Cracking cape trip........... by Mick Clutterbuck

Cracking cape trip

Rob, Helaine and Pete were keen to get out for a fish and, with the weather looking good, a plan was hatched to hit the water.

A day reschedule was required as the weather had a last-minute change of mind, which wasn’t that much of a hassle for those who are their own boss or retired.

The crew were expecting the wind to be variable but halfway across the bay they encountered a chunk of southerly that pushed a bit of chop against the tide, making for a not so flat ride.

The sun was up by the time they arrived at the cape, so they decided a quick flick around the general area was in order.

There were a few other boats in attendance, so after drawing a blank and seeing that others were too, it was time to head off for a crack elsewhere. The original plan was to fish in close and then head further out, but with the wind pushing 15 knots, they decided to stay close and sound around Shallow Tempest looking for a decent show.

Rob landed a quality blackspotted wrasse.

After scanning around for a while, a reasonable looking bump holding fish was found, with all hoping it would produce the goods. The first drop saw a nice spangled emperor hit the deck, followed by a plague of pearl perch in the 35-37cm department – very frustrating when nothing hits the mark out of those numbers.

H did get a 38.5cm model on her Baku Baku jig, however the general rule on this boat is to not keep them unless they’re 39cm plus because the shrink factor isn’t worth the argument at the ramp.

A few years ago, this would have been an easy bag out all round, so let’s hope they grow a few centimetres before we catch them again.

With the bite stopping, again the crew moved around, picking up a few fish on each show.

Rob tried to get some livies at one stage, though as for previous trips, there weren’t any yakka to be found. He did get a couple of big-eyed butter bream thingies – couldn’t find them in Grants Guide to Fishes – but they just produced wobbegong.

While not setting the world on fire, the crew did find some 40cm plus snapper and a couple of nice blackspot wrasse – one of which was called for a coronation trout until it was in the net – an absolute cracker.

Pete was crowned the red rock cod king after making nearly double figures, with some fish nudging the 40cm mark too.

While they might be great on the plate, for Rob the memory of the pain this species can inflict, even when dead, keeps them out of the Esky and back in the water.

Later in the morning, fishing played second fiddle to the free entertainment put on by the numerous pods of mobile speed bumps.

The big units were breaching all over the place, with the smaller ones happy to fin and tail slap to get attention. It can be a bit of a love hate relationship with whales – we love to see them but hate them under the boat.

The pin was pulled at lunch and, while it wasn’t a great trip, they still managed a feed and had a few laughs for their troubles.

Meetings Please note that 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 Wednesday October 5 and Wednesday November 2. Until next month, safe boating.