There were a lot of reports of narrow barred spanish mackerel being caught around the Capricorn Coast last week and the weekend weather forecast was near perfect - around 5 knots wind with a 0.5 m swell. My friend Danni has a workmate that knew a few secret marks around Rundle Island and invited me for a morning mackerel trip.
It was about an hours run north out of Gladstone - we turned up on the first mark just after dawn.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_22_13.jpeg)
We trolled baits for a couple of hours without luck. I was using my stainless frame 501 with 50 lb braid and 60 lb leader to troll one of the baits;
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_23_01.jpeg)
The sounder was showing fish on the bottom (80 ft) around some of the structure we trolled over so we gave up on the mackerel and tried drifting for for some bottom fish. There were a lot of just under size nannygai (40cm), with a couple on the limit. I caught my Cortez Conversion 146 squidder's first keeper - a school mackerel lurking near the bottom.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_35_14.jpeg)
I switched to a wire trace after getting bitten off a couple of times we caught a couple more schoolies;
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_36_48.jpeg)
Around 9:00 am Danni landed a nice spaniard hooked on the drop - and no, it wasn't my gaff shot! ;D
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_38_14.jpeg)
Not long after a school of spaniards put on a spectacular show with dozens jumping all around the boat. I had seen one or two jump but never so many at once - it only lasted a minute or so and was over before I thought to get the camera out. We set up the trolling rods and started trolling again. This time it was the stainless 501's turn to catch it's first decent fish - the first of three spaniards with the largest around 1.1m;
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_39_58.jpeg)
The fish box was starting to look better;
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_40_47.jpeg)
We stopped at seven spaniards, they were still biting but we had enough and were running out of room in the box. We were back at Danni's place by 1:00 pm pretty happy with the mornings catch;
(http://alantani.com/gallery/17/7995_08_07_17_7_42_09.jpeg)
Mike
Really nice fishing day. Was impressed with the reels, they must've worked really well.
Thanks for sharing the day with us!
josa1
Very nice outing with some good meals caught.
Slow start, fantastic finish... Great report and pics, thanks for sharing.
Great report!!
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Nice work. I was able to eat some Narrow Barrred Mackerel when I was in the Philippines and they are much better eating than the King Mackerel that we have in Florida. Our "Spanish" Mackerel are quite different also.
Scott
Nice Haul!
spanish macks meatballs soup anyone?
nice catchs my friend, congrats. we have a spanish macks season here from april - may, looks pretty similar to those ones
Very nice! Way to go SS 501!
Nice photos Mike thanks for sharing, good mornings fishing, easy for the 501 ay, cheers Don.
Excellent report Mike, I always enjoy seeing the custom reels in action. Thanks for sharing.
Sal
Nice report there Mike. As Sal has said, great to see customs getting the job done. Would live to see the 501 customs pitted against at decent GT. That would be a great proof test for them.
Thanks guys, I don't fish as much as I used to but every time I do I wonder why I don't go more often.
I was impressed with both Tom's Cortez squidder and the 501 with the Rothmar ss frame and Black Pearl's 4.8:1 gears, they both will handle bigger fish. I had the 501N on board as well but didn't get to use it.
Mike