Weipa

Here are some photos taken from a fishing trip to Weipa in 2004 with Chris See.

Dave Donald’s report

Week Ending: 28 May, 2004

Weather: Light to moderate south east winds, some showers, all week. (21 to 34 degrees C)

Fishing Methods: Live baiting, trolling and lure and fly casting.

Clients Details: Christopher from Sydney, Philip from Hong Kong, Craig and Peter from Melbourne.

Species Landed: Barramundi, mangrove jack, fingermark, queenfish (2 species), blue salmon, golden trevally, brassy trevally, tea leaf trevally, fringe finned trevally, gold spot estuary cod, black spot estuary cod, pikey bream, archer fish, barracuda, doggie mackerel, narrow barred spanish mackerel, broad barred spanish mackerel, longtail tuna, mackerel tuna, cobia, scad, coral trout, stripey, black cod, parrotfish, tomato cod, wire netting cod, paddle tail, sand bass, tarpon, ooglie, longtom, wolf herring, giant herring, dart, grunter, shark. (37 species). Sighted dolphin, rays, sharks, turtles, sea snakes, marlin.

Crocodiles Sighted: 9 (best day 7)

Report: Weipa’s offshore scene went absolutely BALLISTIC this week. We had a couple of HUGE days off Boyd Bay about 20 miles south, with bait schools being harrassed by predators of all types including tuna, mackerel, trevally, cobia, sharks and even an occasional marlin! Chris and Philip were fly fisho’s and were rewarded with the best fly fishing either of them had ever seen. Both landed plenty of big longtail tuna and finny scad while Philip scored a 12 kilo spanish mackerel and Chris a 20 kilo cobia. Even better, this was the FIRST time Chris had been salt water fly fishing, Weipa has now spoiled him for life! More than once, their flies were grabbed off the surface as they pulled line off the reel to cast, I kid you not!! Champagne stuff!!! Golden trevally and a range of reef species were a little tame after the big stuff. Craig and Peter also waved the fly rods around with similar results. Both fished themselves to a standstill on tuna, trevally and scad on more than a couple of occasions. Craig also landed some big queenfish and a meter plus long giant herring on the wand. Peter was absolutely destroyed when his fly line cut in half after getting caught around the back of the reel when a tuna took off on its customary 100 mile an hour run! But when their fish on fly started getting monstered by sharks, the lads brought out the big gear - and still got roasted. Craig managed a huge cobia and a big macko but the lure losses from sharks taking hooked fish and big mackerel snipping 100 pound mono were very heavy. A couple of big fingermark and trout jigged off the bottom in the ‘quiet’ times made the table. The rivers were a little on the quiet side but nobody really cared!

Dave Donald, Dave Donald SPORTFISHING