Bluewater Tackle World
Friday 9th of February 2018
 
Pelagics are the talk of the town and with the 2018 Bluewater Tackle Marlin Cup happening in just over a week we are all hoping to see some of the first metro billfish for the season.

There are plenty of Spaniards all over the joint and staff member Geoff went out chasing them last weekend. All up they landed 3, plenty of good sized yellowtail kings and tuna, as well as a brace of demersals. Other mackie catches have continued to occur in the Sound, around Stragglers, Mindarie, however they are popping up everywhere and anywhere, so get out your deep divers, your shallow divers, your skirts, gardies, anything you can troll along drop offs where the Spaniards are waiting.


Customer Damo with his first ever mackie
 
Staff member Geoff’s haul from a very productive day

During the week young Sam made a trip out to the FADS again. They pulled up to the first FAD just after sunrise and saw bait everywhere, however there were no dollies to be seen this time. They managed three species of tuna during the morning on small soft plastics (pink and white colours being the stand outs) and Richter Jelly Babes, and had a ball doing so.

 
Southern bluefin, frigate and striped tuna made up Sam’s bag from his trip to the FADS

Demersal fishing is well and truly firing with many anglers coming in store to brag about their 10kg+ dhuies they’ve caught, mostly in 40m. With the majority saying they’ve caught the bigger fish on artificials! Having said that however it is never a bad idea to use both lures and bait when fishing offshore.
 
 
 Staff member Curtis with a dhu he caught down in Bunbury

Good customer Brody Laroux went on a solo mission to pull his pots and kept his bag out of the 24 crays that were in his first pot. He then, over the space of half an hour, landed 3 very good King George and bagged out on demersals as bycatch all on the whiting gear. Those who have met Brody around the traps will know he frequently pulls things like this when fishing.
 
 
 Brody’s haul from a solo mission

There are some decent sized squid being caught in the Cockburn Sound. The most effective colours of jigs in the Sound have been white glow and lime green. Staff member Troy also managed a brace of them off Hillarys during the week.

 
This squid couldn’t resist one of Troy’s Yamashitas

Herring have been showing up most days at the beaches just south of the Hillarys Marina. No need to get there first light as most of the action has been mid-morning. There have been plenty of tailor along Northern beaches this week with fish over 50cm coming regularly from the Two Rocks area. The odd mulloway and a constant stream of small sharks are being landed off the beaches as well. Even without any winter storms pinkies are being landed at moles in Freo, with a Mindarie customer landing 2 and losing 3 in a session.