Kalbarri Recently
Submitted by Anchorman on Tue, 2017-05-02 15:53
After a 2 week trip to Kalbarri for our 16th year heading up there through the school holidays.
Not alot to report
It was the first time we did not come accross any mackeral. We found the water quite green and weedy in sections. I know of other boats that were up there to that were in the same boat.
Lucky enough we took our pots and were able to bring something in to please the family with plenty of crays on offer so I cant complain to much.
Good thing about Kalbarri it offers so much more with trips up river in the 4wd and out to the Gorges etc.
Family all home safe and had a great time.
If anyone else caught any Mackeral up there through this period let me know.
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Paj man
Posts: 360
Date Joined: 16/09/12
Bugger
Always a bit gutting when you miss out on the mackies up there - we used to go up for Easter weekends and there was a year or two where the water turned the macks off. Went a long way north one year to find fish (and found them).
Did you have a go on the bottom?
I was thinking about heading up in a couple of weeks time.
aka Nick
Anchorman
Posts: 52
Date Joined: 19/09/14
Couple of drifts in close
had a couple drifts in close picked up a Rankin Cod but that was about it.
Have not done a lot of bottom bouncing up there we have always chased the mackies.
Great fun when they are on the bite and great feed.
We tried all the usual spots, trolling from the mouth to the sand patch, out at the 3 mile and a trip down to Wagoe.
All the best up there Nick hope the water has cleaned up for you.
uncle
Posts: 9478
Date Joined: 10/02/07
Bugger must have hit a bad patch
Could none of the locals on here help?
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Anchorman
Posts: 52
Date Joined: 19/09/14
I think it was just a bad patch
I think it was just a bad patch Uncle. We have done pretty well in
previous years. Did not ask the locals on here but have read past reports from them and they are all pretty helpful.
I must make comment about the local VMR up there though on what a great job they do making sure we all get in and out safely.
There were 2 boats I know of towed in while we were there and I'm sure they are part of the reason they both got back in safely.
Thank you VMR Kalbarri for having us. Log in and Out people's
smithy
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 06/01/09
Same boat
We were there just after for 5 days and didn't get a Mackerel or much of anything and neither did anyone else.Our worst trip to Kalbarri ever.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Mackeral mostly gone some time ago
Good around the time of the Classic, but very localised, some people's favorite spots would just not produce a fish, which just goes to show you have to be flexible in your thinking. Swell came up after the Classic and the water turned green and cold, pelagics disappeared. They made a few very brief and sporadic comebacks, but each time the swell came up again, and they were gone. Always happens, dirty cold water just scatters them. I was coming back towards town last Wednesaday on a flat calm after some unsucessful demersal prospecting, and one jumped not 30 metres away. Trolled the area for a while for no result. Things had been terrible that day, not even the potential live baits wanted to bite. But next day, some nice mulloway were boat caught near town and posted up.
Crays have definitely been the best of it, plenty of those about still.
Moking
Posts: 1252
Date Joined: 30/05/12
Love the pic with the
Love the pic with the background, behind your boat.
I'll be up there with the Jetski mid June,so I'm reading all the Kalbarri information on here. Even going to take a couple of crab nets up,from what I've been reading.
Cheers.
My Dad taught me how to Fish-Thanks Dad.(RIP)
Torbs75
Posts: 47
Date Joined: 20/11/15
Very quite this year for me
Very quite this year for me as well, trolled north and south with no luck for pelagics and found the water rather green and weedy. Young fella and the old man managed a couple of snapper and a small Baldie and some silver catfish we threw back. Still had a blast though. Luv Kalbarri. And yes the local VMR are fantastic and very helpful.
Anyfishwilldo (not verified)
Posts: 16
Date Joined: 01/01/70
We didn't do very well the
We didn't do very well the first week in April, one dropped mackie for the trip 25km north of the river mouth. Still a good trip away though
bod
Posts: 2319
Date Joined: 03/05/06
magic photo
That first photo is magic. One for the wall I would have thought.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Went out today
Water was filthy with the swell, very stirred up and mucky, fresh easterly, pulled a pot for a good feed and came in. Later on, the water looked bluer outside as if the tide was pushing down from the north. Tonight, it was glass calm, still some swell on, and around sunset, acres of baitfish came up, started NW of the river and extended south. We were down at the Jacques carpark, and a fair size tuna jumped through a school. So Lance55 and I will have a bit of a troll before we pull the pots and hopefully get his snag up.
uncle
Posts: 9478
Date Joined: 10/02/07
There was a few caught
Sat by a local
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Got a few.
beautiful weather, water temp was just good enough @ 23, water colour was certainly not blue, but green, but the green was due to it being a soup of life, which i guess is what all the scalies were feeding on. Masses of bait about, so fish were very well fed. We got a couple of spotties, a Spaniard and an Cobia.
Anchorman
Posts: 52
Date Joined: 19/09/14
Nice work
great work guys looks like a ripper of a day. Thanks for the updates.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Weather was fabulous
See that dark patch on the water behind me? bait. And the Spaniard went a funny colour after being introduced to the Welcome Aboard bat
. it's a glass off out there this morning, too, but I'm busy, unfortunately.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Bit of swell today
This is when you don't take tralierboats through the mouth. Has dropped since earlier on.