# Fortescue Bay - TAS



## vertigrator (Jul 25, 2006)

I did an early morning launch post Aus day. The camp grounds were packed out, but maybe most people had a hangover. Cause I was the only one on the beach or in the water for at least an hour. :shock:

There was a very decent swell happening, but I timed my surf launch purfectly and paddled over to canoe bay for a look. Coming back a pod of dolphins surfaced and did a couple of laps of the beach and had a look at me.

I had a suspicion there'd be some squid about and few jiggedy jigs later the suspicion was comfirmed. I had some fun polaroiding the squid below, taking it in turns to rush towards the jig. Could have quite easily filled the whole tank well with the suckers, but took a few to feed the few families back at camp for lunch. When I saw the size the boaters were getting I had to grin, cause mine were close to three times the size of theirs.

By this time the swell had doubled and I was at the back of the beach worrying about the size of the waves. I waited a long time back there until I felt sure I'd timed it to a good set of smaller waves and went for it. I surfed a wave all the way in with just a minor wave slapping me as I hopped out. So I was happy with that.

Then I dragged my yak into the local lagoon for some fun with my light rod for 7 bream and a silver trevally.

What a top day. It got even better when we took the kids for a walk and they got to see the dolphins too, and some fairy penguins and some tiger snakes.


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## Baldy (Oct 1, 2007)

Nice one mate, it really is a great spot down there, so many options!...not that Ive had a kayak down there but we spent a good couple of weeks down there every year when I was younger[teens] Its been a while since I was in there and I think a bit has changed since then with the camping areas, we used to camp just up above the ramp.

Good to hear ya got onto a few, showing the boaties up cant be a bad thing either 8) :lol:

Cheers
Baldy


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## vertigrator (Jul 25, 2006)

occy said:


> how did you cook the squid?


We didn't have a great deal of condiments with us so I just fried the rings and wings in butter with a little salt and pepper. Fresh squid always tastes so sweet. 

Baldy that was my first time fishing the area from the yak. I'll be back for sure. Might take an esky full of ice next time to bring a few squid home. Plenty of couta about too, with some metre plus models. Also morwong, salmon, mullet, flatties about. Stripey trumpeter are down there too, though I don't know how far you'd have to paddle out to get to them. If you paddle far enough out towards Hippolyte Rock that's where the game fishers get their tuna and makos and even marlin sometimes.

Cheers
Vert


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## Blaen (Jul 4, 2006)

Hey Vert,

Good report mate, nice to see some fish being caught in Fortescue, seeing how everyone tells me it's fished out.

A mate from work was spearing down there last weekend he got 4 Trumpeter and 2 Morwong in Fortesque it's self. You don't have to go all that far out for them apparently, he was only in 6 meters of water.


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## Wattie (Apr 30, 2007)

Well done Vert,

Sounds like you had a great day. I find that sitting the squid in orange juice for an hour or so before cooking also adds to the flovour.


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## vertigrator (Jul 25, 2006)

Blaen said:


> A mate from work was spearing down there last weekend...


I did see a couple of guys on our last day heading along the beach with a couple of big spear guns. Were they stripey or bastard trumpeter?

Wattie, I might try the orange juice on my next one. Thanks for the recipe tip.


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## Blaen (Jul 4, 2006)

vertigrator said:


> I did see a couple of guys on our last day heading along the beach with a couple of big spear guns. Were they stripey or bastard trumpeter?
> 
> quote]
> 
> One Stripey and three Bastard, they picked those up on Saturday and didn't see any fish on the Sunday.


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