Seaway and Broadwater Report 20-21st August 2013

I'd had enough of livebaiting so I decided to dedicate a day to lure only, just to see what I could get.  Got into the seaway at around 4.30am, swell was minimal wind was light.  Phosphorescence in the water was off the scale with everything lighting up like a neon sign every time you put it in the water.  Not much you can do when that happens.  We waited until first light.  We started working the north wall with surface lures, I had a skitterbait, dad was using the Skitterpop 9.  Wasn't long before I stated getting hits from tailor and I landed 2 around 45-50cm on the skitterbait from 5 hits while dad only managed 1 hit.  We did a bit of trolling around in the hope of a GT but got nothing. Not much else around so we went for a run along the surf zone on south straddie, to see if I could find some more tailor to use the skitterbait on, saw plenty of bait but no fish only dolphins.

Decided to take a run up the broadwater away from the clean water. We headed north and kept going until the water started to get dirty around the top end of Sovereign Island.   We did a bit of a troll around, dad hooked a big tailor on a bolt omega which unfortunately I lost while netting it, would have gone 60cm+. While we where trolling around I noticed some good shows on the sounder, classic Tarpon sulking on the bottom and lots of them. I switched to a Trolling sinker rig with a xr8 on the back end and dropping it right to the bottom trolled through the shows, soon hooked up on to have a decent Tarpon rocket to the surface and throw the lure back at me. Tried doing that a bit more but lost 3 more fish. Switched to plastics but that didn't work much better but dad landed one around 55cm on a zman 3"minnow pearl and 1/4 oz head while I lost 3 more. Once the run started to push out strongly the schools broke up and they started feeding on the surface in single bustups, we had a couple more hookups but they were getting fussy.

Had to take dad back to the ramp at 11am, then messed around for a bit before getting back up there around 1pm. The fish were still sporadically hitting the surface and I tried casting but got zip. Time for a change in tactics, I anchored in the general area and prepared for my "Super Secret Tarpon Technique". Basically chucking out a plastic and letting it swim in the current with the rod in the rod holder. That worked, very well in fact I ended up hooking 5 Tarpon landing 2 including one that went 67cm. They pretty much hooked themselves, all you had to was sit back and watch the rod tips for the Tarpon tap then watch as they inhaled the plastic(1/4oz zmans minnows) and hooked themselves. Good stuff. Anyway as the tide slowed the plastics dropped to the bottom and the fun(or lazy fishing) ended. I cast around a skitterbait for a while hoping to get a Tarpon on surface but it got smashed by a good GT instead, that surface strike was something to behold, he nearly got airborne, pity I didn't get it on camera. He went 65cm. As the tide started to push in I had another troll but the surface activity was much less, and the Tarpon had not reschooled.
By 4pm I decided to head back down to the seaway. Got back down there and started to troll for GT's around the canyon, I put out two rods(first mistake!!) and about 30 seconds into the troll the bolt omega got smashed but i left the motor in gear so I could clear the other rod(second mistake!!). Of course the other lure got nailed and I was left with two rampaging GT's and only one set of hands. I tried fighting both fish at once(third mistake!!) and just ended up with one massive tangle with line wrapped around both reels, and no way to make back line. I had to cut one off just so I could salvage the other.   After about 10 minutes I finally managed to clear the tangle and was able to land 1 GT around 60cm.
The next hour saw me hook 6 more GT's landing 5 all around the 60-65cm mark all on Bolt Omegas. Just on dark I was doing one last pass when the poor Bolt Omega got hit again, but this fish was different, instead of the slugging fight of the GT's this one had alot more weight and did more short runs. After about 10 minutes of fight and 5 minutes of trying to fit the damn thing in the net I finally landed a 96cm Barracuda. My first in the seaway and a damn big one at that.
Yeah I was happy!

After that days action I decided to go again the next day(Wednesday).  I skipped the early morning start and got on the water around 10am.  Had a look in the seaway but the water was super clear and apart from some dart feeding on surface it was quiet.  Did a quick troll around for zip before heading off upstream back to the Tarpon.   I had to work for them a bit but managed 6 Tarpon from 8 hookups in the same spot but I worked for them. They wouldn't hit the zmans minnow today, all they wanted was the 80mm Squidgy dropbear slick rig slow rolled across the bottom on a drift. Goddamn contrary creatures. I did hook another GT but lost him at the boat.

At around 3pm I headed back to the seaway for the afternoon troll session but that ended up being disappointing.  No GT's, no nothing on the trolling lures today. Perhaps the tide was too late and the GT's had not moved into feeding mode.  I'm starting to get an idea of the formula for predicting good afternoon troll sessions but will need another few weeks to work it out.  Headed to the end of the north wall just on sunset to try for some tailor on surface.  Got a couple of nice tailor around 50cm on the skitterbait off the north wall just on sunset, it also got smashed twice in row by something big but failed to hookup both times probably a big greenback. Damn that lure is awesome.  Minnows and twisties didn't even get a hit.

End Report.

So a couple of good days there with some very nice fish though I did have to work for the fish a bit.   There is little bait around the seaway, its either well upstream or offshore, if we get a decent SE wind  hopefully some of that offshore bait will end up in the seaway.  Snot weed is still a problem on the run out tides and will be for a while yet.

Successful Lure’s Rundown

• Squidgy Slick Rig 80mm – price $12.00/6 pack – Availability – Most tackle stores
• TT 1/40z 3/0H Headlockz Jighead – Price $9.00 / 5 pack – Availability – Most tackle Stores
  
• Skitterbait 9 – Price $15.00 – Availabilty – SeawayFishing Shop
• Bolt Omega – Price $12.50 – Availability – Some Tackleworld Stores & Seawayfishing shop
• Sebile Koolie Minnow 118 LL  – Price $20-25.00 - Availability – Most Tackle Stores

Fishing Gear Used

• SWF Strong  LLBC702M/ML 7? Spin rod / T7-30 Reel /20lb Grey Saltiga Braid / 30lb Famell Super Shock Leader
• Daiwa Sol 702 L 7? Spin rod / Daiwa Advantage 2500 Reel /12lb Yellow Spider Braid / 30lb Famell Super Shock Leader

A tailor hitting a skitterbait in close to the north wall

A large tailor on a trolled Bolt Omega

Skitterbait and Tailor

Double hookup on Tarpon.. both were lost at the boat

This 65cm Gt took a skitterbait off the top.

Another Gt trolled up on a Bolt Omega

A trolled Gt boatside

This Tarpon jumped right in the boat for me

Another Tarpon coming over the side

Another tarpon who couldn't wait to get in the boat

Hooked up to a tailor on dusk

Another skitterbait victim