Finally got the boat in the water today. Very windy, 12 to 17 knots but inside the reef at Coral Bay is very protected. After being ably assisted by Hanno at the new boat ramp south of Coral Bay, Carol and I headed out on what felt a bit like our maiden voyage. Given the new boat only had 2 hours on the clock it was pretty close.
The trip out to the North Passage is well marked and because of the coral "Bombies" the speed restriction of 8 knots means a very long slow trip. About 45 minutes after leaving the ramp you enter open waters where you can fish. Only problem is there is a lot of water out there and with no GPS marks to aim for, luck was going to have to be on our side if we were to catch any fish.
Luck evaded us as we trolled along several contour lines outside the reef and as the wind continued to build we decided to head into calmer waters inside the reef, and try a little bottom bouncing. The chart plotter identified a likely spot and as we motored over the rocky outcrop we decided it could be worth a try. As the sinkers hit the bottom for the first time we had a double hook up. Mine was an undersized Spangled Emperor but Carols was a 45cm cod. A keeper and the first fish to go into the esky in our new boat. After several drifts over the same lump and constant hook ups we had boated numerous reef fish of various types but despite much measuring, checking of size limits and great excitement, no more fish went into the esky. Carol did lose something quite big to a shark, but no more keepers.
After a bit more trolling and a few unsuccessful attempts to find new grounds we decided to call it a day.
The long slow trip home following a Marine Parks Research boat was quite pleasant as we skirted the reef and passed numerous commercial dive boats.
On arrival at the ramp we were greeted by a huge groper. Apparently he has taken up residence there and enjoys a free feed from many of the boaties.
Back at the park a decision was made to have a few drinks at the beach. The stunning sunset over the Indian Ocean provided a brilliant backdrop for our happy hour.
Carol's Cod was delicious for tea as our second day at Coral Bay came to a close.