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Saumarez Reef - Kanimbla Charter
OCTOBER 2000

Simon with a nice wahoo

A fresh easterly wind forecast to strengthen dictated we change from our usual plan. The Swains reefs would be our initial destination until conditions improved. By first light on Sunday 22nd October we had reached the shelter of the Swains where we enjoyed breakfast prior to anchoring behind one of the many nameless reefs that comprise this system. Fishing was a little slow by Swains standards but the steady stream of coral trout, sweetlip and red emperor coming aboard the mothership and dories ensured we would all take home some quality table fish.

On Monday Bruce, our skipper, announced the news we had been hoping for. Winds were easing, tonight we would sail for Saumarez Reef. The plan was to leave at midnight which would have us arrive at the western edge of Saumarez at first light.

As dawn broke an assortment of trolling lures and teasers were fed into Kanimbla's wake, their splashings and wobblings watched in anticipation by eager eyes. Right on cue, as the sounder indicated the rise from 300m to 50m, rods bent and reels howled. Multiple dogtooth..... we had arrived! Welcome to Saumarez!

From left: Greg with sweetlip and red emperor, Cathy with a nice dogtooth, Richard's Saumarez cobia (click to enlarge)

Over the next four days the usual tales were told, broken rods, broken gear, lures lost, huge fish lost. Sharks were again a nuisance but provided entertainment each evening for those who still had the strength to do battle.

Billfish were quieter than last year, I lost one good sailfish shortly after hookup which was disappointing. I was much more disappointed, however, to lose all but the head of a PB jobfish of 12-13kg boatside to a BIG shark.

Despite the misfortunes many good fish were boated. Jobfish, dogtooth and yellowfin featured strongly, together with a sprinkling of wahoo and a few less regular species such as cobia and various trevallies.

From left: Angelo's Giant Trevally, Hayden and a nice doggie (click to enlarge)

Bottom fishing also provided heartache (and backache) as 'unstoppables' strained tackle before finding sanctuary among the coral outcrops. Many fine reef fish were landed though which kept the deckies busy preparing and packing succulent fillets of coral trout, white sweetlip and assorted others.

To take advantage of the increasingly fine weather we decided to maximise our time at Saumarez and depart Friday morning for the long run home. We weighed anchor for the last time at dawn on Friday then travelled all of 200m before the first strike. Jigging had become popular, many of us preferring to forego trolling, instead waiting for the boat to stop following a hookup then dropping chrome jigs to the bottom. It seems most Saumarez species don't mind a bit of iron in their diet as quite a variety of fish succumbed to this method. During one short stop no less than eight species were dragged up on jigs.

From left: George and Angelo with some nice trout and jobfish, Rohan's mystery fish (midnight snapper perhaps?!), Chris S with a beast of a red bass. Click to enlarge

Eventually we cleared Saumarez and settled back to enjoy a beer and recount the weeks events. Once again the trip had been a big success.

Good weather (eventually), a great boat and exceptional crew together with an excellent bunch of enthusiastic fishos at one of the hottest fishing locations in Australia.

Can't wait to get back there!

From left: Geoff with the remains of a BIG jobfish, Chris H and a nice yellowfin tuna. Click to enlarge

From left: Dave and a jigged coral trout. John putting 24kg spin gear through it's paces. The result, a black trevally .(click to enlarge)