FEBRUARY 2017 COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2017

Transcription

1 Important Reminders General Meeting 13 th February 7:00pm Shore Based Fishing Comp. 18 th February 2017 Weigh In Saturday, 25 th February 6pm Fishing Club Web Site FEBRUARY 2017 COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2017 PRESIDENT: Ron Russell VICE-PRESIDENT: Keith Kable SECRETARY: George Dragon TREASURER: Trevor Plant ASSISTANT TREASURER Kerryn Cochrane WEIGHMASTER: Peter McGruddy WEIGHMASTER S ASSISTANT: Ron Winnett CATERING CO-ORDINATOR: Richard Caldararo CATERING ASSISTANT: John Casey PUBLICITY OFFICER: Frank Oostenbroek MERCHANDISERS: Sandra Casey WEBMASTER: Frank Oostenbroek Correspondence to: The Secretary Bribie Island R.S.L. Fishing Club PO Box 297 Bribie Island QLD 4507 FORTHCOMING EVENTS General Meeting Monday 13 th February 2017 Shore Based Fishing Competition Saturday 18 th February 2017 Monthly BBQ Sports Club 26 th February :00pm

2 From the President s Desk Hello everyone. Well January certainly has been a busy month and for a change, people could get out and fish both in the Passage and offshore. While we are beset with northerly winds, some good catches were made out wide and of course Frank starred with some mighty fish. It really is good to see the numbers fishing. On one particular day, there were 6 or 7 boats out wide. The mackerel have fired up along with other pelagics. The Passage has been productive and again, many members out there giving it a go. I really enjoyed the BBQ and presentation. As you would have observed, we changed the format so that the presentations were first, followed by the meal. Wasn t the food something? Many thanks to our new catering team of Richard and John and big thanks also to Dianne, Sandy, Dorothy, Bryan and Jim (apologies if I missed someone). It is going to be a bit hard to top that one. Ray was the lucky recipient of the hat and well deserved too. Such an embarrassing moment when his lunch bag was opened and the contents revealed. Mind you, Frank was a worthy contender. From Richard s boat trolling some 75 metres back and to Frank s starboard, we were most impressed with and happy for Frank as he fought something big with his Egrell rod bent over and shuddering. Alas the long fight ended with the realization that he had the channel marker (you know those very big posts that stick out of the water). And then we observed Frank and Amrat eagerly and busily looking out the back of Frank s boat which by this time had the motor up. Frank was muttering and Amrat was back and forth in the boat asking What to do Frank. What to do?. After a short while, Frank is in the water in the altogether. Brave man with the sharks we have seen. We looked on puzzled John mused that perhaps Frank was playing submarines Richard thought perhaps Frank was looking for a white pointer. I just watched on with interest. Hmmm -the things you see on and in the water. You will see the 2017 calendar as part of this newsletter. It is busy. We hope you enjoy the year. At this coming meeting, can you please be ready to let us know of your intentions to attend a number of events the end of month BBQ, the Bjelke weekend, the Maroochydore weekend, the dinner on 17 March (themed green), the Rainbow Beach weekend and the Outback Spectacular evening. The reason for this is to allow us to make bookings with reasonably accurate numbers. I would like to thank the Social Sub Committee members for coming up with social events for the year. Just in case you don t know who they are Margie (coordinator), Rosemary B, Dianne D, Dianne C, Kerryn C, Merle C, Sandy C, and Tina P. They met twice to reach their recommendations. Many thanks ladies for your time and interest. We have finalised the Club booklet with changes agreed in recent meetings and George has printed off the copies. Many thanks for everything you do George. The books will be available at the meeting. The Banksia Beach social comp is to be held on Saturday the 18 th. It looks like being a great day with 42 people indicating they will attend for some fun. Thanks to the Richard, John and Weighmaster Peter team, it commences at 6am with a bacon and egg sandwich, fishing and then finish at 11.00am. Peter will brief you all on the rules on the day. Good luck and I hope you all have a good time. Cheers Ron

3 Weighmaster s Report Although the weather was windy early in the month conditions were ideal in the last two weeks, with fish caught both inshore and offshore. Bream, Moses Perch and Grass Emperor (Sweetlip) were the major inshore species with the occasional snapper. Offshore, warm water temperatures saw a few pelagics about, but it took a lot of perseverance to find the bait balls that were being worked by fish. Bottom fishing offshore was largely unproductive. Somehow, Frank as usual, demonstrated to the rest of us mere mortals how to get the job done by landing some monster Cobia ( kg and kg) which improves the club record for Cobia that he already holds. Some reasonable Mackerel, (Ron Russell kg), together with a few Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) were also boated. Max West surprised himself by catching a Star Gazer. These are an unusual fish in that they can bury themselves in wet sand almost instantaneously and can be very difficult to extract. They have not been an allowable species under our club rules but Mr Grant tells us that they have a firm white flesh that is quite acceptable as a table fish. However, I believe they will be allowable in 2017 so perhaps Max is the holder of the club record for Stargazer. I will have more to say on this. Inshore Ladies Competition Winner Kerryn Cochrane Runner Up Tina Patterson Inshore Men s Competition Winner - Trevor Plant Runner Up Ron Winnett Offshore Ladies Competition Winner Tammy Oostenbroek Runner Up Marg Gadd Offshore Men s Competition Winner Frank Oostenbroek Runner Up Ron Russell Congratulations to our winners and encouragement to the rest to keep up the good work. Remember that on the 18 th of February we have a One Day shore based competition at Banksia Beach. It starts at 6 am and finishes at 11:00am. The club will provide a simple breakfast and lunch for those who come along. This is a great chance for all land lubbers to get involved. See you there. A reminder that fish can be weighed in at Spinnaker Kiosk, or at the residence of Ron Winnett, Ron Russell, Richard Caldararo, Keith Kable or Peter McGruddy. Any club member may weigh and witness your catch, especially if you wish to release your fish. Cheers! Peter McGruddy Weighmaster

4 BRIBIE ISLAND RSL SOCIAL FISHING CLUB CALENDAR 2017 JANUARY 9 th January AGM/ Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 1st Jan th Jan 28 Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps 29 th January BBQ- 4:00pm Sports Club th 6pm Weigh in Saturday 28 FEBRUARY 13 th February Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 29 th Jan 25 th Feb Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps 18 th February Banksia Beach on Shore Competition 26 th February BBQ- 4:00pm Sports Club th 6pm Weigh in Saturday 25 MARCH 13 th March Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 17 th March St Patricks Day Dinner Solander 26 th Feb - 25 th Mar Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps 26 th March BBQ- 4pm Sports Club th 6pm Weigh in Saturday 25 APRIL 2 nd April Coffee at Spinnakers-Morning Tea 10 th April Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 21 st April 23 rd April Bjelke-Petersen Dam Freshwater Comp 26 th Mar - 29 th April Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps 30 th April BBQ 3:00pm Sports Club th 6pm Weigh in- Saturday 29 MAY 8 th May Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 12 th 14 th May Maroochydore (weekend away) Maroochy River Bungalows 30 th April -27 th May Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps 28 th May BBQ 3:00pm. Sports Club Weigh in Saturday 27 th 6pm JUNE 1 st June Thursday night raffles RSL Club 12 th June Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 14 th June Somerset 1 Day Freshwater Comp 18 th June Coffee at Spinnakers-Morning Tea 28 th May -24 th June Inshore Monthly Comp- Bream Offshore Monthly Comp-Pearl Perch 25 th June Bowls afternoon (Pizza) Sports Club th 6pm Weigh in Saturday 24 JULY Thursday night raffles RSL Club 10 th July Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm* 15 th July Black, White & Red Dinner Dance 25 th June 29 th July Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps 30 th July BBQ 3:00pm Sports Club SOUP DAY th 6pm Weigh in Saturday 29 AUGUST Thursday night raffles RSL Club 14 th August Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm* 11 th Aug -13 th Aug Rainbow Beach (Beach Comp) 27 th August Outback Spectacular (Competition presentation on the bus) 30 th July 26 th Aug Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps th 6pm Weigh in Saturday 26 SEPTEMBER Thursday night raffles RSL Club 11 th September Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 17 th September Red Beach Whiting Comp 27 th Aug - 23 rd Sep Inshore Monthly Comp - Whiting Offshore Monthly Comp - Snapper 24 th September BBQ- 4:00pm Sports Club Weigh in Saturday 23rd 6pm OCTOBER Thursday night raffles RSL Club 1 st October Coffee at Spinnakers-Morning Tea 9 th October Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 13 th -15 th Tweed Heads (weekend away) Hacienda Holiday Park 24 th Sep -28 th Oct Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps 29 th October BBQ- 4:00pm Sports Club th 6pm Weigh in Saturday 28 NOVEMBER Thursday night raffles RSL Club 13 th November Members Meeting RSL 7.00pm 15 th November Somerset 1 Day Freshwater Comp 29 th Oct -18 th Nov Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps (2 Weigh-ins only) 25 th November Roast Pig at Mike and Marg s for BBQ Weigh in Saturday 18 th 6pm DECEMBER Thursday night raffles RSL Club 9 th December Trophy night 11 th December NO GENERAL MEETING 19 th Nov 30 st Dec Inshore & Offshore Monthly Comps (6 Weigh-ins) Weigh in Saturday 30 st 6pm *Members Meetings are held in the Anzac room of the RSL Club COMMITTEE MEETINGS 18 th January 10 th May 6 th September 8 th March 12 th July 9 th November

5 Small Moses Snapper Small moses snapper (perch) seems to come up in conversation quite often lately. These small fish are often caught by both the inshore and offshore fishermen but the issue seems to be with the inshore species. The legal size of moses snapper is 25cms but at this size they only weigh in at a mere.24kg which is hardly enough to feed a small mouse. Having said that; there are a lot of fishermen who will travel many kilometres in order to catch a few small winter whiting which may be even smaller than the moses snapper. The difference is in the number of fish available. It is quite common to catch fifty winter whiting in one session and these fish are a delicacy as the tender white fillets offer a hearty meal if they are served up ten at a time. On the other hand, moses snapper have a legal possession limit of 5, so even if you were able to catch five fish, it is unlikely that there would be enough meat on the fillets to satisfy even a small person. So, the question is why do we keep them?. Well the largest moses snapper weighed in will offer the angler 10 points. If two are weighed in they would offer 19 points. Herein lies the problem. Competition can make us all very competitive so we keep the fish as this species can score another 19 points in a close competition, however, the fish are not big enough for a meal so I don t think that anyone keeps them for a meal. Moses snapper are extremely aggressive and will often swallow the hook well down past their gills, so removing the hook will often kill the fish. The most humane way to allow this fish to survive is to cut the line as closely as possible to the hook, leaving the hook in the fish to rust away. This is not to say that every fish will survive, but at least it gives it a fighting chance. Richard Caldararo and Trevor Bourke recently caught moses snapper on an offshore reef and both fish measured well over the 30cm mark, which meant that each fillet could be kept as a sizeable meal. The point of this little article is to question whether we should increase the club size of moses snapper to something like this.

6 Is it worth going to Moreton at 9:30 am? That depends! Frank took his boat to be serviced and did not get back till after 9 am but the day looked OK so after I picked him up at the VMR pier, we accelerated the Caribbean under the bridge and out to Skirmish Point. The 150 Yamaha cruised across the small chop at 40 knots and with Frank yelling Yee Haa as we leapt across the swells at the sandbars, we made Comboyuro point in forty minutes. As we rounded Comboyuro, we were greeted by a flat shiny sea, and we were trolling off Brenan s an hour after leaving port. With three Grubbsta skirts in our wake we trolled up and down for three uneventful hours. Despondently, we dropped pound sinkers down 85 metres and hoped that a late rising Pearl Perch might show some interest. Two undersize Snapper and a small Hussar later, we were about to call it a day when a small brown Petrel flew by and as we followed it, we thought we could see a few more fluttering on the horizon. A bait ball! Birds. Dolphins. Out came the Grubbsta Skirts and almost immediately we had a hit. A large Dolphin fish leapt in the air and shook the lure before we could grab the rod. That is when we saw the floating log. It was about 6 meters long and was covered in barnacles. A small crab clung precariously on top and small brown fish surrounded it, and two large dolphins swam around it but underneath it, were hundreds of Dolphin fish swimming in a huge school about 3 metres down. They flashed iridescent blue, green and fluoro yellow and as we cut the motor, they left the log and decided to school under our boat. It was sheer panic getting soft plastics rigged up and casted. Six or seven fish followed the lure at each cast but did not bite. We tried slugs, spoons, hard bodies, soft bodies. Even swearing did not help. Sometimes there were 50 fish on the surface and within a metre or two of the boat. As we drifted a hundred metres away from the log, they left us and went back under the log, so we would circle back and pick them up once more. With fish leaping and frolicking all around us, Frank finally hooked one on a soft plastic, but we decided to go back to the skirts and circle the school. This resulted in boating two more, but as it was by now getting quite late, we had to head back. Even if we had not hooked a fish, the experience was exhilarating and unforgettable. The baked fish fillets for tea were a bonus. The boss says I am not allowed out to Moreton again unless it is with Frank, because he always comes home with fish. Peter McGruddy A log floating in the ocean can be a haven for hundreds of Dolphin Fish

7 Not the biggest Fish in the world but just as tasty. Another New Species It is not often that Trevor Bourke gets the opportunity to fish offshore but when he does, you can be sure that it will be a memorable occasion. It was just a few days ago, when approximately fifteen of our members made plans to head out to Caloundra in five boats. Everyone was going to meet at the boat ramp at 4:30am but things turned out a little different on the day. Loris had planned to head out with Ray Vassalo and Trevor Bourke but it appears that Loris had brushed up against something or somebody that resulted in a large red rash over certain parts of his body. Loris, being the responsible person he is, rang to say that he would not be going fishing and that he had informed both Ray and Trevor of his decision. Ray also added that Trevor was pretty disappointed. I only had one passenger, Richard Caldararo, who I rang to see if he minded me taking Trevor. There was some hesitation but eventually Richard agreed to let him come. As it turned out I understood why Richard hesitated. We had only been fishing for a few minutes when somehow Trevor s line became grossly entangled with mine until finally we had to use the scissors. A few minutes later Trevor dropped a magnificent mackerel overboard but I must say that at no time did I see a hint of bananas. Trevor finally got into the action, catching a number of grassy sweetlip, a couple of school mackerel and a Spanish Flag.. No!!! not a flag, but a new species for our waters A Spanish Flag weighing a massive.48kg.

8 Leading by Example It is not often that you will see a General fighting on the front line; The President leading his troops into battle, or a Prime Minister fighting bush fires but the Bribie Island RSL fishing Club has a leader who is prepared to show the troops how it is done. It must have been quite intimidating for Ron when he went out mackerel fishing with two of the best fishermen in the club Richard Caldararo (The Fish Whisperer) and John Casey (The Alvey King), but it wasn t long before Ron proved that he was a worthy opponent. The small baitfish had finally arrived at Caloundra after making their way from the north during their annual migration and the massive splashes could be seen as the spotty mackerel slashed through the bait schools. Normally the most efficient method of catching these speedsters is to cast a shiny metal lure in amongst the school of fish and retrieve the lure as quickly as possible. It appears that Ron had a better option. Hours of preparation had equipped Ron with a selection of ganged hooks with a steel leader on which he placed a succulent pilchard. Ron then simply cast the pilchard downstream of the boat and let it slowly drift away with the tide. This method proved to be deadly as Ron pulled in mackerel after mackerel while Richard and John watched in awe. It wasn t long before Ron had captured a number of spotty and school mackerel, but there was just one more thing that Ron wanted to accomplish. He had already proven that he was capable of catching both spotty and school mackerel but when Ron pulled in a hard-fighting Spanish mackerel he had caught three species of mackerel in one day, a feat that not many fishermen can say that they have achieved. There was no denying that Ron had earned his title as The Mackerel King.

9 Ron Russell holding the only Spanish Mackerel for the day Marlin Measurement There are those among us who have caught marlin in the past and although most of us don t necessarily target these fish, there are times when they will devour the unsuspecting pilchard or soft plastic when you least expect it. Your first indication that you have hooked a marlin is when you can t pull your rod out of the rod holder. You may also notice that your boat will slowly turn the other way and start to drag the anchor but you can normally identify that the fish is a marlin by the way it repeatedly jumps out of the water. If you do happen to hook one of these magical monsters, you may want to quickly pull up your anchor and chase after it as the likelihood of being spooled is very high. It may take you sometime to finally bring the fish to the side of the boat, especially if you are using light line. Now that the fish is swimming beside the boat, you may be wondering what to do next. The answer is simple. Having put on a set of sturdy gloves, reach down and grab the marlin s bill with both hands, being careful not to let the marlin spear you through the chest or face. You will only have one chance to grab the marlin s bill because if you miss, the marlin will go berserk and you won t want to try again. Ok grab the bill with both hands and do not let go, regardless of how much he shakes and thrashes around. He will quieten down after a minute or so. The next step is to ask your partner to lay the fish on the gunwale, making sure that you hold onto the bill for dear life. Be careful because the pectoral fin of a black marlin cannot fold away. Take a note of distance between the middle of the tail and the tip of the bottom jaw and quickly drop the fish back into the water while maintaining a good grip of the bill. You can take a few quick photos of the fish while it is in the boat but be aware that they will die very quickly if they are kept out of the water for any more than a couple of minutes.

10 With the boat in idle you can revive the fish by allowing the water to flow through its gills. When the marlin actively bites down on your fingers (this doesn t hurt much) and starts swimming, you can release the fish to be caught another day. After the exhilaration of the catch you can measure the distance that you have previously noted and compare it to the chart as shown to get quite an accurate indication of the weight of your marlin. Just a few of the many marlin caught in recent years

11 Jim Urquhart must be onto a great fish maybe not Amrat is quickly filling his bucket list with new species every day It looks like everyone is getting into the School Mackerel

12 The baitfish are being pushed to the surface by big fish where they can be attacked by the seagulls. The Problem with Fly Fishing Summer is well and truly here and the weather has been far to hot for fishing in the middle of the day, so I decided to beat the heat and fish the early morning. It was just after 5:00am as I strolled down to Banksia Beach to try my hand at a bit of fly fishing. Everything was going well until I accidently dropped one of my flies in the left leg of my waders, I tried to see where it was, but the more I moved the further down it went. Sheila thought is was rather funny, so she took this picture of me, but it will be the one and only photo you will see of me fly fishing, because I have decided to go back to trolling big lures. I am not used to handling anything so small and at least I can still see the trolling lures. It is also very unlikely that they will fall down my pants.

13 NEVER TRUST AN IRISHMAN!! Joke of the Month Murphy goes to his friend Pat and says... "I'm sleeping with the Pastor s wife. Can you hold him in church for an hour after services for me?" Pat doesn't like it but, being Murphy's longtime friend, he agrees. After the service, he starts talking to the Pastor, asking him all sorts of stupid questions, just to keep him occupied. Finally, the Pastor gets annoyed and asks Pat what he's really up to. Pat, feeling guilty, finally confesses to the Pastor "My friend is sleeping with your wife right now, so he asked me to keep you occupied." The Pastor smiles, puts a brotherly hand on Pat's shoulder and says... "You better hurry home, Pat; my wife died two years ago." Did you know? Moses Perch: Last year, Fisheries changed the name of Moses Perch to Moses Snapper. Don t know why but the minimum size is 25cm and the bag limit is 5. Navigation Lights: It is important that lights are fitted according to collision regulations so that other boats can determine what type of boat you are and the course you are on. A common mistake is the fitting of the red and green sidelights on the same angle of the curve of the bow of the boat. This results in the angles of light crossing over each other when seen from head on. This also affects the side view. Side lights must be kept parallel to the centreline of the boat.

14 Those who Support Our Club The Bribie RSL Fishing Club provides a real service to the community by extending the hand of friendship not only to the fisher men and women with a common interest, but also to the many residents of Bribie Island and the surrounding area who would otherwise lead a lonely existence. Currently our club has approximately eighty members of whom only twenty to thirty are regular fisherpeople. Without the ability to raise the necessary funds, our club would not be able to exist, so through the generosity of the Bribie RSL Club, members of our club are able to raise the finances required by conducting meat tray raffles on a Thursday night from June until January of each year. In addition, the Bribie Island RSL Club supports us in very substantial and significant ways use of facilities at the Sports Club for our monthly presentation BBQ s, use of the ANZAC room for our monthly general meetings and very importantly, a $20 voucher each month for our member s draw. Many thanks Bribie Island RSL Club we really do appreciate your support. There are also occasions where we have the ability to raffle other prizes that have been kindly donated by our local businesses. The prizes that have been donated are actually great prizes that provide a real benefit to the people lucky enough to win them. Owners of Browns Mitre 10 on Bribie Island, Michael and Samantha Brown have very kindly agreed to support us by donating a $20 gift card each month to be used as a raffle prize at our monthly general meeting. In addition, they have offered a 5% discount on all fishing, marine and bait goods when members show their Bribie Island RSL Fishing Club member identification at time of purchase. Browns Mitre 10 is a Wilsons fishing tackle distributor. If members provide a Wilsons product number for the item they wish to purchase and it is not in store, Michael will order it for you. This is a great service. In addition, Michael has offered to provide better pricing for group buys or for certain high turnover items. Thank you Browns Mitre 10 Bribie Island.

15 We have some fantastic support in our community and we really appreciate all the help that our local businesses have provided but there is one company who just keeps on giving. Danny Payne, who owns Outback Adventures in Morayfield, has provided us with countless gifts over the last few years and continues to offer on-going support on a daily basis by providing our members a discount on all fishing gear. We really do appreciate the friendly service that Danny, Ken and all staff give us. Many thanks Outback Adventures. Eyewear Plus has donated a fantastic pair of quality polaroid sunglasses that any fisherperson would have loved to own. They have also provided us with a couple of lens cleaning spray bottles and appropriate cloths. Steve Kelly from Mr Minute is a very keen fisherman who has supported the club for a number of years. Steve has generously donated numerous prizes including Leatherman tools and a number of Led Lenser LED flashlights/torches. Led Lenser is well known as one of the best names in quality LED torches and they also command a high price. Thank you Steve.

16 A number of discount vouchers have been donated by MODE Hairdressing for the last few years. It is nice to have a prize that can be utilised by the ladies. Pacific Harbour Golf Club has donated quite a few gift vouchers for 18 holes of golf with a buggy for the last few years and have supported our club again for These prizes are greatly appreciated and are highly valued by the players. BRIBIE PASSAGE KIOSK & BOAT HIRE The new owner s (Kathy and Darryl) support is ongoing and provide a valuable resource as our primary weigh in station. BBQ Boat Hire Bribie Island Ian and Bronwyn recently donated a voucher for an 8 person BBQ boat for a day as a prize for our raffle. Margie Gadd won it. Last year they did a similar thing and Tim Holt won it at the Trophy Presentation night. Many thanks BBQ Boat Hire. They are located at the Pacific Harbour Marina. Please consider them for your BBQ boat hire needs.

17 Hypnotic Fashion has been supporting our club for a few years now, so if you are after ladies fashion for all ages please drop by. After ten years of being located in the Bribie Island Shopping Centre, Hypnotic Fashion decided to relocate to bigger premises on Benabrow Avenue. The new premises have been totally renovated and they have sourced out the latest fashion and accessories at great prices so have a look at the new look HYPNOTIC FASHION BOUTIQUE. The Priceline pharmacy has been part of the Bribie Island community for many years but did you know that the proprietors John and Cindy are also very keen on fishing. You won t see them out in the store but you can be sure that they will be looking after your needs behind the office door. Your Priceline pharmacist is there to assist you by giving you advice and talking through your health concerns. From our friendly staff to our trained cosmeticians, we aim to give you the best advice and recommendations, great prices and the latest products. We thank you all for your ongoing support.