Went for a quick dive yesterday. The S has brought in warm water but the sea still looks dirty. We decided to go out wide. Left at Sparrow's fart or half past stupid as a friend describes the crack of dawn. Headed out to the wave-recorder. Recently there has been some clean warm water out near the continental shelf and we were hoping for some of that. Some divers have managed the odd Dorado, one even jumping in just outside the harbour to check out conditions, finding a school of huge Cobia. He did not have a gun but one was quickly provided and a good Cobia shot. The rest of the day they scratched.
We jumped in but the water at the surface was dirty, down to about 3 metres. Not cold but not warm like we expected. I took a dive through the muck and found clean blue water below that felt considerably warmer. The fish were hanging in this warmer water. My nerve was shot because I kept expecting to see something big with lots of teeth come up to me. The conditions were just not to my liking. A White took a chunk out of a surfboard about 40km S of Coffs 2 days ago and that picture is still fresh in my mind. We looked at some fish traps in the area but only small Dorado were seen. A fresh NW was starting up making the boating unpleasant so we decided to head back for an early breakfast and try some deer-hunting with bows instead.
This Sunday is the next club competition and I really hope the situation improves. Although in shallower water, one is really not too fussed over being able to see from the surface unless you are trying to orientate yourself on the reef. It would be great to have some decent viz for a change.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
19 February 2009
What a strange set of circumstances. The worst natural disaster in Australian history befell Victoria with the state ravaged by bush-fires. At the same time a series of tropical storms brought masses of rain into Queensland, resulting in many small towns becoming isolated because of flooding.
Recently Coffs Harbour has been exposed to massive Southerlies, great for flushing out the left-over cold dirty winter water but with the S came a torrential downpour. In one 24hr period 0.25m of water was recorded. When people start expressing rainfall in metres things are serious. Some of the areas around Coffs have been declared disaster areas too. What of the ocean. The rivers have pumped tons of silt-laden water into the sea but on a more positive note, it appears that the warm EAC water may be here. Just a question of being patient and allowing the sea to clear.
Recently Coffs Harbour has been exposed to massive Southerlies, great for flushing out the left-over cold dirty winter water but with the S came a torrential downpour. In one 24hr period 0.25m of water was recorded. When people start expressing rainfall in metres things are serious. Some of the areas around Coffs have been declared disaster areas too. What of the ocean. The rivers have pumped tons of silt-laden water into the sea but on a more positive note, it appears that the warm EAC water may be here. Just a question of being patient and allowing the sea to clear.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
13 February 2009
One might be inclined to think unlucky Friday 13th but in the previous 2 days I have heard of 3 separate shark attacks. A Navy diver was attacked in Sydney Harbour in the early morning. In typical Navy diver fashion he climbed into the shark punching and fighting it off. The following day a surfer N of us was attacked on his board. The shark missed him but left an impressive bite mark in his board. Yesterday evening, a surfer lost his arm to a shark at Bondi. These are all believed to be Bull Shark encounters. The general consensus amongst divers is that the level of aggression in sharks appears to be elevated. This is more than likely the result of breeding, increased numbers of prey species and increased water temperatures.
The S has been consistant for the previous 3 days and is predicted to continue for another 3 days at least, which means the warm water should be on the beach by Wednesday next week. While this is welcome it is sensible to exercise some caution as sharks are likely to be far more inquisitive and unpredictable.
The S has been consistant for the previous 3 days and is predicted to continue for another 3 days at least, which means the warm water should be on the beach by Wednesday next week. While this is welcome it is sensible to exercise some caution as sharks are likely to be far more inquisitive and unpredictable.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
12 February 2009
The EAC has been running strongly out deep but it is diverted from Byron Bay, some km's N of us and only swings into the coast near SW Rocks, S of us. When looking at the sea surface temperatures and currents it remains obvious that some cold unpleasant winter water has been trapped off the Coffs Coast and will not be replaced until a strong S weather system forces fresh water in. The cold winter water is nutrient rich and mixed with the warmer water resulted in a tremendous algal bloom. This cut viz right down and since the conditions have been settled, the thermocline is back.
I managed to get in on Friday just before the weekend rush. We dived hard and travelled a massive distance but had little to show for it. A small Dorado, Yellowtail Kingfish and a small unlucky Spanish were the only fish of note. There were no sharks around and I am confident that if there are no sharks, there are no fish. When we got back to Coffs Harbour, the tide was low and the recent swell had deposited a large quantity of sand at the approach to the small craft ramp. Made for an interesting approach on the back of a wave just to have enough water under the boat. Apparently later that day and on Saturday, several boats were unable to get in until high tide. The dredge has been roped in to open the approach.
Sunday, we had some time to get out and do some diving. On Saturday, several Mantas had been seen with a huge entourage of large Cobia. We were after some Cobia and took a good look at Chopper and NW Solitary Island. Unfortunately there was nothing worthwhile and the conditions were foul. An early halt to proceedings ensued with an early breakfast in the offing.
At the moment a strong S system is active off our coast and this should eventually herald the start of some great conditions.
I managed to get in on Friday just before the weekend rush. We dived hard and travelled a massive distance but had little to show for it. A small Dorado, Yellowtail Kingfish and a small unlucky Spanish were the only fish of note. There were no sharks around and I am confident that if there are no sharks, there are no fish. When we got back to Coffs Harbour, the tide was low and the recent swell had deposited a large quantity of sand at the approach to the small craft ramp. Made for an interesting approach on the back of a wave just to have enough water under the boat. Apparently later that day and on Saturday, several boats were unable to get in until high tide. The dredge has been roped in to open the approach.
Sunday, we had some time to get out and do some diving. On Saturday, several Mantas had been seen with a huge entourage of large Cobia. We were after some Cobia and took a good look at Chopper and NW Solitary Island. Unfortunately there was nothing worthwhile and the conditions were foul. An early halt to proceedings ensued with an early breakfast in the offing.
At the moment a strong S system is active off our coast and this should eventually herald the start of some great conditions.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
2 February 2009
Yesterday saw the commencement of the first club competition for the year following on the cancellation last weekend. We launched from Arrawarra N of Woolgoolga. This gave us access to the N Islands, pinnacles and reefs. We headed out to the Big Island (North Solitary) and from there to the Wooli FAD. The sea was literally full of Dorado, hundreds and hundreds of them but nothing worth having a go at. Even the Yellowtail directly under the FAD were too small to warrant taking anything. Michael and I ended up with a Rainbow Runner each, for our efforts. The rules for the club comp is that you may only weigh 2 of each species for the year. The score for the species being higher than the weight but the weight is also ranked according to the expected maximum weight of the species for this area based on previous club records.
We moved to the pinnacles N of the Big Island but only managed some Fusiliers. The drift from the E of NW Rocks towards the Big Island produced 2 Goldspot Wrasse for me and a small Spanish for Michael. We continued scratching at various reefs, caves and supposed hotspots and Michael managed to rustle up some meagre reward in the form of a Goatfish and some Frigate Tuna, while I managed a small Yellowtail. In the end only Michael, Asher and myself weighed fish. Part of the challenge is knowing what to weigh and when. Last year half of the club competitions were cancelled because of poor conditions. This means you could realistically be shooting great quality fish but when it comes to a competition you may be scratching around for points through no fault of your own.
I took my first Samsonfish and it really is a handsome looking fish. Perhaps a little darker than Amberjack with a forehead reminiscent of a Giant Trevally. The smaller ones, which mine was, flash a dark barred pattern similar to a Bludger. Other fish weighed included Silver Trevally and Blue Morwong, for all intents and purposes think along the lines of a small Cape Bankie. There were none of the fish of legendary size like 30kg yellowtail, 20kg mackerel or 30kg+ Wahoo, never mind the big Dorado which have been seen and taken recently.
We moved to the pinnacles N of the Big Island but only managed some Fusiliers. The drift from the E of NW Rocks towards the Big Island produced 2 Goldspot Wrasse for me and a small Spanish for Michael. We continued scratching at various reefs, caves and supposed hotspots and Michael managed to rustle up some meagre reward in the form of a Goatfish and some Frigate Tuna, while I managed a small Yellowtail. In the end only Michael, Asher and myself weighed fish. Part of the challenge is knowing what to weigh and when. Last year half of the club competitions were cancelled because of poor conditions. This means you could realistically be shooting great quality fish but when it comes to a competition you may be scratching around for points through no fault of your own.
I took my first Samsonfish and it really is a handsome looking fish. Perhaps a little darker than Amberjack with a forehead reminiscent of a Giant Trevally. The smaller ones, which mine was, flash a dark barred pattern similar to a Bludger. Other fish weighed included Silver Trevally and Blue Morwong, for all intents and purposes think along the lines of a small Cape Bankie. There were none of the fish of legendary size like 30kg yellowtail, 20kg mackerel or 30kg+ Wahoo, never mind the big Dorado which have been seen and taken recently.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
29 January 2009
A day away from the hectic life of being a veterinarian to the hectic life of being a SPEARO. The Ocean has been spectacular for the passed few days. Buoyweather predicted light S winds and all the reports we had were of great diving conditions. Michael, John and I got together at Coffs Harbour launch ramp before the sun was anywhere near the horizon. The sun crept over the horizon as we approached the wave recording buoy. Fish were leaping to escape submerged predators which is always a good sign. It did not take long to kit up and jump in. John spotted the school of Dorado first and started looking for a good specimen. He picked up on it too late because my spear hit it squarely near the pectoral fin. First drift and a good fish in the esky already.
We had co-ords for some fish traps and we were soon on our way to these, John being convinced he was going to get something big. First stop yielded nothing, second stop nothing, then the rest of the co-ords proved useless, the traps having been moved. Moved on to the FAD. Michael picked up another good Dorado but John was having one of those days, dropping 2 nice fish. Just as expected, the fish became shy after the first few drifts. This can be especially frustrating when you can see an ocean full of Dorado but you cannot get near them.
The next move was to water with a bottom. We stopped in the bay at South Solitary Island looking for Spanish. There was a distinct fishy smell, something I have noticed when fish have been feeding heavily on oily bait. There were no Spanish but as I lay on the bottom, a school of large Tailor(Bluefish in the USA, Shad/Elf in SA) swam into range. True to form the fish seemed unaware of me on the bottom. I selected a good fish and whacked it through the head, from below. These fish are very difficult to shoot from above because they zoom through the water as if everything wants to eat them. Just another species which supports my idea that it is much easier to get to a fish from below than above.
We then moved into deeper water, looking for Sambos and Wahoo. We found lots of Crocodile Gar which can only mean the Wahoo are going to be around in numbers soon. Michael dropped a large Jewfish and then landed a nice Samsonfish. I lost a Sambo too but then found a big Yellowtail King. I was on my way to get a Jew when the King swam in under me. I lined up for a head shot but the spear went through the shoulder and missed the spine. The fish dragged me along at some speed and I think the struggling fish enticed a shark which started following me. This is all conjecture because the fish broke free and I suddenly came to a stop in the sea. That was when I felt a massive strike on my right fin. The shark must have come out of the water at that stage, I rolled to see the shark pass next to me and then down, not to be seen again. Everything happened so quickly I can only guess at the species but I think it was probably a Bronze Whaler. I headed back to the boat to check my fins, nothing, not a mark. I can only surmise the shark was coming up at me then realised after it had committed that I was not worth eating. I think the impact on the fin was the shark's unchecked approach after it had committed itself.
We moved again, to N of Groper Island. This is out of the extensive reserve around Groper and is a small highly prized spot. John picked up a Striped Tuna but it did little to appease his agony at not being able to land anything worthwhile. Michael soon loaded a Gold-spot Wrasse, then a Mangrove Jack. I was disappointed because I had just come away from the school of Bulls-eye hanging close together, apparently a prime indicator for Pearl Perch when Michael dropped in and smacked the Jack. I dropped down again intent on a Jack. The bait closed around me but I moved deeper. There was colour and movement, 2 Bluebar Parrots. I tracked the larger of the 2 and successfully took it. These fish are always skittish but amongst the bait they were very approachable.
A while later, I made a deep dive and spotted what looked like a Jack. As it came closer I noticed the black mark on its saddle. This was a species of snapper I had never encountered. I lay very still allowing its approach. I lined up well before the fish turned to offer a shot and the spear went through its gill plate coming out above the jaw on the other side. Identified as a Moses Perch and is good eating. Michael's gun started playing up and he was fretting on the boat. I shouted to him to get his back-up and get back in. He did just that, only to drop in on a school of Spanish and another into the esky.
Between the 3 of us the bag was 2 Dorado, Striped Tuna, Gold-spot Wrasse, Samsonfish, Mangrove Jack, Bluebar Parrot, Moses Perch, Tailor and a Spanish. Not a bad haul for what seemed a quiet day of spearfishing. The bag of fish looked quite amazing with the range of colours. John endured a great deal of ragging and I have no doubt when the tables are turned, I will be in for a fair share myself.
Michael kindly prepared a few different species last night, in beer-batter, and these tasty morsels were scoffed with some really good home-brewed beer. I wonder if I could be more content than I am right now.
Several points worth remembering were the presence of several good fish amongst the dense school of Bulls-eye, the enormous numbers of Garfish, always a good indicator of surface predators and try to get your big Dorado quickly because the longer you wait the less chance you are going to get. Lastly, we stopped off in a reserve area to practice some breath-holds. On descent there would be no fish, but as you lay on the bottom, the numbers stacked up around you. I noticed on a dive with a bottom time of 2.5 minutes that there were fish coming to see what was happening from a long way away, beyond the edge of viz. Obviously the diver is new and worth investigating and as the fish move into the area they produce low intensity vibrations which arouse the curiosity of others, the more fish hanging around, the more attention the diver will attract.
We had co-ords for some fish traps and we were soon on our way to these, John being convinced he was going to get something big. First stop yielded nothing, second stop nothing, then the rest of the co-ords proved useless, the traps having been moved. Moved on to the FAD. Michael picked up another good Dorado but John was having one of those days, dropping 2 nice fish. Just as expected, the fish became shy after the first few drifts. This can be especially frustrating when you can see an ocean full of Dorado but you cannot get near them.
The next move was to water with a bottom. We stopped in the bay at South Solitary Island looking for Spanish. There was a distinct fishy smell, something I have noticed when fish have been feeding heavily on oily bait. There were no Spanish but as I lay on the bottom, a school of large Tailor(Bluefish in the USA, Shad/Elf in SA) swam into range. True to form the fish seemed unaware of me on the bottom. I selected a good fish and whacked it through the head, from below. These fish are very difficult to shoot from above because they zoom through the water as if everything wants to eat them. Just another species which supports my idea that it is much easier to get to a fish from below than above.
We then moved into deeper water, looking for Sambos and Wahoo. We found lots of Crocodile Gar which can only mean the Wahoo are going to be around in numbers soon. Michael dropped a large Jewfish and then landed a nice Samsonfish. I lost a Sambo too but then found a big Yellowtail King. I was on my way to get a Jew when the King swam in under me. I lined up for a head shot but the spear went through the shoulder and missed the spine. The fish dragged me along at some speed and I think the struggling fish enticed a shark which started following me. This is all conjecture because the fish broke free and I suddenly came to a stop in the sea. That was when I felt a massive strike on my right fin. The shark must have come out of the water at that stage, I rolled to see the shark pass next to me and then down, not to be seen again. Everything happened so quickly I can only guess at the species but I think it was probably a Bronze Whaler. I headed back to the boat to check my fins, nothing, not a mark. I can only surmise the shark was coming up at me then realised after it had committed that I was not worth eating. I think the impact on the fin was the shark's unchecked approach after it had committed itself.
We moved again, to N of Groper Island. This is out of the extensive reserve around Groper and is a small highly prized spot. John picked up a Striped Tuna but it did little to appease his agony at not being able to land anything worthwhile. Michael soon loaded a Gold-spot Wrasse, then a Mangrove Jack. I was disappointed because I had just come away from the school of Bulls-eye hanging close together, apparently a prime indicator for Pearl Perch when Michael dropped in and smacked the Jack. I dropped down again intent on a Jack. The bait closed around me but I moved deeper. There was colour and movement, 2 Bluebar Parrots. I tracked the larger of the 2 and successfully took it. These fish are always skittish but amongst the bait they were very approachable.
A while later, I made a deep dive and spotted what looked like a Jack. As it came closer I noticed the black mark on its saddle. This was a species of snapper I had never encountered. I lay very still allowing its approach. I lined up well before the fish turned to offer a shot and the spear went through its gill plate coming out above the jaw on the other side. Identified as a Moses Perch and is good eating. Michael's gun started playing up and he was fretting on the boat. I shouted to him to get his back-up and get back in. He did just that, only to drop in on a school of Spanish and another into the esky.
Between the 3 of us the bag was 2 Dorado, Striped Tuna, Gold-spot Wrasse, Samsonfish, Mangrove Jack, Bluebar Parrot, Moses Perch, Tailor and a Spanish. Not a bad haul for what seemed a quiet day of spearfishing. The bag of fish looked quite amazing with the range of colours. John endured a great deal of ragging and I have no doubt when the tables are turned, I will be in for a fair share myself.
Michael kindly prepared a few different species last night, in beer-batter, and these tasty morsels were scoffed with some really good home-brewed beer. I wonder if I could be more content than I am right now.
Several points worth remembering were the presence of several good fish amongst the dense school of Bulls-eye, the enormous numbers of Garfish, always a good indicator of surface predators and try to get your big Dorado quickly because the longer you wait the less chance you are going to get. Lastly, we stopped off in a reserve area to practice some breath-holds. On descent there would be no fish, but as you lay on the bottom, the numbers stacked up around you. I noticed on a dive with a bottom time of 2.5 minutes that there were fish coming to see what was happening from a long way away, beyond the edge of viz. Obviously the diver is new and worth investigating and as the fish move into the area they produce low intensity vibrations which arouse the curiosity of others, the more fish hanging around, the more attention the diver will attract.
Monday, January 26, 2009
27 January 2009
Sunday was to be the club comp day. A NE had been blowing moderately, turning the shallows into milky muck. Then a strong S was expected, dropping off to a light S by Sunday morning. Perfect conditions: warm, clear water, perhaps a little choppy on the surface but that always seems to turn the fish on. Arrived at the launch at Arrawarra with the trees straining in a hefty S. The sea was on its head. Comp postponed to next Sunday.
Disappointment was clear on everyones' faces. I was keen to give my new DiveR carbon fins a go. Took them to the pool instead this morning. There have been the odd good fish coming out. Late Sunday afternoon and Monday (Australia Day i.e beer & braai) had great promise. Several Dorado were taken off the buoys and fish traps in the area over the 2 days. I heard of a Mangrove Jack, Purple Cod and Gold-spotted Wrasse taken yesterday.
Conditions over the next few days are great. Light S, the sea is absolutely beautiful. It is clean and warm, reminiscent of that Mozambique water you hope for in Sodwana or off Aliwal. The viz is around 30m+. Offshore the fisherlmen have had a hard time with little to show for their effort. Tomorrow should be a perla day and I have a long diving session planned.
Club Competition has an interesting format. There is a very limited list of really good fish on the list and each diver may only weigh 2 of each species for the year. You need to be a consistant diver throughout the year to have a shot at being club champion.
Disappointment was clear on everyones' faces. I was keen to give my new DiveR carbon fins a go. Took them to the pool instead this morning. There have been the odd good fish coming out. Late Sunday afternoon and Monday (Australia Day i.e beer & braai) had great promise. Several Dorado were taken off the buoys and fish traps in the area over the 2 days. I heard of a Mangrove Jack, Purple Cod and Gold-spotted Wrasse taken yesterday.
Conditions over the next few days are great. Light S, the sea is absolutely beautiful. It is clean and warm, reminiscent of that Mozambique water you hope for in Sodwana or off Aliwal. The viz is around 30m+. Offshore the fisherlmen have had a hard time with little to show for their effort. Tomorrow should be a perla day and I have a long diving session planned.
Club Competition has an interesting format. There is a very limited list of really good fish on the list and each diver may only weigh 2 of each species for the year. You need to be a consistant diver throughout the year to have a shot at being club champion.
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