haystack' is finally found.
We headed back to the beach at the cape to cook up one of the small sharks on a fire for lunch. And then back home before the afternoon breeze came up.
Despite a lack of fish caught, the family had one of the best morning on the water for quite a while. It was interesting looking around somewhere completely different. And the kids felt like real 'hunter-gatherers' cooking up lunch on the beach.
