After a good run up to Port Stephens yesterday Sunday was an anticlimax.
The water in the Port is like liquid chocolate then out around 30 fathoms it turns greeny-brown and at fifty to a clean green were there is a lot of bait and we raised a couple of small Blacks.
Further out around the 70 fathoms was a very marked colour change and a jump in temperature of nearly 2 degrees where at least one boat raised a couple of Striped Marlin. From there on the temperature just kept increasing as you went out : I recorded 27.3 degrees out wide and other boats were registering up to 28.5. I know there is a high degree of inaccuracy in these readings but it is still very warm even though the colour is amazing and looks very fishy.
Results for the weekend, amongs those fishing was disappointing for the amount of effort put in, and the bite on Saturday had moved further South. The big problem was the general lack of bait – if you find bait and stick with it you are in with a chance and this was made difficult in the 2.5 knot current.
Next weekends weather is not looking real good at present but hopefully it will turn things around – ever the optimist…
Tight lines,
Ivan