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Coffs Harbour Fishing Coffs Harbour is best known for its bananas, beautiful beaches - and big fish. I'm here for the fish - so we're heading offshore from Coffs in search of tuna, mackerel and maybe even marlin. Along the way, we collect some slimy mullet as live bait. Then it's on to a spectacular fishing spot. Well that lump of rock behind me is south Solitary Island. Two families rotate and man lighthouse. Now automated, solar power… catch anything here… etc. We're trolling at about three knots, using 6-O hooks with poddy mullet as surface baits. This is exciting stuff, bait out 30 yards, ratchet on, free spooling, 50-60 metres before strike. My mate Dave gets strike one.He's not a monster.. but tuna run hard and deep once they're hooked. Lovely way to start. Good size yellowfin tuna. Double hookup, lets this go. Beautiful fish. "She's there, belt on!" All the action's on Dave's side of the boat! This one's much bigger, so he belts up… and we soon get a closer look. A hammerhead shark! After a long haul, Dave just can't wind another moment, so we pull it up by hand, and it breaks the line just as it reaches the boat. Before long, it's my turn. She turns out to be a fiesty little mack tuna. The strikes keep coming. We've got yellowfin fever ! Yellowfin tuna love these rocky headlands… and they certainly kick up a stink when they surface. - PART TWO - It looks like something out of the African Queen - but Dave and I are on a creek inland from Coffs Harbour… prowling the snags for Mangrove Jack. We're using live poddy mullet around the logs and branches, hoping to lure these predators out of hiding. They're a fish that don't sit on the snag.. gotta stay for awhile or move around a lot. This is our very high tech waterbomb inflater, which helps us prepare our floats… Dave reckons balloons are the go. Blow em up and lob em in there. Dave reckons he's cast his bait right onto Mr & Mrs Jack's doorstep… And looks like he's right! It's a beautiful red mangrove jack, about 35 centimetres or so. They can get to about 70 in these parts… but this is a great start. Well the blue's come through for Dave.. now it's my turn. Yellow's gotta come good for me. Mangrove Jacks spend their winter out around the reefs and islands offshore, then come up the creeks in summer to chase mullet. Right on dusk is prime feeding time. And my mellow yellow finally goes off! We decide to settle the score on fresh territory… We're using slimy mackerel this time and casting straight into the channel… Dave reckons the Jacks will feed once the sun goes down. As the light fades… Dave scores the winning Jack… close to 50 centimetres. The Mangrove Jacks turn up in summer in the creeks inland from Coffs, and on Coffs Harbour itself. Offshore, South Solitary Island is a great spot for the tuna and marlin. Steve Cooper from Orara Charters will take you out wide off Coffs for sport or game fishing. One day's sport fishing at South Solitary will cost 100 dollars per person, which includes all gear, but BYO food and drinks. And if you're after the Jacks, Dave Irvine from Platypus River Tours can steer you to all the best structures in the freshwater and saltwater creeks. It'll cost you 200 dollars per head for a day trip, which includes all your food and fishing gear. Nautilus Beach Resort at Coffs Harbour has two night packages from 149 dollars per person, including all meals. Call their freephone number
or visit the website for more details. |
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