Talk about Midas touch.
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Recently minted Lake Macquarie Game Fishing Club member James Dunn, 15, marked his first ever trip to sea last Monday with a new Australian record claim for a 469kg tiger shark, and also a national 1000lb claim.
Fishing on Steve Dial’s boat Redemption with Joel Namcarrow, James spent 6hr 45min fighting the fish on 37kg line.
“They got to the Shelf about 7am, landed it about 9pm and got back to shore about 2am Tuesday,” Lake Macquarie weigh master Neil Grieves said.
“They also got two smaller tigers – 128kg and the another 152kg, both on the same line class.
Another LGFC boat, Midas Touch, weighed a 128.5kg tiger, caught on 15kg line.
“Fifi went marlin fishing but didn’t do any good,” Neil said. “Gary Hoff fished the shelf on Out of the Blue but didn’t turn a reel.
“He did see heaps of bait, though, and dozens of whales heading south with their calves. Water was 21 degrees which is great this time of year.”
You have to take your hat off to Steve Dial who is a prolific shark fishing skipper.
Last season, LMGF weighed four 1000lb tigers and three of them were caught on Redemption.
“The 1000lb claim is an honour set up originally the Sydney Game Fishing Club but now overseen by the Game Fishing Association of Australia,” Neil explained.
“It’s awarded for any game fishing species caught weighing over 1000lb, which is 452.4kg in the metric.
“In our waters, that usually means large sharks or heavy-tackle marlin. Unfortunately we don’t get to many 1000lb tuna around here.
“It was a great start to our shark fishing season, and let me tell you, for a 15-year-old, boating that fish is a pretty spectacular physical effort. He was probably pulling 12kg-15kg drag on strike for 45 minutes to get it up and out of the current, fishing over the shelf in over 90 fathoms. That takes some stamina.”
Going low
Looks like we’re facing a bit of an east coast low scenario heading into the weekend, but Brett “Hammer” Hancock, from Port Stephens Tackle Power reckons that shouldn’t rain on the fishing parade.
”It looks like it might impact more further south on the Central Coast, but if it stays southerly, you’ll be able to fish inside the bay, and the bay has been firing.
“Plenty of flathead around up the creeks of Tilligerry and Karuah – my mate Colesy got a 74cm lizard this week.
“With the school holidays in full swing, I’ve been selling plenty of live tube worms and we’ve seen a few whiting turning up in the bay. Places like Shoal Bay and Corlette with a southerly at the back and sand whiting on the hook fish real well.
“We’ve seen a few jew around Middle Island and Soldiers Points – fish up to 11kg. Been some great snapper coming out of the shallows just outside the port. I weighed one for a guy called Terry this week that went 8.3kg, caught on soft plastic. The week before, there was a 7.6kg red weighed.
“Allmark Mountain has been good for kings too but it might be a bit of a challenge to get there this weekend.”
Holiday heroes
Joe Onslow hooked a nice bream in Newcastle Harbour on Monday.
Matt White was all smiles after landing a 5kg mulloway in the lake on the same Monday.
“Patience and determination finally paid off,” Uncle Allan Searant reported. “Matt’s fish went 80cm and was his first ever jew.
“It was served up that evening for family and friends, expertly prepared by Guam of Redhead’s Seaview Malaysian Restaurant, deep fried and presented in a mild chilli tomato sauce – fresh and fantastic!”
Four-year-old James Riordon caught a 38cm whiting and a solid bream off Wangi Point last weekend fishing with his Poppy and Dad, and extending his lead over dad in the family Fishing Club.
Lizard king
Jesse Dedman took the opportunity on the long weekend Monday to hook up a flathead in the Hunter River for his young fella Cooper (5yrs) to reel in.
“On Tuesday he was asking all morning if we could go for a flick again that arvo,” Jesse reported. “So we headed back down to our spot at about 4pm. He wasn’t interested in using bait this time and wanted to use plastics like Dad.”
After about 15 minutes of working it all out Jesse heard the sound of Cooper’s drag.
“I look over to see his rod bent over, him winding while not gaining any line back,” Jesse said. “Assumed a snag. This went on for another 15-20 seconds when I noticed the line moving around through the water. Mate you’re on a fish!
“As it comes up we realise it wasn’t the usual 40cm models we’d been catching. This was a chunky 70cm lizard! Had to pretty much drag him back to the car on dark as he didn’t want to leave. How good’s fishin’? Can’t get the smile off his face.”
- Send your fishing news, views, clues and reviews to fishing@theherald.com.au.
