Rainbow Beach Squid Rowe Trophy 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Mick Clutterbuck

Pete Rimmer with a longtail tuna. Rob Schomberg scored this decent mack tuna.

Rainbow Beach Squid Rowe Trophy 2022

UNFORTU NATELY the 2022 Rainbow Beach Squid Rowe Trophy was hit by bad weather, causing the initial fleet to drop from 10 to five boats.

Outside fishing was definitely off the table, however a weekend of socialising, crabbing and fishing the Great Sandy Strait was going to be ‘Plan B’ on this occasion.

Day one saw the mud crab competition kick off with a $10 buy for the biggest crab and you had to be up early to get to the best spots over the mud banks on the tide.

Rob Schomberg and Helaine Wilesmith tried a morning to afternoon soak that drew a blank before repositioning the pots for an overnight soak.

One of the other crews did way better, coming back with a good feed, including seven crabs in one pot for three good keepers.

The final tally for their first drop was 10 but they got ahead of themselves and had cooked and cleaned their catch without measuring the biggest – rookie mistake.

Rob and H checked their pots on the morning high, finding two bucks, with the biggest measuring 175mm – game on.

After jigging up some live bait, they hit the Teebar Ledge but could only manage one bite off.

A call from Dave, saying Dilligaf had got a nice bluefin tuna, saw them off to have a crack themselves.

With a bucket of livies, H and Rob thought they would show the others how it was done, but they didn’t get a touch and were even jealous of the anglers catching sharks because they were at least having some fun, not just getting wet in the constant squalls.

The next day was much of the same, checking the pots then off to the straits to chase tuna, with more rain squalls.

They finally got a hit on the smallest rod in the boat and it was panic stations when the backing on the spool of the little Penn Slammer came into view.

With the motor started, they managed some line back and started the chase all around the straits, until finally a big mack tuna came into view.

Thoughts of sashimi were dashed but at least they had some fresh bait for the pots.

The fishos on Little Bit had again found sharks for a bit of fun until it was time to again check the pots.

Numbers had dropped from the previous day with the crew only getting two from seven pots and H and Rob managing two from their four.

The next day was Groundhog Day, with the same wind and showers but this time Chris got a bluefin away from the sharks and Rob landed the biggest golden trevally he’d seen.

The little Penn Slammer 360 was down to the gold spool on more than one occasion, with 15lb braid and 6kg leader, and took a good 20 minutes to land the fish.

After a quick photo, it was released but came back to the top on its side – luckily it self- righted and swam away before it landed on the sashimi menu.

Sunday was looking as though it was going to be the only day to get out to contest the trophy but, as the window started closing, a decision was made to pull the pin on offshore and head out on a glassedout sea in the straits.

The crew headed home on Monday but H and Rob decided to hit a little bit of country they’d found after getting a nice grass sweetlip the day before.

The tide was slack at the spot, so they waited for the driving rain to slow up a bit before anchoring.

Once they could see more than a couple of hundred meters, they

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With lines down, it was again the little Penn that was smashed and soon bricked after pulling a fair bit of drag.

It was blowing about 25 knots and was raining fairly steadily but the thought of landing a feed on the new spot was keeping them there.

Once it started gusting to 35 knots and the rain was falling horizontally, it was a different story, and clearly time to head in.

They arrived back at the ramp and, as luck would have it, the wind disappeared and the sun came out.

However, being well and truly beaten, it was time to pack up and hit the road for home.

While the weather hadn’t allowed the fishing they had all wanted, other activities had made up for it over the weekend, particularly on the eating front.

It was remarked that the crews had been treated by Robin to one of the best ever seven-course meals – prawn, crab, special whiting and sweet potato patties featured, along with Chris’ limoncello desert to finish the meal off.

Dave complained that the dryer was shrinking his shirts, but I’m told Robin’s cooking and the fact that Dave’s wife Anita made $23.20 at the bottle recycler might have had more to do with it.

Guaranteed there’s never a dull moment on these trips.

And the winner of the crab contest… well, that was a draw because the crabs were quickly made into a chilli crab meal or a sandwich before there could be an argument.

Anyway, there’s always next year.

Please note that the meetings occur on the first Wednesday of every month at ‘The Club Manly’ (bowls club), 26 Faine St Manly from 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

Upcoming meetings are on Wednesday June 1 and Wednesday July 6.

Until next month, safe boating.

Rob Schomberg was pleased with this grass sweetlip.

Rainbow Beach mud crabs.