Weedbeds a dissapointment

Well, another disappointing fishing trip out from Townsville. Seems we are having more bad trips these days than good ones. And I don't think its my fishing ability, I kinda know what I'm doing!

We (Tania, the boys and myself) left the ramp at about 6am and headed for the weedbeds. Should have been a good morning for the Doggies. Good tide, cold water and an early start. High tide was scheduled to be 9am. So I was hoping to get the last part of the run in right on sunrise. But when we arrived at about 6.30am the tide was almost dead! Water was dirty and things looked bad all round. But we stuck it out, thinking things would improve when the tide started running in the other direction. By about 8.30 the tide was moving, but the water was not clearing. So I up anchored and began a troll out a little wider looking for the clean water. The clean water wasn't too far away either, but the troll produced nothing.

We went and anchored up near another group of boats (which included Ward). Water here was beautiful and clear, and the tide was now running strong. We added out burley slick the ones already present from the other boat. But after an hour we still had out origional baits on! There was obviously no mackerel around here!

We headed toward the tripod marks to give the channel a go. It was a bit choppy in the bay as we ran over, but the close we got to the channel the better the weather. As we got closer, it almost classed out, so I pointed the nose wide and headed for the markers wider out.

We started at he second last marker and trolled around. There was obviously bait around but nothing hit the lures. Time to try a different approach. I drifted the boat through the bait dropping metal slices and retrieving them at high speed. FINALLY a hookup! A nice doggie that was clearly a keeper. But he threw the hooks beside the boat. Another dozen drifts and NOTHING. Not a tap. Ok, next was to collect some live bait and try them......No, that wasn't going to work either. Ok, troll agian. So we put out some lures and trolled past the final couple of markers and out to the North Cardinal. You guessed it, Nada!

Finally we tried everytihng possible around the North Cardinal. All I could manage was one 40cm doggie on a tiny metal slug. Ok, home time. Enough fuel spent chasing ZIP.

Lucky the weather was so nice, cus thats all the day had going for it!