A record breaking sport fishing adventure

 

After a year of planning, six of my good fishing buddies Swivel, Bingo, Bondy, Arky, Hannan and Rhino from Kimba in South Australia touched down on the Darwin tarmac.  The anticipation levels were very high and a trip to the local tackle shop was high on the agenda.  Topping the shopping list were soft plastics, metal jigs and 80lb braid.
 
The longest morning in history finally came to an end and it was time to board Fish Darwin’s vessel, Northern Exile – our fishing platform for the next 4 nights and days.   A 10 hour steam was in store to our first drop so rigs were made, reels were spooled and some rays of sunshine soaked up.  Well into the night the anchor was dropped at Caution Point, on the western side of Bathurst Island, followed closely by big fresh squid baits.  It didn’t take long for some yells of delight and bent rods to break the midnight silence.  Within 10 minutes there were 6 black jewfish slapping the deck and smiles all round.  With 2 kept and 4 released it had been a great start to what would turn out to be a record breaking sport fishing adventure.
 
Sunrise and a new day saw a 3 hour steam to our next destination, Marie Shoal.  Skipper & owner, Shaun Uden, drove a few lines searching for the best ground – the sounder lit up a couple of times with big bait schools and all of a sudden it was time to stretch those back and arm muscles again.  3 rods with bait, 2 with metal jigs and 2 with soft plastics were deployed.  Coral trout were caught on the baits and soft plastics whilst some savage Spanish mackerel action was taking place on the spin reels and metal jigs as we drifted over the top and side walls of the shoal.  A few coral trout and mackerel for the esky and it was time for catch and release fishing seeing over twenty 8kg plus Spaniards swimming away to live another day harassing the bait schools.
 
The hot sun and burning arms meant it was time for mid afternoon relaxation and cold beverages, some 15 or so species ticked off the list already.  Soon after another hot 3 hour catch and release fishing session into the sunset with more mackerel, giant trevally, maori sea perch, coral trout and the ever present sharks – all living to fight another day.  With instructions to Shaun to fish some virgin ground, we were off to explore the grounds at Goodrich Bank, north of the Tiwi Islands.
 
Arriving at 10:30pm and seeing the sounder light up like a Christmas tree, it didn’t take long before the sound of screaming drags filled the warm night air.  Big GT’s to 20kg, red bass, long nosed emperor, paddletail and large cod were on the menu readily taking fresh mackerel baits and stimulate slam soft plastics.  Some tired fisho’s were in need of some sound sleep.
 
Sunrise and flat seas welcomed us on our third day in paradise.  Friend and deckie, Rob Mills pulled in some cracker coronation trout, kali kali trevally and long nosed emperor with his special soft plastic combination.  Big red bass to 7 kg were certainly testing tackle and our stamina.  Bondy’s big GT put a large smile on his dial and Bingo’s 25 kg cod was a sight to behold for everyone on board.  My P.B. was a 12 kg GT on light tackle with a stimulate slam bait, making my day.  Arky’s big chinamen had him bent over the gunnel and gasping for fresh air.  Having Swivel finally out of his seasickness stage he joined Rhino and Hannon in ripping some lips and losing lots of line.  All this made it a fantastic fishing morning.
 
Some cracking red emperor and another mackerel session meant an afternoon rest and cold beer were needed once again.  Recuperated and keen to go again a small mackerel was stitched up and deployed out in the boat wash as a skip bait with 2 sailfish pushers trailing it.  Suddenly out of 90 metres of depth a huge black marlin trailed our skip bait before slamming it without a hook up, only to smash a pusher whilst Swivel was retrieving it back to the boat.  Just to witness this spectacle had the South Ozzie fisho’s yelling and yahooing.   The marlin slugged it out down deep well into the night with the 15 kg mono line finally giving up the ghost after an intense 2 ½ hour battle.  The fish may have won the fight but it was something that will be entrenched in my mind and everyone else’s for an eternity.  An early night and it was time to do some serious travel back towards Darwin the next morning.
 
Just after lunch the anchor was dropped on some good looking golden snapper ground.  A few minutes passed without a touch until bang – some high adrenalin action as all 7 rods hooked up goldies that were around the 4 – 7 kg mark.  Whilst keeping a dozen for the table, another 20 or so were released.  Another drop and the same action, the more fish that were caught the hotter the bite became – both soft plastics and bait doing the damage.
 
Time for jewy action now with 6 more of these magnificent species boarded, some on plastics.  They were left well and truly on the chew.  With enough fish for the boys to take home on the plane, all we required was some catch and release trevally jigging.  We found a bait school at South Gutter the next morning which was just what we needed for one final 2 hour long burst of flat out fishing.
 
Trevally and mackerel once again stretching our arms.  Bondy caught four Trevally on just a jig head alone – he didn’t even need the plastic body. Rob was losing more fights than he won with his fly rod on the bow, five lost flies to mackerel before he boated a nice trevally.  That was it, no energy left and bruises to show for the fishing action – time to head for home.
 
Four days of extreme fishing had by all with many highlights: GT’s, macki’s, the hard pulling red bass, goldies and jewies.  Some new jigs and soft plastic theories tried and tested with great results.  Thanks to the Kimba boys for putting in the effort to join me on this quest.  A new boat record of an outstanding 46 different fish species captured (not including sharks).
 
Many thanks to Shaun and Lori Uden of the Fish Darwin charter company - great food, awesome fishing and a relaxed mode.  They certainly run a top notch charter business.  Thanks also goes to our gun deckie and fisho Rob (Miagi) Mills.  Tight lines.