Norfolk 2 - The Jig Never Sleeps
Back to Norfolk Island first week of December with some serious fishing planned. Once again tour guide Jay Barker – who I can’t recommend too highly – had put together a great schedule. But as always, it all depended on the weather. Loaded the gear into the rented Moke, dropped the suitcases at the motel, and headed off with Jay to find a place to fish - out of the wind:
Jay figured Ball Bay, on the island’s south-east corner, would be sheltered from the howling westerly. He was right. We launched the kayak and headed out:
Only fish found were small kingfish, lots of fun on the 702 combo:
Next day the wind was blowing even harder. Fired up to fish I headed for Blackbourne Point, on the island’s sheltered east side:
Kicked off with a spin session. Plenty of bonito around the washes:
Really, I should have had a live bait rig and balloon ready to go on our 24 kilo 802 popping combo:
Having missed that opportunity I decided to drift out a tuna fillet instead:
That worked – maybe too well:
A whaler shark hit the bait, and spooled me. Like all healthy fisheries the island swarms with sharks. Check this out, from back in the day:
Two days passed and finally seas were settling down. Jay figured we could get offshore in his Mac 420 centre console. The plan was to run north of the island to some hard reef and fish for red throat emperor, or trumpeter as they are known on the island. Success! On our 40 gram jigs, of course:
Small kings around everywhere, of course. Such a beautiful fish, I never tire of them:
Then Jay hooked up hard:
This big trevally the result:
Meantime I was hooking up too, using our 24 kilo jig combo:
Then the dang sharks moved in:
Meaning all fish hooked got bitten off. Time to move. Back in to the close reefs, and deployed the spreader bar:
Set one of our Zuker clone lures 10 metres behind it. Stacks of strikes but mostly bonito. They were swarming that day:
One day to go and the wind was howling. No chance of getting wide to where we found the bar cod, kings and big snapper last trip. Decided to kick back and check out the place because there’s something interesting to see, everywhere you look. Wooden boat trailers:
Bag limits agreed to by all local fishos, to protect the stocks. Woe betide anyone who comes to the wharf over the limit:
But I couldn’t help myself. Addicted! Headed down late in the afternoon to Cascade wharf, on the sheltered side of the island. Floated out a bait on light wire under a balloon, using our 24 kilo bent butt outfit. It didn’t take long:
What a week! And all thanks to Jay Barker from Permanent Vacations:
Deeply grateful to all our readers for your support in 2018 and wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year
Andrew Hestelow
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