March didn’t exactly ease us in this year. The first trip out brought seven straight days of wind — the kind that keeps you on your toes and makes you work a little harder for every fish.
But that’s often how it goes. The trips that aren’t handed to you tend to be the ones people talk about the most afterwards.
This one had its fair share of moments.
Early in the trip, Steve found himself in the middle of a fight that quickly turned into something more memorable than expected. Midway through, his rod and reel gave up the fight before he did — coming apart while he was still hooked up. What followed was a bit of teamwork, with two people stepping in to help land the fish. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done, and it’s safe to say it’ll be one that gets retold a few times.
The Spanish Mackerel kept things interesting across the week, with Eli landing a personal best and finishing the trip with the biggest fish overall. Alongside Kohen, the two of them quietly put together the highest catch counts of the trip — and, as it turned out, the younger crew weren’t giving much away to the more experienced fishers onboard. If anything, they were setting the pace.
There was plenty of variety coming over the rail too. Coral Trout, Red Emperor, Long-Nosed Emperor, Spangled Emperor and Red Throat Emperor all made an appearance, along with Hussar and Spanish Mackerel. A few no-take species like Chinaman Fish and Barramundi Cod were also caught and released, along with a first-time catch of Red Breasted Wrasse for some onboard — a reminder that you never quite know what’s coming up next.
And then there was the shark.
Steve — a different Steve this time — seemed to have a knack for finding the same one over and over again. After a few repeat encounters, it was only fair that the shark ended up sharing his name. “Steve” made more than one appearance across the trip, much to the amusement (and occasional frustration) of everyone on deck.
There was a bit of friendly rivalry running throughout the week too. Jig fishing went head-to-head with drift fishing, and this time around, the jigs came out on top. Plenty of debate followed, as you’d expect.
Despite the wind, or maybe because of it, the trip never felt flat. There was always something happening — whether it was a solid fish coming aboard, a bit of banter between drifts, or another story being added to the list.
That’s the thing about these trips. Not every week is calm, and not every fish comes easy. But when you’ve got a good group onboard, a few laughs along the way, and enough moments that stick, it all adds up to something worth coming back for.
And this one definitely did.
With warm regards,
Tony and the team
