As a newcomer to Darwin and had my first expedition out to Fentons and South Gutter for not much luck I was just wondering how everyone went with the offshore pelagics and bottom and reef fishing this weekend with the nice neap tides??

All we got were a couple of large flags and a few tuna but didnt have much luck bottom bouncing out the front. I thought I would go to the Fentons to at least have some fun with the GT's but it was bad timing as a large Hammerhead spooked everything where I was.

Anyway would like to hear your stories and see any pics. After only my first venture offshore I am doubting myself already or maybe just my sounder!!

Cheers Corey.

I went out with a mate to Galah Shoal (I think it's called). We got there about 7.30am, after having a water police inspection with camera crew in tow.As we arrived the sounder lit up with arches. The boys dropped their baits & I dropped my new jig. The bait boys caught a few reds as keepers, while I caught jack (not mangrove). I persisted for about about an hour before I changed to bait. Soon after landed a descent mother in law.
The boys had a few pillies hanging out the back, which were rewarded with a few slimey macks. Prertty amazing couple of hours with macks leaping from the water all around a couple hundred metre radius. Then ..........she shut down.
Looked like this happened across the board as boats a couple hundred metres away pulled anchor soon after. We, however, persisted. A while later the Darwin Sub Aqua Club rolled up & went over the side. After 20 minutes or so the first two divers came up & told us to move forward 50 metres to get amongst a school of goldies & a few big (though very flighty) jewies. We did this, though still no result.
We then tried another couple of spots in the area for nothing. Can't imagine why they just turn off at a given time..
The decision was made to give Charles Point a crack. Nothing to brag about, other than Moz being brocken off twice by something big.
Something big turned out to be the (in my books) the mother of all Lemon Sharks. When I hooked her, she just kept going. I'd bring her back, only for her to power off again taking more than I'd gained. About ten minutes in was when I heard an ominous cracking noise coming from my rod. Lost the top four inches of the tip for the final half of my session with her. We got her within sight with the assistance of a set of gloves, as we were determined to find out what I actually had. Moz called her for about 3 metres of Lemon before the line finally snapped & she headed for the deep to taunt others with thoughts of a massive jewie on the end of their line.
So a mixed bag sort of a day, but still unreal to be out there.

Yeah we saw Mackies just turn off too...about mid morning I thought. Damn that lemon shark for getting your hopes up hey! I went to Charles Point for the first time, theres heaps of bottom to fish there..we only got a few small grunter and called it a day. Its very exciting to be up here with endless possibilities of where to fish!!

great saturday out front of bathurst island , just off the beach on the reefs , slow during the day with only a few goldies to keep.

but around turn of the tide saturday night just went ballistic, with some huge goldies and reds and parrot coming over the side, we stopped fishing at about eleven with sore arms and hands.

even had a double hook up with two massive goldies!! i was so glad we decided to stay.

Went to charles point after the float /vote rally, nice trip out as flat as there was a few boats out there constantly moving to find the fish me included got one nice goldy and a buzzilin ococs, and nothing else, chatted to a few fishos out same same lots of ococs and not much else, had a bad feeling on the way out as the sea was flat as ,BUT the coral sporn stuff was every where !! and we know that means fishing will be suss ? and it was, should have stayed round the wharf area as the littel tuna were going off....

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Yes the weather was great and the water clear, lots of coral spawn as you mentioned. There were tuna everywhere at south gutter also, nice day to be on the water but the fish seemed quiet which was disappointing.

Giant, nice work mate. Am still yet to catch my first goldie as Ive only been here a few weeks, I hear they put up an almighty fight? How far away from Bathurst were you? we have a 6.5m quintrex offshore so might even try that next time and stay the night. Good work with the double hookup!!

stormboy was that your boat with OFFSHORE written on the side out at charles on saturday???

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That was us. It too is a 6.5 Quinnie.

Yeah mate thats the one. 650 offshore on the side, we camped there the night. Still didnt help my cause though!!! I had been half way around the territory for not much luck!! Im just about to take my sounder in to be checked now as its not reading the bottom properly - time for a new one I think.

Actually if it was Saturday it wasnt me.. I was there Sunday

Mate's boat. Hope you saw the rod snapping tussle I had. It was the highlight of my day. First time ever that I'd had to crank & wind.

YEAH I did see the boat leaning to one side there for a while i was watching to see if it was a jewy but you were on the other side of the boat when that must have happened, i have hooked those lemon sharks out just about every time we go there exept for saturday ? good to see some one else have to deal with it and not me !!! my boat was the blue raysea marine that was behind you call sweet caroline, you were pulling the anchor just as we left to go home.

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Yep that was us. Old Lemonhead certainly gave me (& my gear) a work-out.

yeah stormboy

we were about half a klm off the beach at bathurst heaps of reef off there. your boat would be no worries at all just your 3/4's of the way there at south gutter.

when we were done we just motored up into Apsley straight about half an hour away to rest up. ( bit slow going cause we couldnt see 10 ft in front)

last time we were there we just stayed out overnight but was a bit rolly at night this time round, dead flat again in the morning though!!

Cheers Giant. Will definetley give it a go next time for sure. At least its not far to get out of the wild storms if you have too. I just want to catch a Goldie or two!! From all reports sounds like the tiwi's are the place to go. What depth were you fishing in Giant? Dont know much about them. How deep would I have to be?