Our November and December 2025 trips to the Swain Reefs aboard Eastern Voyager wrapped up the season with some very different but equally memorable charters. The trips delivered strong fishing, good company and the kind of moments that stick long after the boat is back at the dock.
The November trip was all about quality reef fishing and finishing the season on a high. Conditions allowed for consistent fishing throughout, with coral trout, spangled emperor and red emperor featuring heavily. Cade landed the standout fish of the trip, pulling in an impressive 80cm, 10kg red emperor that set the benchmark for the week. Gilly quietly went about it and finished the trip with the highest fish count overall, while Andrew landed his first-ever red emperor, a milestone moment made even better by the Swain Reefs backdrop. Chinaman fish were encountered and released, adding to the variety and showing just how healthy the reef system is. The clear highlight came on the final day, fishing off Eastern Voyager herself, where red emperor were coming over the rail and the trip finished exactly how everyone hoped — tired, satisfied, and already talking about the next one.
December’s early-summer trip brought a different energy, with big numbers, plenty of laughs and a lot of friendly competition on deck. The standout session came on Thursday, fishing from the big boat, where an impressive 109 quality fish were landed alongside nonstop banter. Tristain finished the trip with the highest fish count, while Emmanuel landed the biggest fish — a solid wahoo that was released after a quick photo. It was also a trip of firsts, with Jack landing his first coral trout and Emmanuel ticking off his first wahoo. Some unusual species made an appearance too, including buffalo emperor and an orange-spotted emperor caught by Dale. Throughout the week, the bait fishers went head-to-head with the jig and lure crew, with plenty of talk flying across the deck. The jig and lure setups got plenty of attention, but in the end, the bait fishers took out the fish count. Off the rods, there was no shortage of reasons to celebrate, including Nado’s birthday onboard, deckhand Nathan’s birthday on Tuesday, and Muddy landing his first red emperor — moments that added to the overall feel of the trip.
Across both trips, the theme was consistency and good times. Fish were caught every day, different techniques had their moments, and everyone onboard had a chance to be part of something memorable. From standout red emperor to first-time captures and big sessions off the main vessel, the late spring Swain Reefs season once again showed why it’s such a reliable and rewarding time to fish this remote part of the reef.
The November and December 2025 trips are a solid snapshot of what fishing aboard Eastern Voyager is all about — time on productive ground, plenty of laughs, and trips defined just as much by the people onboard as the fish that come over the rail.
With warm regards,
Tony and the team
