Port Hacking Inshore and Offshore by Roland Pearson of All@sea charters

All At Sea Charters Newsletter April 2007
This is a really nice time of the year! Except for today with the gale warning, big seas and strong winds along the coast, we obviously deferred an offshore game fishing trip. Generally speaking, the sea conditions are much more stable after the hot days of summer and southerly busters. Easter is soon here and hopefully you will have time off work to spend with family and friends. Can we perhaps tempt you to come along on a fishing trip?

Thinking back, it’s been a strange summer with some unusual events at sea such as the so called ‘Ekman Transport Layer’ in January. This occurs when strong northeast winds blow continuously for a number of days, transporting warm surface water at 90 degrees to the left of the prevailing wind direction, a considerable distance offshore. This water is then replaced by an upwelling of cooler and greener water from below. For us this meant a number of days of cold sea temperatures (in some cases down to 14 degrees) and a drastic reduction in the catch rate.

February was a great month with many exciting days on the reefs and the continental shelf. The guys from Canada were thrilled by a 100 kilo+ marling hook-up with our Shimano Charter Special ten kilo line. It took two and a half hours to bring it within centimeters of the 100 kilo trace. But in the final struggle the line rubbed against the serrated beak and broke! Not to worry, we would have tagged and released it anyway and we have a few great photos.

As a result of the variable sea temperatures and currents, at times rushing south at three knots like a river, the dolphin fish season is very late and inconsistent. We met with NSW Fisheries’ Heath Folpp this week who confirmed our observations. Thank you Heath and Nick for inviting us on a guided tour of NSW Fisheries, observing the research tanks and sharing all kinds of interesting discussions.

We were out at the FADs last Monday 23rd March and picked up three ‘dollies’ trolling the area. So I think, the season is not over quite yet but hopefully just a little late.

We have had Mac and Frigate Tuna running along the coast, as well as huge schools of Australian Salmon close to the coast one day and gone the next. That’s fishing!

Kingfish around Jibbon Bombora and the headlands off Marley and Wattamolla have saved the day on more than one occasion. The key to success is berley, live bait, a yellowtail, mackerel or a fresh small squid pulled through the water to excite the fish. And they respond well!

Chinaman Leatherjackets are still abundant, always there and very good eating. Our favorite recipe is to bake them in foil with a little butter, lemon and dill, and perhaps a glass of chilled white wine.

We are pleased to announce an additional sponsor - Ran Feng of Viva Fishing Tackle Australia Pty Ltd. We have two sets of gear for a field trial and you are very welcome to try out their spinning combination. Your comments and thoughts will be forwarded to Ran and his team.

In April, in addition to our normal reef fishing trips we will focus on tuna, marlin and dolphin fish on the shelf.

To celebrate Easter we are offering a 10% discount on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Monday. Please look up www.allatsea.biz and click on ‘book online’ for availability. Or call me for on 0414 525 968 for more information.

Take care and hope to see you onboard.

Roland and Crew

All @ Sea Newsflash - September 2006

At last I’m finding a few minutes to sit down and reflect on the last couple of months. The boat was not out much at sea during June because of terrible sea conditions. Some days the seas were between six to ten metres with all Sydney beaches closed.

We cancelled three weekends but managed to get out late in the month for a reasonable Sunday. Our policy is to cancel or abort a trip rather than pushing through in poor conditions. The most important thing for us is that our customers and friends have an enjoyable time and a memorable day.

July was quite good and now, late August is perfect. We just had a couple of great weekends with a few boxes of mixed reef fish onboard. Ron from China did really well, fishing on his own last week with a catch of 40+ fish including bonito, goat fish, sweep, sergeant baker, red rock cod, ling, crimson wrasse, snapper, maurie wrasse, blue morwong and leatherjackets.

Leatherjackets, leatherjackets and leatherjackets! What can you say? Unless you have been out with us, or on your own or with other operators along the NSW coast, you may not know what it means to be fishing when these creatures are around.

I have been fishing the waters off Port Hacking for thirty years and never seen leather jackets in numbers such as during the last year or two. They are along the coast in massive schools! But it is also a kind of two edged sword. In a reasonable size they are quite good to eat and easy to catch and some people love them. They are easy to cook and kids like them because of the white flesh and no bones. Twenty per person is the bag limit.

But jackets are also making it difficult to reach the flathead or reef spices like snapper and morwong that we like – they are often snatching the bait as it is sinking south! Fishing jackets can be an expensive day out because of their sharp parrot like teeth – they bite of lines, hooks and sinkers.

We have had some really good trolling days, picking up bonitos, kingfish and australian salmon. Towards the end of the warm currents we also had some sensational days with dolphin fish and yellowfin tuna.

September and spring is here very soon and we are planning trips all along the coast and other off-shore adventures. Please look up www.allatsea.biz for more information.

Don’t hesitate to e-mail roland.persson@optusnet.com.au or give me a call on 0414 525 968. Cheers - Roland

PS. Just for your information, this is what Jason Lau wrote after Herb’s bucks party and fishing Port Hacking inshore last Saturday.

Roland and Craig,

I would just like to say on behalf of everyone who went on the trip, a big thanks for the day. We all had great fun on the day, and although we were expecting a bit more fish on the day, your professionalism made our day all the more enjoyable and I would have no hesitation in recommending your service to anyone. I will be looking forward to joining your charter again some day soon, preferably in deeper waters and warmer weather!

Thanks, and congrats on a job well done!

Jason

April 2006

Mahi Mahi Magic! The highlights this summer have been some excellent days with really good and exciting fishing under the FAD off Port Hacking and our secret fish trap floats. We have located a specific float, which has been very productive with big schools of dolphin fish. A few weeks ago we managed to pull in some really nice ones, up to ten kilos. We have set a boat limit of a few fish per person; it’s better to leave some for another day. Especially since they are growing one centimeter a day!

We have also picked up some nice striped and Mac tuna on the 12 mile run out to the FADs and also coming home. We have seen a few marlin, the last one a week ago, cruising behind the lures and thinking, thinking…but deciding against plastic and metal when the sea is full of small bait fish.

Inshore we have had some terrific days with kingies on our light Shakespeare spinning gear. This is sport fishing at its best. I think it also has been little frustrating for a few of our guests when a kingie comes in at 59 centimeter and has to go back in the sea. Especially if it’s the biggest fish they have ever caught.

Flathead fishing has been difficult during the last couple of months, firstly because of a strong current from the north, sometimes up to two to three knots racing south. Secondly because of toadfish and small leather jackets in plague proportions along the coast. They are particularly troublesome because they are biting off lines and traces and we have lost a lot of tackle

December

Enjoy summer at sea with us – and Merry Christmas!

Spring has been excellent but we are of course looking forward to the summer and many exciting days on the water. This time I’m putting together a short section about one of our favorite fish – dolphin fish or as it is known in the south pacific – mahi-mahi. But first things first, a short report on recent trips and catches.

During September and October we had a beautiful stretch of nice days, about six weeks with stable and calm conditions. We had both local and international guests onboard from a number of locations including country NSW, South East Asia, USA and Europe. But because of the unusual weather during November we found the conditions difficult at times.

Last Sunday we were facing a storm and gale warnings all along the coast and cancelled all events. We are looking forward to summer and warmer, calmer days.

Fishing has been reasonably good with considerable variation from day to day, as changeable as the weather! Looking through the records we have had a few disappointing days but also been catching a great variety of reef fish, as well as some exciting surface fish.

Last week we had huge schools of tailor and Australian salmon chopping up the big schools of baitfish. They are a lot of fun to catch on our light Shakespeare spinning gear.

On the social scene we had a top day with Rob’s bucks party in late October. It was a mix of fishing and relaxing off Jibbon point. Have a look at our website www.allatsea.biz, particularly the picture of the guys all dressed up in big and colourful Mexican hats. Great fun!

So next thing on the summer agenda is to target dolphin fish on the continental shelf around the FADs along the coast. But we are obviously also looking out for marlin and all kinds of tuna, that we might strike on our way along the shelf.

Here are some of our dolphin fish observations and experiences as well as some reference material from NSW Fisheries.

Dolphin fish are particularly exciting and one of our favorites. They can turn bright gold along the sides, but are usually bright greenish blue along the back and have lots of blue spots and the pectoral fins are very bright electric blue. We normally look for dolphin fish under the offshore FADs, just inside the continental shelf.

It is a very exciting fish to catch, jumping like a mini Marlin, displaying wonderful colours, it is easy to clean and excellent to eat. The flesh is dense and moist, with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.

The biggest one we have been lucky to catch was off Port Stephens, a 19.5 kilo wonderful fish.

Dolphin fish are the perfect sport fish having a remarkable growth rate, known to grow as fast as 7 centimetres in a week. Juveniles can reach one kilogram in six months and ten kilograms in one year and reach a maximum length close to 200cm, weighing up to 40 kg. In our NSW waters, the warm water of summer and autumn is a key trigger. And their migration is to the south in summer and autumn, then north in late autumn and early winter.

What is a FAD anyway? It is an acronym for ‘fish aggregation device’. It is a moored or free-floating structure placed in the open ocean with the primary function of aggregating pelagic fish. Perhaps fish use it as a resting place or geographical reference point for feeding or school recomposition. The debate and research is in progress.

A common misunderstanding about FADs is that you have to fish in the immediate vicinity to catch fish. But fish actually roam the waters around a FAD in a circumference that can be anywhere up to 300 metres or more from the actual buoy itself. In many cases the smaller fish hang closer to the buoy for protection, while the larger predators are found further away roaming the open waters waiting for a chance to ambush prey.

As fish are usually widely spread around the buoy, it is a good idea to commence a drift from up current of the FAD. So depending on the current strength, we start our drift 200 to 300 metres up current and just deploy our favourite fishing method, which is small live slimy mackerel or yellow tail. Alternatively, fresh pilchards and light gear can work well.
Please give me a call on 0414 525 968, and we’ll arrange a trip for you.

November
Welcome to All @ Sea ChartersEnjoy a winter or early spring day at sea with us! Yes, winter is here but there is no need to complain! Just think about the last couple of months with clear blue skies, light winds and calm seas – conditions don’t come better than this! It can be a bit chilly in the morning, but if you dress well it’s just fine and you will warm up as the day progresses. So we are in mid August already and this is a very good time of the year to target snapper and many reef species. And also the off-shore yellowfin tuna and albacore. For snapper we normally head south to the gravel grounds off Garie Beach or off Stanwell Park in about 50 metres or The Hump in about 32 metres.Les and his friends came back for the fifth time and ended up with a box of mixed reef fish for Grandma at home. And we have been whale watching…Another good reason to be out on the ocean is whale watching! It is an excellent opportunity to view these magnificent mammals. This is the end of the season but prepare for their return in about six weeks or so. There is a pretty good chance that you will see humpbacks breaching or waving a flipper or tail on their way south.

According to the expert and dedicated whale watcher Wayne Reynolds,
positioned here on the cliff top at Cape Solander in the National Park “the numbers are promising for the future”. The count for the season was more than 1300 humpback whales heading north, along with 13 Minkie whales, 15 Melon Headed/Pygmy killers and 400 dolphins.Chasing tuna on the Shelf….and a trip to the mother countryThis time of the year yellowfin tuna and albacore are cruising the continental shelf. When the off-shore conditions are suitable we run up to seven trolling lines and sometimes stop for cubing with cut up slimy mackerel and live bait. Here is Andy, on the right, with a small striped tuna which we picked up on the way home!If you are interested, ask me about our sensational tuna recipe.
If you didn’t hear much from us during May it was because we attended a family reunion in Sweden. As always, this was a very interesting and rewarding event. It is held every second year, with up to 150 relatives spending a weekend together somewhere in Sweden.
This year the meeting was held north of Stockholm, in Eskilstuna, in a castle called Sundbyholm Slott. The Human Cronulla Shark Island ChallengeWe have also been participating as a media vessel in a major surf competition, known as Human Shark Island Challenge.
This is an annual international event with the 32 top body board riders in the world competing over two days when the swell, wind and tide are suitable.
It is an incredible event and huge interest with thousands of people lining the shores of Cronulla.
For those of us not involved on a regular basis with this kind of event, it is an eye opener – body board surfing is a huge business with very committed followers.
I guess the $50,000 prize money also got a few people interested.
I have included a few pictures from the event, courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald’s John Veage.Message from Leota Robinson, PR and management consultant for the Human Shark Island Challenge.

Hello Roland,
Thank you very much for being apart of the first round of the event! I really appreciated your patience leading into the event with the waiting period and so forth. I would very much like to continue this relationship with you. Next year is the 10 year anniversary of the event, which is very exciting, and we would love to have you apart of it.
Thanks again Roland, your work is much appreciated!Cheers,
Leota Robinson
PR
www.cronullasharkislandchallenge.comNewsflash - Tuesday the 9th of August - and a trip to Browns MountainLast Sunday we had Dean and Andrew’s teams onboard for a trip down to the Hump and gravel grounds off Stanwell Park, looking for all kinds of reef fish.
It was a typical winter’s day, a bit chilly in the morning but warning up to a really nice and sunny day around 20 degrees C.
The westerly wind also made it nice and comfortable close in under the cliffs at the Royal National Parks.
Fishing was good and the guys caught some snapper, pigfish (pinkies) a batch of sweep, wrasse and other bits and pieces. Plus a battle with a port jackson and a mako shark!
With favorable weather conditions last Monday it was a great opportunity to head out to Browns Mountain for a serious fishing adventure in 400 to 500 metres of water. Halicat Tours hosted the trip with a great result. After a fairly windy and choppy 25 mile trip the conditions improved to being a perfect day for deep sea fishing. And they were biting well as you can see on a few pictures here.
Don’t hesitate! Give me a call and we will arrange a trip with Hal for you and your friends.

Welcome ! All @ Sea Charters is a new Australian business providing services on a 34’ flybridge cruiser with excellent facilities, safety and range. We arrange sport fishing, dive trips and pleasure cruising from Port Hacking, Botany Bay or Sydney Harbour as well as specialised tours along the Australian New South Wales coast.

http://www.allatsea.biz

Corporate services is one of our specialties where we combine cruising, sport fishing, swimming at selected wonderful beaches or just visiting interested places in our harbours. A visit to the Sydney Fishmarket has proved to be very popular with our guests.

We also travel to the Continental Shelf for serious game fishing, often striking Marlin, Skipjack Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna and Sharks. Please refer to the photo section where you will see the range of activities we provide.

All @ Sea Charters is focusing on providing a pleasant and rewarding nautical experience in East Australian waters for our customers and friends. Our vessel is known as OzeBlue