Coral Bay 2013
So after a long wait we headed out from Perth 4am on the 10th of May ready for our 2 week trip to Coral Bay with high hopes. It was a smooth trip up, unpacked fast and rigged up the gear ready for fishing.
Woke up at sparrows(as usual) to find the wind blowing hard, so for the next 2 days went for some fun an Woppa Creek near Exmouth airport for some Jacks and muddies. We got a few crabs and hordes of fish (all released) but after a few days of that we were chomping at the bit to get on deck!
Day 3 and 4 were still blowing 20-25kts Easterlys but couldn't wait any longer so day 3 we just out the North Passage at lunch, but not past the reef. Had some fun on spangles but not much more.
Day 5 a little less windy (12-18kts) we got a couple of Kts out to a spot we seem to catch only Reds at, and the rare occasion some huge Cods. We picked up 2 Reds there and some Robinson, rankin and thing like sweetlip ect on another spot not far from it. Reasonable for half a day on the water
Day 6 the wind eased off enough for us to get a little further out where we picked up 5 average Reds (4-6kg), a few Ranking to 10kg a few Baldies, and other things like cobia and pickers. so far we had avoided the sharks!
Day 7 was great weather so we were headed to a spot we have 20kts out when on the way we found a nice flare up so had a go on it. drifted over the spot 4 times and each time one of us caught a Red and 2 of us would get a Rankin, except 1 time a double header of Reds came up (only kept rankin if they were in bad shape to release). After that the sharks moved in so it was time to leave.
Day 8 back to the crap windy weather so went to a spot south not far behind the reef where we got a few rankin and a Red, along with 2 Spanish Maks 20kgs on floating gardies. Sharks in again and wind picking up so early day again.
Day 9 saw a big swell and wind up so went to a spot only a few kts from the reef and the lines were bouncing 4 meters with the swell so a bit hard to catch a fish! Picked up 3 Spainsh Maks trolling and called it early again.
Day 10 was still not great so just tried trolling and both 3 Spanish Maks and a Couple of Yellowfin tuna in the 20-30m mark behind the reef.
Day 11 still windy so tried trolling for game fish with no luck. Pulled into a spot north of Batemans Bay and anchored up an a spot that looked awesome for a bit of fun....not even a bite, burley and all. Decided to call it a day when low and behold the sarca was stuck like shit to a blanket! Tried to drive the boat around and with a 3 meter swell almost drove to the bottom at one point. In the end had to cut the rope. Top day out...no fish and an anchor plus 30m rope gone!
Day 12 we tried a few spots of ours and could see the fish there but were just not biting. Lucky for us some friends arrived the day before and both their boats were almost bagged out on Reds so we went over and proceeded to do the same.
Day 13 our last day on the water(half day) so we went to a few spots about 5kts out and picked up a couple of reds and rankin, a cracker baldie to 5.5kg, and a few other random fish.
Unfortunately we didn't take a lot of photos, more vids but will post what we did take.
Day 14 and on the way home. 50km north of Carnarvon broke hard for a big roo and broke the winch post off sending the bow spit into the boot of the new 200 series. 4 hours later we managed to get it off the cars towball and onto a tilt tray. It was taken to Carnarvon where is still sits but thankfully will be on a truck tomorrow thanks to Club Marine FINALLY agreeing to foot the bill for freight.
Hand over fist!
outdoinit
Posts: 1009
Date Joined: 05/10/12
Some great fish the guys,
But ouch to the 200 series. That's got to take the shine off a little..
I've spent half my life fishing.. The other half I have wasted..
sparrow
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 04/02/13
it woulda hurt even more if
it woulda hurt even more if it was my own!
Hand over fist!
chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
Woulda hurt even more if it
Woulda hurt even more if it was on the way up .. A drama you don't need thats for sure buggar .. Some great fish though and that Rankin is a horse .. nice tub layout as well , what is it ?
“Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”
milsey
Posts: 1462
Date Joined: 22/08/07
Good report mate, no
Good report mate, no shortage of red.
Few more weeks and ill be back up there. carnt weight!!!
sparrow
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 04/02/13
yeah that's what I said
yeah that's what I said aswell. This way atleast we didn't have to tow it back!
The boat is a Renegade which is Razerline these days I think. its a great ocean boat for sure, can handle some pretty gnarly conditions
Hand over fist!
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Break
Is there any reason why that post snapped, how do you know if its strong enough?
sparrow
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 04/02/13
the boat has been on that
the boat has been on that trailer all its life but to me the tiny flat bar supporting the main post is pretty piss weak if you ask me. although they all have the same thing.
When its fixed i will have full tube welded on like an A frame/truss so there is no chance of it happening again.
Those 200 series have pretty good breaks aswell maybe didn't help it.
Hand over fist!
Rob H
Posts: 5865
Date Joined: 18/01/12
many trailers have that exact
many trailers have that exact setup and I have never been able to understand the logic.
Flatbar in tension=ok
flatbar in compression=might as well be soggy cardboard,,,
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Weight
Yeah flat bar positioned that way is weak, maybe angle or c channel would be better.
how much does your boat weigh?
sparrow
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 04/02/13
I think its about 1500kg dry.
I think its about 1500kg dry. the thing this boat and trailer has done it for 10 years so why now? plus we had 18 cartons on the boat plus ice, fuel ect on the way up so it would have been a fair bit lighter on the home leg id say.
Hand over fist!
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
brake
Yeah like you said the 200 series might have braked too quickly, no chance of that on my old Gq patrol
My boat I estimate to weigh just over a ton so I might look at strengthining mine too. As for your draw bar bending that possibly happened after the boat had already slid forward. Good bit of info there for everyone to take a look at their trailors.
Should add some good fish caught there too
clogwog
Posts: 265
Date Joined: 01/02/11
There are a couple of options
There are a couple of options to strengthen that upright, either run a solid 6-8mm gusset to the front or back of the upright or just truss it back as you have said. If you need someone to fix let me know, you can come drop it at our Workshop. Would only charge a carton for the repair.
sparrow
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 04/02/13
thanks clogwork. I just need
thanks clogwork. I just need the insurance company to assess it first then will contact you. The other problem is the draw bar is bent aswell since the boats weight shifted forward so it may get written off.
Hand over fist!
clogwog
Posts: 265
Date Joined: 01/02/11
No probs mate, new trailer
No probs mate, new trailer would be nice hey!
sparrow
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 04/02/13
sure would but they usually
sure would but they usually would give market value for mine rather than just replace so not sure what that would be. Fingers crossed!
Hand over fist!
Rob H
Posts: 5865
Date Joined: 18/01/12
got any pics of the damage to
got any pics of the damage to 200 series?
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
DavidBaricevic
Posts: 122
Date Joined: 30/10/10
Everyone seems to be
Everyone seems to be focussing on the damge to your mates 200 series which would suck but as someone said at least it was on the way home not the way there... I have to say one of the best baldies I have ever seen 5.5Kg! Gotta be happy with that..Oh and all the other fish you caught in what sounds like some pretty crappy weather...Good work!
sparrow
Posts: 116
Date Joined: 04/02/13
yeah thanks DavidBaricevic,
yeah thanks DavidBaricevic, we didn't too bad considering the weather. Would have been nice to get a bit less crap weather but still better than working right!
Hand over fist!
dant
Posts: 504
Date Joined: 13/03/13
Thanks for the report
Thanks for the report Sparrow, was good reading. as the guys have said some great fish still even though the weather was not to flash.
cant wait to take the boat up north myself.
kirky79
Posts: 1364
Date Joined: 13/01/12
Had similar happen on the
Had similar happen on the way into Ningaloo Station, Chrissie last year. But ours happened dropping off the back of a sand drift. I've only got a tinny but was loaded up with camping gear. Luckily didn't hit the car like yours did. Made retrieving it fun when we had to leave.
Top fish btw.
Chris.